MUMBAI: Multimedia entertainment studio Electus, an operating business of IAC, has unveiled highlights of its scripted television programming slate. These include the priority titles from an ever-growing slate that will be brought to market at MipTV in Cannes, France, which begins on 1 April.

Electus? block of original scripted programming include: Marco Polo, the new martial arts epic about the thirteenth century explorer, chronicling the famous adventurer?s early years in the court of Kublai Khan; Casca: Based on the cult favorite book series by Barry Sadler, this action-adventure series follows Casca, a soldier who was cursed into a life of immortality by Jesus Christ on the day of the crucifixion.

Written, directed and executive produced by Wayne Kramer, The Lam is a dark drama set in modern day Chicago centered around The Lambert Arms, a full service hotel for criminals.

Written by Rod Lurie and Marc Frydman, The Crux is a drama whose revolutionary concept explores the mystery surrounding George Gabbler, a polished and enigmatic cult leader.

William the Conqueror is a historical epic series following the iconic French monarch through his rise to power and invasion of England in 1066.

Electus has also acquired the rights to distribute various successful international formats for global and domestic distribution, including:

Blue Natalie is a dynamic drama series centered around a family who runs a busy sex trafficking business out of their yacht (Blue Natalie) that is supposedly used to accommodate honeymooning couples, bar mitzvah parties and birthday celebrations.

Based of off of a successful Israeli format (DBS) created by Yuval Fridman, Yuval Semo and Ben Bachar, Zanzuri centers on Pini Zanzuri, an average family man who suffers a heart attack at a surprise party on his 40th birthday and discovers that every man in his family has died of a heart failure at that same age.

This new block of television programming includes original series concepts developed by Electus and its creative partners, as well as successful third party international formats that the studio has acquired for both international distribution and US production.

"From comedies and dramas to epic action/adventure series, our diverse set of scripted programming demonstrates our Company?s ongoing commitment to creating premium, creative content that resonates with TV audiences around the world," said Electus CEO Chris Grant. "We look forward to working with our domestic and international partners to bring these stories to life on a global scale."

MUMBAI: Al Jazeera has announced that its two new sports channels in France will cost subscribers ?11 per month when it launches in June, before the Uefa Champions 2012.

The two channels - BeIN Sport 1 and BeIN Sport 2 - will be carried on all pay-TV platforms.

"The name of these two channels symbolises the mind of two channels aiming at bringing live and exclusive broadcasting of the biggest events," Al Jazeera managing director Nasser Al Khelaifi said in a release.

MUMBAI: The series ?Femme Fatales? is heading to next month?s television trade event MipTV in Cannes, France with co-creators and executive producers Mark A. Altman ?Castle? and Steve Kriozere ?N.C.I.S.?, executive producer Mark Gottwald and Co-Executive Producer David E. Williams as well as cast members including Nikki Griffin, Christine Donlon, Madison Dylan, Catherine Annett, Shani Pride and Tiffany Brouwer.

The anthology series is about women inspired by and styled in the tradition of pulp stories, film noir and graphic novels. The half-hour programme features stories inspired by such noir classics as ?Double Indemnity? and ?Pulp Fiction? and thriller TV series like ?The Twilight Zone?.

In each stand-alone episode, women find extraordinary ways of coping with their problems, channeling their survival
instincts and bringing out their inner guile. The series was recently honoured as an Official Selection of the prestigious Sitges Film Festival in Spain which screened seven episodes from the series first season.

Entertainment One (eOne) handles the broadcast, digital and DVD distribution outside of North America for the series.

Altman said, ?We are delighted to be joining our friends at eOne for the international launch of ?Femme Fatales? second season at MIPTV and thrilled to be able to announce that principal photography will soon commence on one of the first of our Femme Fatales films. MipTV is the most important international market to make a splash and we?re excited to be able to expose the Femme Fatales brand as well as our other upcoming series to programmers and executives from around the globe.?

In addition to the series, production begins this Spring for the first of the Femme Fatales Presents films scheduled for delivery later this year. These will be feature-length films evoking the spirit of such noir thrillers as ?Bound?, ?The Usual Suspects? and ?L.A. Confidential?.

The Femme Fatales TV series and movies are both inspired by the bestselling magazine of the same name that launched in 1987 and is devoted to the sexy sirens of film, television, music and the web.

MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide has stitched its first ever co-production deal with TVP in Poland for new drama ?Spies of Warsaw?, a two part historical spy drama adapted by Dick Clement and Ian de Frenais from Alan Furst?s novels.

The new drama from Fresh Pictures for BBC Four will soon be appearing on Poland?s national broadcaster, Polish Television (TVP), later this year. TVP previously bought a range of finished programming from BBC Worldwide including ?Married Single Other?, ?Waking the Dead? and ?Survivors?.

TVP?s producer, editor Piotr Derewenda said, ?We are very pleased to enter into this new co-production partnership with such a prestigious company as BBC Worldwide. Furst?s thrilling story creates a unique opportunity for us to chart Poland?s fascinating history from a more European perspective and provides the perfect backdrop for the thrilling tale of great love, friendship and betrayal.

BBC Worldwide executive producer for international drama Ben Donald said, ?Fresh Pictures? first drama, ?Spies in Warsaw?, is a captivating adaptation of the best-selling spy novels. The story takes place in Poland, France and Italy which lends itself perfectly to international co-productions such as this latest deal with TVP.

The adaptation offers casting opportunities for talent from around the world as the story spans various countries across Europe. "I am also delighted that we are able to bring this production to Poland where there is not only an excellent infrastructure in place and production expertise but also a strong tradition of film-making,? averred Donald.

Spanning the decade from 1933 to 1943, Furst?s stories are portraits of subjugated peoples who try to resist the suffocating inevitability of Hitler?s regime. The characters roam the foggy nights and steal across the rainy, cobbled streets of Prague, Berlin, Warsaw, Rome, and Paris.

Furst?s protagonists join the ranks of the Resistance in one way or another. They include faded nobility, b-movie filmmakers, newspapermen, ship?s captains and compromised businessmen as well as waiters, shopkeepers, jaded intellectuals, tarnished grand dames, and boozy Britishs secret agents. Together they march in the underground army that seeks to fight back against the Nazi occupiers.