PASSION DISTRIBUTION INTERNATIONAL DRAMA AND COMEDY SALES
London – 1st March 2016: Passion Distribution is pleased to announce a raft of international deals following its annual Showcase event held in London last week. Deals include sales for major new primetime drama CHURCHILL’S SECRET (1 x 120’), scripted reality comedy series LOOKALIKES (5 x 30’) and factual entertainment series THE GREAT ESCAPERS (25’ x 60’) and FIND IT, FIX, IT FLOG IT (20 x 60’).
CHURCHILL’S SECRET (1 X 120’) is a major new primetime drama starring Michael Gambon as Winston Churchill with an all-star cast including Lindsay Duncan, Matthew Macfadyen and Romola Garai. The feature length drama was commissioned by ITV from Daybreak Pictures, part of the Tinopolis Group of companies and aired on ITV on 28th February and was the most watched programme of the day on the channel. Sales of the drama so far include BBCWW Australia for BBC First, ITV Choice Asia, Africa and Middle East, YLE Finland and SVT Sweden.
Brand new comedy LOOKALIKES (5 x 30’) has been acquired by Foxtel for the Comedy Channel and it’s SVOD servicePresto. LOOKALIKES centres on the genuine ‘Lookalikes’ talent agency, run by the (not so) one and only ‘David Beckham’ (aka Andy Harmer). The show charts the antics of the agency and the almost-famous faces on their books as they struggle with the pitfalls of being in the lookalikes world and the fluctuating popularity of their celebrity doppelgängers. Taking a wry look at everyone from ‘Barack Obama’, ‘Ed Sheeran’ and ‘David Brent’. The series has also been acquired by SIC in Portugal. A Knickerbockerglory production for Channel 4.
Nine in Australia has licensed new factual entertainment series THE GREAT ESCAPERS (25’ x 60) and FIND IT, FIX IT, FLOG IT (20 x 60’). THE GREAT ESCAPERS, airing as A NEW PLACE IN THE SUN on Channel 4 from True North Productions, is an entertaining relocation show with big heart and even bigger characters. The series follows an intrepid band of ex-pats who’ve created their own little corner of home in a foreign land setting up a new business such as a bar on the beautiful Spanish coast to a B&B in rural France; a start-up dance school in Fuengirola to a fitness boot camp in Marbella, all pursuing their dream of the good life in the sun. FIND IT, FIX IT, FLOG IT produced by HCA Entertainment stars presenters Henry Cole and Simon O’Brien, who are invited into two owner’s properties to search for some interesting and possibly valuable items. Their selected “picks” are taken away to restoration experts to see what can be done to restore and upcycle. From rusty motorbikes to tarnished tea pots, family heir looms to 20th century collectables, the experts will dig them out and value them. Competing against each other, the presenters try and make the most amount of profit with all the proceeds going back to the lucky owner!
National Geographic Australia has acquired a package of 20 episodes from the UNREPORTED WORLD (205 x 30’) documentary series for Nat Geo People which will premiere in March.
Other sales include the second season of hit UGC series produced by Mentorn Media ...MAKE YOU LAUGH OUT LOUD (6 x 60’) which has been acquired by Seven in Australia, TVNZ in New Zealand and TV2 Denmark.
