UKTV & BBC Studios Make Joint Drama Acquisitions

UKTV and BBC Studios have secured the U.K. and Benelux rights to a slew of shows from AMC Networks in a joint deal.

The agreement includes Mrs Sidhu Investigates, a four-episode series created and written by Suk Pannu (The Kumars at No. 42). Based on the popular BBC Radio 4 series of the same name, the show centers on a recently widowed, high-end caterer with a taste for crime, solving murders and other investigations among the affluent residents of Berkshire.

Mrs Sidhu Investigates is set to premiere on Drama and UKTV Play this fall, alongside Signora Volpe, with Whitstable Pearl and Darby and Joan airing on the channel in early 2024.

The South Westerlies, meanwhile, is to premiere exclusively on UKTV Play in October, and Dark Winds will also be available to watch on Alibi from October.

Additional shows, including The Madame Blanc Mysteries seasons one and two, London Kills season three and Queens of Mystery season two, have also been acquired for BBC First in Benelux.

Melanie Rumani, global head of acquisitions at BBC Studios and UKTV, said: “It’s brilliant to see our portfolio on Drama, Alibi and UKTV Play, as well as BBC Studios’ owned BBC First in Benelux, continue to grow with these fantastic new additions.”

“The BBC has been a longstanding valued partner of ours, and we are excited by this new chapter in our relationship,” said Mike Pears, executive VP of distribution and content sales for AMC Networks. “Both in the U.S. and around the world, we want to make our shows available on a wide variety of platforms to find new viewers and build awareness of the high-quality content that continues to define our company.”

Emma Ayech, channel director for Drama and Alibi, said: “I am thrilled to have these exciting new titles join our stellar programming lineup on both Drama and Alibi. With each new acquisition, there will be compelling storytelling, entertaining characters, and gripping narratives that’ll both captivate and engage our audiences, which I’m very excited to see.”

Andrea Amey, UKTV’s general manager for digital, added: “We are pleased to be adding Mrs Sidhu Investigates, Signora Volpe, Whitstable Pearl, Darby and Joan and The South Westerlies to our ever-growing catalog of quality drama on UKTV Play. We’re dedicated to making our platform one that provides an array of premium content that all viewers can watch and enjoy freely, and these are sure to be a hit with our audience to binge on across the autumn.”