Watch Adds North American Primeval Series to Lineup

LONDON: The UKTV channel Watch has picked up the North American version of Primeval, which is based on the hit U.K. series from Impossible Pictures.

Production has begun on SPACE’s original action series Primeval: New World, which will be distributed internationally by Entertainment One (eOne). The last installment of the U.K. series, Primeval V, ran exclusively on Watch in 2011. Produced in association with Omni Film Productions, the 13-episode, one-hour series is set in Vancouver against the backdrop of the Pacific Northwest. It features a specialized team of animal experts and scientists that investigate and battles prehistoric and futuristic creatures. It stars Niall Matter (A Town Called Eureka, 90210), Sara Canning (Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, Smallville), Miranda Frigon (Heartland) and Geoff Gustafson (Hot Tub Time Machine), among others.

Steve Hornsey, the general manager of Watch, said, “Watch aspires to deliver out of the ordinary entertainment, and following the success of Primeval V last year we believe that the Primeval franchise is a huge asset to the channel and look forward to following the adventures of the Primeval team.”

Alexandra Finlay, the head of acquisitions and co-productions at UKTV, added, “After co-producing the last season of Primeval with ITV, we are delighted to be collaborating with SPACE, Impossible Pictures and Omnifilm on this exciting new incarnation of Primeval. The deal exemplifies Watch’s ambition to secure first-run and exclusive content which will further build the channel brand.”