Currently in its tenth season, NCIS ranks as TV’s most-watched drama series, with an average audience of 21.48 million viewers. It was announced last month that CBS has renewed the show for its 11th season, with Mark Harmon again signed on to lead the cast as Special Agent Jethro Gibbs. Starring alongside Harmon is Michael Weatherly, whose role as Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo started on the series JAG in 2003 and carried over to NCIS. Showrunner and executive producer Gary Glasberg joined the series in season seven. Glasberg and Weatherly recently sat down with World Screen’s Anna Carugati to discuss the show. In this video interview, Weatherly shares his secrets for preparing a scene, while Glasberg discusses his approach to working within a procedural format.

Since the 1980s, Tom Fontana has been changing television. The medical drama St. Elsewhere, one of the first ensemble series, demystified the concept that doctors are infallible. Oz, with its gritty depiction of prison life and its flawed characters, was HBO’s first original series. Borgia and Copper, Fontana’s current shows, represent new models of international co-production. In this video interview, Fontana talks about his experiences with working on Oz and Borgia. He also discusses the benefits and challenges of working with international partners.

Last year, when Gaumont, the world’s oldest film company, decided to extend its venerable brand name to the production and distribution of television content, it enlisted former NBC executive Katie O’Connell to lead those efforts. As the CEO of Gaumont International Television (GIT) in Los Angeles, O’Connell oversees a portfolio of highly anticipated projects, among them the NBC midseason replacement Hannibal. The upcoming series, starring Mads Mikkelsen as Dr. Hannibal Lecter and Hugh Dancy as FBI profiler Will Graham, was developed for television by Bryan Fuller, just one of several top-notch creatives that GIT has partnered with: Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, writers of Skyfall, have been tapped to pen the new series Barbarella, which is being co-produced with Canal+. And Eli Roth is behind the GIT-produced Hemlock Grove, which is slated to make its debut on Netflix this April. Producing brand-defining content with universal themes is a key mandate at GIT, says O’Connell, who recently spoke with World Screen about the company’s approach to developing scripted projects for the global market.

The success of the Israeli drama Prisoners of War has helped solidify Keshet International’s place in the global spotlight. Its U.S. adaptation, Homeland on Showtime, has won numerous awards as well as much audience and critical acclaim, and the format and finished version have sold widely the world over. Keshet International has also been prosperous in selling non-scripted formats, including the dating show Girlfri3nds. The company, which has a central headquarters in Tel Aviv, has set its sights on expanding its global presence. A few months back it announced the establishment of a U.K. office, coming alongside enhanced efforts to drive productions in the U.S. Alon Shtruzman, the managing director of Keshet International, sat down with World Screen to discuss the company’s growth as well as its prowess in the scripted-formats space. Shtruzman also tells us about what factors have gone into making Israel a hotbed of creativity.

Discovery Networks has quite an active business across Latin America as well as in the U.S. Hispanic market. Among the entertainment networks operating under the Discovery umbrella in Latin America are the flagship Discovery Channel, Discovery Home & Health, Animal Planet and TLC and TLC HD. Meanwhile, Discovery en Español and Discovery Familia have established a strong presence in the U.S. Hispanic market. Leading the efforts in these two key arenas is Henry Martínez, the president and managing director of Discovery Networks Latin America/U.S. Hispanic. In this video interview, Martínez talks to World Screen about the strength of the U.S. Hispanic market and the company’s many successes in Brazil, among other topics.

ZDF and ZDF Enterprises regularly work together on factual co-productions with some of the most distinguished documentary broadcasters and producers in the world. ZDF Enterprises has been particularly successful with projects relating to contemporary history, in which turning points of the 20th century are depicted in dramatic fashion. Military history has certainly been a bright spot, but the company also regularly engages in co-productions touching on ancient history and archaeology, science and technology, and wildlife and nature. Kristina Hollstein, the director of documentary co-productions and development at ZDF Enterprises, recently sat down with World Screen to discuss the current crop of projects that are in the works. She also tells us about some of the greatest challenges in putting together a co-production nowadays and about what ZDF Enterprises can offer as a partner that is unique.

The highly anticipated spy drama The Americans makes its debut tomorrow night on FX at 10 p.m. The Cold War series focuses on a pair of KGB spies living as a married couple in Washington D.C. during the early 1980s. The 12x1-hour show, from creator and executive producer Joe Weisberg (Falling Skies, Damages), is co-produced by Fox Television Studios and FX Productions. It is being sold worldwide by Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution, which just scored a slot for the series in the U.K., where it will launch on ITV. In this video interview, The Americans’ co-stars Matthew Rhys (Brothers & Sisters) and Golden Globe-winner Keri Russell (Felicity) sit down with World Screen's Anna Carugati to discuss what appealed to them about the show. They also talk about their characters’ complex relationship with one another, and how it affects their undercover mission.

After building up a cult following in the U.K. and around the world, the ITV series Primeval has received a North American spinoff, courtesy of original producers Impossible Pictures and Canadian outfit Omni Film Productions. Commissioned by Bell Media-owned SPACE and represented worldwide by Entertainment One Television International, Primeval: New World has notched up slots with broadcasters across the globe, including in the U.S. with Syfy and the U.K. with Watch. With a cast that includes Eureka alum Niall Matter as software engineer Evan Cross and British actor Danny Rahim as firearms expert Mac Rendell, the series promises a darker, edgier take on the original, chronicling a team that investigates creatures, and people, that make their way into present day through so-called “anomalies,” which act as portals through time. Matter and Rahim tell World Screen about their characters, the challenges of working with green-screen technology in the special-effects-heavy series, and share their thoughts on how both old and new fans will respond to the world of Primeval.

As the president of AMC/Sundance Channel Global, Bruce Tuchman has been overseeing the international expansion of the Sundance Channel and WE tv brands. Sundance Channel—which bears the tagline "What’s Next, Now"—is currently distributed in Europe, Canada and Asia. Building on the channel’s European presence, recent carriage deals were confirmed with Digiturk in Turkey and Cyfrowy Polsat and Toya in Poland. WE tv, which features shows with a female-skew, is on air in Asia. Late last year the company established a new headquarters in Asia to bolster its regional efforts, increasing local staff and operations. In this video interview, Tuchman sits down with World Screen’s Anna Carugati to talk about what cable and satellite platforms around the world are looking for nowadays. He also discusses the unique offerings that the AMC/Sundance Channel Global brands have as a proposition for the international market.

One of the biggest breakout hits of the U.S. fall season this year was, undoubtedly, Nashville. The series, produced by Lionsgate Television, ABC Studios and Gaylord Entertainment, has even earned stars Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere Golden Globe nominations. Even before the show launched in the U.S. on ABC, Lionsgate had sold it to Channel 4 in the U.K. for its More4 channel. Jim Packer, the president of worldwide television and digital distribution at Lionsgate, talks about the series and its international appeal in this video interview. When Packer sat down with World Screen’s Anna Carugati, he also discussed the success of the Charlie Sheen comedy Anger Management. Additionally, Packer elaborates on why edgier shows such as Weeds and Nurse Jackie are appealing to VOD platforms as well as the specialty ad-supported channels.

The animated series Totally Spies! recently celebrated its tenth birthday with the launch of a brand-new sixth season. Mixing comedy and action with a central theme of “Girl Power,” the show was created by Vincent Chalvon-Demersay and David Michel of Marathon Media. It was originally commissioned by France’s TF1 and has sold extensively around the world. The TV rights to the series are held by Zodiak Kids. Michel, who is the managing director of Marathon Media and group senior VP of marketing at Zodiak Media, sat down with World Screen to discuss the show’s enduring appeal. He also talks about extending the brand into the digital arena and the consumer-products market.

Showtime recently renewed The Big C for a fourth and final season. The dramedy, which stars Laura Linney as a suburban wife and mother with cancer, will wrap its series run with four hour-long installments in 2013. Created by Darlene Hunt, The Big C debuted in August 2010 and drew the largest audience for a Showtime original premiere in eight years. Showrunner Jenny Bicks, formerly a writer on HBO’s Sex and the City and a cancer survivor herself, sat down with World Screen Weekly to discuss the series in this video interview. Among other topics, Bicks talks about the delicate balance of finding humor within the show’s dramatic subject.

The scope of the Televisa Networks bouquet runs wide, from the general-entertainment channel Canal de las Estrellas to the Mexican film service De Película, the telenovela-focused Tlnovelas and sports-centric Televisa Deportes. As VP of Televisa Networks, Bruce Boren has got his eye on expanding the footprint for all of these channels and many more. Boren shares with World Screen Weekly in this video interview his plans for growth in the U.S., Asia, Europe and other territories. Boren also touches on how parent company Televisa’s 2010 acquisition of a stake in Univision has benefited the channels division.

It has been more than two years now since FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) began the push to build up its drama slate as well as its kids’ and family entertainment offerings. The company has succeeded on both fronts. The dramas Wedding Band and Hit and Miss have been generating quite a bit of buzz for FME, as have kids’ shows such as Monsuno and Max Steel. David Ellender, FME’s global CEO, discusses both of those key areas in this video interview. Ellender also talks with World Screen about the continued success for FME in the entertainment space and the relationships the company has formed in the lifestyle arena with personalities such as Jamie Oliver. Ellender says that FME is focused on continuing to grow its global footprint geographically, targeting such territories as Latin America, Russia, China and India, across all business lines. The company is also keeping its eye on technology and ways to offer viewers new digital experiences to complement the on-air shows.

German points of view and European perspectives are core to what Deutsche Welle (DW) aims to offer the international market. While its legacy goes back more than five decades, 2012 marked a turning point for the company, which went through the largest overhaul in its history earlier this year. DW revised its TV program and online presence in an effort to better communicate with its audience, establishing new language-based channels and regionalized programming. DW provides content in 30 languages through its TV, radio and online services. As part of its mission to meet the challenges of today’s constantly evolving media environment, DW is focused on providing content for all platforms. After all, “content is king, but effective delivery is King Kong,” says Guido Baumhauer, DW’s managing director of strategy, marketing and distribution. In this video interview, Baumhauer shares his views with World Screen about the keys for ensuring the successful delivery of content. He also talks about how DW is tailoring its offering to the international market and how co-productions have become an important part of this strategy.

As the head of sales for the Americas and Central and Eastern Europe at Global Agency, Catherine Stryker must meet the demands for content of various budgets. The company has sold a number of its titles into CEE, building a track record in many territories across the region. However, the U.S. and Latin American markets have been tougher to crack, says Stryker, yet the company is managing to make inroads in both. Part of the keys to this success has come from really listening to clients and using that market intelligence to deliver formats that are fresh and exciting to these parts of the world. Stryker talks with TV Formats Weekly in this video interview about the commissions coming from CEE, the U.S. and Latin America. She also touches on the issue of format copycats, citing that consistent creativity is the best way to protect your idea in the marketplace.

When Tricon Films & Television entered the marketplace in 2000, factual was its primary focus. But as the industry continued to evolve, so did Tricon, keeping pace with the current trends and diversifying its business to answer buyers’ demands. The company began dabbling in the scripted space, scoring a hit with its sci-fi series Sanctuary, and has now put its efforts behind increasing its slate of kids’ content, which includes the talent show The Next Star. The Toronto-based producer and distributor has continued to build out its business. To celebrate its tenth anniversary, Tricon established an office in Los Angeles, seeking out new opportunities to work more closely with the U.S. market. Behind these efforts is Andrea Gorfolova, the president of Tricon, whose finance background and business savvy have helped the company navigate through the last 12 years of changes in the industry. Gorfolova talks to World Screen Weekly about some of the shifts she’s seen in the industry and how Tricon has stepped up to meet these challenges.

South America is among the markets that are becoming increasingly open to new format ideas, according to Avi Armoza, the CEO of Armoza Formats. The Chinese market is also “waking up,” he notes. The company has a catalogue that can cater to the different budgets of various territories, says Armoza, pointing to cost-effective series like Upgrade and bigger-budget shiny-floor shows like Still Standing. Armoza shares his views on what types of formats broadcasters are after nowadays, and the importance of interactive and cross-platform elements in the current crop of programs. He also tackles the hot topic of copyright infringement, discussing strategies he believes can help protect ideas from potential copycats.

Reaching more than 1.3 billion subscribers across 209 territories, Discovery Networks International has brought its channel brands into nearly every corner of the globe. Led by the flagship Discovery Channel, the company distributes 27 international TV brands, among them Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery (ID) and TLC. The company began rolling out TLC International in 2010 and has seen the fruits of that effort flourish. Earlier this year, it brought the Discovery Kids network, which has a long history of success in Latin America, into the Asia Pacific. Mark Hollinger, the president and CEO of Discovery Networks International, talks to World Screen about the concentrated efforts in Latin America and Asia as well as in Europe. Hollinger also sheds light on what other channel brands Discovery may be interested in rolling out to the international market. 3D content and TV Everywhere services are among the other topics Hollinger touches on in this video interview.

Powered by hits such as Doc McStuffins, Jake and the Never Land Pirates and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Disney Junior’s transition from a programming block to a full 24-hour channel has been marked by success worldwide. The rebrand of Playhouse Disney to Disney Junior started in February 2011, and this March it added a cable and satellite channel in the U.S., bringing the total number of services around the world to 30. Nancy Kanter, the senior VP of original programming and general manager of Disney Junior Worldwide, has been leading the charge, extending the Disney heritage to a new generation of preschoolers. Kanter talks with World Screen about some of the elements that make for a good preschool show and what core values she looks for when introducing a new character to the Disney audience. She lets us in on some of the new faces being introduced to kids that join the stable of beloved classic characters such as Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.