Warner Bros.’s Alcatraz & Hart of Dixie Picked Up by UKTV

LONDON: UKTV and Warner Bros. International Television Distribution (WBITD) have struck up an exclusive deal for the new J.J. Abrams series Alcatraz to air on Watch and Hart of Dixie, starring Rachel Bilson, to join the lineup of Really.

The 13×1-hour Alcatraz is the latest from Abrams (Fringe, Lost). The show will air exclusively in the U.K. on UKTV’s flagship entertainment channel Watch. Alcatraz is produced by Bonanza Productions in association with Bad Robot Productions and Warner Bros. Television.

The comedic 22×1-hour drama Hart of Dixie is set to launch exclusively in the U.K. on the female-skewed Really channel starting in spring 2012. The show stars Bilson (The O.C.) as a big-city doctor who movies to a small town in Alabama.

UKTV and WBITD have signed a number of previous deals, including one for Rizzoli & Isles and The Closer for the crime channel Alibi.

Catherine Mackin, UKTV’s director of program acquisitions, said, “Alcatraz is the best drama from the winning team behind Lost and together with Hart of Dixie, UKTV has secured the brightest series from the U.S. this year. Alcatraz is perfect for Watch’s audience and will continue to build the channel’s impressive growth in 2011.”