UKTV Picks Up Waco, I Am the Night for Alibi

In two separate deals, UKTV has acquired the hit U.S. miniseries Waco, starring Taylor Kitsch (True Detective, Friday Night Lights), and TNT’s limited series I Am the Night for its Alibi channel.

The six-part Waco stars Kitsch as the charismatic cult leader David Koresh. The series follows the events that transpired after an FBI raid on the small religious community just outside Waco, Texas, led to what became the longest gun battle in U.S. law enforcement history. Waco will air on Alibi this summer.

I Am the Night stars Chris Pine (Wonder Woman, Star Trek) in a reunion with director Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman, Monster), who directs the first two episodes and also executive produces. Inspired by true events, the 6×1-hour series tells the story of Fauna Hodel, a teenage girl who is given away at birth and grows up outside of Reno, Nevada. Fauna lives more-or-less comfortably with the mysteries of her origin until one day she makes a discovery that leads her to question everything. I Am the Night comes to Alibi later this year.

Emma Ayech, channel director for Alibi, said: “Waco is one of the most thrilling and tense series I’ve seen in a long time. The performances from Taylor Kitsch and Michael Shannon are in a league of their own and bring out the previously unseen human side to this infamous story. We can’t wait for our viewers to see this Emmy-nominated event series as we continue to offer bold, new and exclusive stories for Alibi audiences.”

UKTV’s head of acquisitions, Emma Sparks, added: “We are thrilled to bring this show to Alibi with Endeavor Content, the story is incredible and powerfully told with a stellar A-list cast.”

Laura Andrews, VP of scripted programming at Endeavor Content, said: “Alibi is the perfect home for U.K. audiences to watch this compelling exploration into how and why these tragic events occurred in Waco.”

Sparks added: “I am delighted to be working with WarnerMedia to bring this incredible series [I Am the Night] to Alibi. With all the elements of film noir, and an A-list cast with Chris Pine and with Patty Jenkins directing, it’s the perfect show to build Alibi’s portfolio of darker serialized crime drama.”

Ayech said: “I am excited to be bringing this dark and atmospheric story to Alibi. Chris Pine and India Eisley smoulder in this stylish noir thriller based on the incredible true story of Fauna Hodel, a child born into 1950’s rural America, who discovers her true origins are a world away in the rich and debauched world of post war LA. I Am the Night is an addictive thriller that will take Alibi into new dramatic territory this summer.”

Pierre Branco, senior VP and general manager for the U.K., Nordic, Middle East and Turkey at WarnerMedia, said: “A mind-blowing and gripping tale of a notorious unsolved crime, I Am the Night is a fascinating story that needed to be told. We are proud of this show and thrilled to have found the series a home with UKTV.”