Downton Abbey


Buyers briefing: Jon Farrar, BBC Worldwide

Name: Jon Farrar Title: Senior VP, global programming and acquisitions Jon Farrar oversees the programming and acquisitions strategy for BBC Worldwide’s new channel brands, BBC Brit, BBC Earth and BBC First. The executive has had two spells with the BBC’s commercial arm, and has also worked in programming at Viacom and NBCUniversal. Here he outlines […]

Masterpiece deal gives Amazon UK drama

The extension of a deal with US broadcaster PBS has given Amazon US rights to a swathe of UK drama including Wolf Hall and Poldark. Amazon already has UK series from the Masterpiece strand including Downton Abbey and Mr Selfridge. The new, extended, deal gives Amazon Prime Instant Video subs the aforementioned BBC period series […]

Amazon deal monitor: Prime’s time

Amazon’s initial slate of originals was mostly well received, but failed to set the TV world alight. Then along came Jeffrey Tambur cross-dressing drama Transparent, which not only garnered masses of column inches, but also bagged awards and critical acclaim. Some commentators described as “Amazon’s House of Cards moment”. SVOD service Amazon Prime Instant Video […]

Downton’s Fellowes pens new ITV drama

Downton Abbey writer Julian Fellowes is creating another period drama for UK broadcaster ITV. With ITV hit Downton ending after its sixth season, Fellows is turning his attentions to an adaptation of Doctor Thorne, the Anthony Trollope melodramatic novel about a doctor and his talented but penniless niece. Hat Trick Productions will produce the three-part […]

Downton prodco, Stan Lee making Sky drama

UK pay TV operator Sky has commissioned Lucky Man, a ten-part supernatural cop drama from comic book writer Stan Lee and the producer of Downton Abbey. The series stars James Nesbitt (The Missing) as a down on his luck Murder Squad detective who is given a charm that confers upon the wearer the ability to […]

Ex-HBO Nordic drama chief returns to SVT

Göran Danasten has resurfaced at SVT, taking a new programming role at the Swedish public broadcaster, TBI has learned. Danasten is well-known in international TV circles, having previously run the drama acquisitions department at SVT for several years, picking up numerous big ticket drama series including Downton Abbey and Mr Selfridge. He left the broadcaster […]

ITV’s Downton Abbey shutting down

UK broadcaster ITV is to end its cash-spinning period drama Downton Abbey after its sixth season. The Julian Fellowes-penned show has been a boon for ITV, America’s PBS and producer Carnival Films, which jointly made the announcement yesterday, and is the most-watched UK drama of the past decade. Soapy Downton follows the lives of an […]

Small Town America: don’t ignore local TV

British drama is currently the toast of Los Angeles and New York, with shows like The Missing from the BBC and Starz and ITV’s Grantchester launching recently to great critical acclaim, following on from the success of Broadchurch. The major cable channels backing of original UK drama is big news – whether it’s in the […]

Carnival poaches ABC drama exec

Downton Abbey prodco Carnival Films has poached a development executive from US broadcast network ABC. Alex Sapot is relocating from ABC’s LA office to London to become a development producer at the NBCUniversal International Television Production-owned Carnival. At ABC, she was executive director of drama development, working on shows such as How to Get Away […]

Last word: Matthieu Viala, Makever

Matthieu Viala, CEO of French drama producer Makever, on why changes to viewing habits means investment in talent, research and development is more important than ever in TV. Writing is the heart of our industry and continues to be the cornerstone of the TV world, despite the rapid and profound changes occurring. These changes, however, […]