MEK 8... MIA?

MEK 8 is an action drama produced by German prodco action concept (Alarm für Cobra 11: Die Autobahn Polizeï) for private channel RTL II. Filmed from october to november 2010 in Cologne, it premiered last month... on V-me, a small US pubcaster in Spanish.

Centered on a secret elite German police unit, MEK 8 is written by Markus Müller, Philipp Sidhu and Gregor Eisenbeiss. It is directed by Nico Zavelberg and Roland Leyer, and stars Stefan Richter, Felix Lampe, Ricardia Bramley, Marc Richter, Jan Stapelfeld and Tanja Lanäus.

The 16X22-minute series was to start possibly in spring or summer 2011. In summer 2011 it was announced that MEK8 would air during the German 2011-2012 TV season. The excellent Quotenmeter.de points out that this season ends in 11 weeks and doesn't see RTL II airing the action concept production in the meantime. Although the channel explained them that MEK 8 was to be aired this year, without giving a TX date.

Alarm für Cobra 11, action concept's flagship series, returned yesterday night on RTL for a new series and still does more than well in the ratings.

http://www.telepool.de/movie.html?ID=e3280709-d241-4a9b-b977-471b1ac42507&SalesTypeID=4a09cb79-d900-4ca2-8872-2ced6f626ec9&ListBack=series.html&Page=4&Extended=1

See also (In German):

http://www.quotenmeter.de/cms/?p1=n&p2=55417&p3=
http://www.quotenmeter.de/cms/?p1=n&p2=45308&p3=

http://www.quotenmeter.de/cms/?p1=n&p2=55387&p3= (Review of the new series of Cobra 11)
http://www.quotenmeter.de/cms/?p1=n&p2=55420&p3= (Cobra 11 - Ratings)

EXPERIMENT IN TERROR

6 Passi nel Giallo is a thriller collection aired by Italian private channel Canale 5 since February 22. Those six 100-minute TV movies are helmed by the heirs of two cult filmmakers: Lamberto Bava, son of the legendary Mario Bava, Fabrizio "Roy" Bava (Lamberto's son) and Edoardo Margheriti, son of prolific director Antonio Margheriti (aka Anthony M. Dawson).

6 Passi nel Giallo ("Six steps in Giallo") is produced by RTI (Mediaset) with Leader Film Company and distributed globally by Dolphin Entertainment. Filmed in English and entirely in the Maltese islands, thanks to financial incentives from the Malta Film Commission, the movies star an international cast including Kevin Sorbo (Andromeda, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys), Craig Bierko (Cinderella Man), Rob Estes (Melrose Place), Erica Durance (Smallville), Tomas Arana, Clayton Norcross, or Paolo Seganti (Largo Winch).

Lamberto Bava directs Presagi, which opens the collection, Omicidio su misura, and Vite in ostaggio (The final film, to air March 28). Edoardo Margheriti directs Sotto protezione and Souvenirs (aired yesterday), and Roy Bava directs Gemelle. Purists will rather dust off their classics in DVD and some French viewers will remember of a similar collection of French TV thrillers called Vertiges (1997-2003), filmed in Romania and aired by M6.

http://www.film.it/televisione/serie-tv/6-passi-nel-giallo-thriller-collection/ (In Italian)
http://www.mta.com.mt/industryupdates.aspx?nid=396
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120306/life-features/canale-5-to-feature-third-film-shot-in-malta.409955
http://www.horrormovie.it/hmdb/leggi_recensioni.asp?id=2194 (Review of Presagi - In Italian)

ADVISORY

Ill. Back ASAP.

Loved Inside Men and the second series of The Indian Doctor. Disappointed by Kidnap and Ransom Series 2.

In the meantime you may find me here: http://twitter.com/#!/thierryattard