ITV Bags Three New American Dramas

LONDON, June 21: ITV has picked up the rights to three new
U.S. network dramas: Smith, The
Black Donnellys and Raines.

Warner Bros. International Television’s Smith for CBS is a crime drama from John Wells Productions
featuring Ray Liotta as the head of a crew of career criminals. Smith will premiere on the male-oriented channel ITV4.

The Black Donnellys,
from NBC Universal, is the new crime drama from Academy Award winners Paul
Haggis and Bobby Moresco (Crash).
Chronicling the lives of four young, working class Irish brothers and their
involvement in organized crime in New York City, it will air on the younger-skewing
channel ITV2.

Also from NBC Universal, Raines stars Jeff Goldblum as an eccentric LAPD detective
who can have detailed conversations with deceased crime victims. It will air on
the drama channel ITV3.

"With this line up we have found truly brand defining
shows for each of the channels,” said Jay Kandola, ITV’s director of
acquisitions. “What we wanted were shows that reinforced the messages behind
each channel and appealed to their target audiences and that is what have got
in these three fresh and distinctive shows."