Zodiak Cracks U.S. Market with Sensing Murder

COPENHAGEN, June 22:
Zodiak Television World has closed its first U.S. licensing deal, with Granada
America producing a local version of the Sensing Murder format for Discovery Channel.

The seven episode series
is slated for a November launch on Discovery Channel. It will air as part of
the network’s new crime strand on Thursday nights, following psychics as they
assist in solving crimes.

"The thing that
attracted us to Sensing Murder
was the unique mix of journalism and storytelling,” noted Charles Tremayne, EVP
at Granada America. “In America, we have been lucky because police departments
are used to working with psychics, so every case we follow has the full
co-operation of the police officers involved, and hopefully the new insight
from the psychics will help solve some cold cases."

Heather Stevenson, Zodiak
Television World’s president, added, “Sensing Murder is a great evergreen property and combined with
the paranormal genre continuing to be strong, we hope to gain new licenses and
renewals above and beyond the 11 territories that have already aired or
licensed Sensing Murder.”

The format was devised by
Danish producer Nordisk Film and was also the distributor’s first format sale
to a U.K. broadcaster when LIVINGtv bought an option in 2004 plus the finished
episodes that were produced for Network Ten in Australia. It has also been
licensed to New Zealand, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Hungary, Romania and Sweden
and was optioned by producers in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Canada.