London TV Screenings deals round-up (AM)

The Boy That never Was

Abacus sells crime, pushes RTÉ drama

Abacus Media Rights has sold Catch Me A Killer to BritBox North America, SBS Australia, UKTV’s Alibi channel, BBC First in Benelux and Poland, AXN’s Mystery Channel/NHK Enterprises (NEP) in Japan, and Cosmote TV Greece.

AMR has also sold crime drama Scrublands to the BBC in the UK and Ireland, RTE Ireland, Warner Bros Discovery New Zealand, and Cosmote TV Greece.

The UK-based distributor is screening shows including The Boy That Never Was in London this week, with the four-hour drama series based on the best-selling novel by Karen Perry. It has been commissioned by RTÉ and been sold to UKTV for their Alibi channel and France Télévisions.

Keshet extends A Body That Works

Keshet Broadcasting has ordered a second season of Israelis drama A Body That Works (aka Goof Shlishi) from Kuma Studios.

The show airs on Keshet 12 and follows a childless couple who enlist the help of a surrogate. It has recently been sold by Keshet International in 92 territories across Europe, Latin America, the US, Canada, and Australia to date.

Movistar Plus+, Arte buy BBCS music shows

Two BBC Studios Specialist Factual Productions shows about music have snagged a raft of deals.

Disco: Soundtrack Of A Revolution has sold to Belgium (VRT), Canada (CHCH-TV), Czech Republic (Czech TV), Denmark (DR), Finland (YLE), France (Arte), Germany (WDR/Arte), Netherlands (Zwart), Portugal (RTP), Spain (Movistar Plus+), Sweden (SVT) and BBC Player (India).

Fight The Power: How Hip-Hop Changed The World has sold to Australia (SBS), Belgium (VRT), Finland (YLE), France and Germany (Arte), Iceland (RUV), Netherlands (Zwart), Norway (NRK), Portugal (RTP), Spain (Movistar Plus+) and on the BBC Nordic channel.

Asian buyers land Fremantle series

Fremantle has sold Shark With Steve Backshall to Bilibili in China, PCCW’s Now TV in Hong Kong, KBS in South Korea and Mediacorp in Singapore.

Whale With Steve Backshall has also been picked up by Bilibili and BBC Earth in Asia, the latter also taking Croc Watch With Steve Backshall and Hippo Watch With Steve Backshall. Malaysia’s RTM (through Nafalia Corporation) has bought Expedition With Steve Backshall In Asia, alongside BBC, Discovery, RTHK, Mediacorp and Thai PBS.

Fremantle has also sold drama Alice & Jack to the BBC across Asia, and on Bilibili for Greater China, while Sullivan’s Crossing is set to premiere across Asia on Rewind Networks’ Hits Now pan-regionally, PCCW’s ViuTVsix in Hong Kong, and Mediacorp’s Channel 5 in Singapore.

Bossanova unveils factual trio

Paul Heaney’s BossaNova Media has unveiled its three London TV Screenings priorities, including two new titles: The World’s Biggest Cruise Ship and Museum Mysteries.

The deals have emerged from its latest indie partnerships with Afanti Media in Wales (for The World’s Biggest Cruise Ship) and Zona Mixta in Spain (for Museum Mysteries).

It is also showcasing The Infinite Deep: Stories of Lost Submarines, the latest project from AMS Pictures, the US indie that produced last year’s Development Day-generated Siegfried And Roy: The Original Tiger Kings.

DCD sells My Life Is Murder

UK-based distributor DCD Rights has pre-sold the fourth season of murder mystery drama My Life Is Murder to YLE in Finland, TV2 in Denmark, Quebecor Content in Canada, Yes-DBS in Israel, ProFour Media Distribution for Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia, and NBCUniversal International Networks & Direct-To-Consumer for Universal TV in Africa, 13ÈME RUE in France and CALLE 13 Spain.

The show’s first season has also recently been acquired by AXN Mystery Channel Japan.