Bell Media recently announced that it has secured the big-buzz drama “Manhattan” in its first Canadian window from Lionsgate, a premier next generation global content leader (“Mad Men,” “Orange Is The New Black,” “The Hunger Games,” “Divergent”), for its new subscription on-demand video streaming service, code-named “Project Latte.” A tent-pole series immediately available at launch, “Manhattan” becomes the first “Project Latte Exclusive” (a TV series that will only be available to “Project Latte” subscribers).
The acclaimed drama will be joined in subsequent months by the comedy series “Deadbeat,” also from Lionsgate; the crime thriller “Bosch,” from Red Arrow International; and additional series, as “Project Latte Exclusives.” The streaming service “Project Latte” will launch later this year.
From nine-time Emmy Award-winning Director Thomas Schlamme (“The West Wing”), the 13-episode one-hour drama “Manhattan” follows one of the best-kept secrets of all time: the mission to build the world’s first atomic bomb. “’Manhattan’ is the ‘Mad Men’ of the Atomic Era, and as a result is the perfect serialized drama to launch our ‘Exclusives’ strategy for Project Latte,” said Mike Cosentino, Senior Vice-President of Programming at Bell Media, in a press release. “Strategically, we are proactively serving the strong subscriber appetite for exclusive programming, and we’re proud to start with this incredibly accomplished drama, along with the light-hearted comedy ‘Deadbeat’ and murder-mystery ‘Bosch.’”
“We’re delighted to extend and expand our relationship with Bell Media and support the launch of their Project Latte streaming service with shows as diverse as ‘Manhattan’ and ‘Deadbeat,’” said Lionsgate President of Worldwide Television & Digital Distribution Jim Packer. “This deal underscores our commitment to deliver premium, quality content to online platforms as great partners like Bell Media continue to diversify the choices they offer their audiences.”
The 10-episode, half-hour comedy series “Deadbeat,” starring Canada’s Tyler Labine, focuses on an offbeat medium for hire. Based on the award-winning crime fiction novels of author Michael Connelly, the 10-episode, one-hour drama “Bosch” follows an LAPD homicide detective as he works to solve the murder of a 13-year-old boy.
Photo: Manhattan/Lionsgate
