News

Gillian Anderson is leading a Channel 4 drama adaptation of Louise Kennedy’s Women’s Prize for Fiction- shortlisted Trespasses.

The Scoop and Crown star will play Gina, the mother of protagonist Cushla, a ‘glorious wreck’ who is constantly sparring with her daughter.

Cushla is being played by Lola Petticrew (Bloodlands) and Tom Cullen is Michael, her love interest.

The novel is set in 1975 near Belfast, as Catholic schoolteacher Cushla meets the older Protestant married man, who often defends Ira suspects.

Trespasses is being produced by BAFTA award-winning and double Oscar-nominated Wildgaze Films and is being adapted for the screen in her first lead writing credit by Ailbhe Keogan. All3Media International is distributing. Filming starts in Belfast in the fall.

Anderson said: “I fell in love with Louise’s stunning book when I read it in proof. I was immediately drawn to the...

Dazzler Media has unleashed the trailer for the upcoming Irish animation ‘A Greyhound of a Girl.’

In this beautifully animated story of love and family, filled with joy and laughter, we join four generations of women as they take a glorious and life-affirming journey together. When unexpected news leads them to embark on a trip, they gain the opportunity to reconnect and learn more about each other.

Eleven-year-old Mary has an insatiable passion for cooking and dreams of becoming a

great chef. Her grandmother, Emer, with whom she has a very special bond, encourages her to make this dream come true. But every path has its obstacles, and facing them turns

into quite an adventure.

Starring the voice talents of BAFTA winner Sharon Horgan, Oscar nominee Brendan Gleeson, Charlene McKenna and Rosaleen Linehan, this moving, tender film is based on the acclaimed book by award-winning author Roddy Doyle (The Commitments...

Ashley Walters and James Nesbitt have been cast in the upcoming Netflix adaptation of Harlan Coben’s “Missing You.” The five-part thriller series follows Detective Kat Donovan (Rosalind Eleazar), whose fiancé Josh (Walters) disappeared 11 years ago. When she swipes on a dating app, she’s shocked to see his face […]

Ashley Walters and James Nesbitt Join Harlan Coben’s Netflix Series ‘Missing You’...

James Nesbitt & Matt Willis Board Netflix’s Next Harlan Coben Series

Further cast has been unveiled for Netflix’s next Harlan Coben adaptation from Nicola Shindler’s Quay Street. James Nesbitt (Stay Close, Bloodlands) and Love Is Blind host and former Busted singer Matt Jay-Willis have joined previously-announced Rosalind Eleazar, Jessica Plummer, Richard Armitage, Ashley Walters, Lenny Henry and Steve Pemberton in Missing You, which comes off the back of the smash success of Coben’s Fool Me Once. The series, which was revealed by Deadline several months back, follows Detective Kat Donovan (Eleazar), whose fiancé Josh disappeared and hasn’t been heard from since. Now, swiping profiles on a dating app, she suddenly sees his face and her world explodes all over again. Stay Close scribe Coben’s Netflix deal has proved lucrative for the streamer and he is working on another show, Run Away. In keeping with previous Coben adaptations,...

Ashley Walters (Top Boy, Bulletproof), James Nesbitt (Stay Close, Bloodlands) and Matt Jay-Willis (Wolves of War, Love is Blind) are the latest additions to Netflix’s adaptation of Harlan Coben’s Missing You.

They join the likes of Rosalind Eleazar, Jessica Plummer, Richard Armitage, Lenny Henry, Steve Pemberton, and Mary Malone in the limited thriller series.

Missing You is one of its two upcoming Coben novel adaptations following the success of his latest Netflix hit series, Fool Me Once, which starred Michelle Keegan and premiered globally on Jan. 1.

The five-episode program is about Detective Kat Donovan (Eleazar) whose fiancé Josh (Walters) disappeared 11 years ago, and she’s never heard from him since. “Now, swiping profiles on a dating app, she suddenly sees his face and her world explodes all over again,” according to a plot description. “Josh’s reappearance will force her to dive back into the mystery surrounding her...

Hero Fiennes Tiffin (of the After films) will lead Prime Video’s adaptation of Andy Lane’s Young Sherlock Holmes novels, which has been ordered to series, per Variety.

Guy Ritchie will direct the eight-episode series and executive-produce alongside Matthew Parkhill (Deep State), who will write and serve as showrunner.

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“In Young Sherlock, we’re going to see an exhilarating new version...

FX has ordered a limited series adaptation of the Patrick Radden Keefe book “Say Nothing,” Variety has learned.

The nine-episode series explores The Troubles in Northern Ireland. Lola Petticrew, Hazel Doupe, Anthony Boyle, Josh Finan, and Maxine Peake will star.

It will be available exclusively on Hulu in the U.S., Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ in all other territories.

The official description states:

“Spanning four decades, ‘Say Nothing’ explores the tumultuous period in Northern Ireland known as The Troubles. The series launches with the shocking disappearance of Jean McConville, a single mother of ten who was abducted from her home in 1972 and never seen alive again. But McConville was only one of many others who became known collectively as The Disappeared. Through the eyes of various Ira members, including sisters Dolours and Marian Price—young women who transformed into magnetic symbols of radical politics, Brendan Hughes—a tight-lipped but conflicted military strategist,...

FX has ordered the limited series Say Nothing and tapped Lola Petticrew, Hazel Doupe, Anthony Boyle, Josh Finan and Maxine Peake to star with Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson’s Color Force producing. The nine-episode series is based on the book by Patrick Radden Keefe (who will serve as an exec producer) and tells an account of the troubles in Northern Ireland. Josh Zetumer and Michael Lennox will join as exec producers with Zetumer also serving as showrunner and Lennox directing.

The series will be available exclusively on Hulu in the U.S., Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ in all other territories.

Spanning four decades, Say Nothing explores the tumultuous period in Northern Ireland known as The Troubles. The series launches with the shocking disappearance of Jean McConville, a single mother of ten who was abducted from her home in 1972 and never seen alive again. But McConville was only...

Julia Louis-Dreyfus gets a fantastical visitor while caring for her ailing daughter in the first trailer for the A24 drama Tuesday.

A24 released the trailer Thursday for Daina Oniunas-Pusic’s feature, which does not yet have an announced release date. Tuesday centers on Zora (Louis-Dreyfus) and her terminally ill daughter, Tuesday (Lola Petticrew), who meet Death in the form of a talking and size-shifting bird voiced by Arinzé Kene.

“Madam, you need to say goodbye to your daughter,” Death says calmly in the footage. “Life — every life — ends.”

Later, Zora has trouble coming to terms with saying goodbye. “I don’t know what I am without you, who I am without you,” she tells Tuesday. “I don’t know what the world is without you in it.”

Oniunas-Pusic wrote and directed Tuesday, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in September. Helen Gladders, Ivana MacKinnon and Oliver Roskill serve as producers.

Exclusive: Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio has penned an ITV drama about a doctor in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic starring Joanne Froggatt.

Mercurio co-wrote Breathtaking with Rachel Clarke, the author of the 2021 novel that the show is based on, and Prasanna Puwanarajah, who played Martin Bashir in The Crown Season 5. All three are qualified doctors.

Filming wrapped quietly earlier this year in Belfast.

Breathtaking is based on Clarke’s unflinching memoir having looked after the most gravely unwell patients in the early days of the pandemic. Amid the tensions, fatigue and rising death toll, she witnessed the courage of patients and NHS staff alike in conditions of unprecedented adversity.

Golden Globe-winner Froggatt, who most recently starred in James Graham’s BBC drama Sherwood, played lead Dr Abbey Henderson and Craig Viveiros (The War of the Worlds) was director.

“Everyone has felt privileged to dramatise Rachel Clarke...

Exclusive: A24 has quietly added another experienced exec to its steadily growing London office.

Former Film4 and The Ink Factory production boss Tracey Josephs, whose past credits list includes Slumdog Millionaire, 12 Years A Slave and Fighting with my Family, joined as Head of UK Production several months ago. She had previously been freelancing with the Piers Wenger and Rose Garnett-led outfit.

Josephs is overseeing the production and management of TV series, films and documentaries from the Everything Everywhere and Euphoria maker’s London hub, which opened just over a year ago, helmed by the former BBC Drama and Film bosses.

Tracey Josephs

Josephs spent four years as Head of Production at The Night Manager producer The Ink Factory, where she was EP on Stephen Merchant’s Florence Pugh-starrer Fighting with my Family and also worked across the BBC/AMC’s The Little Drummer Girl. She left The Ink Factory...

‘Paper Empire’ Sets Entire Third Season Shoot At Saudi Arabia’s Film AlUla

Cryptocurrency drama Paper Empire will film the entirety of its 10-episode third season at Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning shooting hub and location Film AlUla. Created and directed by Robert Gillings, the high-profile cast will feature Robert Davi, Denise Richards, Kelsey Grammar, Carole Alt, Helena Mattsson, Wesley Snipes, Anne Archer, Richard Grieco, Robert Knepper, Steve Guttenberg among a host of returning and guest stars. The action-drama series is produced by Robert Gillings Productions, Tadross Media Group and Inner Circle Films. “We are delighted the Paper Empire team will be basing their new season in AlUla, we’ve worked with the creative team to provide locations which underscore the glamour, opulence and world-class production value of the series,” said Film AlUla Director Charlene Deleon-Jones.

BBC Acquires Dark Irish Drama Series

The BBC and Australia’s Sbs have acquired Clean Sweep,...

The new releases just keep coming here in 2023, and while Scream VI continues to slash up the screen, another Nine brand new horror movies are coming along in its wake this week.

Here’s all the new horror releasing March 14 – March 19, 2023!

For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.

First up, the Elizabeth Banks-directed horror-comedy Cocaine Bear is now available at home beginning today; you can rent the film for $19.99 or Digitally purchase it for $24.99.

From Universal Pictures, Cocaine Bear was released in theaters on February 24, the film gobbling its way to a $51 million domestic haul. Worldwide, the current total is $65 million.

‘Cocaine Bear’ Review – A Raucously Entertaining and Gory Horror-Comedy

The movie is inspired by true events that took place in Kentucky in 1985, and it was written by Jimmy Warden. Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) produced.

“The movie finds an oddball group of cops,...

Grabbers director Jon Wright is back with the creature feature Unwelcome (formerly The Little People), and Bloody Disgusting has another exclusive clip for you this week in which we learn that a nightly blood offering should keep “the little people” happy.

Well Go USA Entertainment will unleash Jon Wright’s new horror movie in select theaters across North America (US and Canada) on March 8th as an AMC “Thrills and Chills” exclusive, followed by a PVOD release on March 14, 2023.

The film, described as Gremlins meets Straw Dogs, spins a tale of what happens to people who come in contact with the violent, bloodthirsty goblins known originally in Irish folklore as the fear dearg or “far darrig,” now often referred to worldwide as the “Redcaps.”

Unwelcome, which is directed by Irish-born Jon Wright and based on an original screenplay by Mark Stay, stars Hannah John-Kamen (Red Sonja, Black Mirror, Ant-Man and The Wasp,...

Grabbers director Jon Wright is back with the creature feature Unwelcome (formerly The Little People), and Bloody Disgusting has an exclusive clip for you this week.

This clip introduces the film’s tiny Gremlins-style goblins, one of whom ends up getting well acquainted with a cleaver. And his friends are out for bloody revenge…

Watch Bd’s exclusive first-look clip from Unwelcome below!

Well Go USA Entertainment will unleash Jon Wright’s new horror movie in select theaters across North America (US and Canada) on March 8th as an AMC “Thrills and Chills” exclusive, followed by a PVOD release on March 14, 2023.

The film, described as Gremlins meets Straw Dogs, spins a tale of what happens to people who come in contact with the violent, bloodthirsty goblins known originally in Irish folklore as the fear dearg or “far darrig,” now often referred to worldwide as the “Redcaps.”

Unwelcome, which is directed...

Banijay Rights has closed further sales of “Marie Antoinette,” a dazzling costume drama created and written by Deborah Davis (“The Favorite”).

“Marie Antoinette” tells the story of the avant-garde young queen, played by Emilia Schüle. An Austrian noble, Marie Antoinette was married off to Louis-Auguste, the future king of France, while she was still a girl.

Produced by Banijay Studios France, Capa Drama and Les Gens, the series was picked up by Antenna Plus (Ant1+) in Greece, Ceska Televize in the Czech Republic, Directv in Latin America and Canada’s national public broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada for CBC Gem (English)and Ici Télé and Ici Tou.tv (French).

The richly drawn series has also been acquired by RTÉ in Ireland, Sky Italia, Radio & Television Slovakia – Rtvs and Viaplay across all Nordic and Baltic countries and the Netherlands, among others.

Davis penned “Marie Antoinette” with Louise Ironside (“The Split”), Avril E. Russell (“All...

Grabbers director Jon Wright is back with the creature feature Unwelcome (formerly The Little People), and it’s getting a brand new release date just in time for St. Patrick’s Day.

Well Go USA Entertainment will unleash chilling the creature feature in select theaters on March 10, followed by a PVOD release on March 14, 2023.

The film, described as Gremlins meets Straw Dogs, spins a tale of what happens to people who come in contact with the violent, bloodthirsty goblins known originally in Irish folklore as the fear dearg or “far darrig,” now often referred to worldwide as the “Redcaps.”

Unwelcome, which is directed by Irish-born Jon Wright and based on an original screenplay by Mark Stay, stars Hannah John-Kamen (Red Sonja, Black Mirror, Ant-Man and The Wasp, Ready Player One) and Douglas Booth (Loving Vincent, hit Netflix film The Dirt, Jupiter Ascending, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) as a couple...

Exclusive: Bad Sisters star Michael Smiley has boarded Hulu dark comedy Obituary, as the show sets the rest of its cast and enters principal photography in Ireland.

Smiley will play lead Elvira Clancy’s (Siobhán Cullen) protective and troubled father Ward Clancy in the Apc/Magamedia-produced six-parter that was first revealed by Deadline late last year.

Smiley, whose past credits include the BBC’s Bloodlands and who played well-meaning-but-troubled-neighbor Roger Muldoon in Sharon Horgan’s Apple TV+ hit Bad Sisters, is joined by Ronan Raftery (The Rook), Danielle Galligan (Shadow and Bone) and David Ganly (Moon Knight) as the show rounds out cast and enters principal photography in County Donegal.

Obituary, which has been pre-bought by Irish network RTÉ, follows an unpaid obituarist working at a small town newspaper. When she ‘accidentally’ kills a nasty piece of work in the town, she discovers she might have an untapped bloodlust...

Exclusive: Hat Trick Productions, the storied British production company behind Derry Girls and Have I Got News For You, is courting sale talks.

Co-founded by Jimmy Mulville in 1986, Hat Trick has been a bastion of truly independent UK producers but is now entertaining interest from groups including All3Media and Fremantle.

The company has not formally declared it is up for sale and has not engaged the services of an M&a broker, but Deadline hears that it has recently held promising conversations with potential suitors.

Mulville has toyed with the idea of selling in the past, most recently in 2018, when he compared the process to a real estate agent valuing a house. Four years on, sources said there had been a flurry of interest in Hat Trick amid the success of shows including bomb squad drama Trigger Point.

Three sources said that All3Media, the super producer owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and Liberty Global,...

Click here to read the full article.

PBS has picked up U.S. rights to Marie Antoinette, a new historic epic from Canal+ on the life of the iconic French queen.

Banijay Rights, which is handling international sales for the series, announced the deal ahead of the international TV market MIPCOM Cannes, which kicks off Monday.

German actress Emilia Schüle stars as Antoinette in this historic drama created and written by The Favourite screenwriter Deborah Davis. The series depicts the queen, who left Austria at a young age to marry the Dauphin of France, as an incredibly modern and avant-garde figure for her time. Louise Ironside (The Split), Avril E. Russell (All on a Summer’s Day) and Chloë Moss (Run Sister Run) co-wrote the series, which is directed by Pete Travis (Bloodlands) and Geoffrey Enthoven (Children of Love).

Claude Chelli and Margaux Balsan of Capa Drama, Stéphanie Chartreux of...

Banijay Rights has pre-sold “Marie-Antoinette,” the eight-part period series, to Pps Distribution in the U.S. The series will have its North American premiere in the Spring.

The deal marks the latest international deal for the show which is produced by Banijay Studios France, Capa Drama and Les Gens. The series was commissioned by Canal +’s Creation Originale label and follows recent pre-sales to the U.K. public broadcaster BBC2 and BBC First in Australia.

Created and written by Deborah Davis (“The Favourite”), “Marie Antoinette” tells the story of the avant-garde young queen, played by Emilia Schüle.

An Austrian noble, Marie Antoinette was married off to Louis-Auguste, the future king of France, while she was still a girl. She was sent there with one goal: Deliver an heir. But nothing went as planned. Her husband refused to touch her for seven years and Marie-Antoinette’s rebellious ways wreaked havoc on the royal family.

’The Favourite’ writer Deborah Davis is creator and co-writer of the eight-part series.

Marie Antoinette will head from Versailles to the US with Banijay Rights announcing the pre-sale of the French-produced English-language prestige costume drama to PBS Distribution on the eve of Mipcom.

The eight-part series from creator and writer Deborah Davis, best known for The Favourite, will premiere in North America in spring 2023. Produced by Banijay Studios France, Capa Drama and Les Gens, the Canal+ Creation Originale has already been pre-sold to UK public broadcaster BBC2 and BBC First in Australia. It will air on Canal+ in France in October.

The Favourite writer Deborah Davis is creator and co-writer of the eight-part series.

Marie Antoinette will head from Versailles to the US with Banijay Rights announcing the pre-sale of the French-produced English-language prestige costume drama to PBS Distribution on the eve of Mipcom’s market kick-off.

The eight-part series from creator and writer Deborah Davis (The Favourite) will premiere in North America in spring 2023. Produced by Banijay Studios France, Capa Drama and Les Gens, the Canal+ Creation Originale has already been pre-sold to UK public broadcaster BBC2 and BBC First in Australia. It will air on Canal+ in France in October.

Acting head of drama Ben Irving, senior commissioner Manda Levin to leave, while development head Tom Lazenby has deparated.

The BBC drama department has been hit with a triple departure: acting director of drama Ben Irving and senior commissioning editor Manda Levin are leaving the corporation, and head of development Tom Lazenby has already departed.

The trio of departures represents a significant change to the team, and will give incoming director of drama Lindsay Salt scope to reshape it after she joins from Netflix UK on Tuesday.

Irving is leaving to join Severance producer Fifth Season (formerly Endeavor Content) in...

Acting head of drama Ben Irving, senior commissioner Manda Levin to leave, while development head Tom Lazenby has deparated.

The BBC drama department has been hit with a triple departure: acting director of drama Ben Irving and senior commissioning editor Manda Levin are leaving the corporation, and head of development Tom Lazenby has already departed.

The trio of departures represents a significant change to the team, and will give incoming director of drama Lindsay Salt scope to reshape it after she joins from Netflix UK on Tuesday.

Irving is leaving to join Severance producer Fifth Season (formerly Endeavor Content) in...

Jed Mercurio, creator of hit BBC series “Line of Duty” and “Bodyguard,” has revealed a few aspects of his craft for screenwriters.

Mercurio’s course for the BBC Maestro educational series, titled “Writing Drama for Television,” has launched into North America. It is a comprehensive breakdown of the art and craft of writing, split into 28 chapters, beginning with the genesis of the process and concluding with career development options. Each chapter is accompanied by a video lecture from Mercurio and course notes, which include assignments and homework.

The initiative began at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It was perfect timing really, because a lot of writers weren’t having contact with the industry in the way that they normally do, and so it felt like a really helpful way to reach out to people and get them thinking about their writing,” Mercurio told Variety.

Like all seasoned writers, Mercurio...

Adding to its growing roster of overseas drama titles, Germany’s Zdf Studios has snagged international distribution rights to “Clean Sweep,” a six-part Irish thriller which is set to premiere on Sundance Now and Irish public broadcaster RTÉ.

“Clean Sweep” stars Charlene McKenna, Captain Swing in “Peaky Blinders,” in a crime drama told from the point-of-view of the killer who is also, unusually, a self-sacrificing mother and wife. Filming is now underway.

McKenna, whose credits take in “Bloodlands” and “Vienna Blood,” plays Shelly Mohan, a woman living a quiet life in Western Ireland as a housewife and mother of three who kills her former partner in crime when he threatens to expose her dark past.

With her unsuspecting husband, a Garda detective, hunting for the murderer, Shelly has to contend with the pressures of a tightening noose as well as continuing to care for an ailing son, her unfaithful husband...

Warning: contains spoilers for all episodes of The Secret .

The importance of believing in yourself is continually urged, yet never with the warning that unchecked self-belief in the wrong hands is a grenade. Unchecked self-belief inflated by divine righteousness? That – as nobody with a refreshed newsfeed needs reminding – is a nuclear silo.

In four-part true crime drama The Secret, James Nesbitt plays Colin Howell, a former dentist and ex-member of a Baptist church community in Northern Ireland’s Coleraine. Howell is currently serving a life sentence for double murder, plus five and a half years for multiple accounts of sexual assault on anaesthetised female patients. The Secret’s generic title belies his singular story, one of unshakable belief in the self, and in a God-given permission to kill.

Let This Be Our Secret

Set between 1991 and 2011, The Secret – a title shortened from that of Deric Henderson’s ‘Let This Be...

Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of Banijay, has licensed eight-part historical drama “Marie Antoinette” to BBC First in Australia.

Created and written by Deborah Davis (“The Favourite”), “Marie Antoinette” tells the story of the incredibly modern and avant-garde young queen, played by Emilia Schüle (“Ku’damm 56/ 63”). It was previously licensed to U.K. public broadcaster BBC2.

Marie Antoinette was barely 14 years old when she left Austria to marry the Dauphin of France. Growing from a stubborn young princess navigating the rules of the French court under pressure to continue the Bourbon line, to a true fashion icon, she impressed with her charisma, and recreated life in Versailles in her image: free, independent and feminist. Even with rumours undermining her reputation, the notorious figure was able to defeat her enemies at the Versailles court with courage and dignity.

The show was co-written by Louise Ironside (“The Split”), Avril E. Russell...

AMC Networks is keeping a string of beloved series around.

Kin, Bloodlands, My Life Is Murder, Creepshow, and Slasher have all been picked up for additional seasons.

Kin Season 1 featured an all-star cast when it bowed in the fall, taking viewers to Dublin, Ireland, for a fast-paced drama.

When one of their own is brutally murdered, the Kinsellas step out to get revenge on those who wronged them.

The cast includes Charlie Cox, Aidan Gillen, Emmett J. Scanlan, and Clare Dunne.

The series was a TV Fanatic favorite from the very first scene, so we're excited to see how this plays out.

Slasher, which features a new setting and storyline every season, has locked in Eric McCormack as its new lead.

Slasher: Ripper, set to begin production this spring, takes the Slasher franchise back in time to the late 19 th century -- there’s a killer stalking the mean streets,...

It's a great day to be a monster kid or a true crime fanatic because AMC Networks has announced that five of their original series have been given the go ahead for additional seasons. "Kin" season 2, "Bloodlands" season 3, "My Life Is Murder" season 3, "Creepshow" season 4, and "Slasher" season 5 will all be coming across the AMC Networks streaming services including AMC+ and Shudder. While not much is known about what the plots of "Kin," "Bloodlands," and "My Life Is Murder" will entail, AMC Networks graciously provided an update on their horror fare, "Slasher" and "Creepshow."

The fifth season of the horror...

The post Creepshow, Bloodlands, Slasher, and Kin Have All Been Renewed appeared first on /Film.

AMC Networks has unveiled a slew of renewals across its streaming services.

Kin, Bloodlands, My Life Is Murder, Creepshow and Slasher have all been picked up for additional seasons.

Slasher, which airs on Shudder, has also set Will & Grace’s Eric McCormack as lead on its latest installment, Slasher: Ripper.

The series, which has been renewed for its fifth season, is heading back in time to the late 19th century — there’s a killer stalking the mean streets, but instead of targeting the poor and downtrodden like Jack the Ripper, The Widow is meting out justice against the rich and powerful. The only person standing in the way of this killer is the newly promoted detective, Kenneth Rijkers, whose ironclad belief in justice may wind up being yet another victim.

McCormack will play Basil Garvey, a charismatic tycoon whose success is only rivaled by his ruthlessness, as he oversees...

AMC Networks announced renewals for six series across multiple platforms: “Kin,” “Bloodlands,” “My Life is Murder,” “London Kills,” “Creepshow” and the “Slasher” franchise. The new “Slasher” installment is entitled “Slasher: Ripper” and will star Eric McCormack as ruthless tycoon Basil Garvey. The announcements were made at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour.

“Kin,” the Irish gang drama streaming on AMC Plus, is returning for its second season. The series centers the Kinsellas, a crime family that wars with and ultimately kills powerful drug kingpin Eamon Cunningham (Ciarán Hinds). Season 2 will begin production this summer and follow the Kinsellas as they become the top dogs in Dublin but must deal with the consequences of Cunningham’s death. Charlie Cox, Clare Dunne and Aidan Gillen star. “Kin” is produced by Bron Studios and Headline Pictures. Peter McKenna serves as showrunner, executive producer, writer and creator.

Irish crime thriller “Bloodlands” has...

Fremantle has sold out most major territories worldwide on the Martin Freeman-led BBC One smash hit “The Responder,” consolidating the acclaimed crime drama’s contention, even at this early stage, to become one of Europe’s top series of 2022.

Banner deals take in France (Canal Plus), Italy (Disney Plus), Germany’s (Magenta TV). Spain (Movistar Plus) and Russia & Cis (Viasat), all leading pay/SVOD operators.

The sales come as Fremantle, thanks to “The Responder,” “Cross Fire,” “Suspect” and “This Sceptred Isle” looks set to see an unprecedented four U.K. premium dramas finishing production in 2022. Led by “Fellow Travelers,” its English-language sales lineup for 2023 looks equally bullish.

In all, in 2022 Fremantle’s U.K. drama output will more than double compared to the previous year, said Jens Richter, at Fremantle’s global sales arm, Fremantle International, which he oversees as CEO.

That, however, is part of larger global surge.

Theater

British Singer and TV personality Peter Andre (“I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” “Strictly Come Dancing”) will make his West End debut as Vince Fontaine in an upcoming production of Jim Jacobs and Waren Casey’s stage musical “Grease,” playing at the Dominion Theatre starting May 17, with previews from May 3.

Directed by Nikolai Foster and choreographed by Arlene Phillips, the show returns to the West End for the first time since playing at the Piccadilly Theater in 2007. Key casting includes Dan Partridge (“Hairspray”) and OIivia Moore (“Waitress”) as Danny and Sandy, with Jocasta Almgill (“Romeo & Juliet”) as Rizzo and Paul French (“Greese” U.K. Tour) as Kenickie.

“I’m beyond excited to be making my West End debut playing Vince Fontaine in ‘Grease’ at the beautiful Dominion Theatre,” said Andre. “’Grease’ is such an iconic musical and we can guarantee audiences will have the most...

Welcome to Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we shine a spotlight on key executives and companies outside of the U.S. shaking up the offshore marketplace. This week, we present Simon Heath, World Productions CEO and exec producer of Line of Duty, the biggest UK TV drama of the decade.

Line of Duty, Vigil and The Pembrokeshire Murders. The three most-watched dramas in the UK last year were all united by one common denominator: World Productions.

By World’s own standards, the ITV Studios-backed drama powerhouse had a phenomenal year during what was a difficult 12 months for the industry, with Covid never far from the mind and a highly-publicized skills crisis making TV production trickier than ever.

“You couldn’t really ask for more than having the biggest shows on BBC1 and ITV,” Heath tells Deadline during a rare in-person interview at his Central London offices, although...

Exclusive: Anne Boleyn, the British drama series starring Jodie Turner-Smith in the titular role, is heading to AMC+.

The streaming service has picked up the U.S. rights to the series, which was originally commissioned by ViacomCBS-owned UK broadcaster Channel 5 and co-financed by Sony Pictures Television.

The convention-defying three-part drama will launch in the U.S. on December 9 and will be rolled out weekly.

It examines the downfall of Boleyn through the prism of a psychological thriller rather than a stuffy period drama retreading the demise of King Henry VIII’s second wife.

Penned by newcomer Eve Hedderwick Turner, the drama shines a feminist light on the final months of Boleyn’s life, re-imagining her struggle with Tudor England’s patriarchal society, her desire to secure a future for her daughter, Elizabeth, and the brutal reality of her failure to provide Henry with a male heir.

Turner-Smith, who starred in Queen & Slim,...

Bodyguard creator Jed Mercurio and his Htm Television partner, Episodes and Flack producer Jimmy Mulville, have struck a first-look deal with 20th Television.

It comes as the pair, who produce series such as BBC drama Bloodlands and ITV drama Trigger Point via Htm, are looking to expand into the U.S.

Deadline revealed in September that Htm was also producing crime drama Di Ray starring ER’s Parminder Nagra and written by Line of Duty’s Maya Sondhi, for ITV.

It marks a return to the U.S. for Mercurio, who had previously written a number of U.S. pilots that never made it. He told Deadline in 2019 that he was looking to the States for projects after he had got his cop thriller Line of Duty running smoothly on BBC One.

He said that he’d written a number of pilots between medical drama Bodies, which was the first collaboration between the pair,...

Jed Mercurio and Jimmy Mulville’s Htm Television has signed a multi-year first-look deal with 20th Television.

Mercurio’s latest series, “Bodyguard” and “Line of Duty,” have both broke ratings records for UK television drama. His other credits include “Bodies,” “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” “Critical,” “Strike Back,” “The Grimleys,” and “Cardiac Arrest.” Mulville is known for his work on shows like “Whose Line is it Anyway?” “Episodes” starring Matt LeBlanc, “Flack” starring Anna Paquin, “Kate & Koji” starring Brenda Blethyn and Jimmy Akingbola, and the hit Channel 4 comedy “Derry Girls.”

“We are huge fans of Jed and Jimmy’s work at this studio, from Jed’s “Line of Duty” and “Bodyguard” to Jimmy’s “Episodes” and “Whose Line…?,” so we jumped at the chance to be in business with their prolific Htm Television,” said Karey Burke, president of 20th TV. “These guys are artists at the top of their games...

Mary Berry BBC Series

Great British Bake Off alum and Britain’s Best Home Cook judge Mary Berry is reteaming with BBC One for Mary Berry’s Fantastic Feasts. The three-part series, which will also air on iPlayer, sees Berry help novice cooks who want to surprise a loved one with a great meal, teaching them a selection of achievable, impressive dishes. On the day of the special event, Berry and two celebrity helpers will be on hand to assist. Mary Berry’s Fantastic Feasts is produced by Rumpus Media. Emily Hudd and Kelly Sparks are executive producers. Applications for aspiring cooks are open and an air date has yet to be set.

Viacom Buys Chilean TV Network

ViacomCBS Networks International has closed previously announced acquisition of Chilevisión from WarnerMedia. The acquisition includes Chilevisión’s free-to-air television network, which is Chile...

U.K. broadcaster BBC Two has pre-bought historical drama “Marie Antoinette,” created and written by Deborah Davis (“The Favourite”).

The eight-part series tells the story of the modern and avant-garde young queen, played by Emilia Schüle (“Ku’damm 63”), who was barely 14 years old when she left Austria to marry the Dauphin of France. Growing from a stubborn young princess navigating the rules of the French court under pressure to continue the Bourbon line, to a fashion icon, she fought rumors undermining her reputation.

Produced by Banijay Studios France, Capa Drama and Les Gens, the acquisition marks the first international deal for the Canal Plus original. The deal was negotiated by Chris Stewart, senior VP of sales for the U.K. and Ireland at Banijay Rights.

Writers on the drama also include Louise Ironside (“The Split”), Avril E. Russell (“All on a Summer’s Day”) and Chloë Moss (“Run Sister Run...

U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 has commissioned “Suspect” (working title), an adaptation of Christoffer Boe’s hit Danish series “Forhøret.”

The 8 x 30’ drama stars James Nesbitt (“Bloodlands”), Joely Richardson (“The Tudors”), Anne-Marie Duff (“Sex Education”), Richard E. Grant (“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”), Ben Miller (“Bridgerton”), Niamh Algar (“Deceit”), Antonia Thomas (“Small Axe”), Sacha Dhawan (“Doctor Who”), Sam Heughan (“Outlander”) and Imogen King (“Clique”).

The series will follow veteran detective Danny Frater as he investigates the unnatural death of his daughter and sets out on a mission for the truth, retracing her last days and hours, in an agonising crusade to discover what really happened to his only child.

“I could relate to Danny, with his flaws, vulnerabilities and the devastating situation he faces, from the very first moment I picked up the script,” Nesbitt said. “Each episode of ‘Suspect’ is an intensely theatrical double-hander, a psychological battle of...

Exclusive: ITV has ordered a new crime drama series starring ER’s Parminder Nagra from Line of Duty pair Maya Sondhi and Jed Mercurio.

The British broadcaster has commissioned Di Ray, a Birmingham-set, four-part series that is centered around Rachita Ray, a police officer who takes on a case that forces her to confront a lifelong personal conflict between her British identity and her South Asian heritage.

The series will track a murder investigation whilst exploring the emotive subject of racism in the workplace. It asks difficult questions about what it’s like to be British but feel ‘other, while taking viewers through the murky underworld of Birmingham.

Nagra, who starred on the ABC medical drama between 2003 and 2009 and has also appeared on The Blacklist and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., will play Ray.

Ray achieves the promotion she’s been waiting for when she’s asked to join a homicide investigation.

Filming has begun on “Marie Antoinette,” a new, eight-part drama for Canal Plus Creation Originale.

The story of the incredibly modern young queen was created and written by Deborah Davis (“The Favourite”), who worked alongside co-writers Louise Ironside (“The Split”), Avril E. Russell (“All on a Summer’s Day”) and Chloë Moss (“Run Sister Run”). It is directed by Pete Travis (“Bloodlands”) and Geoffrey Enthoven (“Children of Love”).

Russia-born German actress Emilia Schüle (“Ku’damm 56”) will star as the titular monarch.

The series is produced by Alban Étienne and Stéphanie Chartreux of Banijay Studios France, Claude Chelli and Aude Albano of Capa Drama, and Christophe Toulemonde at Les Gens. It is distributed globally by Banijay Rights.

Filming will take place in evocative historical places, including the Palace of Versailles, Vaux-le-Vicomte, Lésigny, Champs, Voisins and Bry-sur-Marne.

“We are ready to enchant viewers with stunning scenery from beautiful locations across France and illustrate this audacious,...

Filming is underway on Marie Antoinette, an eight-part drama created and written by Deborah Davis (The Favourite).

The show will tell the story of the famed queen, who was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. Emilia Schüle is in the lead role of Antoinette. Also starring is Jack Archer in a lead role, with other cast including James Purefoy, Louis Cunningham, Jasmine Blackborow, Gaia Weiss, Marthe Keller and Crystal Sheperd.

Additional writers are Louise Ironside (The Split), Avril E. Russell (All on a Summer’s Day) and Chloë Moss (Run Sister Run). The series is directed by Pete Travis (Bloodlands) and Geoffrey Enthoven (Children of Love).

Producers are Claude Chelli and Aude Albano for Capa Drama, Alban Étienne and Stéphanie Chartreux for Banijay Studios France, and Christophe Toulemonde for Les Gens. The eight-part series will be distributed globally by Banijay Rights.

Filming will take place in historical...

Production

BBC Studios Germany has secured its first commission since launching in the territory this year — a local adaptation of British sitcom “Miranda” — and is co-producing the eight-part series for Zdf Neo with Studio Zentral.

“Miranda,” a BBC production written by and starring Miranda Hart, will be adapted for a German audience with the working title “Ruby” and will be directed by Natascha Beller. The screenplay is being adapted by Giulia Becker (“Kroymann”) and Anika Soisson (“Findher”) and Anna Böger (“Tatort”) plays the lead role of Ruby. Filming is currently taking place in Cologne.

The show sees Ruby facing the challenges of everyday life in a slightly clumsy way. The cast also includes Irene Rindje and Camill Jammal.

“Miranda” was previously adapted for the U.S. as “Call me Kat,” starring Mayim Bialik (“The Big Bang Theory”), by Fox Television, where it has been renewed for a second season.

BBC...

Among the detective dramas and high-stakes thrillers due to arrive on British television in the next year or so, there are a clutch of sci-fi, supernatural and horror shows also coming our way. April saw the release of Sky One original Intergalactic – the story of a wrongly imprisoned galactic pilot who breaks out of space jail with a gang of other high-security female prisoners – and Netflix has ordered fantasy novel adaptations Half Bad, Cuckoo Song, Lockwood & Co. and The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – respectively, tales of witches, supernatural pacts, ghost-hunters, and a woman who jumps between bodies in her quest to solve a murder mystery. Coming to terrestrial TV, there’s Life After Life and The Three, stories about living multiple versions of the same life, and the miraculous child survivors of a mysterious plane crash.

On top of that, there’s plenty of true crime, thrillers, a new...

Warning: contains spoilers for the Line of Duty series six finale.

“The genuine answer is we don’t know,” Line of Duty actor Martin Compston told the Shrine of Duty podcast last week about whether or not the BBC One crime drama will return. “But that’s nothing different for us. Jed always takes his time.” As reported by Radio Times, Compston explained, “After a series, [creator Jed Mercurio] always takes a couple of months… I think he likes to take the emotion out of it and sit down and look at all that.”

To judge by series six’s mammoth audience numbers, a seventh series would seem like a no-brainer, and yet there’s still no commission announcement.

In previous years, the BBC commissioned two Line of Duty series at a time. After the hit second run featuring Keeley Hawes as Lindsay Denton, a third and fourth series were ordered.

The BBC’s streaming service, iPlayer, enjoyed a record start to the year after series including Netflix co-production The Serpent and Line of Duty propelled it to 1.7 billion streams in the first three months of 2021.

Viewing to iPlayer was up 22% year-on-year in Q1 as Brits flocked to the streaming service during lockdown in the UK. Furthermore, the BBC said January was a record month, with iPlayer recording 652 million streams.

The first episode of Mammoth Screen-produced The Serpent was iPlayer’s most-watched show in Q1 after it racked up 5.9M streams. It was followed by the first installment in Season 6 of police corruption drama Line of Duty, which was viewed 3.6M times.

Dan McGolpin, director of BBC iPlayer and channels, said: “BBC iPlayer is getting more viewing than ever in 2021 thanks to new must-watch series like The Serpent and Bloodlands, returning big hitters like Line of Duty and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK...

Warning: contains spoilers for Line of Duty series 6 episode 5

The pause button really came into its own in this week’s Line of Duty instalment, which was even more packed than usual with references to the past. It saw the return of Patrick Fairbank, and the new arrival of a potential ‘H’ candidate played by Jimmy Nesbitt, plus a cliffhanger that threatened the end of Di Kate Fleming (see below for more on that). On top of all that, it turned out that Jo Davidson being related to Tommy Hunter wasn’t the worst of her DNA revelations; her family history is a sad one indeed. After reading our weekly episode review, dig in to the theories and questions below.

What do “runs of homozygosity” mean for Jo Davidson’s DNA?

That she’s a product of incest. The forensic results show that Jo inherited the same DNA sequence for...