Wikipedia

Endemol Australia

(Redirected from Southern Star Productions)

Endemol Australia, formerly known as Southern Star Group, Southern Star Productions, Southern Star/Hanna-Barbera Australia and Taft-Hardie Group Pty Ltd, was a major Australian independent television production, distribution, and syndication company. On 26 July 2015, the company was merged with Shine Australia to succeed it as Endemol Shine Australia.

Endemol Australia
Formerly
  • Hanna-Barbera Australia (1972–1983)
  • Taft-Hardie Group Pty. Ltd. (1983–1988)
  • Southern Star Group Pty, Ltd. (1988–2013)
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryAnimation
Television production
Founded1972; 54 years ago (1972)
FounderKevin Weldon (as Hanna-Barbera Australia)
Neil Balnaves (as Southern Star Group Pty, Ltd.)
Defunct2015; 11 years ago (2015)
FateMerged with Shine Australia
SuccessorEndemol Shine Australia
Headquarters
Sydney, New South Wales
,
Australia
Key people
Mark and Carl Fennessy (2016)
ParentHanna-Barbera (1972–1988)
Hamlyn Group (1974–1978)
James Hardie Industries (1978–1988)
Southern Cross Broadcasting (2004–2007)
Fairfax Media (2007–2009)
Endemol (2009–2015)
SubsidiariesEndemol Southern Star (2000–2009)

History

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Southern Star logo used from 1989 to 2013

The company began in 1972 as Hanna-Barbera Pty Ltd (Australia), an Australian division of Hanna-Barbera (which was founded by Kevin Weldon). In 1974, the Hamlyn Group's Australian division managed by Kevin Weldon acquired 50% of Hanna-Barbera Australia and appointed Neil Balnaves as managing director. In 1978, James Hardie Industries acquired the Hamlyn Group, and in 1979, Balnaves was promoted to managing director of the entire Hamlyn Group.[1]

In 1983, James Hardie Industries and Hanna-Barbera corporate parent Taft Broadcasting reorganised the division as Taft-Hardie Group Pty Ltd. In 1984, the company established a division in Los Angeles known as Southern Star Productions, founded and headed by Buzz Potamkin. Programs produced by this division would be animated at Hanna-Barbera's studios in Sydney, and carried the name Southern Star/Hanna-Barbera Australia. It co-owned CIC Video's Australian video unit called CIC-Taft Video and launched a video label, THG Video, in 1984, then renamed to Taft Video in 1987. In 1987, it made a $42 million bid for Communications and Entertainment Limited, but it never realised.[2]

In 1988, Neil Balnaves led an A$11 million management buyout of Taft-Hardie, reorganising the company as Southern Star Group. The home video division was renamed to Southern Star Video in 1989. The Sydney animation facilities were also sold to The Walt Disney Company who turned it into Disney Animation Australia, while the Los Angeles division continued to operate until 1991 when it was sold to Turner Broadcasting System.

In January 2000, Endemol formed a joined venture with Southern Star Group called Endemol Southern Star.

In April 2004, the company was acquired by Southern Cross Broadcasting and in 2007 by Fairfax Media.

In August 2008, Southern Star Group had sold its 75% majority stake in London-based British drama production indie Carnival Films to American entertainment congolomate NBCUniversal and had it placed into its international production division NBCUniversal International Television Production (now Universal International Studios) with Southern Star Group also sold its distribution rights to Carnival's productions to the latter.[3]

In January 2009, Endemol acquired Southern Star Factual from Fairfax Media in a transaction worth A$75 million,[4][5] effective shuttering Endemol Southern Star.

Southern Star Productions' founder, Buzz Potamkin, died from pancreatic cancer on 22 April 2012, at the age of 66.[6]

On 11 December 2013, Southern Star announced it would rebrand as Endemol Australia, completing the rollout by February 2014. The change was brought about by Chief Executive Officer, Janeen Faithfull.[7][8]

On 15 November 2016, Mark and Carl Fennessy were appointed joint CEOs of Endemol Australia as well as its parent company, Endemol Shine Australia.[9]

Southern Star Group's founder, Neil Balnaves, died on 21 February 2022 in a boating accident, at the age of 77, while holidaying with his wife, Diane, in Tahiti.[10][11]

Hanna-Barbera Pty Ltd (Australia)'s founder, Kevin Weldon, died peacefully 'content to have lived a full, lucky and blessed life', surrounded by family and loved ones, on 9 November 2023, at the age of 89.

Turner Broadcasting System's founder, Ted Turner, died at his home in Lamont, Florida,[12][13] on 6 May 2026, at the age of 87.[14][15][16]

The Hanna-Barbera Pty Ltd (Australia)/Taft-Hardie Group Pty Ltd. library is currently distributed by Warner Bros. Discovery through Warner Bros. Animation.

Programs

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Prime-time drama

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As Hanna-Barbera Pty Ltd / Taft-Hardie Group Pty Ltd

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As Southern Star

Comedy

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Kids & family

Animation outsourced from Hanna-Barbera USA

As Hanna-Barbera Pty Ltd / Taft-Hardie Group Pty Ltd

As Southern Star

Films

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See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "Endemol Shine Australia".
  2. ↑ "Taft Hardie Venture Makes Big Bid For CEL; Oz Giant Looms". Variety. 1 July 1987. p. 35.
  3. ↑ Conlan, Tara (20 August 2008). "NBC Universal buys Carnival". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 2 September 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  4. ↑ Prior, Alex (21 January 2009). "Southern Star: sold to Endemol (apart from some bits)". Screen Hub. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  5. ↑ Tabakoff, Nick (21 January 2009). "Berlusconi to own Fairfax's TV producer". The Australian. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  6. ↑ Variety Staff (8 May 2012). "Marshall 'Buzz' Potamkin Dies at 66". Variety.com. Reed Elsevier. Archived from the original on 12 June 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  7. ↑ "Southern Star Entertainment to become Endemol Australia". Endemol Distribution. 27 December 2013. Archived from the original on 27 December 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  8. ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (22 February 2012). "Australia's Southern Star Names TV Industry Vet Janeen Faithfull To CEO Post". Deadline. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  9. ↑ Bulbeck, Pip (28 May 2015). "Endemol Shine Names Fennessy Brothers as Joint Heads of Australian Unit". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  10. ↑ Litson, Jo (23 February 2022). "Neil Balnaves has died". Limelight. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  11. ↑ Ciccarelli, Raffaella (22 February 2022). "Former television executive Neil Balnaves dies in boating accident". 9News. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  12. ↑ "Ted Turner, Who Dared Fellow Billionaires to Give, Dies at 87". Chronicle of Philanthropy. 6 May 2026. Retrieved 6 May 2026. He died on Wednesday at his home in Lamont, Fla.
  13. ↑ Call, James (6 May 2026). "Ted Turner, CNN founder, died at his ranch near Tallahassee". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved 6 May 2026. Ted Turner, the media mogul who created CNN and other lodestars of cable TV, died at his ranch in Jefferson County, Florida
  14. ↑ Folkenflik, David (6 May 2026). "Brash CNN founder Ted Turner dies". NPR. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  15. ↑ Kandell, Jonathan (6 May 2026). "Ted Turner, Creator of CNN and the 24-Hour News Cycle, Dies at 87". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  16. ↑ Ann O’Neill; Brian Stelter (6 May 2026). "CNN founder Ted Turner, a pioneer of cable TV news, dies at 87". CNN. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  17. ↑ "Fred's little league". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney NSW. 15 May 1978. p. 25.
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