TVDRAMA
All3Media International has lined up agreements around the globe for New Pictures’ thriller Protection.
The 6×1-hour drama is set in the clandestine world of witness protection. It originally debuted in the U.K. on ITV and ITVX and has now been acquired across North America, Europe and AsiaPac.
This includes a digital rights deal with BritBox for the U.S. and English-speaking Canada, as well as digital rights to Stan in Australia, TV rights to TVNZ in New Zealand and DVD/Video rights to ABC for Australia and New Zealand. BBC Studios picked up the show in a pan-territory deal covering Asia, India and the Indian subcontinent, where the drama will be available on BBC First and BBC Player.
Protection also sold into Nordic territories, including Denmark (DR), Norway (NRK), Iceland (RUV), Sweden (SVT) and Finland (Yle). Further TV rights deals include acquisitions in the Netherlands (NPO), Greece (Hellenic Telecommunications), Israel (Hot and Yes TV) and Ireland (Virgin Media). Dazzler Media signed DVD/video rights for the U.K. and Ireland.
Inspired by the first-hand experiences of a long-serving witness protection officer, Protection is about what happens when the system breaks down. It’s about a police officer, Detective Inspector Liz Nyles (Siobhan Finneran), who finds herself at the heart of such a breach, personally compromised by an affair with a colleague, but determined to fight back and uncover the true source of corruption within her unit—to redeem herself, the reputation of her lover and to keep her witnesses safe.
Maartje Horchner, executive VP of content at All3Media International, commented, “This powerful, female-led story takes us into an intriguing world we rarely hear about, exploring the moral dilemmas that come up when protecting people who may be criminals themselves. Having already achieved great success in taking New Pictures’ productions around the world, with their acclaimed crime drama The Long Shadow acquired in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia, we’re delighted to see buyers snapping up another premium drama from this incredibly talented team. With such a wide range of deals already signed, Protection’s thrilling, twist-laden plot will soon be gripping viewers across the globe.”
