By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
The Boston-based content creator GBH has signed a deal that will see its “treasure trove of IP” brought to scripted TV and feature films.
Under the agreement, GBH will work with Anonymous Content, a global media company that produces multi-platform premium content and boasts an exceptional client roster which includes many of the world’s most renowned and innovative directors, writers, and actors.
“GBH has a rich legacy of producing inspirational, impactful, and engaging local and national stories across many subject matters and mediums. We look forward to amplifying these stories by bringing them to audiences as scripted projects,” said Evie Kintzer, VP of Strategy and Business Development, and Pablo Velez, Director of Licensing and Business Development at GBH in a joint statement. “Anonymous Content values quality and storytelling and the power of diverse perspectives. We are excited to work with like-minded partners to develop and produce premium scripted content that honors and brings awareness to GBH’s IP.”
GBH is a multiplatform content creation house that produces innovative programs and series for the American public TV network PBS. For more than a half-century, GBH as turned out hit shows like American Experience, Antiques Roadshow, Frontline, Masterpiece and NOVA. GBH is also responsible for the creation of The French Chef with Julia Child, Zoom, and This Old House.
As well, the media studio creates content for television, streaming, radio, and digital mediums. That content spans a wide gamut, as GBH produces dramas, shows around history, the arts, science, culture and journalism.
GBH wants to extend its IP into new arenas, and has signed with Anonymous Content’s Media Rights Division to create scripted films for TV and theatrical release.
GBH is essentially a member station in the Public Broadcasting System network, but it is also the most important single station in terms of the content it produces. GBH produces more than two-thirds of the nationally-distributed PBS primetime programming, including signature PBS programs Frontline, the acclaimed investigative news program that has garnered over 100 Emmy Awards and 31 Peabody Awards, and a Peabody Institutional Award, and Masterpiece, a drama anthology television programming.
Both Downton Abbey and Sherlock, which have collectively won over 80 Emmy Awards, as well as history documentary series American Experience and Nova, the longest running primetime science documentary series, came from GBH.
The station is also the producer of Antiques Roadshow, which debuted on PBS in 1997 and has since received 20 Primetime Emmy Award nominations. GBH also has a large footprint in children’s entertainment, producing iconic children’s programs like Arthur and Curious George (seasons 1-12), as well as the award-winning Molly of Denali, Pinkalicious & Peterrific and the hit new series Work It Out Wombats!
While most people think of GBH as a TV station, it actually operates in a wide range of mediums. GBH is a member station of National Public Radio, and also creates a variety of digital podcasts like The Arthur Podcast, The Creeping Hour, Molly of Denali Podcast, Pinkalicious & Peterrific Podcast; the news series Talking Politics, as well as national series PBS’ The Frontline Dispatch, Detours and Masterpiece Studio.
Anonymous Content is considered a perfect partner for GBH, as it is also a multi-platfor content creator which has produced several works that were both critically acclaimed and commercially successful.
Current Anonymous Content films include the recently released and critically acclaimed THE STRANGER (Netflix) starring Joel Edgerton, SWAN SONG (Apple TV+), WORTH (Netflix), STILLWATER (Focus Features) and THE MIDNIGHT SKY (Netflix) as well as the highly anticipated upcoming films, FOE (Amazon) starring Saoirse Ronan, Paul Mescal and Aaron Pierre that is currently in post-production, and the adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel THE NICKEL BOYS.
The company is also behind the three-time Academy Award winning film THE REVENANT, Best Picture Academy Award winning film SPOTLIGHT, and Academy Award winning film for Best Original Screenplay, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND.
Anonymous Content has also produces several successful TV hits, like True Detective, the upcoming Time Bandits from Taika Waititi, Mr. Robot, and Defending Jacob, among many others.
The company says it’s looking forward to the partnership, which it says provides a rich vein of stories.
“Through its critically acclaimed public media programming, GBH has told some of the most important stories of our time and remained at the center of the American zeitgeist for decades,” Anonymous Content said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to be working with the GBH team and their rich library of diverse material to help them bring these stories to new mediums and platforms.”