L.A. Screenings Buyer Feedback: Sky’s Sarah Wright

LONDON: Sarah Wright, the controller of acquisitions at Sky in the U.K., tells World Screen Newsflash that she was impressed with the number of pilots and the variety of programming genres unveiled by the Hollywood studios at the L.A. Screenings last week.

“I think it was certainly a prolific year!” she says. “We viewed 50-plus pilots so there’s lots of choice out there for international buyers. On the whole I thought it was a good, solid year rather than a standout one.”

Wright has already made her first purchase, nabbing the exclusive U.K. rights to the new Showtime series Ray Donovan from CBS Studios International for Sky Atlantic.

As every year at the L.A. Screenings, a number of shows have created buzz among buyers. “For me, the sheer variety was notable,” observes Wright. “Obviously, high-profile shows like Marvel’s The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. [Disney Media Distribution] grabbed the headlines but there were lots of different genres, from procedurals like Ironside [NBCUniversal International Television Distribution], to sexy dramas such as Reckless [CBS Studios International] and Betrayal [Disney Media Distribution] and even a historical romp like Reign [CBS Studios International]. It was great to see James Spader back in The Blacklist [Sony Pictures Television].”

Commenting on the shows that she liked in particular, Wright says, “I thought the re-makes were fun. Us & Them [Sony Pictures Television] was an interesting U.S. take on Gavin and Stacey. About A Boy [NBCUniversal International Television Distribution] transferred well from big to small screen and Rake [Sony Pictures Television] moved the Aussie original on.”

Wright acquires programming for a slate of BSkyB channels, including Sky 1, Sky Living and Sky Atlantic. As for which other shows Wright is interested in buying, she says, “We are still pondering; we have a lot of returning hit shows like The Following, Elementary, Arrow, Criminal Minds, Unforgettable and Glee, so we are very lucky. We never look to fill particular slots or target specific genres, just hope to acquire great shows that our customers will love.”