Liar leads Mipcom global sales

Two Brothers Pictures’ ITV drama Liar is to be adapted in Africa for the first time, leading a string of global sales as Mipcom gets underway.  

Liar will be reworked in Botswana by indie Botswana Ignite, marking the first time one of All3Media International’s scripted formats will be produced in sub-Saharan Africa.  

The adaptation will be helmed by Botswana Ignite’s executive producer and project director Duncan Irvine, who is also the former founder and owner of Rapid Blue. 

Two Brothers Pictures’ original 2017 ratings smash, starring Joanne Froggatt and Ioan Gruffudd, explores themes of consent and gender politics, following two people whose initial attraction has far reaching consequences. Its opener brought in 8m (31%) and the finale averaged 8.3m (33%) in seven days.  

The total number of international adaptations now stands at 15, with four new versions in development in Europe, Middle East and Asia to join 10 territories where it has previously launched including India, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Greece, Slovakia, Turkey, Malaysia and Georgia.   

BBCS sales

BBC Studios has pre-sold landmark BBC1 natural history series Asia - co-produced by BBCS NHU with BBC America, ZDF and France Télévisions - in Australia (Nine), China (Dragon TV and Phoenix TV), Denmark (DR), Japan (NHK), New Zealand (TVNZ), Norway (NRK), Portugal (SIC), Spain (Movistar Plus+) and Switzerland (RSI).

Its five-part BBC2 and PBS science series Solar System, a BBCS Science Unit Production with NOVA and GBH, has sold to Australia (ABC), Croatia (HRT), Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia (AMCNI CNE), France (France Télévisions), Germany (ZDFinfo), Italy (Sky Italia) and Spain (Movistar Plus+).

BBCS president of global markets Nick Percy said: “Using cutting-edge technology, both Asia and Solar System allow audiences to experience our planet and beyond like never before. Ambitious as always in our storytelling, these titles will inspire viewers and transform the way in which they think about the world. I am delighted that both series are reaching our global audiences.”

Lion doc 

Fellow All3Media label Lion TV’s upcoming BBC2 food feature doc Irresistible: Why We Can’t Stop Eating has been presold in Europe, Australia and Asia. 

The 90-minute single sets out to reveal the secrets behind what makes ultra-processed foods so popular and dominant in our food culture. It is heading to SVT (Sweden), Movistar+ (Spain) and TV2 (Denmark), Now TV Hong Kong and SBS in Australia and has also landed a pan territory deal in Africa with BBC Studios.  

All3Media International’s senior vice president of unscripted Rachel Job said: “Lion TV consistently delivers innovative, ambitious and thought-provoking factual programming, which deserves to be seen by large global audiences.” 

BritBox package 

Sphere Abacus has signed a deal with streamer BritBox in the USA and Canada for a package of non-fiction, true crime, entertainment and drama titles. 

The package includes the 5 x 60-minute BritBox commission Travels With Agatha Christie with Sir David Suchet from Soho Studios and Two Rivers Media and the 6 x 60-minute Jon and Lucy’s Odd Couples produced by King of Sunshine. 

Also included is the 1 x 90-minute The Murder of Sandra Rivett from Woodcut Media, the 2 x 60-minute Breaking Dad: Britain’s Unlikeliest Drug Dealer from Big Little Fish, Honey Bee’s 1 x 67-minute Agatha Christie: 100 Years of Poirot and Miss Marple, Rogan’s hour-long single Diana: The Interview That Shook the World and the 1 x 94-minute Susan Hill’s The Small Hand: A Ghost Story from Awesome and Two Rivers Media. 

Sphere Abacus sales director for North America Anne Corsak said: “Factual programming from the UK continues to engage and entertain viewers around the world and we are delighted to have secured sales to BritBox for these exceptional titles from some of the UK’s leading indies.”