Montreal: Alliance Atlantis Entertainment has completed a development deal with Sci Fi Channel in the u.s. for two new original tv series for late 2001. Anonymous Rex, based on the award-winning 1999 book by Eric Garcia, is a mystery which explores a secret society of dinosaurs disguised as humans. Garcia is writing the script for a two-hour pilot. Sci Fi and aae are also developing Philip Jose Farmer’s best-selling book chronicles Riverworld, with director Alex Proyas (The Crow, Dark City) exec producing and Stuart Hazeldine slated to write the two-hour pilot.

In financial news, Alliance Atlantis Communications announced gross profit for the six-month period ending Sept. 30 increased 13% to $90.9 million compared to the corresponding period last year. ebitda increased by 11% to $50.2 million. The company says the improved operating results were achieved despite a smaller revenue stream, with especially strong results for the broadcast group. Newly launched Food Network Canada has been sold to 3.1 million subscribers.

Net earnings for the six months are $11 million or $0.35 per fully diluted share.

In tv, aac reports delivery of 82.5 hours in drama and children’s programming, and is ‘on track to deliver approximately 244 hours’ of television series, tv movies and miniseries and children’s programming, and approximately 85 hours of fact-based programming by the end of the fiscal year – ‘98% of which has been ordered.’

aac says its new drama series, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, has emerged as the top-rated show in u.s. primetime on Fridays, as well as the highest-rated new drama series on all u.s. television. An initial 13-episode order from cbs has been increased to a full season order of 22. *

-www.allianceatlantis.com