Sky1 Scores Modern Family

LONDON: This October, Sky1 and its high-definition sister service will premiere the sitcom Modern Family, a new series on ABC’s fall schedule, after picking up the exclusive British TV rights from Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution.

The deal secures Sky1, 2 and 3 exclusive free and basic U.K. TV rights to the series, plus non-exclusive VOD and download-to-own services. The show takes a look at three very different American family units through the lens of a documentary filmmaker. It was created by the Emmy-award-winning Frasier writers and producers Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd. The cast includes Ed O’Neill, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell and Rico Rodriguez, among others. The series is slated for a U.S. premiere on September 23 on ABC.

Sky1 also announced that Davina McCall has been confirmed as host of its new dance competition series Just Dance, scheduled for broadcast in January 2010. The nine-part series is a Shine TV and Princess Productions co-production.