ITV Studios and BBC Studios India ink deal to create premium dramas

London, Mumbai 03rd June, 2021 - ITV Studios and BBC Studios India have signed a production partnership deal to adapt popular ITV Studios scripted-dramas in India.

BBC Studios India will bring to life the popular ITV Studios hits Gold Digger, Sticks and Stones, Trauma and 35 Days. The deal is the first of its kind and will allow both entities to scale greater heights and reach wider audiences in India with their rich slate of premium dramas. BBC Studios will also look at taking these dramas to the ever-growing popular regional markets of Tamil and Telugu.

Augustus Dulgaro, Executive Vice President - Distribution, Asia Pacific at ITV Studios, said: Working with BBC Studios India will only strengthen what we can both achieve in the region. These are really powerful stories, full of themes that matter to all of us - betrayal, love, family intrigue and loss. I'm very much looking forward to seeing our IP repurposed for South Asian audiences.

Giles Ridge, SVP of Scripted Formats at ITV Studios said: We have carefully curated the portfolio and believe there is real scope to find the right talent and partners to bring proven hits to a fresh fanbase. There is a real demand for this type of material, not just in India but in Indian-speaking communities around the world.

Sameer Gogate, General Manager of BBC Studios India Productions, said: British dramas really resonate with Indian audiences, as we have seen with the success of Criminal Justice and Doctor Foster and will see with these ITV Studios dramas, which have all the twists and turns of a gripping story that you could hope for. I am looking forward to reproducing them for the Indian market and developing a deeper relationship with our British TV counterparts, with our shared mission to take exceptional premium content to the rest of the world.

The Dramas:

Gold Digger - the story focuses on a wealthy woman who falls in love with a much younger man and the impact this has on her already damaged family. Produced by Mainstreet Pictures, part of ITV Studios, for BBC One (2019).

Sticks and Stones - a drama about the dark consequences of workplace bullying, written by Mike Bartlett, who also created Doctor Foster. Produced by Tall Story Pictures, part of ITV Studios for ITV (2019)

Trauma - also created and written by Mike Bartlett, this thriller is about a father grappling with losing his son and blaming the hospital trauma consultant. Produced by Tall Story Pictures, part of ITV Studios, for ITV (2017).

35 Days - unravelling the 35 days leading up to a death and who could potentially be responsible for it. There have been five series of this Welsh drama, produced by Boom Cymru, part of ITV Studios, for S4C (first series 2014). Boom also produced a successful English language adaptation, 15 Days, for UK broadcaster Channel 5.

BBC Studios India has a track record of outstanding drama production, which includes Criminal Justice, Out of Love (Doctor Foster) and forthcoming shows like Luther.

ITV Studios represents a rich catalogue of iconic scripted programming from producers within the ITV Studios group, 55 production labels across 13 countries, as well as selected independents. ITV Studios have already adapted some of their hit dramas for new audiences, including Cold Feet which was recently remade in France, Poland and The Czech Republic.

ITV plc and BBC Studios have an established relationship and a shared ambition to take British content to the world, via their joint venture streaming platform BritBox, which is available internationally in the US, Canada and Australia with South Africa soon to launch.

Ends

ITV Studios

ITV Studios is a creator, producer and distributor of world-leading programmes that people can't get enough of. We connect millions of people every day and shape and reflect the world they live in, we are More Than TV.

ITV Studios is home to some of the best creative minds, crafting over 8,400 hours of original programming across 55 production labels. Our global footprint spans 13 countries including the UK, US, Australia, France, Germany, The Nordics, Italy and the Netherlands and our global distribution business sells our catalogue of 46,000+ hours to broadcasters and platforms around the world.

ITV Studios is part of ITV PLC, which includes the UK's largest commercial broadcaster.

About BBC Studios (India)

BBC Studios, a global content company with British creativity at its heart, is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC Group. Able to take an idea seamlessly from thought to screen, it spans content financing, development, production, sales, branded services, and ancillaries from both its own productions and programmes and formats made by high-quality UK independents.

Award-winning British programmes made by the business are internationally recognised across a broad range of genres and specialisms, including factual, drama, entertainment and comedy. The company, which makes around 2,500 hours of content a year, is a champion for British creativity around the world and a committed partner for the UK's independent sector. BBC Studios has offices in 22 countries globally, six production offices in UK and a further six production bases and partnerships in countries outside of the UK. In India, BBC Studios has been at the forefront of content production with shows like Criminal Justice, The Office, Out of Love, Jhalakh Dikhhla Jaa, Stupid Man Smart Phone, Nach Baliye, and many more. It also distributes BBC Studios content to the market, bringing popular British programmes such as Top Gear, Doctor Who and Seven Worlds, One Planet to Indian audiences, and has a number of key partnerships, including a JV with Sony Entertainment Television for Sony BBC Earth, and BBC branded blocks across linear and digital platforms.

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