Warner Bros.’ The Mentalist Scores Five Slot

LONDON/BURBANK, October 1: Warner Bros. International
Television Distribution has licensed The Mentalist, which opened to 15.6 million viewers on CBS last
week, to Five in the U.K.

Five has picked up the 13×1-hour series for its flagship
channel as well as for the digital service Five US for broadcast in 2009.

Katie Keenan, Five’s deputy controller of acquisitions,
said: “Top-notch storytelling combined with a charismatic lead made The
Mentalist the best show by far of the L.A.
Screenings. The Mentalist is the
perfect complement to Five’s drama slate.”

Jeffrey R. Schlesinger, the president of Warner Bros.
International Television, added: “The Mentalist was one of the most highly anticipated series of the fall season in
the U.S., an accessible hour featuring the best elements of a procedural
coupled with character-based drama focused on a charming yet haunted
protagonist played by Simon Baker. The show is off to a great start in the U.S.
with a strong premiere. We feel that Five, which is home to some of the
best-produced procedural dramas from the U.S., is the natural place for a show
like The Mentalist to grow and
flourish with U.K. audiences.”

Created by Bruno Heller (Rome), The Mentalist stars
Simon Baker (The Guardian) as
Patrick Jane, an independent consultant with the California Bureau of
Investigation, who has a remarkable track record for solving serious crimes by
using his skills of observation.

—By Mansha Daswani