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Exclusive: Great news for flash mob fans. Fox has picked up Howie Mandel's reality special Mobbed to series with an eight-episode order. The order follows the solid ratings performance of the special last night. Airing behind American Idol, Mobbed, which featured an elaborate surprise marriage proposal involving a large group of singers and dancers, drew a 3.8/10 in adults 18-49 and 10.8 million viewers, scoring the largest audience and the highest 18-49 retention for a reality show airing after Idol in two years. Based on a format created by Mandel, Darryl Trell and Howard Kitrosser, Mobbed puts a hidden-camera spin on the "flash mob" phenomenon (large groups of people suddenly showing up in public places to perform a pre-rehearsed dance number). It features people throwing elaborate surprises for friends, family members, loved ones or co-workers. Mobbed is produced by Alevy Productions and Angel City Factory. Mandel, Trell, Kitrosser, Chris Cowan, Jean-Michel Michenaud,...

Finally, a home makeover show for Ikea shoppers. Own: Oprah Winfrey Network just announced its new series, Home Takeover with Simon & Tomas, a "high-energy" primetime home makeover series starring Scandinavian interior designers Simon Davies and Tomas Cederlund. The six-episode series will premiere on March 28. “Simon and Tomas will take America by storm with their unique sense of style,” said Lisa Erspamer, chief creative officer, Own. “The duo are not only skilled interior decorators, but their over-the-top personalities also make them fun to watch as they perform their design magic and literally move into the homes they are helping.” The series is executive produced by Chris Cowan, Ray Giuliani and Jean-Michel Michenaud.

French production company Banijay Entertainment is acquiring reality hitmakers Bunim-Murray Prods., whose credits include "The Real World" and "Keeping Up With the Kardashians."

Bunim-Murray's founder Jonathan Murray will continue as chairman and lead creative development, while president Gil Goldschein will remain to tackle corporate initiatives. The company will likewise continue to be based in Los Angeles under the same name.

What's changing is that Banijay will help the 20-year-old Bunim-Murray expand into the international marketplace. Bunim-Murray will have access to the company's international formats, and Banijay will distribute Bunim-Murray's formats to other territories.

"Bunim-Murray is one of the few companies with a proven history of delivering high volumes of entertaining and quality programming that strikes a chord with viewers and are continually renewed by networks season after season," Banijay chairman Stephane Courbit said. "This acquisition reaffirms Banijay's strategy to integrate in our group the best and most creative international television producers.

Paris -- French production and distribution house Banijay is making its worldwide TV market takeover tour official with the creation of new global distribution division Banijay International, the company said Wednesday.

The venture will be headed up by current international director at Nordisk Karoline Spodsberg, who will take on the title of managing director of Banijay International. The division, featuring a melange of staff from both Nordisk and Banijay's distribution teams, will have offices in Paris and Copenhagen.

The Banijay International label will encompass Nordisk Film TV World's activities in addition to distributing all formats and finished programming produced by Banijay Entertainment's various companies. Banijay's format hits include "The Missionaries," "71 Degrees North" and "My Big Fat Parents."

The move comes as no surprise as Banijay has recently expanded its reach across the globe. Banijay bought British indie company Zig Zag Prods. in January after buying Zodiak's Scandinavian arm Nordisk Film...

Paris -- French production powerhouse Banijay Entertainment is heading into winter with a Nordic edge having just bought up Scandinavian small screen shingle Nordisk Film's TV arm, Banijay said Monday.

Nordisk Film TV, owned by multinational media group Egmont, represents an annual revenue of around €50 million ($73.5 million) and produces more than 1,500 hours of television per year.

The deal will also include Nordisk's international distribution arm Nordisk Film TV World that sells formats to 57 countries across the globe.

Popular Nordisk Film TV titles include "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," "Wipeout" and "My Big Fat Parents."

Nordisk execs Jacob Houlind and Peter Hansen will continue to manage Nordisk Film TV under the Banijay banner. The deal also includes the company's partly owned subsidiaries Danish Respirator Media & Development and Finnish Solar Television.

Banijay launched new stateside company Angel City Factory with veteran reality producers Chris Cowan and Jean-Michel Michenaud in July...

Call it "The Real World" meets "Big Brother."

John de Mol, the Dutch billionaire producer who created the globally successful format for "Big Brother," is acquiring Bunim/Murray Prods., the company behind MTV's groundbreaking reality series "Real World," through his Talpa Media company.

The parties involved declined comment, but sources peg the value of the deal at $50 million-$70 million -- considered a great price for a company that owns very few of its formats.

It speaks to the credentials of Jonathan Murray, who, along with his late partner, Mary-Ellis Bunim, singlehandedly createda genre of television with "Real World."

Bunim-Murray's series include E!'s "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," and the company also took over production on "Project Runway" when the show moved to Lifetime, as well as its spinoff, "Models on the Runway."

In 2007, Talpa Media launched Talpa Content USA, an U.S.-based outfit dedicated to developing new reality formats.

French production powerhouse Banijay Entertainment is expanding its growing TV empire stateside with Angel City Factory, a new U.S.-based company it has launched with veteran reality producers Chris Cowan and Jean-Michel Michenaud.

Meanwhile, Cowan and Michenaud have dissolved their 11-year-old company Rocket Science Laboratories, which hit it big at the beginning of the decade with the Fox hits "Temptation Island" and "Joe Millionaire."

Banijay CEO Guillaume De Verges said his company had been working for weeks to reach an agreement with Cowan and Michenaud.

"They're true inventors and producers, they have a great relationship with Fox, and we've worked with them in the past," De Verges said. "We know the U.S. quite well, but not better than them."

Cowan and Michenaud have strong ties to Fox, home of most of their series, including "Island," "Millionaire," "My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance," "Married by America," "Trading Spouses," "Renovate My Family" and,...