BBC acquires Fremantle dramas
July 21, 2022
The BBC has acquired two non-English language drama series – Senorita 89 and KaDeWe – Our Time is Now from Fremantle, with both set to air later this year.
Created and directed by the award-winning showrunner Lucia Puenzo, scandalous thriller Senorita 89 delves behind the curtain of Latin America’s beauty pageant culture in the 1980s, where hidden amongst the laughter, lights and glitter lurks a dark and disturbing world. The series follows budding beauty queens from all over Mexico as they gather at an imposing ranch deep in the forest, where they must stay for three months in a bid to be crowned the next ‘Miss Mexico’.
German-language series KaDeWe – Our Time is Now, is a created by renowned filmmaker Julia von Heinz and based on Berlin’s Kaufhaus des Westens (‘department store of the West’), which has been a landmark destination for high-end shoppers for over a hundred years. Produced by Constantin Television (We Children from Bahnhof Zoo) and UFA Fiction (Deutschland83/86/89), the drama follows four progressive and ambitious young friends Hedi, Fritzi, Harry and Georg as they go in search of self-fulfilment in the 1920s – a time of upheaval, reinvention, dog-eat-dog survival and liberating new opportunities for women.
“It is always special to partner with the BBC when bringing world class, premium drama to UK audiences,” said Jamie Lynn, EVP Co-Production and Distribution, EMEA, International, Fremantle. “BBC have always been both trailblazers and tastemakers when selecting the very best of what the international drama word has to offer and these two exceptional, filmic series are case in point. Despite being set in two very different times in history, Senorita 89 and KaDeWe – Our Time is Now both address important topical issues surrounding women, beauty, culture and identity, that still resonate today. The spectacular talent, both behind and in front of the camera, bring the powerful stories to life and I’m confident both series will make a lasting impression on viewers”.
Sue Deeks, Head of Programme Acquisition, BBC, added: “Senorita 89 and KaDeWe are examples of incredible international talent, both in front of and behind the camera. They each have their own unique flavour, but both are truly remarkable – we are delighted to bring them to BBC viewers”.