FremantleMedia pacts with Purveyors prod'n shingle

Bravos Bethenny Ever After, featuring Bethenny Frankel, is professional produced by Matt Anderson and Nate Eco-friendly of Purveyors of Pop. FremantleMedia The U . s . States and production shingle Purveyors of Pop ("Real Regular folks of Atlanta") have made the decision to some general deal to develop and provide unscripted programming. POP cake cake toppers Matt Anderson and Nate Eco-friendly also professional produce Bravo's "Real Regular folksInch series occur Nj and NY, additionally to spinoff "Bethenny Ever After," which ranked as Bravo's finest-rated series debut ever. Also on Anderson's resume are MTV's "A Couple of Days in Rock" and "Wedding couple: Nick and Jessica." Eco-friendly has offered just like a producer on "Project Runway." "As Fremantle develops inside the cable landscape, you need to partner while using best program makers in the market,In . mentioned Julie Uribe, FremantleMedia The U . s . States senior veep of nonscripted development. "Matt and Nate are near the top of their game, and therefore it's time to supply them the assets to create their unique distinctive and various shows." In related news, Cooper Eco-friendly has grew to become part of POP becasue it is development V . p .. He was formerly director of development at Arena of Question. His TV credits include Bravo's "Big Listing: NY," VH1's "Fantasia LegitimateInch and Sundance's "Ladies Who Choose Boys That Like Boys." Anderson recognized Cooper Eco-friendly that he known to as his "laser-like radar to discover and develop the most effective figures, cell phone industry's and trends." Contact Jon Weisman at jon.weisman@variety.com

New shows, optimism enliven NATPE confab

Couric LakeProbst HarveyThe range from the NATPE confab a year ago to Miami Beach will be a hit with station managers and syndie distribs. The sunny new setting allows industryites to acquire a break from cooler places, rub shoulders with pals and clients in most cases proceed and take temperature in the niche for their wares. Since the National Assn. of Television Program Professionals conference returns now to the Fontainebleau Hotel, there's a feeling among distribs the syndie biz has leave the dark amount of the ultimate few years, and station customers fiare ready to embrace new firstrun shows -- especially people fronted by familiar faces like Katie Couric, Ricki Lake, Rob Probst and Steve Harvey. Part of the optimism is fueled because voids and flaws emerged throughout your day lineups of several top stations which were relatively stable for any very long time, for many years sometimes. And station managers and distribs continue being sorting the options spurred through the famous host the famous host oprah Winfrey's exit from first-run distribution a year ago. "The famous host the famous host oprah certainly produced a void when her show stopped the atmosphere, which we view becoming an chance," mentioned CBS TV Distribution prexy John Nogawski. "There has been plenty of good timeslots available, and stations are readily implementing (talkshows)." Paul Franklin, Twentieth Television's professional veep and general sales director, signifies openings in daytime beyond the The famous host the famous host oprah factor. "Regis (Philbin), who was simply on for 2-and-a-half decades, is completed,In . he mentioned, "as well as the soaps Are going in the air one at a time.Inch Both Franklin and Nogawski are flogging new yakkers for your fall: CBS TV Distribution's "Rob Probst," fronted with the longtime host in the Eye's "Survivor" plus an all-new "Ricki Lake Show" from Twentieth. NBCUniversal Domestic has "Steve Harvey," and Disney-ABC Domestic features its own high-profile Katie Couric talker "Katie" (removed at 93% of U.S. TV houses). As people shows near their airdates, it is necessary for distribution firms to produce friendly connections while using stations buying their skeins, whether it's a meal with Lake or coffee with "Katie" professional producer Rob Zucker. Disney-ABC Domestic TV prexy Janice Marinelli mentioned the face area-to-face reference to customers supplied by NATPE is invaluable. "It is necessary, simply because they stations create a large acquisition of Katie and Rob," she mentioned. "They'll can request questions and start to produce a relationship with Katie." Twentieth will probably be departing somewhat in the rivals -- it's searching not only to showcase Lake and sea food for fascination with approaching offnet characteristics like Fox's hot frosh sitcom "New Girl," but to create its gossip newsmag "Dish Nation," too. The fall show is taken away in 55% of the united states so far. Franklin calls the series a sizable priority for Twentieth at NATPE. It's the first time shortly the major distrib has looked for to take advantage from the confab just like a springboard for just about any new show. The finish outcome is that there are money obtainable in Miami Beach now, or otherwise the idea of it. While using syndie upfronts coming as well as the market largely retrieved within the ad slump that adopted the financial crisis, many do more business at NATPE 2012, which runs through Wednesday, in comparison to previous years. Contact Mike Thielman at mike.thielman@variety.com

Japan's Sono uncovers new project

Tokyo, japan -- Japanese helmer Sion Sono, a festival popular with "Cold Seafood," "Responsible for Romance" and "Himizu," is focusing on a brand new pic, "Kibo no kuni" (The Land of Hope). Occur Japan's northern Tohoko region, devastated within the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, pic will concentrate on three couples whose life is torn apart through the disaster. "The storyline represents the bonds between couple, between parent and child and between enthusiasts," Sono described in a Thursday presser. Shooting began on Jan. 13 and it is skedded to wrap early Feb. A release date and distributor haven't yet been made the decision. Sono's newest pic, "Himizu," seemed to be occur the disaster zone carrying out a publish-March-11 rewrite through the helmer. It tested competing in Venice, using its leads, Shota Sometani and Fumi Nikaido, discussing the Marcello Mastroianni Award for the best youthful actor and actress. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

R&B 'godfather' Johnny Otis dies at 90

By ASSOCIATED PRESS Johnny Otis, the "godfather of rhythm and blues" who wrote and recorded the R&B classic "Willie and the Hand Jive" and for decades evangelized black music to white audiences as a bandleader and radio host, died at his home in the Los Angeles foothill suburb of Altadena on Tuesday. He was 90 and had been in poor health for several years. Otis, who was white, was born John Veliotes to Greek immigrants and grew up in a black section of Berkeley, where he said he identified far more with black culture than his own. As a teenager, he changed his name because he thought Johnny Otis sounded more black. "As a kid, I decided that if our society dictated that one had to be black or white, I would be black," he once explained. His musical tastes clearly reflected that adopted culture and even after he became famous, his dark skin and hair often led audiences and club promoters to assume he was black like his bandmates. Otis was leading his own band in 1945 when he scored his first big hit, "Harlem Nocturne." In 1950, 10 of his songs made Billboard magazine's R&B chart. His "Willie and the Hand Jive" sold more than 1.5 million copies and was covered years later by Eric Clapton. He later wrote "Every Beat of My Heart," which was a hit for Gladys Knight & the Pips. But the influence of Otis was felt most through his ability to recognize and promote talent. He wove into his bands such diverse and legendary R&B vocalists as Etta James, Hank Ballard, Big Mama Thornton and the Robins, the last a group that would evolve into the Coasters. He produced Thornton's original recording of "Hound Dog," a song that would later become an even bigger hit for Elvis Presley. "His band shows a different style on pretty much every new recording," said Piero Scaruffi, author of "A History of Rock Music, 1951-2000." "The reason is that Otis did not force his personality on others but worked with the personality of the others. He may not have been a great composer or performer himself, but he was an impressive conductor." Otis launched his professional music career as an 18-year-old drummer for bawdy barrelhouse pianist Count Otis Matthews, although he had never played the drums until then. Matthews instructed him to simply pound out the syncopated "shave and a haircut, six bits" beat that would become the backbone of early rock 'n' roll. His mastery of it soon proved his ticket to other bands and eventually to headlining his own group. Otis saw himself as curator of black popular music, which for him represented much more than a diversion or livelihood. His cross-country R&B reviews and his radio and television appearances were dedicated to delivering black music to white audiences. "The music isn't just the notes, it's the culture -- the way grandma cooked, the way grandpa told stories, the way the kids walked and talked," he once said. In later years he toured with his sons Shuggie and Nicky and spent much of his time painting and sculpting. He also opened an organic grocery store in Sebastopol in the early 1990s to sell his son Nicky's vegetables, decorating the store with his own colorful murals. Although he had little success selling groceries, he did draw large crowds to the market every Friday and Saturday night when he performed there with his band. Otis also had a regular show playing records on the nonprofit Pacifica Radio Network's stations until failing health prompted him to retire in 2005. In addition to his sons, Otis is survived by his wife, Phyllis, whom he married in 1941; daughters Janet and Laura; and several grandchildren.__ Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Dimension nabs heist laffer 'The Black Marks'

Dimension Films has acquired U.S. distribution privileges to heist comedy "The Black Marks" from Darius Films. Pic, compiled by "A Beginner's Help guide to Being" scribe Jonathan Sobol, stars Kurt Russell, Matt Dillon and Jay Baruchel. Story centers around another rate motorcycle daredevil and semi-cool art crook who concurs to obtain into the disadvantage game and accomplish only one more profitable art thievery together with his untrustworthy brother. The program goes awry, however, because it works out that both siblings get their own agendas. Darius Films principal Nicholas Tabarrok is creating the film with Shaun Sackman as executive producer. "Marks" starts production this month. Dimension business and legal matters prexy Andrew Kramer discussed the offer with respect to the organization while Sackman discussed with respect to the filmmakers. Contact Rachel Abrams at Rachel.Abrams@variety.com