Off The Fence (OTF) has closed two deals that will secure the debut of its latest acquisition, the...
Off The Fence (OTF) has closed two deals that will secure the debut of its latest acquisition, the two-part stranger-than-fiction documentary The Amazon Review Killer, in the US and the UK.
FOX News Media’s streaming service Fox Nation, has acquired the 2 x 60 mins documentary for the US in a deal brokered by OTF’s head of digital Oliver Taprogge. Under the agreement, the two-parter, produced by Manchester-based Enderley Pictures, will premiere in the US tonight. Meanwhile, Channel 4 acquisitions executive Felix Jones has pre-bought the documentary for the UK.
The documentary focuses on Todd Kohlhepp, known as the ‘Amazon Review Killer’, whose 13-year-long killing spree was uncovered after investigators followed a ‘digital breadcrumb trail’ of 140 Amazon reviews. Each eerily detailed, bizarrely nonchalant reviews led the detectives deeper into the warped mind of a killer who casually murdered seven unsuspecting victims. Kohlhepp's penchant for reviewing his weapons — from folding shovels to chainsaws — serves as the chilling focal point of the documentary, connecting the trail of seemingly unrelated murders.
Using archive material, bodycam footage and testimonies from detectives, lawyers, criminal psychologists and the families of both Kohlhepp’s victims and his survivors, The Amazon Review Killer tells the story of a man who hid in plain sight for over a decade, the survivor who helped put him away, and the detectives who stopped at nothing to bring him to justice.
Isobel Kinnear, acquisitions executive for OTF, said: “The true-crime genre continues to grow, both in popularity and in the quality and quantity of true-crime programming on the market. But with The Amazon Review Killer, we believe we’ve found something genuinely unique. This documentary isn't just a journey into darkness — although it’s certainly that. It's also a story of survival, perseverance and resilience. The salvation of Kohlhepp’s final victim and his ultimate capture should give us all hope that justice can and does prevail. The Amazon Review Killer is an extraordinary story brilliantly told by a production company that is unrivalled when it comes to telling binge-able, stranger-than-fiction true-crime stories.”
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Off The Fence (OTF) has announced two major co-productions, one of which is fronted by field...
Off The Fence (OTF) has announced two major co-productions, one of which is fronted by field biologist, wildlife filmmaker and TV presenter Dan O’Neill. A rising star in natural-history documentary, O’Neill has also been signed to present two further new OTF series.
Wild Talk (5 x 50 mins), co-produced by OTF, its parent company ZDF Studios and ARTE, explores the rapidly evolving science of animal communication — and reveals that many species are just as talkative as human beings. In the new five-part series, leading scientists decode complex animal communication systems with the help of AI, and next-generation sensors and recording technology. The result is a fascinating insight into the world of non-human language, from the waggle dance of honeybees to the UV signals emitted by the wings of butterflies.
Wild Talk is executive produced by Debbie Hinnigan and Andrew Zikking for OTF, Petra Boden for ARTE, and Nikolas Hülbusch and Ralf Rückauer for ZDF Studios. The series producer is BAFTA-winning filmmaker Guy Gilbert.
O’Neill, whose hit series Giants, produced by OTF for Curiosity Stream, premiered in May 2023, is front and centre of a second ambitious co-production: Zombie Animals (2 x 60 mins), brought to life by OTF Studios and National Geographic International. The two-part documentary, which is set to TX on Nat Geo Wild in the run-up to Halloween, examines the gruesome world of animal hosts and their invaders — the alien parasites, viruses and freaky fungi that cause their unfortunate victims to act like zombie slaves. The two-parter combines blue-chip and UGC archive material, dynamic graphics and on-location footage with O’Neill’s signature storytelling to tell a fascinating if disturbing story. Zombie Animals is executive produced by Andrew Zikking for OTF, and Sarah Peat for NGCI. The series producer is Aaron Paul.
Two other O’Neill-fronted projects are also in OTF’s production pipeline: Snow Leopards with Dan O’Neill (2 x 50 mins) and a second series of Nature’s Ultimate Survivors (5 x 60 mins)
In the former, the first openly LGBT wildlife presenter returns to the mountains of Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia to gather new information about the elusive “Ghosts of the Mountains”. The cinematic two-part documentary, co-produced by OTF and wildlife and nature brand Love Nature, follows O’Neill — the Snow Leopard Trust’s only ‘explorer in residence’ — on an extreme conversation mission to two remote locations: Kyrgyzstan’s Tian Shan mountains, home to the highest density of snow leopards on the planet, and the Tost mountains of Mongolia’s Gobi Desert, where entry is forbidden unless permitted by the Snow Leopard Trust. Helped by expert local rangers and next-generation camera, tracking and drone technology, O’Neill stalks the majestic cats to reveal their hunting behaviour, social dynamics and territorial range — all to protect the future of nature’s least understood big cats.
O’Neill has also been signed up for a second season of OTF Production’s successful 2023 series Nature’s Ultimate Survivors (5 x 60 mins), which combined stunning natural-history footage with the latest science to explore the astonishing abilities that creatures have evolved in order to survive.
The first season has been picked up by broadcasters across Europe, including France’s Ushuaia, Xumo in the US, Viasat World, Sky Germany and ZDF 3sat. The new series, which will again by narrated by O’Neill, will explore yet more wild and weird skills — from power punches through toxic touch to extreme endurance and stupendous speed — that help animals survive in the wild.
Andrew Zikking, MD of OTF Productions said: “It’s fair to say that natural-history co-productions are second nature to OTF. Over the years, we’ve learned that a successful co-production is a craft in itself, not just in terms of the tricky art of creative collaboration, but also in knowing how to pick the right partner for the right project for the right client and audience. It’s deeply gratifying that such natural-history power players as ARTE, National Geographic and Love Nature have committed to work with us on these exciting new projects. And, as a company that prioritises discovering and celebrating fresh and diverse talent, it’s a real coup that the peerless — and fearless — Dan O’Neill has agreed to front three more premium OTF productions.”
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We're super excited to share our newest title 'Resident Orca'! Come see us at Sunnyside to hear more...
We're super excited to share our newest title 'Resident Orca'! Come see us at Sunnyside to hear more or contact one of our team.
See the full detail in the latest Deadline Article
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Off the Fence’s Bo Stehmeier, BossaNova’s Paul Heaney, Albatross World Sales’ Anne...
Off the Fence’s Bo Stehmeier, BossaNova’s Paul Heaney, Albatross World Sales’ Anne Olzmann and ZDF Studios’ Nikolas Hülbusch join together to discuss the big-picture issues impacting the factual landscape during the TV Real Festival, taking place from June 18 to 20.
Read the full article on TV Real and sign up for the event!