FremantleMedia Acquires US Rights For Comedy

FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) has announced it has acquired the home entertainment rights for the six-episode scripted comedy series, The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, in the US and Canada.
The deal - brokered by Jeff Siegel, VP of Home Entertainment, The Americas, FME and Gregg Diller, Director, Business Development, IFC & Sundance Channel - will see the title added to the FME home entertainment division.
One of the many successful titles within the catalogue is The IT Crowd, the award-winning comedy based on the IT department of a fictitious corporation starring Chris O'Dowd (Festival), Richard Ayoade (Garth Marenghi, Nathan Barley) and Katherine Parkinson (Doc Martin). The series currently airs on IFC in the US.
Created by David Cross (Arrested Development) and Shaun Pye (Monkey Dust), The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, follows the misadventures of American Todd Margaret (Cross), a corporate nobody and pathological liar who unexpectedly finds himself running his company's London office.
Assigned by his blowhard, foul-mouthed boss (Will Arnett, Arrested Development) to launch a new and terrible energy drink, Todd Margaret is quickly in over his head, knowing nothing about the British culture or sales.
The series also stars British actors Sharon Hogan (Pulling) and Blake Harrison (The Inbetweeners).
FME's Jeff Siegel commented: "As the British and cult comedy category is growing in popularity in North America, The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret is the perfect title to supplement our content from third party acquisitions. We feel that it will continue the successes that we previously had with The IT Crowd. IFC have proved to be a great partner and platform and we look forward to growing the relationship with this series."
IFC's Gregg Diller said: "FremantleMedia's extensive portfolio echoes the comedic sensibility that IFC delivers through its Always On. Slightly Off. brand and sharp-cool-twisted programming. They have proven to be a great partner for us and we're excited that they'll help bring Todd Margaret to audiences throughout North America."
The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret premiered on IFC on October 1 and will debut in the UK on Channel 4 this winter.
(KMcA)