ALL3MEDIA Secures Deal for U.S. Broadcast of George Gently

LONDON: A new deal between Acorn Media and ALL3MEDIA International sees the period police drama George Gently airing in the U.S. in 2012.

Acorn Media, which manages the series’ DVD rights and released the first three seasons on DVD in North America, now manages the broadcast rights of the first two seasons, a total of 7×2-hours. Acorn has placed the show with PBS to air in early 2012. The series is produced by Company Pictures for BBC One and has been licensed into 80 territories.

George Gently, starring Martin Shaw (Judge John Deed), is about a legendary detective who has left 1960s London to seek out new crimes in the Northumberland countryside.

“The U.S. is an important territory for U.K.-produced drama and we are delighted to see George Gently head stateside in the experienced hands of Acorn Media,” said Peter Grant, the VP of sales at ALL3MEDIA International. “The series has been in high demand around the world and a premiere in the U.S. is a fantastic landmark in the George Gently story.”

Don Klees, the VP of programming at Acorn Media U.S., added, “In George Gently, Company Pictures has delivered perfect content for U.S. audiences, offering strong character based drama and gripping story lines set in an iconic era. We are confident that the series will prove must-see viewing in the U.S. and look forward to achieving the same great results as we have with previous ALL3MEDIA International drama.”