Zodiak Rights, Stirling Television in First-Look Deal

LONDON: Zodiak Rights has entered into a first-look agreement with Stirling Television, building upon a distribution deal for the Northern Ireland producer's dancing series Jigs & Wigs.

The Belfast-based outfit makes drama, true crime programming, factual-entertainment series and observational documentaries. The first shows Zodiak Rights will rep under the deal are the second season of BBC One Northern Ireland and RTE's Jigs & Wigs, a five-part series about Irish dancing, and the RTE specials Clubland, focused on The Wright Venue nightclub, and The Beauty Pageant Storm, about a U.S. child beauty pageant team who were going to run their first Irish competition until it was denounced by Irish Parliament. Zodiak Rights will own worldwide distribution rights to Stirling Television’s current slate and upcoming programming.

“We are delighted to be working with Stirling TV in a first look deal for many reasons, a primary one being that there is a wealth of talent in Northern Ireland that we are keen to tap into more," said Andreas Lemos, VP of acquisitions at Zodiak Rights. "Jigs & Wigs is a fantastically colorful ‘hidden worlds’ series of the kind we excel in internationally, and we’re looking forward to launching the show as an 11×30-minute series in 2015!”

Anne Stirling, managing director at Stirling, added, “We are delighted at the international and co-production opportunities offered by Zodiak Rights and grateful for the support which Northern Ireland Screen offered in realizing this deal.”