The Count of Monte Cristo, starring Sam Claflin and Jeremy Irons, to premiere in the UK on U and U&DRAMA

Edmond Dant s (Sam Claflin)

The eight-part miniseries will be available this Summer

UKTV has acquired the UK premiere of the English-speaking miniseries The Count of Monte Cristo (8x60') for its free-to-air channel U&Drama and streaming service . The epic historical adventure drama, directed by Bille August and starring Sam Claflin (Daisy Jones & the Six) and Jeremy Irons (House of Gucci), is based on Alexandre Dumas's classic novel of the same name. The TV series-event is produced by Mediawan's Palomar and DEMD Productions for France T l visions in France and RAI in Italy and distributed worldwide by Mediawan Rights in cooperation with CAA (for North America) and with the participation of Entourage Ventures.

Falsely accused of treason, Edmond Dantes (Claflin), a young sailor, is imprisoned without trial in the Ch teau d'If, a grim island fortress off Marseille. After many years of captivity, he finally escapes and assumes the identity of the wealthy and enigmatic Count of Monte Cristo. With his newfound resources, he embarks on a journey of revenge on those who have wrongly accused him.

Alongside Claflin and Irons, the series also stars Blake Ritson (The Gilded Age), Karla-Simone Spence (The Confessions of Frannie Langton), Harry Taurasi (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent), Poppy Corby Tuech (The Royals), Ana Girardot (The Wages of Fear), and Gabriella Pession (Tell Me Lies).

The Count of Monte Cristo has achieved remarkable global success premiering on Italy's RAI-1 with an average of nearly 6 million viewers to become the highest-rating series on RAI in the past three years. The series has also secured other major international distribution agreements, including PBS/WGBH for U.S. rights and various European broadcasters including TVE in Spain, RTS in Switzerland, and the Nordic PSB alliance (comprising SVT, NRK, DR, YLE, and RUV). Additionally, the show is set to air in Eastern European regions, including Poland through TVP, Hungary via TV2, and the Czech Republic on Ceska TV.

For more information, please contact:

Shannon Bulmer, Publicist, UKTV

Notes for Editors:

Image available here

Credit: Mediawan

About U&DRAMA

Sky 143, Virgin Media 130, Freeview 20, Freesat 158

+1 Sky 243, Virgin Media 226, Freeview, 60

On demand on Sky, Virgin Media &

Free-to-air channel U&DRAMA is passionate about bringing Britain the best quality drama. From period to contemporary, family to comedy, the channel is a treasure trove of well-loved classics and modern drama with stories for viewers to fully immerse themselves in.

With programmes including familiar favourites Call the Midwife, The Bill, New Tricks and Silent Witness, and brand new and exclusive hits Sister Boniface Mysteries, Whitstable Pearl and Signora Volpe this is the channel where viewers can escape and indulge in a handpicked range of the nations most celebrated TV dramas.

The channel's offering has also expanded in recent years with the UKTV Original TV adaptation of Robert Thorogood's hit novel The Marlow Murder Club. This two-part series stars Samantha Bond as no-nonsense, crossword-setter and wild-swimmer, Judith Potts, alongside Jo Martin, Cara Horgan and Natalie Dew.

Programming on U

U will become home to thousands of hours of free content from a raft of genres, including: drama (Annika, Holby City, Madam Secretary, Sister Boniface Mysteries, A Million Little Things), comedy (Meet the Richardsons, Red Dwarf, Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week, We Are Not Alone), entertainment (Big Zuus Big Eats, David Mitchells Outsiders, QI, Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable, Worlds Most Dangerous Roads) and factual entertainment (Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over, MasterChef Australia, Katie Piper: Jailhouse Mums, Secrets of the London Underground, Bangers & Cash). U will also give viewers access to exclusive shows, award-winning originals, premiere acquisitions and iconic programmes from the BBC.

About UKTV

UKTV has been at the forefront of branded television for over 30 years, entertaining the nation with programmes they love. Its leading brands - U&Dave, U&DRAMA, U&W, U&YESTERDAY, U&eden, U&GOLD and U&alibi - span comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and drama, and are delivered to UK viewers through free streaming service U, Sky, Virgin Media, NOW, Freeview, Freesat and Freely; and to Irish viewers through Sky, Virgin Media, Eir, Vodafone and NOW. Channel & content availability varies by platform. UKTV's content is also available to UK viewers via dedicated FAST channels on Samsung TV Plus, Amazon Freevee, Pluto TV and Virgin Media. UKTV is a significant investor in British creativity and is committed to working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers. The broadcaster is part of BBC Studios, the UKs most-awarded production company, a world-class distributor with international branded services, and a commercial subsidiary of the worlds leading public service broadcaster, the BBC.

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ABOUT MEDIAWAN mediawan.com

Launched in late 2015 by Pierre-Antoine Capton, Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse, The Mediawan Group is Europe's leading independent studio producing film, television and digital content. The Group brings together best-in-class talent to create award-winning entertainment for global audiences and operates throughout the entire value chain: production of film, series, unscripted, documentaryand animated original content-thanks to more than 85 production labels in France, Germany, England, Italy, Spain, the United States, the Netherlands, Finland, Belgium, Australia, Senegal and Ivory Coast (Mediawan Studios); distribution of filmed entertainment (Mediawan Rights); publishing of channels and digital services (Mediawan Thematics); and the development and production of original digital content.

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