06.10.08
Mentorn International is offering a wide-range of programmes at MIPCOM across factual, factual entertainment and reality genres, as well as a raft of “blue light” police shows, it was announced today.
Diet on the Dancefloor – this Summer’s entertainment hit on Living in the UK which combines glamour, dance and fitness and sees contestants who love to dance but lack confidence because of their size, get fit and learn to dance professionally. The series of eight hour-long programmes has the compelling narrative of overweight people getting fit and gaining self confidence with all the drama and excitement of a dance competition. Mentorn International is also launching the format at the market.
Dangerous Adventures for Boys a six-part series of programmes following celebrities and their sons embarking on historical adventures is heading up the raft of factual entertainment shows on offer from Mentorn International at MIPCOM 2008.
Inspired by the international bestselling book “The Dangerous Book for Boys”, for which Mentorn has the exclusive TV rights worldwide, the series, due to broadcast on channel Five in the UK later in the autumn, sees Martin Kemp, Bradley Walsh, Jim Moir (aka Vic Reeves), Darren Campbell, Lord Brockett and Todd Carty, along with their teenage sons, train with experts to prepare them for their adventures which include flying fighter planes, sailing an historic tall ship and undertaking a special forces mission.
In the build-up to Ricky Hatton’s next title fight in November against IBF light-welterweight champion Paulie Malingnaggi in Las Vegas, Mentorn International are offering a unique behind the scenes documentary, At Home with the Hattons (1 x 60) at MIPCOM.
The documentary, which premiered on Sky1 in the UK, gives viewers the opportunity to see what life is like for international boxing star, Ricky Hatton, both in the ring and at home with his fiercely loyal and entertaining family.
It follows Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton from his 2007 defeat against Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas to his triumphant homecoming fight against Juan Lazcano at the City of Manchester Stadium on May 24th this year. Alongside Ricky, the documentary features his mild-mannered, ex-pro footballer father, Ray, his formidable mother, Carol, whose acerbic put-downs offer no mercy and younger brother and fellow boxer, Matthew, as well as Ricky himself, the dry, fast-talking fighter packing as many punch-lines as punches.
Mentorn International also has a full slate of top-rating “blue light” police series from Folio Productions headed by the extraordinary episode of Motorway Cops (5 x 60’) where incredible scenes unfolded of twin Swedish sisters who ran repeatedly across three lanes of one of Britain’s busiest motorways, colliding with vehicles, and somehow survived. This programme made news headlines and achieved an audience of 7 million and a 33% share in primetime on BBC1.
Folio is part of Mentorn Media and is the leading and long-established producer of high quality access-driven police documentaries for BBC One, Five and Sky1 in the UK. Mentorn International has secured sales across the world of the popular series Traffic Cops, Night Cops, Drunk and Dangerous, Car Wars and Shops Robbers and Videotape, as well as Motorway Cops, and broadcasters include YLE in Finland, RTL in the Netherlands, Foxtel in Australia, VTM in Belgium, TVN Turbo in Poland, SBS in Netherlands, SBS in Denmark and TVNZ in New Zealand.
Mentorn International’s Managing Director, David Leach, said: “The access that Folio has secured is unique and makes these programmes fascinating and incredibly popular. Motorway Cops alone has delivered the two highest-rated factual programmes on BBC1 this year. I’m delighted that we are able to offer such a range of hit programmes to the global market. Our sales figures are already good and the new episodes that we have for market are truly talk-about television.”
Traffic Cops is the highly successful long-running series which has secured consistently high viewing figures for BBC1 in primetime, regularly achieving a 30% audience share. Produced by Folio, part of Mentorn Media the latest series 6 (10 x 30’) will be available at MIPCOM.
Stolen vehicles, speeding drivers, car chases, motorway pile-ups and everyday examples of dreadful driving by motorists who should know better. With unique and exclusive access to police forces across the UK, Traffic Cops exposes the reality of life on Britain’s roads. With footage from helicopters, police cars, street cameras, CCTV and control centres, along with interviews with the officers involved, this series gives a three dimensional view on how the British police tackle crime. With the new sixth series there are now 52 x 30 minute shows available.
Sky 1’s Night Cops (16 x 60’) which is now in production with its second series is also for sale, along with BBC1’s Car Wars, there are a mix of half-hour and hour-long completed programmes focusing on specialist departments of the British police available for sale.
From street cameras to in-store CCTV, the fight against Britain’s criminals is being captured on tape. Shops, Robbers and Videotape (8 x 60’) Mentorn’s latest series for channel Five in the UK has unique and exclusive access to the policing of Oxford Street in central London as it follows the police who are on the front line in the fight against the criminals who operate in Britain’s towns and city centres. Using a mix of actuality, CCTV and police helicopter footage to show how the police are arresting criminals in action.
Mentorn International will also be offering new US entertainment programmes for sale which include Paradise Hotel (47 x 60’) and Work Out (24 x 60’) – both hit shows in America. Paradise Hotel is in its second series while Work Out is offering three completed series. Work out has already been a successful hit in Europe with Sales in ten countries including RTL Netherlands, TV4 Sweden, TV2 Denmark, Sky Vivo Italy, Dogan TV Turkey in Europe and across the rest of the world Discovery in India, CanWest in Canada, Sky in New Zealand, Globosat in Brazil, CJ Media in Korea.
Paradise Hotel continues to be a huge success, selling to more than 45 broadcasters including 24 broadcasters in Europe including TV4 in Sweden, TV2 in Norway, TV3 in Denmark, Planete in France, RTL in Netherlands, Fox in Italy, TV3 in Ireland, Channel 4 in Finland.
Mentorn International’s Managing Director, David Leach, said: “Mentorn International is delighted to be offering such a wide range of completed programmes in different genres from the UK and the USA this year. Dangerous Adventures for Boys is an exciting new factual entertainment series and Folio’s long-running police shows are now primetime hits on three UK channels. Diet on the Dancefloor is a great new entertainment show from the UK and Paradise Hotel and Work Out continue to be successes for Mentorn USA in the US. It’s testimony to Mentorn Media and Mentorn USA that we can offer such a variety of unique programmes and formats.”
Visit Mentorn International at stand 11.29 at MIPCOM 2008.
Notes to Editors
Mentorn International is the distribution arm of Mentorn USA and Mentorn Media -leading independent producers, with successful International formats, and, award-winning programming for the UK and worldwide. Mentorn International sells formats and licensed programmes including reality, entertainment, factual entertainment and factual genres as well as police shows.
For further information please contact Louise Plank on behalf of Mentorn Media on 020 8995 3936 or
lou@plankpr.com