Big Fat Gypsy Weddings Gets Sales & Publishing Deals

LONDON, April 1: Zodiak Rights has stuck up new agreements on the observational doc series Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, a Channel 4 series.

Produced by Firecrackers Films, the 5×1-hour series looks at the secretive world of gypsies and travelers in Britain today. The doc series scored a 25-percent share when it premiered in the U.K., drawing in 8 million viewers.

The show has been acquired by Discovery Networks for Italy, Poland, Romania, Russia, Bulgaria, Serbia and Slovenia. It has also been picked up by XYZ Networks for LifeStyle You in Australia, TVNZ in New Zealand, Antena 3 in Spain and VTM in Belgium. Further deals are to be announced shortly with broadcasters in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Holland.

Zodiak and Firecracker also firmed up a deal with publisher Hodder & Stoughton to produce a book based on Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, in addition to an agreement for a DVD release through 4 Ventures.

Emily Elisha, the head of factual acquisitions at Zodiak Rights, said: “The Gypsy phenomenon has really caught peoples’ imaginations everywhere and while there was immediate global interest in the first special last year, the recent ratings-busting series has now taken the brand stratospheric! We highly anticipate lots more deals to be concluded while at MIPTV.”

Sue Oriel, the managing director at Firecracker Films, said: "We are delighted that it is not just the U.K. that has responded so well to our series; as usual, Zodiak Rights are doing a fabulous job for us in ensuring the rest of the world has the same opportunity."