Five USA Takes Justified

LONDON: The U.S. drama series Justified is to make its British debut in April on Five USA, which picked up the exclusive U.K. rights to the 13-episode series.

The Sony Pictures Television series stars Timothy Olyphant as the U.S. Deputy Raylan Givens, a character created by the crime novelist Elmore Leonard. Justified launched on FX in the U.S. this week and was the channel’s most watched debut since The Shield eight years ago.

Jeff Ford, the managing director of acquisitions and digital channels, said: “I’m delighted to announce this fantastic addition to the Five USA schedule. Olyphant is an excellent lead and has the same, compelling presence as Clint Eastwood in the classic Coogan’s Bluff. This exclusive acquisition bolsters the strong schedule and reaffirms that Five USA is the place to come for quality American drama on British TV.”