Ovation & Kew Media Distribution Align for Frankie Drake Mysteries

Ovation has acquired the U.S. broadcast rights for the third season of Frankie Drake Mysteries from Kew Media Distribution in a deal that also includes the Jon Brewer documentary Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark.

Both season three of Frankie Drake Mysteries and Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark will air on Ovation’s linear channel and on-demand service Ovation NOW. The former title follows female private detectives as they take on the cases the police don’t want to touch, while the latter features never-before-seen archive and exclusive interviews to provide a candid account of the music icon Nat King Cole’s life. Season three of Frankie Drake Mysteries will air on Ovation in April 2020, and Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark will air in in the first quarter of 2020.

Through the agreement, Ovation also picked up six seasons of the comedic drama series Republic of Doyle, which follows a father and son private investigative agency, and the documentary Althea, about the trailblazing athlete Althea Gibson.

Scott Woodward, executive VP of programming and production at Ovation, said: “We’re pleased to bring our audience the third season of Frankie Drake Mysteries after a successful run of the first two seasons earlier this year. The drama is a perfect complement to the network’s current mystery programming. Our relationship with Kew Media Distribution remains strong and fruitful; these new titles are exciting additions to our upcoming programming slate.”

Jennifer Askin, VP of sales at Kew Media Distribution, added: “We are delighted to continue our close relationship with Ovation. Previous Frankie Drake Mysteries have been a very successful part of their recent schedule and we look forward to seeing season three back on screen next year. We are also pleased the fabulous Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark documentary by acclaimed director and producer Jon Brewer has landed on the U.S.’s only dedicated arts network and will be seen by so many viewers.”