Luther


Luther scribe gets BBC commission for Euston

Luther creator Neil Cross is making Hard Sun, a new series for BBC One and the first order for FremantleMedia prodco Euston. Euston is the drama prodco brand that FremantleMedia reinstated last year, bringing BBC drama boss Kate Harwood in to run the business. Hard Sun is billed as a pre-apocalyptic drama. Set in contemporary […]

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 […]

BBCWW bags US Office scripts, Luther deal

BBC Worldwide has acquired scripts to the US version of BBC comedy The Office, and sold police drama Luther into Georgia as a format. BBCWW’s parent the BBC and comic Ricky Gervais launched The Office in 2001 before NBC remade it in the States with great success. The US series (pictured left) went for nine […]

Idris Elba heading to Cannes with Content

TV and film star Idris Elba is heading to MIPTV to promote Mandela, My Dad and Me, his personal journey doc. The doc is being sold internationally by Content Media, which will host a reception for buyers with Elba and the production team. No broadcaster is attached to Mandela, My Dad and Me yet, which […]

Endemol Shine sets up drama prodco

Endemol Shine Group has set up a new drama prodco with Phillippa Giles, the BBC producer who counts Luther and Silent Witness among her credits. Bandit Television will be part of Endemol Shine UK and will make British drama that ESG’s Endemol Shine Interntional will distribute. Giles is a 25-year BBC veteran and won a […]

Idris Elba preps Mandela, My Dad and Me doc

Idris Elba is making Mandela, My Dad and Me, a one-off doc about his life and preparation for playing Nelson Mandela in the hit movie Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. Elba’s prodco Green Door Pictures, UK indie Woodcut Media and Shine regional division Shine North are making the 1x60mins film. Content financier Bob & Co. are part-financing […]

Worldwide strikes worldwide SVOD deals

BBC Worldwide has struck a raft of deals with digital platforms around the world, shopping 2,300 hours of its content to buyers including Tencent in China, Amazon in Germany and fledgling Israeli SVOD service from telco Cellcom. Cellcom has acquired a drama package including Sherlock, Orphan Black and Luther (pictured). Amazon has also picked up […]

BBC Taster gets Idris Elba interactive doc

The BBC has commissioned Story of Now, an interactive doc presented by Idris Elba (Luther, The Wire) for its new digital hub, BBC Taster. The 20-part series will be produced by UK indie TouchCast. Each five-minute instalment will explore a question abut the human condition, including those pertaining to religion, art, morality and consciousness. The show […]

Netflix and BBC discuss US content deal

Some library shows from BBC Worldwide could leave Netflix with several titles up for renewal. US reports this week have said Netflix will drop all BBC shows at the end of the month, meaning titles including Doctor Who, Luther and Top Gear will come off the US service. US fans of several of the BBC shows […]

Fox preps US versions of Luther, Austrian drama

Fox is piloting US versions of hit Austrian comedy Braunschlag and hit UK cop drama Luther. In both cases the pilots have penalties attached if they are not taken to series. US prodco Intrigue picked up the US rights to Braunschlag at MIPCOM and will produce the Fox pilot alongside 20th Television. Austrian pubcaster ORF […]