Endemol Receives First Drama Series Commission in Russia

HILVERSUM, June 7: Endemol Moscow has received a
commission from the Russian broadcaster Channel One to produce a local version
of The Heritage, the hit series
that was produced by Endemol Netherlands in 2004 for RTL.

Selling a major drama
series to Russia for the first time is another breakthrough in Endemol
International’s strategy for growth in scripted programming, the company
announced today.

The Heritage, a 16-part series, begins with the death of an international trading
tycoon and follows a gripping game of intrigue that he plays from the
grave. The dead man has placed his
entire fortune in a trust fund and if his family heirs want to get it, they are
going to have to earn it.

“This is a truly
compelling drama that has already gripped viewers in the Netherlands,” said
Leonid Zagalsky, the executive producer for Endemol Moscow. “It’s the kind of
story that can travel anywhere in the world and I think the Russian audience is
going to love it.”

Caroline Torrance, the director of scripted
programming and distribution at Endemol International added: ‘‘There is a rapidly growing global appetite
for scripted programming and this is one of the areas where Endemol has
significant potential for growth.
We have long established ourselves as a world leader in creating and
distributing formats. Now we’re
beginning to replicate that model in the scripted genre.”

The deal with Channel One
in Russia follows Endemol USA’s recent announcement that it is stepping up its
activities in scripted programming. The company has several one-hour projects
in development including, The Track
for FX and Nanny Dallas for The
CW, as well as the half-hour comedies Larry Godmother for ABC Family and an untitled pilot script for
TBS.

Other recent scripted
deals include local adaptations of Endemol U.K.’s comedy sketch show Spoons, which are due to premier later this year on
ProSieben in Germany and Reshet in Israel.