France’s Orange acquires WB’s Rockville, CA

French pay TV platform Orange has acquired hit teen web series Rockville, CA, created by Gossip Girl and The OC’s Josh Schwartz, for its online video service Video Party.

The France Telecom-owned operator is to air the 20x5mins digital series in English with subtitles as well as a dubbed French version.

The deal, which was inked with distributor Warner Bros International Television Distribution, marks a significant step in the international distribution of programming produced for the Internet.

The series, which is produced by Schwartz, the man behind sci fi comedy Chuck as well as Gossip Girl and The OC, and Alexandra Patsavas, the musical director of Gossip Girl, Grey’s Anatomy and Twilight, follows a group of hipsters who spend their lives at Rockville, the leading music club in Los Angeles. The drama follows the love lives and professional lives of this group as well as a live performance from a hit band. Bands in the show include Kaiser Chiefs, Passion Pit and The Eagles of Death Metal.

The show initially launched earlier this year on TheWB.com.