Bellum Entertainment Group
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television production and distribution |
| Predecessor | LongNeedle Entertainment |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Founder | Mary Carole McDonnell |
| Defunct | 2017 |
| Fate | Bankruptcy and liquidation of assets |
| Headquarters | Burbank, California , United States |
Area served | United States, international markets |
Key people | Mary Carole McDonnell (founder) |
| Products | Television content production and distribution, including Animal Atlas, Coolest Places On Earth, Corrupt Crimes, Deep Undercover, Murderous Affairs, On the Spot, Zoo Clues, Unsealed Alien Files, Unsealed Conspiracy Files, State to State, Safari Tracks, Wildlife Jams, Family Style with Chef Jeff, Now Eat This with Rocco DiSpirito, America Now, Fix It and Finish It, Flip My Food with Chef Jeff |
Number of employees | 11–50 (peak in 2013) (2013) |
Bellum Entertainment Group, originally known as LongNeedle Entertainment, was a television production and distribution firm headquartered in Burbank, California. The company specialized in creating, producing, and distributing television content across broadcast, cable, digital platforms, and ancillary markets. Established in 2004 by Mary Carole McDonnell, Bellum initially focused on educational and informational (E/I) programming, including the series Animal Atlas. In 2012, Bellum secured a licensing agreement with Tribune Broadcasting to provide a two-hour E/I programming block featuring shows such as Unsealed Alien Files and Unsealed Conspiracy Files.
Main productions at company's closing
- Animal Atlas, produced under Longneedle Entertainment—a subsidiary of Bellum—premiered in 2014. This educational wildlife series targeted younger audiences and was distributed globally by Cisneros Media Distribution.
- Coolest Places On Earth aired in U.S. syndication from 2013 through 2017, highlighting international cities, festivals, landmarks, and cultural experiences. Its global distribution was managed by Electus.
- Corrupt Crimes debuted on September 7, 2015, via national syndication through a collaboration with Sinclair Broadcast Group. This true crime series examined recent criminal cases through expert insights and narrative storytelling. Its second season reached over 86% of the U.S. audience and was distributed internationally by Sky Vision.
- Deep Undercover, co-produced with Televisa and distributed in German-speaking territories by ZDF Enterprises, launched on October 5, 2016, on Escape. Created by Joseph D. Pistone (known as Donnie Brasco), the series portrayed undercover law enforcement operations from the perspective of agents.
- Murderous Affairs, which also premiered on October 5, 2016, on Escape, consisted of 52 episodes exploring fatal romantic entanglements. International distribution was handled by IM Global.
- On the Spot was a weekly syndicated trivia program covering a wide range of topics such as sports, music, science, and culture. It first aired nationally on September 25, 2011.
- Zoo Clues was a half-hour educational E/I show designed to engage viewers interactively by answering questions related to animals.
At its operational peak in 2013, Bellum employed between 11 and 50 staff members and served international markets before its assets were liquidated following bankruptcy proceedings in 2017.
Previously produced shows
- Unsealed Alien and Conspiracy Files was a nationally syndicated half-hour program that premiered in September 2012. It explored government-released documents concerning alien and UFO encounters obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, re-investigating evidence related to mass sightings, abductions, and alleged government cover-ups worldwide. The companion series Unsealed: Conspiracy Files similarly examined formerly classified files for discrepancies and new investigative leads.
- State to State was a syndicated travel series scheduled for the 2014-2015 television season that showcased journeys across various American states.
- Safari Tracks was an educational wildlife series comprising 52 episodes focused on African animals. Hosted by zoologist Benjamin Brown in the role of "Ushaka," it aired on Bounce TV, Antenna TV, Qubo, Smile of a Child TV, as well as international outlets.
- Wildlife Jams combined animal behavior education with jazz music in a half-hour E/I format aimed at raising wildlife awareness.
- Family Style with Chef Jeff, broadcast nationally during the 2013-2014 season, featured Chef Jeff Henderson demonstrating how culinary decisions can positively influence family dynamics. It aired on Bounce TV and international platforms.
- Now Eat This with Rocco DiSpirito, which debuted on September 15, 2012, was a nationally syndicated program starring celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito addressing nutrition and health concerns affecting individuals and families.
- Bellum Entertainment partnered with ITV Studios and Raycom Media to produce and distribute America Now, a syndicated news and lifestyle show hosted by Leeza Gibbons and Bill Rancic that aired nationwide from 2010 to 2014 on Raycom-owned stations and other markets.
- Fix It and Finish It, which premiered on September 7, 2014, starred model and actor Antonio Sabato Jr., who collaborated with local designers to renovate homes across the United States.
- Flip My Food with Chef Jeff, also debuting on September 7, 2014, featured Chef Jeff Henderson traveling throughout the country to reinvent classic dishes into healthier versions.
Distribution
Bellum Entertainment managed the distribution of six original syndicated series across various platforms, including local broadcast stations, pay TV, cable networks, broadcast networks, and subscription video-on-demand services within the United States. The company’s portfolio comprised thirty-nine programs totaling 2,067 episodes. To expand its reach internationally, Bellum collaborated with distributors such as Electus, Red Arrow, IM Global, Cisneros Media Distribution, and Cineflix. In September 2008, LongNeedle joined forces with home entertainment distributor NCircle Entertainment to broaden access to home media formats and streaming platforms like Amazon Prime Video.
Unresolved financial issues
In 2017, the United States Department of Labor initiated an inquiry into Bellum for improperly categorizing employees as independent contractors and for instances of delayed or missed payroll payments. By August of that year, over 50 wage claims had been submitted by former workers, with some cases still unresolved and the possibility of criminal charges under review. Although several employees succeeded in small claims court, they have yet to receive their awarded payments. Bellum also carries significant outstanding debts to various companies, resulting in exclusion from distributor partnerships and production agreements. Among these liabilities is an amount exceeding $275,000 owed to Launchpad Entertainment, LLC for unpaid footage licensing fees.
A public auction of Bellum’s content library was announced in a legal notice published in the July 19, 2019 edition of The Hollywood Reporter. The auction, conducted by The Credit Junction, commenced on July 22, 2019, with a final bidding event scheduled for August 15 in Santa Monica. This auction was subject to cancellation if Bellum could reclaim its library by making a $10 million payment; however, whether this payment was made remains undisclosed.