PASSION DISTRIBUTION STRIKES DEAL WITH SMITHSONIAN NETWORKS™ IN THE US FOR NEW SHAKESPEARE DOCUMENTARY
September 13th, 2010 - Passion Distribution is pleased to announce its first licence deal with Smithsonian Networks in the US for the HD special STEALING SHAKESPEARE (1x60’), a True North production for BBC One. The deal was brokered by Passion Distribution’s CEO Sally Miles and Smithsonian’s Executive Vice President, Programming and Production, David Royle. Miles said "When we first saw a cut we believed this would be a perfect film for the Smithsonian schedules. It is an extraordinary story of one man’s quest to sell a First Folio at all costs. The journey of authentication in Washington D.C. through to a court verdict makes this a real drama of Shakespearean proportion!” "This is one of those real-life detective stories that you couldn’t make-up," said Royle. "It centers around the theft of one of the most important and valuable books in the world, and features a larger-than-life suspect who appears to be straight from central-casting. It’s the type of dramatic non-fiction that we love to showcase on the Smithsonian Channel.” STEALING SHAKESPEARE premiered on BBC One on 29th July 2010 and will be launched at MIPCOM. This extraordinary special follows the story of Raymond Scott who, on 9th July 2010 was found guilty of handling stolen goods and smuggling the 387 year old book to the US and given an eight-year prison term. STEALING SHAKESPEARE 1x60’ HD: In 1998, a copy of William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories and Tragedies, better known as Shakespeare’s First Folio was stolen from Durham University. It is the most important printed work in the English language and without doubt, the foundation of modern English literature. Copies are now worth millions, but they are so rare that when a new one surfaces, it’s probably either a fake or stolen. It takes a confident conman to try and fool the world’s Shakespeare experts but that’s what 53-year-old book dealer Raymond Scott allegedly tried to do when he arrived at Washington DC’s Folger Shakespeare Library with a First Folio in his hands. This extraordinary and deluded character drove a Ferrari, wore designer clothes and claimed to need two bottles of top-of-the-range champagne every day. He was actually just a small time crook in a huge amount of debt living with his elderly mother. Proclaiming his innocence he kept up his charade throughout the four-week trial, arriving for the opening in a limousine with four hired heavies, and later dressing up as Che Guevara spraying photographers with champagne. This exclusive inside story follows the dramatic unfolding FBI and British Police investigation from the US to the UK and the piecing together of Scott’s story. Produced by True North Productions for BBC One. Launching new at MIPCOM is the second season of TO BUILD OR NOT TO BUILD, a 20x60’ series for BBC One. Presented by BBC presenter and property renovator Simon O’Brien, this series follows one self-builder per episode through the trials and tribulations of ambitious construction projects. The unique selling point of the series is its accessibility to all viewers as many homebuilds followed in the series are made on a tight budget. The owners use clever means and ways to build the house of their dreams whilst cutting costs and saving money. Great take home. The format is also available. And BATTLE OF WILLS, an 8x30’ true crime series for Crime & Investigation Channel UK which delves behind some of the strangest and darkest inheritance feuds. From sibling squabbles and cunning deceptions to cold-blooded murder and foiled plots to audacious frauds, we unfold the twists and turns of every bitter conflict featuring contributions from surviving relatives, witnesses, police investigators, legal experts, family psychologists – and even the perpertrators themselves. In a TV exclusive we meet Charles Hill who led a quiet life until a feud over his mother’s will saw him embroiled in a murder plot that would destroy his life. And the story of the headless body of a young man found in a park, only identified a year later when the killer struck again. Glyn Middleton, True North’s Chief Executive said: “True North is thrilled that Passion has brokered the deal to sell STEALING SHAKESPEARE to the prestigious Smithsonian Channel – it’s a wonderful documentary and deserves to be seen by the widest possible audience. We have every confidence that Passion will also be able to secure excellent deals at MIPCOM for TO BUILD OR NOT TO BUILD and BATTLE OF WILLS, two memorable series.” True North has been making compelling, headline-grabbing and highly successful factual programmes since 2002 – and the past year has been its most productive so far, with 200 hours of shows aired on the BBC, Channel 4, ITV, Five, National Geographic, SKY and The History Channel / C&I. It boasts an extraordinary versatility and breadth, producing powerful and moving programmes in a wide range of genres, including observational documentary, crime, wildlife, history, property and religion. It has created dynamic, accessible series, like Animal 24:7, To Build Or Not To Build, Food Fighters and Animal Rescue Squad, as well as memorable specials such as My Fake Baby, Addicted To Surrogacy and My Mums Used To Be Men. True North prides itself on securing exclusive access to high-profile current affairs stories, such as Death Of A Policeman, Back From The Dead: The John Darwin Story and Shannon: The Mother Of All Lies, voted one of the top six British documentaries of 2009. The True North team love what they do - they respect the people they work with and they put money on screen. It has brought together some of the UK’s top production talent and forged them into an energetic and creative powerhouse. Passion Distribution was officially launched by its founder and CEO, Sally Miles, in 2008. This unique, boutique and intimate style international distribution business represents great content and formats on behalf of UK and North American producers and broadcasters. London based Passion Distribution specialises in popular quality programming and formats in genres including Factual Entertainment, Reality, Documentaries, Lifestyle, Game-shows and Comedy. Passion Distribution has exclusive distribution agreements with several broadcasters and production companies including Scripps Networks International, Lifetime and World of Wonder and works with many others both in the UK & US. Having built a catalogue with over 2000 hours in its first 2 years, Passion Distribution is active in pre-selling , finding co-pro partners and deficit funding. Smithsonian Networks (SNI/SI Networks L.L.C.) is a joint venture between Showtime Networks Inc. and the Smithsonian Institution, formed to create channels featuring programs largely inspired by the assets of the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum complex. Smithsonian Channel features award-winning original documentaries, series, and groundbreaking programs highlighting America’s historical, cultural and scientific heritage. Smithsonian Channel brings the American experience home in high definition and Dolby Digital 5.1 and is available to customers of DirecTV, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications, Cablevision, Verizon, AT&T, and more. Learn more at www.smithsonianchannel.com.
