BBC Worldwide Sells British Dramas into Italy

CANNES, April 8: Rai Due,
the youth-focused channel of Italy’s state broadcaster, has snapped up two
British drama series, Life on Mars
and Primeval, from BBC
Worldwide.

Rai Due took on the first
two seasons of both dramas, which have each sold to more than 40 broadcasters. Life
on Mars, a Kudos production, is a fast-paced crime series with a twist, and won the
International Emmy for best drama series. Primeval, produced by Impossible Pictures, follows a zoologist who, along with his team, discovers prehistoric
creatures alive and well in the present day but are under government orders to
keep the public from finding out.

Ben Donald, the head of
Northern Mediterranean and Russia for BBC Worldwide’s global TV sales, said:
“British drama has definitely had a turnaround with Italian audiences; they
find it more appealing, slicker and sexier than they have in the past. Until
recently this genre has been hard to sell to Italian broadcasters but we had a
major breakthrough earlier with Mediaset, who licensed Robin Hood, and now Rai Due has recognized that our catalogue
contains some very original and exciting drama.”

Giorgio Buscaglia, the
head of programming schedule at Rai Due, added: “We are very excited to renew
our partnership with BBC Worldwide. We have already acquired two enormous
successes, Teletubbies and Fimbles, which proved to be two huge hits with our
preschool viewers. Now we are able to add to our traditional slate of renowned
U.S. series with Life on Mars
and Primeval, two British
titles of great quality and guaranteed appeal for our Rai Due audience. We feel
sure to have kick-started a new and peaceful British invasion.”

—By Kristin
Brzoznowski