Ovation TV Picks Up British Detective Series

The U.S. arts channel Ovation TV has inked a deal with BBC Studios for non-exclusive linear rights of two detective series, including Death in Paradise.

The deal covers 11 seasons of Death in Paradise, which follows a U.K. detective inspector as he is transferred to the fictional Caribbean island of Saint-Marie despite hating the sun, sea and sand.

Death in Paradise is produced by Red Planet Pictures for the BBC and distributed internationally by BBC Studios. It is produced with the support of the Guadeloupe Regional Council.

The new deal also includes four seasons of Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators. Created by Paul Matthew Thompson and Jude Tindall, the series stars Mark Benton as Frank Hathaway and Jo Joyner as his rookie sidekick Lu Shakespeare. The unlikely pair comes together to investigate extramarital affairs, murderous magicians, abducted au pairs and more in Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwickshire. It is produced and distributed by BBC Studios.

“Death in Paradise and Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators are excellent titles that will complement our other mystery programming like Murdoch Mysteries and Midsomer Murders perfectly,” said Scott Woodward, executive VP of programming and production for Ovation. “Ovation is once again pleased to partner with BBC Studios on such outstanding acquisitions.”