Dutch Pickup for Harlan Coben’s The Five

LONDON: STUDIOCANAL and NPO have inked a deal to bring Harlan Coben’s thriller The Five to Dutch public television.

The ten-part thriller, produced by RED Production Company (Happy Valley), will premiere June 12 on NPO2 during the network’s annual Detective Month. The annual month of crime TV starts with an interactive Detective Night, which gives viewers an opportunity to participate and vote online for their favorite detective. A special edition of Detective Magazine will include a feature on The Five and other crime series airing on NPO.

“NPO’s Detective Month, organized in collaboration with public broadcaster KRON-CRV, is a genuine hit with the Dutch audience,” said Hans Schwarz, the managing director of acquisitions at NPO. “The month has proven to be a great alternative to the bi-yearly big soccer tournaments on sister channel NPO1. As the Dutch are mourning because their favorite Orange team is not participating this time, the Detective Month might even be a bigger hit than ever. Premiering Harlan Coben’s The Five in a prime-time Sunday slot will prove a major asset to this national TV event.”

“Launching Harlan Coben’s The Five during NPO’s highly rated and much-loved Detective Month confirms the channel’s strong commitment to the series,” commented Katrina Neylon, the executive VP of sales and marketing at STUDIOCANAL. “We are very pleased that NPO recognizes the series’ premium quality and its firm belief that it will resonate with discerning crime-drama viewers throughout the Netherlands.”