eOne extends Long deal

Transatlantic producer and distributor Entertainment One (eOne) has extended its deal with exec VP of alternative programming Tara Long.

Tara Long

The arrangement will see Long continue to lead eOne’s alternative division, which has developed and produced shows including Nellyville and It’s a Mann’s World for BET, Mary Mary for WE tv and David Spade’s comedy prank show Fameless for truTV.

She has also agreed several first-look deals, including arrangements with Kevin Healey (Scare Tactics, Fameless), Riaz Patel (How Do I Look?), Mark Ford and Kevin Lopez’s Creature Films (Behind the Music) and Chris Deaux’s Two Fifteen West Entertainment.

eOne also recently entered into a multi-year deal with producers Matt Anderson and Nate Green’s Purveyors of Pop (Married to Medicine, Real Housewives of Miami) to develop and coproduce premium unscripted content across multiple platforms.

John Morayniss, CEO at eOne Television, said Long “has a knack for finding original and captivating stories, and a talent for delivering stand-out content.”

He added: “Tara is truly a powerhouse and I am thrilled that she is at the helm to bring more and more of our alternative programming to the global marketplace.”

In March the firm acquired a 65% stake in LA-based unscripted producer Renegade 83, with eOne claiming it was poised to deliver more than 400 hours of unscripted television this year in the North American market.

The company, which set a target in 2014 to double its size within five years, has had a turbulent six months, however, after seeing its market value plummet by around US$450m after investors fretted over debt refinancing and the profitability of its movie business.