UKTV today announces the acquisition of Hotel Portofino (2 x 6x60') for U and U&DRAMA. The first series will air on Friday 27th September at 9pm, followed by a UK premiere of the second series later in the year. The hit drama, produced by Eagle Eye Drama in association with Beta Film, which also handles international distribution, has been sold to over 70 territories, including Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and North America where is has been released to great acclaim.
The deal was secured by Jimmy Rumble, global acquisitions manager, and overseen by Melanie Rumani, global head of acquisitions, UKTV and BBC Studios, together with Beta's Andreas Khevenhueller and Oliver N. Bachert.
a show that is a little bit like if White Lotus took place in the post-World War I Hotel Portofino is a historical drama about a British family who establish a hotel for upper class travellers on the magical Italian Riviera during the 1920s. In the first series, co-proprietor and moving spirit, Bella Ainsworth (Natascha McElhorne) is short of staff and ready money. Her guests, including the imperious Lady Latchmere (Anna Chancellor), are demanding and hard-to-please; and she's being targeted by a scheming and corrupt local politician, Signor Danioni (Pasquale Esposito), who threatens to drag her into the red-hot political cauldron of Mussolini's Italy. Bella also has her aristocratic but caddish husband, Cecil (Mark Umbers), to deal with as he obsesses over arranging an advantageous marriage for their son to secure the future of the Ainsworth family's estate back in England and finding the money to pay for his dilettante lifestyle.
In series two, Bella is looking forward to her son Lucian's (Oliver Dench) imminent arrival for a vacation and the chance to discuss her plans for the hotel with him. However, a shadow begins to fall over her plans, when her no-good husband Cecil turns up unannounced in Portofino. In the middle of the hot Italian summer, Bella will be forced to confront the reality of her relationship with Cecil and decide whether to accept him back into her life or not. Especially considering her growing friendship with a handsome local architect, Marco Bonacini (Giorgio Marchesi).
The series was written by Matt Baker and directed by Adam Wimpenny while Jo McGrath and Walter Iuzzolino oversee the production as executive producers.
The third series of Hotel Portofino, directed by Jon Jones, is currently airing on PBS in the US, and has been described by The New York Times as a show that is a little bit like if White Lotus took place in the post-World War I.
Melanie Rumani said: This deal is a fantastic opportunity and one that really solidifies our relationship with the brilliant team at Beta Film. We're thrilled to be partnering with them on this series.
Emma Ayech, channel director for U&DRAMA, added: We're excited to be adding Hotel Portofino to our offering of high-quality dramas on U&DRAMA. The beautiful setting of the Italian Riviera is the perfect antidote to those autumnal nights, so we can't wait for our viewers to dive into this one.
Andreas Khevenhueller, VP International Sales & Acquisitions, commented: At Beta we are beyond thrilled to announce that UKTV is the new "port of call" for the sensational drama Hotel Portofino. This captivating series has already won hearts around the globe, and is ready to bring a burst of sunshine, luxury, and thrilling adventures to the UK. We are confident that viewers will be swept away by the charm, intrigue, and breathtaking scenery this show offers.
Hotel Portofino will be available to stream for free on U.
For more information, please contact:
Kelly Phelps, Publicity Manager, UKTV
Notes for Editors:
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 & U
Free-to-air channel U&DRAMA is passionate about bringing Britain the best quality drama. From period to contemporary, family to comedy, the channel provides an abundance 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.
U&DRAMA also offers a charming collection of U&Originals, with the TV adaptation of Robert Thorogood's hit novel The Marlow Murder Club starring Samantha Bond, Jo Martin, Cara Horgan and Natalie Dew, and the true story of the Mitford sisters in Outrageous, starring Bessie Carter, Joanna Vanderham, James Purefoy and Anna Chancellor. Viewers will get the chance to delve back into the world of Bergerac in a brand-new re-imagined series written by Toby Whithouse and starring Damien Molony in the leading role. Content can also be streamed for free on U.
About U
U is UKTV's free streaming service, providing instant access to shows from UKTVs free-to-air channels - U&Dave, U&DRAMA U&W and U&YESTERDAY. Viewers can browse 8,500 hours of programming - including exclusive content, award-winning originals, premiere acquisitions and iconic BBC programmes across drama, (Whitstable Pearl, Marlow Murder Club, Annika, Sister Boniface Mysteries, Sons of Anarchy, Mike, Madam Secretary, A Million Little Things, The Shield, The Bill, Classic EastEnders, Holby City plus upcoming series in 2025 such as Bergerac and Outrageous), comedy (Meet the Richardsons, Red Dwarf, Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week, We Are Not Alone, Rosie Jones's Comedy Disability Extravaganza),entertainment (Battle in the Box, Big Zuus Big Eats, David Mitchells Outsiders, QI, Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable, Worlds Mos
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
10/06/2026
DAZN-owned digital-media company launches three fan-first series leaning into cr...
10/06/2026
Clear-Com has announced the appointment of Jason Dino as Southwest Regional Sales Manager USA, covering Southern California and the Southwest region. Dino joins...
10/06/2026
An 11% decrease in number of global broadcast deals reflects the organization...
10/06/2026
The Women Without Boundaries Awards recognize women whose work is advancing the future of media, broadcast, AV, workplace technology, digital experience, and re...
10/06/2026
Today is match day minus two for FIFA and HBS. On Thursday, there will be two ma...
10/06/2026
SES is supporting broadcast distribution of the world's biggest football tou...
10/06/2026
NDI has announced that BirdDog has become the first hardware manufacturer to achieve full NDI 6.3 compatibility across its complete lineup of cameras, encoders,...
10/06/2026
Vince Caputo and Scott Carter, winners of the 2026 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Post Produced Audio have been announced as presenters for the 2026 SVG Advanced A...
10/06/2026
FOX One today unveiled a slate of new product features and enhancements designed to elevate the viewing experience for fans on the official streaming platform o...
10/06/2026
Primary production partners Dome Productions and Raycom Sports once again played...
10/06/2026
The Women in Sports Filmmaking Experienceship is an immersive professional devel...
10/06/2026
The league has expanded its HSAN architecture for the NBA Finals to manage more ...
10/06/2026
The inaugural MoonPay X Games League (XGL) Winter Draft will take place Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at Cosm Los Angeles from 7-9 p.m. PT. The event will strea...
10/06/2026
The University of Oklahoma (OU) Athletics Department and Learfield have announce...
10/06/2026
The Video Services Forum (VSF) has released TR-06-4 Part 8, a new specification for RIST Satellite-Hybrid: Out-of-Band Method. The specification creates a mecha...
10/06/2026
Riedel Communications provided the communications infrastructure for the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Lisbon, supporting live medical proc...
10/06/2026
A still from The Doom Generation by Gregg Araki (Courtesy of Sundance Institute)
By Lucy Spicer
Have you checked out our Sundance Film Festival 101 list yet...
10/06/2026
Get Hands-On with Interfaces & Mic Preamp Brands
If youre after a new interface or preamp, then GearExpo UK is the place to be! Well have a whole host of au...
10/06/2026
November 13-14 2026, The Midway, San Francisco
Following their recent rebranding, MONO Music Conference (formerly Music Expo) have officially announced thei...
10/06/2026
Debut instrument free for limited time
deFORM is the debut release from newly founded developer ebbandflow, and it's being offered as a free download fo...
10/06/2026
Alone Australia Season 4: Meet the Cast
10 June, 2026
Media releases
WATCH THE TRAILER
Smash-hit survival series Alone Australia drops its highly anticipa...
10/06/2026
DEADLY THEN, DEADLY NOW, DEADLY ALWAYS: SBS & NITV IGNITE NAIDOC WEEK 2026 WITH ...
10/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and TRUMPF advance laser-based drone defense with THORIS LCS Rohde & Schwarz is showcasing THORIS at ILA 2026: A sovereign, end to end counter...
10/06/2026
MAHLE and Rohde & Schwarz develop application for sensor testing of modern drive...
10/06/2026
Production and Development Funding supports the creation of compelling, commercially viable, artistic and culturally relevant South African screen content. Deve...
10/06/2026
Media buyers and sellers can now compare YouTube reach from computer, mobile, an...
10/06/2026
Accedo, Humans not Robots, and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) have announced the launch of Ecoflow X. Formerly an IBC Accelerator project, ...
10/06/2026
Frequency, the engine powering the world's leading streaming television channels, today announced that James Smith has joined the company as General Manager...
10/06/2026
At the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Lisbon, Riedel Communications provided the communications infrastructure for live medical procedures s...
10/06/2026
Globecast, a leading provider of broadcast, media, and entertainment managed services, today announced the launch of its Content Exchange platform powered by Or...
10/06/2026
Klvr will showcase how venues, integrators and production teams are rethinking disposable battery usage at InfoComm 2026 (Las Vegas, June 17-19, booth #N6311). ...
10/06/2026
The Video Services Forum (VSF) has further enhanced the Reliable Internet Streaming Transport (RIST) protocol by incorporating a new feature, RIST Satellite-Hyb...
10/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/06/2026
10 Jun 2026
VEON's Banglalink Brings Every World Cup 2026 Match to Football...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
How to watch every ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 match live on Sky Sports
Where is the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 availabl...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
P RLA brings first-ever Beautifully Clean Oral Care'...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
Sky reveals pulse-pounding first teaser trailer for upco...
10/06/2026
Wuppertal June 10, 2026
Riedel Artist at the Heart of the 14th World Live Neurovascular ConferenceAt the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Li...
10/06/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Showcases New Mobile Experience, Collections and Games Vision in APAC
Product
10 June 2026
GlobalSouth KoreaJapan
Link copied to c...
10/06/2026
Back to All News
Ready to Join? The Netflix Fan Club Arrives at Cannes Lions
Business
10 June 2026
Global
Link copied to clipboard
Download all assets
N...
10/06/2026
Chemists snap together complex 3D molecules from highly reactive radicals-without losing their shape Scripps Research team develops stereoretentive radical-radi...
09/06/2026
Kiswe announces an expanded long-term partnership with ONE Championship (ONE), t...
09/06/2026
SiriusXM will broadcast FOX Sports' English-language commentary for all 104 FIFA World Cup 2026 matches from June 11 through July 19, available to subscribe...
09/06/2026
EVS has announced it is changing its corporate name from EVS Broadcast Equipment to EVS, reflecting the company's expanded portfolio beyond broadcast equipm...
09/06/2026
Fox Corporation and the NFL have announced a multi-year agreement to bring NFL c...
UKTV today announces the acquisition of Hotel Portofino (2 x 6x60') for U and U&DRAMA. The first series will air on Friday 27th September at 9pm, followed by a UK premiere of the second series later in the year. The hit drama, produced by Eagle Eye Drama in association with Beta Film, which also handles international distribution, has been sold to over 70 territories, including Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and North America where is has been released to great acclaim.
