DRG Takes On Danny Boyle’s Babylon, Doc Series Genius

LONDON: DRG has acquired the international, DVD and merchandising rights for the upcoming Channel 4 series Babylon, which is executive produced by Danny Boyle, along with picking up the documentary miniseries Genius.

Babylon comes from the writers Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong (Peep Show) and is produced by Robert Jones (The Usual Suspects) and Derrin Schlesinger (The IT Crowd). Boyle directed the pilot episodes and serves as executive producer along with Armstrong, Bain and Jones.

Babylon, which looks at the people and politics in the command rooms and on the frontline of a modern police force, is due to premiere on Channel 4 in February. A further six episodes have already been ordered for production.

Jones said, “We’re very proud of the pilot episode and of the vision of the series overall. It’s a tremendous feeling to be jumping straight into production on the series and reassembling such an outstanding cast of actors and behind the camera talent. From first sight of the project DRG has shown great enthusiasm and we’re delighted to be working with them on it.”

Jeremy Fox, the CEO of DRG, added, “We are delighted to be introducing the series to buyers at NATPE. At heart it’s a crime series, but with this creative team, you’ll have never seen a police force at work like this. Once again it shows what we can do as part of the MTG family.”

DRG partnered with National Geographic Channel in the U.S. and producers Stephen Davis Entertainment on a project to distribute Genius. The miniseries event celebrates the world's greatest minds and the people who have helped shape the way that history has unfolded. The event comes from the producers behind The West and The Men Who Built America. It's slated to premiere on National Geographic Channel in the U.S. later this year. DRG bagged the rights for both the format and finished series.

David Lyle, CEO of National Geographic Channels, said, “We have been looking for the right way to tell the incredible stories of the passionate people who truly shaped our world today, and with Stephen David and his talented team at the helm, we are confident this is going to be a landmark television event.”

Stephen David of Stephen David Entertainment added, “It’s a great pleasure to collaborate with National Geographic and DRG on this event project. We’re thrilled to explore these geniuses; inventors whose obsessions created a global ripple effect that continue to change our lives in profound ways.”

Jeremy Fox, DRG’s CEO, commented, “We are delighted to be working on such an exciting project with National Geographic Channel and Stephen David. Not only do we believe that Genius will appeal throughout the world, we are also working on creating country-specific versions so that we end up with an international library. Stephen is an expert in this genre and will be working with all our producing partners to deliver a quality series.”