Fremantle buys Essential scripted arm

FremantleMedia has acquired the scripted arm of Australian prodco Essential Media and Entertainment and will launch it as a separate company led by Ian Collie.

Essential’s ABC drama Rake

Collie is departing after 11 years as a founding partner and head of scripted at Essential Media to launch Easy Tiger Productions, which will be majority owned by Fremantle.

Easy Tiger takes over Collie’s development slate plus the four-part crime drama The Sunshine Kings (aka Sunshine) and Rake, Doctor Doctor and Jack Irish.

Essential development executives Rachael Turk and Tanya Phegan have joined Collie in the new company.

“After 11 years it was time for a change,“ Collie told C21. “It was a group decision. There were a number of suitors. It’s exciting because Fremantle has made great strides in drama globally, particularly in the past few years.

Ian Collie

“We are now part of a big global family. Fremantle will facilitate access to coproduction partners and give us valuable market intel on what is working and what is not working.

“I don’t want to get any bigger than we are now, but I expect 30% to 40% of the development slate will be internationally focused projects.”

Essential’s decision to sell the scripted division followed approaches from a number of parties, according to CEO/executive producer Chris Hilton, who co-founded the firm in 2006 with Collie and Sonja Armstrong.

“Fremantle suited Ian and the money suited everyone. I am always up for expanding and growing the company with new outposts and joint ventures with different partners around the world, which we will announce in due course,” Hilton said.

Essential will continue to focus on its slate of documentaries, feature films, factual series and lifestyle programming. The firm also produces scripted shows and factual entertainment in LA and Toronto via joint ventures Essential Media USA, EQTV and Essential Media Canada.

Chris Hilton

As part of the restructure at Essential, head of kids Carmel Travers is departing but will continue to work with Essential on a potential second season of Bubble Bath Bay for pubcaster ABC.

Commissioned by pubcaster SBS and starring Anthony LaPaglia, Melanie Lynskey, Kim Gyngell, Tiarnie Coupland, Vince Colosimo and Leah Vandenberg, The Sunshine Kings will be pitched to international buyers by FremantleMedia International at Mipcom in Cannes next month.

The international rights to Rake and Jack Irish will remain with DCD Rights.

FremantleMedia executives Sangeeta Desai, chief operating officer and CEO of emerging markets, Sarah Doole, director of global drama, and Ian Hogg, regional CEO of Australia and Asia Pacific, will serve on the Easy Tiger board.

Doole said: “Our ambition is to work with the best scripted talent in the world to tell bold and impactful stories, and Easy Tiger ticks all of those boxes. Ian and his team have been responsible for a number of ambitious titles with global success, and their upcoming slate includes a range of storylines on the forefront of originality that will perfectly complement the series coming from FremantleMedia’s growing family of primetime drama producers.”

Collie added: “The team at Easy Tiger is renowned for its high production values, creative rigour and talent friendliness. Joining the vastly experienced FremantleMedia group provides Easy Tiger with the opportunity to build on its reputation as a boutique yet high-end production company, from the development phase right through to distribution.”