News round-up: Sky & SVT buy docs from Espresso; Abacus strikes Spanish-language doc deal; Nippon preps formats

My View: Clem Burke

Sky & SVT buy docs from Espresso

SVT in Sweden and Sky Arts Channel in New Zealand have picked up documentaries from UK-based distributor Espresso International.

Sky Arts NZ has taken recent release My View: Clem Burke (1 x 48 minutes), which profiles the Blondie drummer, and The V&A Presents Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser (1 x 90 minutes), which explores the museum’s exhibition on the famous Lewis Carroll novel.

SVT has taken Espresso’s Vivien Leigh (1 x 52 minutes), a biography of the cinematic icon who starred in Gone With the Wind and became the first English woman to win an Oscar.

The Swedish pubcaster has also picked up Oleg (1 x 95 minutes), which profiles the rise to stardom of USSR actor Oleg Vidov, and his defection to the West.

Abacus strikes Spanish-language doc deal

Abacus Media Rights (AMR) has struck a deal to distribute You First Originals’ Spanish-language docuseries, Alexia: Labor Omnia Vincit.

The show celebrates the rise of Alexia Putellas, who was recently named FIFA’s Women’s Player of the Year for the second consecutive year. The show was first licensed by Prime Video and explore the footballer’s journey.

Abacus holds worldwide distribution rights to the show outside of the US, Latin America, Spain, Portugal and Andorra.

Nippon preps formats

Nippon TV in Japan is continuing its international expansion strategy by taking two new formats to MIPTV in Cannes.

Rebooting is currently airing on Sunday primetime in Japan and is a drama that follows a 33-year-old single woman who revitalises her life after being hit by a car.

Unscripted format, Doki Doki Video, puts celebrities to the test to hold back their facial expressions while facing the most shocking viral videos.

It has been a busy start of the year for Nippon. Last month, Netflix confirmed it had ordered a Japanese-language comedy from the Tokyo-based firm, marking the first time it had produced a show exclusively for a global streamer.