AMC Networks shows for UKTV
September 12, 2023
UKTV and BBC Studios have secured the UK and Benelux rights to a number of shows from AMC Networks in a joint deal. The shows are Mrs Sidhu Investigates, Darby and Joan Season 1, Signora Volpe Season 1 and Whitstable Pearl Seasons 1-2 for its free-to-air channel Drama and free streaming service UKTV Play; Dark Winds for crime channel Alibi; and Acorn TV’s The South Westerlies will be available on UKTV Play.
Additional shows The Madame Blanc Mysteries Seasons 1-2, London Kills Season 3 and Queens of Mysteries Season 2 have also been acquired for BBC First in Benelux, the British drama channel, curated locally for Dutch and Belgian audiences and available on a number platforms in the market.
This deal is the first between UKTV and AMC Networks and was secured by Jimmy Rumble, global acquisitions manager at BBC Studios and UKTV.
Melanie Rumani, global head of acquisitions at BBC Studios and UKTV said: “It’s brilliant to see our portfolio on Drama, Alibi and UKTV Play, as well as BBC Studios’ owned BBC First in Benelux, continue to grow with these fantastic new additions. The BBC has been a longstanding valued partner of ours and we are excited by this new chapter in our relationship,” said Mike Pears, EVP of distribution and content sales for AMC Networks. “Both in the U.S. and around the world, we want to make our shows available on a wide variety of platforms, to find new viewers and build awareness of the high-quality content that continues to define our company.”
Mrs Sidhu Investigates (pictured) and Signora Volpe are set to premiere on Drama and UKTV Play this autumn, with Whitstable Pearl and Darby and Joan airing on the channel early 2024. The South Westerlies premieres exclusively on UKTV Play in October and Dark Winds will be available to watch on Alibi also from October.
Emma Ayech, channel director for Drama and Alibi, said: “I am thrilled to have these exciting new titles join our stellar programming line-up on both Drama and Alibi. With each new acquisition there will be compelling storytelling, entertaining characters, and gripping narratives that’ll both captivate and engage our audiences, which I’m very excited to see.”
Andrea Amey, UKTV’s general manager for digital, added: “We are pleased to be adding Mrs Sidhu Investigates, Signora Volpe, Whitstable Pearl, Darby and Joan and The South Westerlies to our ever-growing catalogue of quality drama on UKTV Play. We’re dedicated to making our platform one that provides an array of premium content that all viewers can watch and enjoy freely, and these are sure to be a hit with our audience to binge on across the autumn.”