Australia, NZ Deals for BBC Worldwide Titles

LONDON: BBC Worldwide Australia has wrapped up a number of deals with Australian and New Zealand networks following this year’s MIPTV for titles such as Christian the Lion.

Christian the Lion, picked up by the Seven Network, is a documentary film that tells the story of Australians John Randall and Ace Berg’s emotional reunion with the lion they hand-raised after purchasing him from Harrods and then released back into the Kenyan wilds. Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the first lunar landing this July, Moonshot: Flight of Apollo 11 has been licensed by BBC Worldwide Channels in Australia and Prime Television in New Zealand. The 90-minute film includes never-before-seen archive footage.

Prime Television also took on Charles at 60: The Passionate Prince, which examines the heir to the throne through his work with the many charities and causes close to his heart. Prince William and Prince Harry: Into the Future, also on Prime’s slate, examines the increasingly scrutinised lives of Charles’ sons. XYZ Networks acquired a number of lifestyle programs for The LifeStyle Channel and LifeStyle FOOD, including Priceless Antiques Roadshow, Recipe for Success, Baby Borrowers: On Holiday, Buy It, Sell It, Bank It and Ty’s Great British Adventures.

In further deals, BBC Worldwide Australia licensed more than 40 hours of classic comedies to New Zealand’s Comedy Central. The deal includes titles such as The Goodies, The Young Ones, Harry Enfield Presents…, Harry Enfield & Chums and Katy Brand’s Big Ass Show. ABC TV went for Spooks Interactive, an online game based on the characters and story lines from the sixth season of the spy drama Spooks, which is currently screening on ABC1.

“BBC Worldwide is proud to be able to bring such quality multi-genre and multiplatform content to the marketplace,” said Julie Dowding, BBC Worldwide’s sales director for Australasia. “These recent deals celebrate the diversity of our catalogue and the resonance it has in Australia and New Zealand.”