Show of the week: Locked Up

Locked Up, a woman’s prison survival thriller sold at NATPE Europe by Spanish media conglom Atresmedia, represents one of the most ground-breaking Spanish TV fiction bets in recent times.

A high-profile series toplined by Maggie Civantos (Rubita), Locked Up follows a young woman jailed for tax fraud. She soon realises some fellow convicts are prepared to kill other inmates to get their hands on loot from a van heist. In mortal danger, she is forced to use her wits to survive.

Broadcast by Atresmedia’s flagship channel, Antena 3, from April, the series had averaged a huge 20.4% audience share and 3.8 million viewers after seven episodes, having garnered upbeat reviews from Spanish TV critics.

Given its successful performance, Atresmedia has already renewed Locked Up for a second season.

The drama is produced for Atresmedia by top Spanish fiction house Globomedia. The partners’ long-term relationship has yielded a large list of international TV sales hits including mystery-adventure series El Barco, whose TV adaptation rights were licensed to Warner Bros. and The CW in the US.

“Locked Up caught the Spanish audience from the first moment,” says Atresmedia sales manager Diana Borbón. “It is a thriller in a women’s prison where all the characters have a past and maintain a constant struggle to survive. The narrative is complemented by a visual richness provided by series’
excellent production and photography.”

Atresmedia attended NATPE Europe for the first time ever last year. “This year we aim to surpass the good results of the past edition,” says Borbón. “NATPE Europe opens the doors to new territories for us, and we want to consolidate our presence and continue to lure new customers,” she says.

According to Borbón, “Spanish fiction has become a benchmark in the European TV market. Our series are a guarantee of quality in terms of script and production, and buyers know they will find a profitable and successful product”.

Locked Up’s foreign sales are shared by Atresmedia with Globomedia’s sister company, Imagina International Sales.

THE SHOW: Locked Up
THE PRODUCERS: Atresmedia, Globomedia
THE DISTRIBUTORS: Atresmedia, Imagina International Sales
THE BROADCASTER: Antena 3 (Spain)
THE CONCEPT: A 13-segment woman’s prison survival TV drama-thriller