Slew of Deals for Les Misérables

BBC Studios has lined up a raft of international sales on Les Misérables, Andrew Davies’ adaptation of Victor Hugo’s 19th-century classic.

Sales for Les Misérables include Portugal (RTP2), Norway (NRK), Sweden (SVT), Finland (YLE), Iceland (RUV), Denmark (TV2), Spain (Telefonica), Estonia (ETV), Russia (Channel One and Kultura), Greece (Cosmote) and Latvia (LTV). The drama has also sold to New Zealand (TVNZ), India (Zee Café) and Taiwan (Catchplay).

Masterpiece is the co-production partner for the U.S. BBC First will premiere the series across Benelux, South Africa, the Middle East, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Les Misérables will also be available to audiences traveling with Emirates, Qatar Airways, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, Singapore Airlines and Qantas Airways.

Paul Dempsey, president for global markets at BBC Studios, said: “British producers have a well-earned reputation for turning classic literature into great television but Andrew Davies has rewritten the rules, crafting dramas that have stayed true to the original while speaking squarely to modern audiences. He’s done it again with Les Misérables and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for his two latest endeavors, Sanditon and A Suitable Boy.”

Damian Keogh, managing director at producer Lookout Point, said: “We have always believed that Victor Hugo’s story is enduring and timeless. The alchemy of Andrew Davies’ scripts combined with Tom Shankland’s direction and the extraordinary cast performances have created an adaptation that feels genuinely accessible and relevant. So it is satisfying to see buyers across the world recognize that this is a series their audiences will love. We’re delighted that A Suitable Boy, our next adaptation with Andrew, is also shaping up to be an epic, sweeping saga with similarly broad appeal.”