MUMBAI: US broadcaster Fox has created a new unit to oversee the development and production of alternative animated series, shorts and user-adapted material for a brand new late-night animated programming block and new digital multi-platform network.

To run this new unit, Fox has inked an exclusive deal with Nick Weidenfeld, former head of programme development for Adult Swim and executive producer of series ?Childrens Hospital? and ?The Boondocks?.

The network has also tapped producer Hend Baghdady as the executive in charge of production for the new division.

Under their leadership, the unit will develop and produce original animated shorts and series to run both on-air and online. The late-night programming block will air Saturdays on Fox and will feature four new animated series per season starting in January 2013.

The digital channel will extend across platforms such as Web, mobile apps, game consoles and Video on Demand. It kicks off in 2012 and will feature 50 original short-form pieces per year, online windows of Fox animated shows, and user-adapted content.

Fox will also use its expertise and cross-promotional power to nurture these new assets through this pipeline.

Fox president of entertainment Kevin Reilly said, "This may be the first time a network is building a clear bridge for talent to develop and grow ideas in the digital/alternative arena and organically move them into the mainstream. These new late-night series will be assets in their own right - but the clear possibility exists for a breakout digital success to graduate to primetime."

Prior to teaming with Fox under his Friends Night production company banner, Weidenfeld served as the head of programme development for Adult Swim. Over the last eight years, Weidenfeld helped grow the late-night block of programming on Cartoon Network Adult Swim.

MUMBAI: US broadcaster Animal planet kicked off a new season of ?Infested!? on 30 December 2011 with seven hour-long episodes and two "best-of" episodes.

?Infested!? unearths the real-life horror stories of ordinary people plagued by extraordinary infestations inside their homes.

It is not about the occasional bug slipping through a crack in a wall - it?s a full-on war for the victims whose nightmares are relived this season. Every one of these victims has suffered either physical harm or psychological trauma. Some of them may never feel safe and sound again. This season, viewers will get up close and personal with nature?s nastiest squatters, including spiders, opossums, bedbugs, scorpions, bats and rats - all of which can spill out from the tiniest orifices and create a living terror.

In the first episode, a young family moves into a new home in Kentucky only to discover a protected species of bat that cannot be disturbed. Then, a Pennsylvania household combats a deluge of cockroaches and learns that these bugs crawled their way from the neighbor?s house. Across the country in California, a single mom battles the growing number of filthy rodents raging a riot through her home.

Future episodes become deadly when a Tennessee father fights for his life after he?s bitten by brown recluse spiders. Each story is enhanced by macro-lens photography and CGI recreations, which reveal how these critters strip humans of the four walls that protect them from the outside world.

MUMBAI: US broadcaster NBC has announced that American radio personality, television host and author Howard Stern will serve as the new judge on the reality show ?America?s Got Talent?, produced by FremantleMedia North America and Simon Cowell?s Syco Television.

Stern will provide his feedback on the contestants who are currently auditioning in major cities around the country for the show?s upcoming seventh season.

Production of the live shows of ?America?s Got Talent? also will be moving to New York, where Stern will continue to helm his SiriusXM radio program.

NBC president, alternative and late night programming Paul Telegdy said, "Howard Stern?s larger-than-life personality will bring a thrilling new dynamic to ?America?s Got Talent? starting this summer. He?s a proven innovator and his track record in broadcasting is truly remarkable. Howard is very passionate about this show and is fully committed to its future success."

Stern helped to transform American radio and put syndicated satellite radio on the map on SiriusXM. As the outspoken, unedited and headline-grabbing host of ?The Howard Stern Show? radio program, Stern was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005 and became a pop-culture icon with a massive loyal fan base. Since 1987, he has hosted numerous television shows, record-breaking pay-per-view events and home video releases. He also embarked on a five-month political campaign for governor of New York in 1994.

MUMBAI: US broadcaster 3net, the JV 3D network from Sony, Discovery and IMax has kicked off the show Fields of Valor: The Civil War. The broadcaster says that this is the world?s first native 3D war documentary.

The four-part 3net original miniseries will transport viewers back in time, retelling the war?s most pivotal moments both on and off the battlefields from the unique perspective of both sides of the historic conflict. The series utilises carefully selected stereoscopic stills from the period - recently released by the Library of Congress - and shown for the first time ever to television audiences in their native 3D format.

In addition the show features a cast of thousands for the penultimate battle scenes, unique "tableau form" style 3D recreations and 3D graphic effects to bring to vivid life the men of the 20th Massachusetts and the 1st Virginia as they leave their homes and loved ones, prepare for ensuing battle and plunge headlong into the history?s most brutal domestic conflict. Intimate accounts of the brave men on the front lines are told through paralleling stories from each side of the war, giving audiences a unique insight into the beliefs, struggles and passions of those involved from both the North and South.

3net president, CEO Tom Cosgrove said, "Recent advancements in 3D production have allowed us to get much ?closer? to this period in our history and offer a uniquely personal and immersive telling of the conflict that simply wasn?t possible before.

"By capturing the soldiers and battles of this historic war in native 3D, and showcasing perfectly preserved stereoscopic stills from the period, we?ve been able to bring a level of humanity and realism to the project unlike anything television audiences have experienced with previous Civil War documentaries. As well, we?re excited to broaden the audience for Fields Of Valor: The Civil War with the 2D premiere on our sister networks Velocity and Military Channel."

MUMBAI: US broadcaster CBS has announced a February premiere date for the next season of the reality show ?Survivor? and ordered two more editions of the series for broadcast during the 2012-2013 season. The broadcasts next season will mark the 25th and 26th editions of television?s longest-running hit reality competition series.

Emmy Award winner Jeff Probst will return as host and executive producer for all three upcoming cycles. Probst has hosted ?Survivor? since its inception in May 2000.

CBS Entertainment executive VP, alternative programming Jennifer Bresnan said, "Survivor is an outstanding franchise. Its format guarantees fresh characters, exotic places and fascinating social dynamics every season. And, the show is backed by an A-plus production team that is as passionate as the diehard ?Survivor? fans. All of us at CBS are incredibly proud of Survivor?s ongoing success."

The show?s executive producer Mark Burnett said, "I am extremely proud of the continuing success of ?Survivor?, which is due to the immense loyalty of our millions of fans. We are excited to offer two more seasons of ?Survivor? and look forward to entertaining audiences for years to come."

Probst said, "I am thrilled to continue working on the longest-running reality competition show with the world?s greatest adventure crew for two more seasons. We are so thankful for the supportive fans who remain with us every season, and we promise to deliver another year of quality television."

MUMBAI: US broadcaster ABC has announced that for the holiday season it will kick off the game show ?You Deserve It? on 21 November.

On the six episode show hosted by Chris Harrison and co-hosted by Brooke Burns, contestants aren?t out to win money for themselves but are playing for someone else - someone they feel deserves it.

Starting with a $10,000 round and going up to a $250,000 round, contestants purchase a series of clues to help them solve the puzzles and win money for their chosen recipient. But each clue will cost them -- and the cost of each clue is randomly selected and won?t be revealed until after it has been purchased.

The beneficiary, who is in another location under constant hidden-camera surveillance throughout the show, gets the surprise of a lifetime when family, friends, Brooke Burns and a camera crew burst in with life-changing news.