Exclusive: Blackfin, the Lionsgate-backed production company behind series including Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez, has a new Head of Documentaries.
Igal Svet, who was previously head of documentaries at Discovery+ has joined in the role as well as EVP.
Reporting to Chief Creative Officer Geno McDermott, Svet joins after nearly three years as Head of Documentaries at Discovery+, a position he left in March 2023. In that role, he helped launch a slate of docs including Trump: Unprecedented, House of Hammer, Curse of the Chippendales, Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed, and Queen of Meth as well as acquisitions such as Introducing Selma Blair.
Before joining Discovery in 2019, initially as VP, Production and Development, Svet spent five years at Nat Geo, where he worked on docs such as LA92, Jane, Mars, Story of God with Morgan Freeman, and One Strange Rock.
Lionsgate Alternative Television’s Blackfin, which was formerly part of eOne,...
Igal Svet, who was previously head of documentaries at Discovery+ has joined in the role as well as EVP.
Reporting to Chief Creative Officer Geno McDermott, Svet joins after nearly three years as Head of Documentaries at Discovery+, a position he left in March 2023. In that role, he helped launch a slate of docs including Trump: Unprecedented, House of Hammer, Curse of the Chippendales, Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed, and Queen of Meth as well as acquisitions such as Introducing Selma Blair.
Before joining Discovery in 2019, initially as VP, Production and Development, Svet spent five years at Nat Geo, where he worked on docs such as LA92, Jane, Mars, Story of God with Morgan Freeman, and One Strange Rock.
Lionsgate Alternative Television’s Blackfin, which was formerly part of eOne,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Lionsgate is expanding in unscripted TV programming by launching an alternative TV division led by Craig Piligian.
Lionsgate Alternative Television will encompass the studio’s unscripted TV brands like Pilgrim Media Group, Blackfin, Renegade, Daisybeck Studios and more recently Entertainment One after the acquisition of key film and TV assets from Hasbro.
Piligian, the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning producer, becomes managing director of the new division that has unscripted franchises like Naked and Afraid, Street Outlaws, Wicked Tuna, The Yorkshire Vet, Ex on the Beach, Selling Sunset and Milf Manor. Lionsgate’s unscripted TV output includes limited series like Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez and Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre.
The management team at Lionsgate Alternative Television also includes Pilgrim Media Group president and COO Gretchen Stockdale and top Renegade execs David Garfinkle and Jay Renfroe. Former History Channel and Half Yard Productions exec Dirk Hoogstra joins...
Lionsgate Alternative Television will encompass the studio’s unscripted TV brands like Pilgrim Media Group, Blackfin, Renegade, Daisybeck Studios and more recently Entertainment One after the acquisition of key film and TV assets from Hasbro.
Piligian, the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning producer, becomes managing director of the new division that has unscripted franchises like Naked and Afraid, Street Outlaws, Wicked Tuna, The Yorkshire Vet, Ex on the Beach, Selling Sunset and Milf Manor. Lionsgate’s unscripted TV output includes limited series like Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez and Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre.
The management team at Lionsgate Alternative Television also includes Pilgrim Media Group president and COO Gretchen Stockdale and top Renegade execs David Garfinkle and Jay Renfroe. Former History Channel and Half Yard Productions exec Dirk Hoogstra joins...
- 1/9/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
D.J. Hernandez, the brother of late football star Aaron Hernandez, was arrested last week in Bristol, Connecticut, after allegedly throwing a brick at ESPN headquarters with a note condemning the media, TMZ reported on Monday.
Aaron played for the New England Patriots until he was arrested for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd. He was found guilty of first-degree murder in 2015 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In 2017, he was found dead in his cell, mere days after he was acquitted of a separate double homicide. His death was ruled a suicide.
Netflix released the true crime docuseries “Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez” in January 2020. Aaron’s trials and conviction received considerable news coverage, including on ESPN.
Also Read:
Netflix’s ‘Murdaugh Murders’ Hits No. 1 as Real-Life Trial Comes to a Close | Charts
According to the outlet, Dennis Hernandez arrived via Uber and after...
Aaron played for the New England Patriots until he was arrested for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd. He was found guilty of first-degree murder in 2015 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In 2017, he was found dead in his cell, mere days after he was acquitted of a separate double homicide. His death was ruled a suicide.
Netflix released the true crime docuseries “Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez” in January 2020. Aaron’s trials and conviction received considerable news coverage, including on ESPN.
Also Read:
Netflix’s ‘Murdaugh Murders’ Hits No. 1 as Real-Life Trial Comes to a Close | Charts
According to the outlet, Dennis Hernandez arrived via Uber and after...
- 3/28/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
The latest Netflix true-crime docuseries “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal” has tapped into America’s obsession with the case of disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh. Its new three-part series climbed to the top of the streaming charts in the latest Wrap Report, which highlights television viewership trends collected from Samba TV’s panel of more than 3 million households drawn from over 25 million connected TVs.
Whether by sheer luck or incredible programming wiles, the docuseries was timed perfectly to the five-week trial of one of the most prominent families in the South that has dominated headlines and been a fixture on news networks for months. The Netflix series drove even more interest in the June 2021 killings of Murdaugh’s wife Maggie and son Paul as it dropped on Feb. 22, the beginning of the week-long period covered by this report.
Also Read:
Black Households Lift Netflix’s ‘You People’ to Top...
Whether by sheer luck or incredible programming wiles, the docuseries was timed perfectly to the five-week trial of one of the most prominent families in the South that has dominated headlines and been a fixture on news networks for months. The Netflix series drove even more interest in the June 2021 killings of Murdaugh’s wife Maggie and son Paul as it dropped on Feb. 22, the beginning of the week-long period covered by this report.
Also Read:
Black Households Lift Netflix’s ‘You People’ to Top...
- 3/6/2023
- by Dallas Lawrence
- The Wrap
It’s only fitting that in 2020 — the year of the coronavirus — Netflix’s top titles include stand-up comedies, “sad movies” and “home baking shows.”
The streaming giant released year-end viewing trends on Thursday that also showed that October was the biggest month for comedy consumption, with audiences seeking to quell pre-election anxiety. “Hubie Halloween,” “The Wrong Missy,” “Space Force,” “Holidate” and “Kevin Hart: Zero Fucks Given” were the most popular comedy titles of the year.
In the three weeks following George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police, viewing soared for titles that reflected the Black experience: “13th” saw the most growth, with viewing up more than 5,000%. “LA 92,” “Dear White People,” “Time: The Kalief Browder Story” and “American Son” views also skyrocketed.
Netflix users also gravitated toward twice as much romance in 2020 as the year prior, with films “The Kissing Booth 2,” “Princess Switch: Switched Again” and...
The streaming giant released year-end viewing trends on Thursday that also showed that October was the biggest month for comedy consumption, with audiences seeking to quell pre-election anxiety. “Hubie Halloween,” “The Wrong Missy,” “Space Force,” “Holidate” and “Kevin Hart: Zero Fucks Given” were the most popular comedy titles of the year.
In the three weeks following George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police, viewing soared for titles that reflected the Black experience: “13th” saw the most growth, with viewing up more than 5,000%. “LA 92,” “Dear White People,” “Time: The Kalief Browder Story” and “American Son” views also skyrocketed.
Netflix users also gravitated toward twice as much romance in 2020 as the year prior, with films “The Kissing Booth 2,” “Princess Switch: Switched Again” and...
- 12/10/2020
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has revealed some color about its subscribers’ viewing habits during 2020.
The streamer saw foreign-language dramas such as Spain’s The Platform and Germany’s Barbarians boom, romance titles doubled in popularity and action titles such as Extraction and Cobra Kai flexed their muscles over the last twelves.
Some of the most interesting data provided by Netflix as part of its What We Watched 2020 report was around the pandemic and civil unrest over the summer. In March, as Covid-19 was starting to ravage the world outside of China, viewers were searching for home baking shows with almost a 50% rise from the previous month – a boon for the likes of Nailed It! and The Great British Bake Off.
The following month, searches for sad movies spiked nearly 30%, while subscribers were also calling out for stand-up shows between March and April. October was our biggest month for comedy viewing generally. Hubie Halloween,...
The streamer saw foreign-language dramas such as Spain’s The Platform and Germany’s Barbarians boom, romance titles doubled in popularity and action titles such as Extraction and Cobra Kai flexed their muscles over the last twelves.
Some of the most interesting data provided by Netflix as part of its What We Watched 2020 report was around the pandemic and civil unrest over the summer. In March, as Covid-19 was starting to ravage the world outside of China, viewers were searching for home baking shows with almost a 50% rise from the previous month – a boon for the likes of Nailed It! and The Great British Bake Off.
The following month, searches for sad movies spiked nearly 30%, while subscribers were also calling out for stand-up shows between March and April. October was our biggest month for comedy viewing generally. Hubie Halloween,...
- 12/10/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
US viewers consumed 50% more foreign-language content in 2020, with The Platform from Spain, Barbarians from Germany and Rogue City from France the most popular choices.
While the streaming service provided no hard data on viewership of individual films and shows in its What We Watched 2020 briefing released on Thursday (December 10), the information at least offered guidance on trends.
K-drama viewing almost tripled in viewership compared to 2019 with Kingdom S2 and The King: Eternal Monarch proving the most popular, while consumption of anime doubled in the US led by Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back – Evolution and Blood Of Zeus.
Money Heist: Part 4 from...
While the streaming service provided no hard data on viewership of individual films and shows in its What We Watched 2020 briefing released on Thursday (December 10), the information at least offered guidance on trends.
K-drama viewing almost tripled in viewership compared to 2019 with Kingdom S2 and The King: Eternal Monarch proving the most popular, while consumption of anime doubled in the US led by Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back – Evolution and Blood Of Zeus.
Money Heist: Part 4 from...
- 12/10/2020
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Coronavirus stay-at-home orders dramatically impacted television viewing habits, driving up consumption of just about every genre of programming, including documentary. The resulting huge audience numbers and media attention generated by Tiger King and The Last Dance could give those nonfiction series a leg-up as Emmy voters prepare to mark their nomination ballots.
Tiger King, the seven-part series on “murder, mayhem and madness” in the eccentric world of big cat breeders and private zoo operators, dropped on Netflix March 20, just as lockdown orders were being imposed across much of the U.S. Director Eric Goode is the first to say people moored in their homes, TV remote in hand, helped turn the series into a cultural phenomenon.
“I do think we all must assume that that’s part of it,” Goode states. “For sure.”
Tiger King is contending for Emmy nominations in multiple categories, including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. It...
Tiger King, the seven-part series on “murder, mayhem and madness” in the eccentric world of big cat breeders and private zoo operators, dropped on Netflix March 20, just as lockdown orders were being imposed across much of the U.S. Director Eric Goode is the first to say people moored in their homes, TV remote in hand, helped turn the series into a cultural phenomenon.
“I do think we all must assume that that’s part of it,” Goode states. “For sure.”
Tiger King is contending for Emmy nominations in multiple categories, including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. It...
- 6/26/2020
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
After leading a Black Lives Matter protest against racial injustice over the weekend, NBA star Russell Westbrook is producing a project on “the single worst incident of racial violence in American history.”
Westbrook is teaming with celebrated documentary filmmaker Stanley Nelson and “Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez” producer Blackfin for a series on the Tulsa race massacre of 1921, titled “Terror In Tulsa: The Rise And Fall of Black Wall Street.” The series is described as both an exploration of America’s past, and also a “urgent, sobering look at the social, economic and political lines that continue to divide the country.” It will inter-weave both past and present-day narratives in order to investigate the tragic event and its continuing impact.
Nelson will direct the series which hails from his Firelight Films banner and Blackfin. Westbrook will serve as an executive producer.
“I am so very honored to partner...
Westbrook is teaming with celebrated documentary filmmaker Stanley Nelson and “Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez” producer Blackfin for a series on the Tulsa race massacre of 1921, titled “Terror In Tulsa: The Rise And Fall of Black Wall Street.” The series is described as both an exploration of America’s past, and also a “urgent, sobering look at the social, economic and political lines that continue to divide the country.” It will inter-weave both past and present-day narratives in order to investigate the tragic event and its continuing impact.
Nelson will direct the series which hails from his Firelight Films banner and Blackfin. Westbrook will serve as an executive producer.
“I am so very honored to partner...
- 6/9/2020
- by Will Thorne
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has ordered a docuseries titled “The Innocence Files,” Variety has learned exclusively.
The hour-long episodes detail the personal stories behind eight cases of wrongful conviction that the Innocence Project and organizations within the Innocence Network have worked to highlight and overturn. The series is broken down into three parts — The Evidence, The Witness, and The Prosecution. The subjects of the series will be Chester Hollman III, Kenneth Wyniemko, Alfred Dewayne Brown, Thomas Haynesworth, Franky Carrillo, Levon Brooks, Kennedy Brewer, and Keith Harward.
The entire nine-episode season will debut on Netflix on April 15.
“We are thrilled to be part of the groundbreaking Netflix series, ‘The Innocence Files,'” said Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck, Innocence Project co-founders and special counsel of the Innocence Project. “This is truly important television. Each episode reveals–step by step–how the American criminal justice system gets it wrong. These stories feature people whose freedom...
The hour-long episodes detail the personal stories behind eight cases of wrongful conviction that the Innocence Project and organizations within the Innocence Network have worked to highlight and overturn. The series is broken down into three parts — The Evidence, The Witness, and The Prosecution. The subjects of the series will be Chester Hollman III, Kenneth Wyniemko, Alfred Dewayne Brown, Thomas Haynesworth, Franky Carrillo, Levon Brooks, Kennedy Brewer, and Keith Harward.
The entire nine-episode season will debut on Netflix on April 15.
“We are thrilled to be part of the groundbreaking Netflix series, ‘The Innocence Files,'” said Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck, Innocence Project co-founders and special counsel of the Innocence Project. “This is truly important television. Each episode reveals–step by step–how the American criminal justice system gets it wrong. These stories feature people whose freedom...
- 3/9/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
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