US Prime Suspect Goes Global

ITV Studios Global Entertainment has sold the new US version of Prime Suspect to broadcasters across the globe, which will see the highly anticipated network drama launch in over 30 territories.
The news follows the recent USA launch of Prime Suspect, which is co-produced by ITV Studios America and Universal Media Studios, and debuted on NBC.
Prime Suspect has been licensed to broadcasters including Nine (Australia), TVNZ (New Zealand), Diva Universal (Asia region including Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Hong Kong and Taiwan), Kanal 5 (Sweden), and TV3 (Ireland). In addition, an agreement has been reached with two broadcasters in Norway for a shared window; Fox International and NRK.
The drama is also set to launch in territories including Germany, France, Italy, Israel, South Korea and Latin America in the coming year. The deals were concluded by the ITV Studios Global Entertainment team. This follows the previously announced agreement with Shaw Media (Canada) who simulcast the drama on their channel Global.
Maria Kyriacou, Managing Director, ITV Studios Global Entertainment said: "Prime Suspect was one of the most highly anticipated shows of the US autumn season and has quickly become one of the must-have dramas for broadcasters around the world.
"We are renowned for our leading crime drama franchises and I'm delighted we are continuing in that tradition by introducing Prime Suspect to global audiences."
Based on Lynda La Plante's bestselling novels, and derived from the critically acclaimed British television series of the same name, Prime Suspect has been redeveloped for American audiences by writer Alexandra Cunningham (Desperate Housewives, NYPD Blue), director Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights) and stars Maria Bello (A History of Violence) as tough Detective Jane Timoney.
Timoney finds that being a homicide detective in New York City is difficult enough and having to contend with a male-dominated police department to get respect makes it that much tougher. Timoney has her own vices too; she tends to be forceful, rude and reckless.
But she's also a brilliant cop who keeps her eye on one thing: the prime suspect. Also starring are Aidan Quinn (Unknown), Brian O’Byrne (Flash Forward), Tim Griffin (Star Trek), Kirk Acevedo (Fringe), Joe Nieves (How I Met Your Mother), Damon Gupton (The Last Airbender) and Peter Gerety (Blue Bloods).
Prime Suspect is co-produced by Universal Media Studios and ITV Studios America and produced by Film 44.
Cunningham is the executive producer/writer along with executive producer/director Berg and executive producers Sarah Aubrey, Julie Meldal-Johnsen and Paul Buccieri for ITV Studios America and Lynda LaPlante.
(BMcC/CD)