Tinopolis takeovers boost Mentorn slate

UK distributor Mentorn International has added new titles to its catalogue, following parent Tinopolis’s expansion into the US this summer.

In August, Tinopolis paid US$75m for Base Productions, the company behind A&E’s Crime 360 and ESPN’s Sport Science. This acquisition came on the heels of the Welsh firm’s buyout of A Smith & Co, which produces the US version of Hell’s Kitchen, for a reported US$100m.

Subsequently, Mentorn, which oversees distribution for the Tinopolis group, is now handling the US companies’ programme and format sales internationally and will launch two new series at Mipcom next month.

The first, Crash Course, is an action competition format produced by A Smith & Co for US network ABC. The six-part show sets up five teams of drivers against a number of challenges and stunts to test their skills behind the wheel.

Mentorn will also distribute three seasons of factual series Full Throttle Saloon (6×60′, 9×60′ and 10×60′), another A Smith production about “the world’s biggest action-packed biker bar.”

Other prodcos in the Tinopolis group include Mentorn Media, Daybreak Productions and Pioneer Productions.