PBS Boards Adrian Dunbar Detective Drama ‘Ridley’ For North American Distribution
PBS Distribution has taken North American rights to upcoming ITV detective drama Ridley, which stars Line of Duty’s Adrian Dunbar, following a deal with All3Media International. Currently filming in northern England, the show follows retired police officer Ridley who resumes his partnership with former protégée DI Carol Farman (Bronagh Waugh) to solve complex murder cases. All3 has secured pre-sales for the four-part drama with NPO in the Netherlands, VRT in Flemish-speaking Belgium and Britbox in Australia. Pumpkin TV has taken VoD rights in China. The show comes from Paul Matthew Thompson (Vera) and is co-created by former Midsomer Murders exec Jonathan Fisher, whose All3-owned indie West Road Pictures is producing in association with All3Media International.
Channel 5 Orders First True Crime Drama
British broadcaster Channel 5 has turned to long-time scripted partner Clapperboard Studios to create its first true-crime drama – a three-part series about the murders of two young girls that shocked the UK. Maxine will examine the investigation into school assistant Maxine Carr and her fiancé Ian Huntley, who was imprisoned for the killings of school girls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. Mike Benson and Julie Ryan are executive producers, Laura Way (The Holiday, Blood) is directing and Simon Tyrrell (The Spanish Princess) is writer. Abacus Media Rights will distribute internationally. It will air this year. Clapperboard is behind Channel 5 dramas such as Intruder and The Teacher.
‘We Are Black And British’ Indie Cardiff Productions Restructures
Wales-based producer Cardiff Productions is restructuring its management, with co-founder Pat Younge moving from Managing Director to a Non-Executive Director role. Another co-founder, Narinder Minhas, will become CEO. Younge will now focus on external commitments and strategy at the two-year-old company, which produced We Are Black and British and the upcoming Tan France: Beauty and the Bleach, both ofw which are for BBC2. Younge’s posts include Non-Executive Director of ITV Studios and chair of pro-public service broadcasting campaign The British Broadcasting Challenge.
Shaftesbury Theatre Owner DLT Entertainment Invests In Talent Agency Hannah Layton Management
London’s DLT Entertainment is pushing further into talent representation by acquiring a stake in Hannah Layton Management, which counts British comedians Patrick Kielty and Cally Beaton as clients among others. DLT, known for producing BBC sitcom My Family and as the owner of the West End’s famous Shaftesbury Theatre, has previous made investments in talent agencies such as Gag Reflex, The Soho Agency and Andrew Roach Talent and recently hired Noel Gay agent Ellie Cahill-Nicholls. Hannah Layton Management will move to DLT’s Bedford Square office. Its founder, Hannah Layton, launched the business in 2015 after spells at Artist Rights Group and James Grant Media Group.
‘Day Zero’ Launches On Amazon
Water crisis film Day Zero has launched on Amazon Prime Video to celebrate World Earth Day. The Fremantle-distributed Keo Films and OoS Pictures-produced documentary from Emmy-winning filmmaker Kevin Sim, which captures stories about communities hit by water shortages, has also found a U.S home on The Roku Channel and on Pluto TV – both bowing April 22. Tencent carries Day Zero in China after it was created by the company’s chief exploration officer David Wallerstein, whilst BBC Africa and Nat Geo (Latin America), Rai in Italy and Japan’s NHK were among a number of international broadcasters to recently acquire the international film.
Read More
Photo Credit:
