Content Picks Up New Screenworks Thriller

LONDON: Content Television has secured the distribution rights for Screenworks’ new crime thriller Amber, which will debut at MIPTV.

The four-part, one-hour drama focuses on the disappearance of 14-year-old Amber Bailey and the ensuing two-year search for her. The series stars Eva Birthistle (Waking the Dead) and David Murray (Zonad) as Amber’s parents. It was directed by IFTA-award winner Thaddeus O’Sullivan (Silent Witness, Single Handed) and co-written by Gary Duggan and Rob Cawley. It is also produced by Cawley and his Screenworks colleague Paul Duane (The Royal, Casualty) for RTÉ.

Kathryn Rice, the senior VP of European sales and acquisitions at Content Television, commented: “Amber is an incredibly ambitious and gripping drama, exploring the wide-ranging effect of the teenager’s disappearance and presenting the mystery in a way that will keep audiences guessing throughout. Content Television has established itself as a go-to distributor for internationally successful primetime drama and we are very pleased to showcase this brand new series to our international clients at MIPTV.”

Rob Cawley the company director at Screenworks, added: “At the heart of this series is the loss and pain that families and communities experience when a child goes missing. By revealing the story piece by piece from the perspective of the various different protagonists, what happens to Amber is something to be unravelled by the audience, drawing them into the drama. The Content team were quick to see the potential of this innovative story structure and we look forward to following the international success of Amber in their highly capable hands.”