Advanced Television

Paramount+ reveals first UK drama commissions

February 16, 2022

Paramount+ has revealed the first UK drama series commissioned for the global streaming service, which is set to launch in the UK this summer.

The announcement follows plans outlined last year by Ben Frow, Chief Content Officer at ViacomCBS UK, to feature premium local drama and documentary content from the UK alongside an expansive catalogue of hit shows and movies from ViacomCBS’s brands and studios.

The first UK titles are part of a wider slate of six international scripted original series set to premiere on Paramount+, as part of the global streaming service’s wider strategy to greenlight 50 new international scripted series in 2022. Nearly all of these international titles will be developed and produced for Paramount+ by VIS, ViacomCBS’ international studio, which has a vast production footprint spanning more than 20 countries and 15 languages.

The UK-commissioned series announced as part of the international scripted slate are: 

  • A Gentleman in Moscow: Based on the best-selling novel by Amor Towles, this drama series tells the story of Count Rostov who, in 1922, finds himself stuck in Moscow and on the wrong side of history. The Communist Party agrees to let him live but he is never allowed to set foot outside the Metropole Hotel until the day he dies.

The series was commissioned by Sebastian Cardwell, Deputy Content Officer, ViacomCBS UK, and co-produced by VIS and eOne. 

  • Sexy Beast: The prequel series, based on the hit cult classic film of the same name, begins with Gal Dove and Don Logan just as they descend into the seductive madness of the London criminal world during the vibrant and volatile 1990s. At its core, it is a love story between two men — à la Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  Sexy Beast is co-produced by VIS and Chapter One, with Michael Caleo (The Sopranos) as showrunner.  

Ben Frow, Chief Content Officer, ViacomCBS UK, said: “These titles give a flavour of the high-quality local content we are lining up for Paramount+ and we look forward to sharing details of more series from UK indies in the coming weeks. We still want to hear the best ideas out there as we plan towards the UK launch of Paramount+ and beyond.”

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