FremantleMedia
Encyclopedia
FremantleMedia, Ltd. is the content and production division of Bertelsmann
's RTL Group
, Europe's second largest TV, radio, and production company. Its world headquarters are located in London
.
The company acquired various British
and Australia
n production companies including Grundy Television
, Crackerjack Productions
(now merged to become FremantleMedia Australia
), Thames Television
and Talkback Productions
(the last two later merged as Talkback Thames). Early on it merged with Germany's largest television production company, UFA
.
/Todman
game show library which includes such game shows as What's My Line?
, The Price Is Right
, Password, Now You See It
, Match Game
, I've Got a Secret
and Family Feud
, as well as non-Goodson shows such as Press Your Luck
, Let's Make a Deal
and the Reg Grundy
library, which includes Time Machine
, Sale of the Century
, Scrabble
, Scattergories
, Small Talk
and Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak
. Fremantle also produced Temptation
and an interactive gameshow Quizmania
for ITV Play.
In addition, they also own (along with Columbia Pictures
) the rights to most of the post 1948 Bob Hope
film catalog that includes The Seven Little Foys
, The Lemon Drop Kid
, and Son of Paleface
. They were also the distributors of the television series Baywatch
, and hold the rights to the Grundy Television Library such series like Wheel Of Fortune
(not the U.S. version or any version produced since Columbia's acquisition of Merv Griffin Enterprises
, since Sony now holds the rights to the show domestically and worldwide) and Neighbours
, including game shows from its U.S. counterpart, Reg Grundy Productions
.
In-house productions include Pop Idol
and its related spin-offs
(including the FOX
-aired American Idol
), and three carryover productions from Mark Goodson Productions: the current versions of The Price Is Right and Family Feud, and the 2002 revival of Beat the Clock
(for Pax TV). Currently, they hold rights (under license from Fuji Television
) to the game Brain Wall
, more commonly known as Hole in the Wall in over 20 countries.
FremantleMedia has also licensed rights to international formats including The Apprentice (with creator Mark Burnett
for BBC One
), The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency
(on Oxygen in the United States), the Simon Cowell
-produced series The X Factor
(in the UK), and America's Got Talent
for NBC, the long running Australian serials Neighbours
and Prisoner
, Distraction
(on Comedy Central
), and Gameshow Marathon (on CBS). In other countries they own the franchise rights to Betty La Fea
in Germany
(Verliebt In Berlin
), Spain
(Yo Soy Bea
), the Netherlands
(Lotte
), Sara in Belgium
and Maria I Asximi in Greece
.
FremantleMedia's library also includes the 2001 CBS telefilm The Christmas Shoes (inspired by the NewSong
#1 hit), and its 2005 sequel, The Christmas Blessing. (The song is the property of Bertelsmann AG, which is the majority owner in RTL group.)
The company also owns the back catalog of the American TV production company Reeves Entertainment
, which was acquired by Thames in 1990. Additionally, FremantleMedia brought the rights to all former programming of the now defunct UK broadcasting strand Thames Television
from Pearson International in 2002, meaning they also hold rights to a variety of shows from the Thames archives including popular children's shows from the 1970s and 1980s such as the long running The Sooty Show
and Rainbow
.
FremantleMedia currently leases the rights to Match Game
, all versions of Family Feud
except for the Louie Anderson
run, and the various incarnations of Password to GSN
. FremantleMedia previously leased the entire Goodson-Todman library (with The Price is Right
and the 1994 season of Feud on separate contracts) and Press Your Luck to GSN until March 31, 2009.
FremantleMedia bought a controlling share of Canadian video game development company Ludia in October 2010.
Creative Networks comprises three departments: Worldwide Entertainment, Worldwide Drama and FMX. This network provides local production teams access to ideas, expertise and trends from around the world.
Worldwide Entertainment supports existing shows including Idols
, The X Factor
, and The Price Is Right
and Family Feud
, and new additions such as Thank God You're Here
, America's Got Talent
, Hole in the Wall
and PokerFace.
Worldwide Drama supports serial drama production in 12 territories, including long-running dramas The Bill
(ITV1
, UK), Neighbours
(Network Ten
, Australia), Gute Zeiten Schlechte Zeiten (Good Times, Bad Times - RTL Television
, Germany), Salatut elämät (Secret Lives - MTV3
, Finland), Un Posto al Sole (A Place in the Sun - Rai Uno
, Italy) and Barátok Közt (Between Friends - RTL Klub
, Hungary).
Creative Networks' latest addition is FMX, a new division intended to reach new audiences by creating non-linear new media
experiences. Its productions include Freak
, PrintFriends, UrFantastic and Project V
.
FremantleMedia Enterprises is the commercial arm of the company responsible for exploiting and developing FremantleMedia's properties off-screen in areas such as merchandising, the Internet, interactive television and wireless. It also focuses on more traditional ancillary rights businesses such as licensing, home entertainment and music publishing. It is the parent arm of the syndicated online short-form comedy video channel, Atomic Wedgie.
FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) is FremantleMedia’s U.S. production & distribution division. Based in Burbank, California, FMNA produces outstanding, entertaining and innovative programmes for broadcast and cable networks, syndication, and digital (online & mobile) platforms.
In addition, FremantleMedia owns several other smaller production companies; among these are Thom Beers
' Original Productions
(responsible for creation and production of numerous reality shows such as Deadliest Catch
, Ax Men
, and Ice Road Truckers
) and Amygdala Music, Leslie Beers' production and composition firm that writes themes, incidental, and featured music for Original Productions shows.
Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann AG is a multinational media corporation founded in 1835, based in Gütersloh, Germany. The company operates in 63 countries and employs 102,983 workers , which makes it the most international media corporation in the world. In 2008 the company reported a €16.118 billion consolidated...
's RTL Group
RTL Group
RTL Group is Europe's largest TV, radio and production company, and is majority-owned by German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. It has 45 television and 32 radio stations in 11 countries...
, Europe's second largest TV, radio, and production company. Its world headquarters are located in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
The company acquired various British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n production companies including Grundy Television
Reg Grundy Organisation
The Reg Grundy Organisation was an Australian television production company founded in 1959 by businessman Reg Grundy . It has since branched out into Europe and the USA. The company first produced game shows, before branching into soap operas in 1973...
, Crackerjack Productions
Crackerjack Productions
Crackerjack Productions is an Australian independent television production company headed by brothers Mark and Carl Fennessy....
(now merged to become FremantleMedia Australia
FremantleMedia Australia
FremantleMedia Australia is the Australian arm of FremantleMedia and was formed in 2006 by the merger of two great names in Australian television industry - Crackerjack Productions and Grundy Television, who had been both acquired by FremantleMedia....
), Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
and Talkback Productions
Talkback Productions
Talkback Productions was formed in 1981 by Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. The company is one of the UK’s leading production companies and part of the RTL Group, a major European broadcast and content company....
(the last two later merged as Talkback Thames). Early on it merged with Germany's largest television production company, UFA
Universum Film AG
Universum Film AG, better known as UFA or Ufa, is a film company that was the principal film studio in Germany, home of the German film industry during the Weimar Republic and through World War II, and a major force in world cinema from 1917 to 1945...
.
Production and rights holdings
The company holds the rights to the GoodsonMark Goodson
Mark Goodson was an American television producer who specialized in game shows.-Life and early career:...
/Todman
Bill Todman
William S. "Bill" Todman was an American television producer born in New York City. He produced many of television's longest running shows with business partner Mark Goodson.-Early life:...
game show library which includes such game shows as What's My Line?
What's My Line?
What's My Line? is a panel game show which originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, with several international versions and subsequent U.S. revivals. The game tasked celebrity panelists with questioning contestants in order to determine their occupations....
, The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right is a television game show franchise originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, and created by Bob Stewart, and is currently produced and owned by FremantleMedia. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also includes merchandise such as video games, printed...
, Password, Now You See It
Now You See It
Now You See It is an American television game show created by Frank Wayne for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions. Two Now You See It series were produced, and both aired on CBS. The first series ran from April 1, 1974 until June 13, 1975, and was hosted by Jack Narz...
, Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
, I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret is a panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. Created by comedy writers Allan Sherman and Howard Merrill, it was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show What's My Line?...
and Family Feud
Family Feud
Family Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people...
, as well as non-Goodson shows such as Press Your Luck
Press Your Luck
Press Your Luck is an American television daytime game show created by Bill Carruthers and Jan McCormack. It premiered on September 19, 1983 on CBS and ended on September 26, 1986. In the show, contestants collected "spins" by answering trivia questions and then used the spins on an 18-space game...
, Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal is a television game show which originated in the United States and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The show is based around deals offered to members of the audience by the host. The traders usually have to weigh the possibility of an offer being...
and the Reg Grundy
Reg Grundy
Reginald Roy "Reg" Grundy, AC, OBE is one of the most successful Australian entrepreneurs, and media and television moguls of his generation.He was the only child born to Roy Grundy and Lillian Lees...
library, which includes Time Machine
Time Machine (game show)
Time Machine is an American game show where contestants competed to answer trivia questions about popular culture and recent history to win prizes. The show aired on NBC from January 7 through April 26, 1985 and was hosted by John Davidson. Charlie Tuna was the announcer, with Rich Jeffries as his...
, Sale of the Century
Sale of the Century (US game show)
Sale of the Century is an American television game show which debuted in the United States on September 29, 1969, on NBC daytime. It was one of three NBC game shows to premiere on that date, the other two being the short-lived Letters to Laugh-In and Name Droppers. The series aired until July 13,...
, Scrabble
Scrabble (game show)
Scrabble is an American television game show that was based on the Scrabble board game. The show was co-produced by Exposure Unlimited and Reg Grundy Productions. It ran from July 2, 1984 to March 23, 1990, and again from January 18 to June 11, 1993, both runs on NBC. A total of 1,335 episodes were...
, Scattergories
Scattergories (game show)
Scattergories is an American game show on NBC daytime hosted by Dick Clark, with Charlie Tuna as announcer, that aired from January 18 to June 11, 1993...
, Small Talk
Small Talk
Small Talk was an American game show hosted by comedian Wil Shriner and produced by Reg Grundy Productions that aired on The Family Channel from September 30, 1996 to January 3, 1997...
and Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak
Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak
Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak is an American television game show that aired on ABC from January 6 to April 4, 1986. British television personality Bruce Forsyth hosted the series, the only time he hosted a series outside of his native United Kingdom...
. Fremantle also produced Temptation
Temptation (2007 US game show)
Temptation: The New Sale of the Century was a television game show loosely based on both the original Australian and American Sale of the Century versions, plus the 2005 Australian version, also titled Temptation. The show began airing in syndication on September 10, 2007, with the last first-run...
and an interactive gameshow Quizmania
Quizmania
Quizmania was a popular British interactive gameshow. The show was devised by Chuck Thomas, Debbie King, and Simone Thorogood and produced by Fremantle Media for Information TV and ITV . Currently, the online revival is produced by Screen Pop Ltd. in association with Illumina Digital...
for ITV Play.
In addition, they also own (along with Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
) the rights to most of the post 1948 Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
film catalog that includes The Seven Little Foys
The Seven Little Foys
The Seven Little Foys is a 1955 film starring Bob Hope as Eddie Foy. James Cagney reprises his role as George M. Cohan for an energetic tabletop dance showdown sequence. In addition to the famous film, the story of Eddie Foy, Sr...
, The Lemon Drop Kid
The Lemon Drop Kid
The Lemon Drop Kid is a 1951 comedy film based on the short story of the same name by Damon Runyon, starring Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell, and directed by Sidney Lanfield.The song "Silver Bells," sung by Hope and Maxwell, was introduced in the film...
, and Son of Paleface
Son of Paleface
Son of Paleface , is a western comedy film and sequel to The Paleface , directed by Frank Tashlin and written by Tashlin, Joseph Quillan and Robert L. Welch. It stars Bob Hope, Jane Russell and Roy Rogers.-Plot:...
. They were also the distributors of the television series Baywatch
Baywatch
Baywatch is an American action drama series about the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, starring David Hasselhoff. The show ran in its original title and format from 1989 to 1999, sans the 1990-1991 season, of which it was not in production...
, and hold the rights to the Grundy Television Library such series like Wheel Of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune (Australian game show)
Wheel of Fortune was an Australian television game show produced by Grundy Television. The programme aired on the Seven Network from 1981 to 2004 and November 2005 to July 2006, and is mostly based on the same general format as the original US version of the programme...
(not the U.S. version or any version produced since Columbia's acquisition of Merv Griffin Enterprises
Merv Griffin Enterprises
Merv Griffin Enterprises was a television production company founded by Merv Griffin, in business from 1964 to 1994.-History:The company was first established as Merv Griffin Productions in 1964 and Griffin's first production was Jeopardy! In 1965, his talk show The Merv Griffin Show returned to...
, since Sony now holds the rights to the show domestically and worldwide) and Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
, including game shows from its U.S. counterpart, Reg Grundy Productions
Reg Grundy Productions
Reg Grundy Productions was the American wing of the worldwide television production company Grundy Worldwide, which was founded by Australian television producer Reg Grundy. Reg Grundy Productions was responsible for the production of two highly-successful daytime game shows on NBC during the...
.
In-house productions include Pop Idol
Pop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
and its related spin-offs
Idol series
The British talent search television series Pop Idol has spawned spin-offs in 42 territories, in what is now referred to as the "Idols" format, as described by FremantleMedia...
(including the FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
-aired American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
), and three carryover productions from Mark Goodson Productions: the current versions of The Price Is Right and Family Feud, and the 2002 revival of Beat the Clock
Beat the Clock
Beat the Clock is a Goodson-Todman game show which has aired on American television in several versions since 1950.The original show, hosted by Bud Collyer, ran on CBS from 1950–1958 and ABC from 1958–1961. The show was revived in syndication as The New Beat the Clock from 1969–1974, with Jack Narz...
(for Pax TV). Currently, they hold rights (under license from Fuji Television
Fuji Television
is a Japanese television station based in Daiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, also known as or CX, based on the station's callsign "JOCX-DTV". It is the flagship station of the Fuji News Network and the ....
) to the game Brain Wall
Brain Wall
is a component of the Japanese gameshow Tonneruzu no Minasan no Okage deshita Video clips from the show proliferated on video-sharing websites and the concept was eventually adopted by several countries...
, more commonly known as Hole in the Wall in over 20 countries.
FremantleMedia has also licensed rights to international formats including The Apprentice (with creator Mark Burnett
Mark Burnett
Mark Burnett is a British television producer and executive producer, based in the United States. He currently is the executive producer of five network television series with seven hours of network programming. Works with which Burnett is associated have won multiple awards and recognition...
for BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
), The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency
The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency
The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency is a reality television series that debuted on Oxygen on June 6, 2006. The show has completed four seasons...
(on Oxygen in the United States), the Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
-produced series The X Factor
The X Factor (TV series)
The X Factor is a television talent show franchise originating in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for Pop Idol. It is a singing competition, now held in various countries, which pits contestants against each other. These contestants are aspiring pop singers drawn from...
(in the UK), and America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
for NBC, the long running Australian serials Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
and Prisoner
Prisoner (TV series)
Prisoner is an Australian television soap opera which was set in the Wentworth Detention Centre, a fictional women's prison. The series was produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation and ran on Network Ten for 692 episodes from 27 February 1979 to 11 December 1986.The series was inspired by the 1970s...
, Distraction
Distraction (game show)
Distraction was a game show that aired on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom from 31 October 2003 to 11 June 2004. Presented by comedian Jimmy Carr, the show involves contestants answering questions, while being distracted in various bizarre, painful and humiliating ways.Carr is aided by...
(on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
), and Gameshow Marathon (on CBS). In other countries they own the franchise rights to Betty La Fea
Betty la fea
Yo soy Betty, la fea is a popular soap opera filmed in Colombia, written by Fernando Gaitán and produced between 1999 through 2001 by the Colombian network RCN . More than a dozen versions of the telenovela have been made in other countries...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Verliebt In Berlin
Verliebt in Berlin
Verliebt in Berlin is a Golden Rose-winning German telenovela, starring Alexandra Neldel, along with Mathis Künzler, Tim Sander, and Laura Osswald. It premiered on February 28, 2005, on Sat.1 in most of German-speaking Europe, with its final episode broadcast on October 12, 2007...
), Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
(Yo Soy Bea
Yo soy Bea
Yo soy Bea is a Spanish television comedy-drama series which aired on Telecinco from 10 July 2006 to 16 August 2009.The series is an adaptation of the popular Colombian telenovela Yo soy Betty, la fea . Ruth Núñez played the title role of Beatriz "Bea" Pérez Pinzón and Alejandro Tous played Álvaro...
), the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
(Lotte
Lotte (television series)
Lotte is a Dutch telenovela television series. The series is broadcast by the commercial station Tien, upon which it is shown every weekday at 6:30 pm....
), Sara in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and Maria I Asximi in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
FremantleMedia's library also includes the 2001 CBS telefilm The Christmas Shoes (inspired by the NewSong
NewSong
NewSong is a Contemporary Christian Music group that was founded in 1981, at Morningside Baptist Church in Valdosta, Georgia. They have had eight GMA Dove Award nominations. They are the founders of the Winter Jam Tour Spectacular, the United States' largest annual Christian music tour. It began in...
#1 hit), and its 2005 sequel, The Christmas Blessing. (The song is the property of Bertelsmann AG, which is the majority owner in RTL group.)
The company also owns the back catalog of the American TV production company Reeves Entertainment
Alan Landsburg Productions
Alan Landsburg Productions was an independent TV production company founded by Alan Landsburg in 1971. The company had huge successes with In Search of... and That's Incredible!, which were two early examples of reality television long before the name even existed...
, which was acquired by Thames in 1990. Additionally, FremantleMedia brought the rights to all former programming of the now defunct UK broadcasting strand Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
from Pearson International in 2002, meaning they also hold rights to a variety of shows from the Thames archives including popular children's shows from the 1970s and 1980s such as the long running The Sooty Show
The Sooty Show
The Sooty Show is a British children's television series that aired on the BBC from 1955 to 1967 when the BBC eventually cancelled The Sooty Show after Paul Fox, the controller of BBC1 at the time, cleared out some of the long running shows. After it was cancelled from the BBC that year, The Sooty...
and Rainbow
Rainbow (TV series)
Rainbow is a British children's television series, created by Pamela Lonsdale, which ran twice weekly at 12:10 on Tuesdays and Fridays on the ITV network, from 16 October 1972 to 6 March 1992...
.
FremantleMedia currently leases the rights to Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
, all versions of Family Feud
Family Feud
Family Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people...
except for the Louie Anderson
Louie Anderson
Louie Perry Anderson is an American stand-up comedian. Anderson created the cartoon series Life with Louie, has written three books, and was the initial host of the second revival of the game show Family Feud, from 1999 to 2002....
run, and the various incarnations of Password to GSN
Game Show Network
The Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
. FremantleMedia previously leased the entire Goodson-Todman library (with The Price is Right
The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right is a television game show franchise originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, and created by Bob Stewart, and is currently produced and owned by FremantleMedia. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also includes merchandise such as video games, printed...
and the 1994 season of Feud on separate contracts) and Press Your Luck to GSN until March 31, 2009.
FremantleMedia bought a controlling share of Canadian video game development company Ludia in October 2010.
Company structure
FremantleMedia has into two major divisions: Creative Networks, which comprises and co-ordinates local production operations, and FremantleMedia Enterprises, which handles distribution and licensing.Creative Networks comprises three departments: Worldwide Entertainment, Worldwide Drama and FMX. This network provides local production teams access to ideas, expertise and trends from around the world.
Worldwide Entertainment supports existing shows including Idols
Pop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
, The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
, and The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right is a television game show franchise originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, and created by Bob Stewart, and is currently produced and owned by FremantleMedia. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also includes merchandise such as video games, printed...
and Family Feud
Family Feud
Family Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people...
, and new additions such as Thank God You're Here
Thank God You're Here
Thank God You're Here is an Australian television improvised comedy program created by Working Dog Productions, which premiered on Network Ten on 5 April 2006, and aired for the first three seasons with Seven for the fourth season...
, America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
, Hole in the Wall
Brain Wall
is a component of the Japanese gameshow Tonneruzu no Minasan no Okage deshita Video clips from the show proliferated on video-sharing websites and the concept was eventually adopted by several countries...
and PokerFace.
Worldwide Drama supports serial drama production in 12 territories, including long-running dramas The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
(ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
, UK), Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
(Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
, Australia), Gute Zeiten Schlechte Zeiten (Good Times, Bad Times - RTL Television
RTL Television
Rtl.de' redirects here. For other uses, see RTL.RTL Television , or simply RTL, is a German commercial television station distributed via cable and satellite along with DVB-T , in larger population centres...
, Germany), Salatut elämät (Secret Lives - MTV3
MTV3
MTV3 is a Finnish commercial television station owned by Bonnier. It had the biggest audience share of all Finnish TV channels until Finnish Broadcasting Company’s YLE1 took the lead. The letters MTV stand for Mainos-TV , due to the channel getting its revenue from running commercials...
, Finland), Un Posto al Sole (A Place in the Sun - Rai Uno
Rai Uno
Rai 1 is the primary television station of RAI, the national public service broadcaster, and the most watched television channel in Italy. It was born as Rai Tv from 1954 to 1961, called Programma Nazionale from 1961 to 1979, after called Rete 1 from 1979 to 1982, then called Rai Uno from 1982 to...
, Italy) and Barátok Közt (Between Friends - RTL Klub
RTL Klub
RTL Klub is a television station owned by RTL Group and broadcast in Hungary. It was one of Hungary's first commercial TV channels and was only two days after the main rival TV2 to begin broadcasting.-About RTL Klub:...
, Hungary).
Creative Networks' latest addition is FMX, a new division intended to reach new audiences by creating non-linear new media
New media
New media is a broad term in media studies that emerged in the latter part of the 20th century. For example, new media holds out a possibility of on-demand access to content any time, anywhere, on any digital device, as well as interactive user feedback, creative participation and community...
experiences. Its productions include Freak
Freak
In current usage, the word "freak" is commonly used to refer to a person with something unusual about their appearance or behaviour. This usage dates from the so-called freak scene of the 1960s and 1970s. "Freak" in this sense may be used either as a pejorative, a term of admiration, or a...
, PrintFriends, UrFantastic and Project V
Project V
The Project V was a fictional weapon development program in the mecha anime Mobile Suit Gundam-Background History:...
.
FremantleMedia Enterprises is the commercial arm of the company responsible for exploiting and developing FremantleMedia's properties off-screen in areas such as merchandising, the Internet, interactive television and wireless. It also focuses on more traditional ancillary rights businesses such as licensing, home entertainment and music publishing. It is the parent arm of the syndicated online short-form comedy video channel, Atomic Wedgie.
FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) is FremantleMedia’s U.S. production & distribution division. Based in Burbank, California, FMNA produces outstanding, entertaining and innovative programmes for broadcast and cable networks, syndication, and digital (online & mobile) platforms.
In addition, FremantleMedia owns several other smaller production companies; among these are Thom Beers
Thom Beers
Thom Beers is an American television producer and narrator/ voice over artist. Beers, a former producer and executive with Turner Broadcasting and Paramount Syndicated Television, has produced over 40 television series since the mid 1990s, most under the banner of his own production company formed...
' Original Productions
Original Productions
Original Productions is a television production company based in Burbank, CA. It was founded in 1999 by Thom Beers and was acquired by FremantleMedia in 2009 and made into a subsidiary....
(responsible for creation and production of numerous reality shows such as Deadliest Catch
Deadliest Catch
Deadliest Catch is a documentary/reality television series produced by Original Productions for the Discovery Channel. It portrays the real life events aboard fishing vessels in the Bering Sea during the Alaskan king crab and C. opilio crab fishing seasons.The Aleutian Islands port of Dutch Harbor,...
, Ax Men
Ax Men
Ax Men is an American documentary reality television series that premiered on March 9, 2008 on History. The program follows the work of several logging crews in the second-growth forests of Northwestern Oregon, Washington and Montana. The show highlights the dangers encountered by the loggers...
, and Ice Road Truckers
Ice Road Truckers
Ice Road Truckers is a documentary-style reality television series that premiered on History on June 17, 2007.-History:In 2000, History aired a 46-minute episode titled "Ice Road Truckers" as part of the Suicide Missions series...
) and Amygdala Music, Leslie Beers' production and composition firm that writes themes, incidental, and featured music for Original Productions shows.
List of FremantleMedia Productions
- America's Got TalentAmerica's Got TalentAmerica's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
- China's Got TalentChina's Got TalentChina's Got Talent is a British-owned Chinese reality television series on Dragon TV and a part of the Got Talent franchise, hosted by Cheng Lei. It is a talent show that features all different kinds of performances of all ages competing for performing contract with Fremantle Media and Sony Music...
- Indonesia's Got TalentIndonesia's Got TalentIndonesia's Got Talent is an Indonesian talent variety showed on Indosiar that began July 23, 2010. It is based on the Got Talent franchise, a British TV format conceived and owned by Simon Cowell's SYCO company...
- Pilipinas Got TalentPilipinas Got TalentPilipinas Got Talent is a Philippine talent show on ABS-CBN that began February 20, 2010. It is based on the Got Talent franchise, a British TV format conceived and owned by Simon Cowell's SYCO company. "Pilipinas" is the Filipino word for Philippines. Anyone can join and showcase their talents...
- Czechia & Slovakia Got Talent (2010)
- Czech&Slovak IdolČesko Slovenská SuperstarČesko Slovenská Superstar is the joint Czech and Slovak version of Idol series' Pop Idol merged from Česko hledá SuperStar and Slovensko hľadá SuperStar which previous to that had three individual seasons each.The first season premiered in September 2009 with castings held in Prague, Brno,...
- American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
(2002-present) 19 Entertainment19 Entertainment19 Entertainment, based in Los Angeles, United States, is a creator and producer of entertainment properties based around the areas of Music and Television / Film, including American Idol in the United States, Pop Idol in the United Kingdom as well as versions of the Idol series in more than...
FoxFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the... - American Juniors (2003) 19 Entertainment19 Entertainment19 Entertainment, based in Los Angeles, United States, is a creator and producer of entertainment properties based around the areas of Music and Television / Film, including American Idol in the United States, Pop Idol in the United Kingdom as well as versions of the Idol series in more than...
FoxFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the... - Australian IdolAustralian IdolAustralian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
- Indonesian IdolIndonesian IdolIndonesian Idol is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia Asia, which began airing on RCTI on March 2004. Part of the Idol franchise, it was as a spin-off from the UK show Pop Idol...
- Birds of a FeatherBirds of a FeatherBirds of a Feather was a British sitcom that was broadcast on BBC1 from 1989 until 1998. Starring Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph, it was created by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, who also wrote some of the episodes along with many other writers.The first episode sees sisters...
- Goodnight SweetheartGoodnight SweetheartGoodnight Sweetheart is a sitcom that ran for six series on BBC1 from 1993 to 1999. It stars Nicholas Lyndhurst as Gary Sparrow, an accidental time traveller who leads a double life after discovering a time portal allowing him to travel between the London of the 1990s and the same area during the...
- BaywatchBaywatchBaywatch is an American action drama series about the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, starring David Hasselhoff. The show ran in its original title and format from 1989 to 1999, sans the 1990-1991 season, of which it was not in production...
- Truckers
- Hole in the WallBrain Wallis a component of the Japanese gameshow Tonneruzu no Minasan no Okage deshita Video clips from the show proliferated on video-sharing websites and the concept was eventually adopted by several countries...
- (fr) Questions pour un champion
- The Price is RightThe Price Is RightThe Price Is Right is a television game show franchise originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, and created by Bob Stewart, and is currently produced and owned by FremantleMedia. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also includes merchandise such as video games, printed...
- Let's Make a DealLet's Make a DealLet's Make a Deal is a television game show which originated in the United States and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The show is based around deals offered to members of the audience by the host. The traders usually have to weigh the possibility of an offer being...
- Family FeudFamily FeudFamily Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people...
- Super Family Indonesia
- MySpace Road TourMySpace Road TourThe MySpace Road Tour is an original online reality format created and produced for MySpace Australia by production company FremantleMedia...
- Learn With SootyLearn With Sooty (TV series)Learn with Sooty! is part of a British children's television series The Sooty Show promoting educational videos for children to learn from 1989 to 1991. It features the glove puppet characters Sooty, Sweep and Soo , and follows them in their many mischievous adventures...
- The Sooty ShowThe Sooty ShowThe Sooty Show is a British children's television series that aired on the BBC from 1955 to 1967 when the BBC eventually cancelled The Sooty Show after Paul Fox, the controller of BBC1 at the time, cleared out some of the long running shows. After it was cancelled from the BBC that year, The Sooty...
- The BFGThe BFGThe BFG is a children's book written by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake, first published in 1982. The book was an expansion of a story told in Danny, the Champion of the World, an earlier Dahl book...
- RainbowRainbow (TV series)Rainbow is a British children's television series, created by Pamela Lonsdale, which ran twice weekly at 12:10 on Tuesdays and Fridays on the ITV network, from 16 October 1972 to 6 March 1992...
- A Tale Of Two Toads
- The Wind In The WillowsThe Wind in the WillowsThe Wind in the Willows is a classic of children's literature by Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. Alternately slow moving and fast paced, it focuses on four anthropomorphised animal characters in a pastoral version of England...
- A Nero Wolfe MysteryA Nero Wolfe MysteryA Nero Wolfe Mystery is a television series adapted from Rex Stout's classic series of detective stories that aired for two seasons on the A&E Network. Set in New York City in the early 1950s, the stylized period drama stars Maury Chaykin as Nero Wolfe and Timothy Hutton as Archie Goodwin...
(co-producer with the A&E network for airings outside North America) - Oh! Mr Toad!
- KylieX2008KylieX2008KylieX2008 was the tenth concert tour by Australian singer-songwriter Kylie Minogue, in support of her tenth studio album, X . Originally announced as just a European tour, rumors of Minogue taking the tour to Australia, Asia, and America had surfaced in the international media...
- NeighboursNeighboursNeighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
- Button Moon
- Victor and HugoVictor and HugoVictor and Hugo, Bunglers in Crime is an animated series made by Cosgrove Hall for Thames Television and screened on CITV from 6 September 1991 to 29 December 1992 and is a spin off from Count Duckula....
- T-BagT-BagT-Bag is a witch-like character who appears in a number of television programmes which ran from the mid-80s to early 90s on Children's ITV. Written by Grant Cathro and Lee Pressman, each series has a different title and features a single story told over several episodes.-History:The programme was...
- Mr. BeanMr. BeanMr. Bean is a British comedy television programme series of 14 half-hour episodes written by and starring Rowan Atkinson as the title character. Different episodes were also written by Robin Driscoll, Richard Curtis and one by Ben Elton. The pilot episode was broadcast on ITV on 1 January 1990,...
- Count DuckulaCount DuckulaCount Duckula is a British animated television series created by British studio Cosgrove Hall, and a spin-off from DangerMouse, a show in which the Count Duckula character was a recurring villain. The series first aired on September 6, 1988 and was produced by Thames Television for 3 seasons and...
- DangerMouseDangerMouseDanger Mouse is a British animated television series which was produced by Cosgrove Hall Films for Thames Television. It features the eponymous Danger Mouse, an English mouse who works as a superhero/secret agent. The show is a loose parody of British spy fiction, particularly James Bond and the...
- The BillThe BillThe Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
- PrisonerPrisoner (TV series)Prisoner is an Australian television soap opera which was set in the Wentworth Detention Centre, a fictional women's prison. The series was produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation and ran on Network Ten for 692 episodes from 27 February 1979 to 11 December 1986.The series was inspired by the 1970s...
(Prisoner Cell Block H) - Sons and DaughtersSons and Daughters (Australian TV series)Sons and Daughters was a Logie Award winning Australian soap opera created by Reg Watson and produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation between 1981 and 1987. The first episode aired in December 1981, during the Christmas/New Year non-ratings period, and the official broadcast date of the final...
- Creepy CrawliesCreepy CrawliesCreepy Crawlies was a stop motion animation series created by Cosgrove Hall. The series consisted of 52 ten-minute episodes, which were broadcast on Children's ITV between 1987 and 1989...
- Osbournes: ReloadedOsbournes: ReloadedOsbournes Reloaded is a short-lived 2009 variety show that aired its only episode on Fox. The show was hosted by The Osbournes — Ozzy, Sharon, Jack and Kelly — and premiered Tuesday March 31 on Fox following American Idol. Fremantle Media North America, the producers of American Idol, produced the...
- Salatut ElämätSalatut ElämätSalatut elämät is a Finnish 30-minute long soap opera broadcast on MTV3. It was the first Finnish daily soap opera. Its first episode aired on January 25, 1999...
- Secret GirlfriendSecret GirlfriendSecret Girlfriend is an American television series which aired in October and November 2009 on Comedy Central. The show features the viewer as the "star" of a dating satire, with the show's actors addressing the camera as if it were the lead character....
- The X FactorThe X Factor (TV series)The X Factor is a television talent show franchise originating in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for Pop Idol. It is a singing competition, now held in various countries, which pits contestants against each other. These contestants are aspiring pop singers drawn from...
- The Biggest LoserThe Biggest LoserThe Biggest Loser is an American reality game show that debuted on NBC October 19, 2004. The show features obese people competing to win a cash prize by losing the highest percentage of weight relative to their initial weight....
- House of Jazmin
- Monsumo
- My Babysitter's a Vampire