The Honourable Woman


AMC in league with BBC’s McMafia

US cable channel AMC has joined BBC One on an organised crime drama series. The latest collaboration between the networks is on drama McMafia and comes after AMC closed a coproduction agreement with BBC Worldwide North America. AMC, the BBC and Cuba Pictures (Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell) are coproducing the drama in association with […]

Vesper scoots to FremantleMedia drama team

FremantleMedia has hired former SundanceTV drama chief Christian Vesper as executive VP, creative director of global drama. Vesper left AMC Networks-owned SundanceTV earlier this year, but will now work within FremantleMedia’s drama unit, reporting to director of global drama Sarah Doole. He will be based in London and New York, working closely with FremantleMedia’s production […]

South African SVOD service buys BBCWW shows

South African subscription on-demand platform MTN FrontRow has acquired BBC Worldwide shows Sherlock and Planet Earth through a deal with rights broker Vubiquity. The deal also includes crime drama Luther, period drama Call the Midwife, documentary series Africa and children’s shows such as Charlie and Lola. Orphan Black, Ripper Street, Happy Valley, Top of the […]

Turner takes Honourable Woman to Lat Am

Turner Broadcasting Latin America has acquired BBC political-thriller drama The Honourable Woman from BBC Worldwide. The Maggie Gyllenhaal vehicle will debut on Turner-owned TNT Series in the 33 million homes throughout the region on August 22. The eight-part series stars Gyllenhaal (Secretary) as a woman campaigning for Middle Eastern peace who is caught up in […]

Forde upped as Tranter exits BBC Worldwide Prods

Matt Forde (below) has been promoted at BBC Worldwide North America after the company confirmed the departure of UK-bound Jane Tranter. Julie Gardner is also leaving BBCWW North America’s BBCWW Productions and subsidiary Adjacent Productions to work with Tranter (below right) on a new independent production company. As a result of the departures, executive VP, […]

Sony strikes BBC drama deal for Germany

Sony has acquired a package of drama from BBC Worldwide for its German entertainment channel. The dramas, which will be getting their pay TV premiere in Germany, will go out on the Sony Entertainment Television channel. The package includes Maggie Gyllenhaal political miniseries The Honourable Woman. Period drama Upstairs Downstairs, crime series Father Brown and […]

BBC finds Stephenson drama replacement

Polly Hill has been appointed controller of drama commissioning at the BBC, replacing the outgoing Ben Stephenson at the UK pubcaster. Hill has been head of independent drama since 2011, ordering series including The Missing, The Honourable Woman, Death in Paradise and Poldark. She said: “Under Ben Stephenson’s leadership BBC Drama has thrived, it’s in […]

BBC drama boss exits for J.J. Abrams prodco

The BBC’s drama chief, Ben Stephenson, is leaving the UK public broadcaster and relocating to LA. He will join J.J. Abrams’ production company, Bad Robot Productions, as head of television. Stephenson has been controller of drama commissioning at the BBC since 2008, during which time he has greenlit shows such as Sherlock, Wolf Hall, Luther […]

Sundance Global buys raft of premium drama

AMC Networks has acquired several premium drama series for its Sundance Channel Global channel. It has picked up political thriller The Honourable Woman (pictured) and season two of thriller The Red Road, both of which air on SundanceTV in the US. The former has been acquired from BBC Worldwide and will premiere on Sundance in […]

BBC Worldwide notches sales as Showcase opens

BBC Worldwide has announced a raft of sales as its Showcase event gets underway in Liverpool, England. The commercial arm of the UK pubcaster flagged 700 hours of drama sales. Broadcasters in Western Europe accounted for 121 hours of the total with sales highlights including German pubcasterWDR buying a drama package including The Game, Happy […]