Factual round-up: Nutopia & Younge link for diverse projects; Marquee TV buys Helio Arts; WBD samples Espresso

Pat Younge

Nutopia & Younge link for diverse projects

Jane Root’s prodco Nutopia has struck a deal to work with Pat Younge to create shows with a focus on diversity and inclusion.

Younge, who worked with Root during his stint at BBC Production, recently stepped down to a non-exec role at this Cardiff Productions to focus on new creative ventures.

Younge said he wanted to “develop new non-scripted global franchises, especially those rooted in the stories and perspectives of the African and Asian diaspora.”

Root added: “With a highly exciting slate ahead of us, I look forward to bringing scale and impact to really important subject matters to captivate viewers across the globe.”

Marquee TV buys Helio Arts

Arts & culture streamer Marquee TV has acquired US OTT service Helio Arts and rejigged its senior exec team.

Content and partnerships from Helio will be folded into the Marquee TV catalogue, with shows including Bon Appétit and After Glow being added to the former’s offering.

The exec rejig sees long-serving COO, Nina Laricheva, appointed CEO, succeeding co-founder & CEO, Simon Walker, who becomes chairman.

Laricheva takes on full executive responsibility for the business, with McKinney reporting directly to her, while Walker focuses on strategy and corporate development. Both

Helio’s co-founder and CEO, Ryan McKinny, has been named as Marquee TV’s head of US content partnerships.

Warner Bros. Discovery samples Espresso doc

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) in Japan and Tokyovision have acquired shows from UK-based documentary and factual entertainment distributor Espresso Media International.

WBD has licensed six hours of space content including A Message To The Stars, which is from production company Somadrome.

Tokyovision has snagged environmental documentary Pave The Road, which was shot over a decade and follows a mother and filmmaker’s mission to write environmental legislation that reduces fossil fuel consumption.