Ten launches line up of US series

Australian commercial broadcaster Ten Network has unveiled its pick of forthcoming US series that it will broadcast and is betting big on comedy.

The network shares the 20th Century Fox Television Distribution output programming deal with pay TV broadcaster Foxtel and has the first two picks of the shows that it saw at May’s LA Screenings.

Ten will air Mixed Signals, the Kris Marshall-fronted sitcom based on an Israeli format and written by Wedding Crashers’ Bob Fisher, and Raising Hope, the comedy starring Martha Plimpton and produced by My Name Is Earl’s Greg Garcia. It hopes to replicate the success of last year’s comedies Modern Family and Glee.

Meanwhile, News Corp-backed pay broadcaster Foxtel has acquired Shawn Ryan’s midseason cop drama Ride-Along, oil drama Lonestar, summer police procedural The Gates and cable drama The Glades.

Ten’s deal with CBS Studios International will also see it air dramas Blue Bloods, The Defenders and Hawaii Five-O.

Ten’s rivals Seven and Nine have yet to announce their line ups of US programming; Seven has an output deal with Disney Media Networks and NBC Universal International Television Distribution, while Nine has a deal with Warner Bros International Television Distribution and Sony Pictures Television.