London TV Screenings 2024: Abacus Media Rights secures sales for crime drama series

"Catch Me a Killer" series has been acquired by BritBox North America, SBS Australia, UKTV's Alibi channel, BBC First in Benelux and Poland, AXN's Mystery Channel/NHK Enterprises (NEP) in Japan, and CosmoteTV Greece.

28 FEB 2024

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UK's Abacus Media Rights announced sales of two of its crime drama series during the London TV Screenings. First, "Catch Me A Killer" has been acquired by BritBox North America, SBS Australia, UKTV's Alibi channel, BBC First in Benelux and Poland, AXN's Mystery Channel/NHK Enterprises (NEP) in Japan, and CosmoteTV Greece. The series has additionally been chosen as part of the International Panorama selection and will be screened at Series Mania next month. The show (9 x one hour plus 1 x 90', but is also available as 11 x one hour) is produced by the British company Cmak Films and the German Night Train Media for the pay-TV channel M-Net South Africa. Based on the book of the same name, this intriguing drama series tells the harrowing true story of former journalist-turned-psychologist Micki Pistorius ("Charlotte Hope," "The Spanish Princess," "Game of Thrones") – South Africa's first serial killer profiler.

Abacus Media Rights has also sold the compelling crime drama "Scrublands" to the BBC in the UK and Ireland, RTE Ireland, Warner Bros Discovery New Zealand, and Cosmoste TV Greece. As previously announced, "Scrublands," a Stan Australia and Nine Network Original, has also been acquired by AMC Networks' streamer Sundance Now (USA and English-speaking Canada). The title is a 4 x one-hour crime series produced by the Australian company Easy Tiger Productions, is based on the award-winning novel written by Chris Hammer and stars Luke Arnold ("Black Sails," "Never Tear Us Apart: The Untold Story of INXS"), Jay Ryan ("It Chapter Two," "Top of the Lake") and Bella Heathcote ("C*A*U*G*H*T," "Relic"). The series is directed by Greg McLean, written by Felicity Packard, Kelsey Munro, and Jock Serong, and produced by Ian Collie, Rob Gibson, David Redman, and Felicity Packard.

As previously announced, the company has additionally secured sales to UKTV for their Alibi channel and France Télévisions for "The Boy That Never Was," a four-hour drama series based on the best-selling novel by Karen Perry. "The Boy That Never Was" has been commissioned by RTÉ with support from Screen Ireland and stars award-winning actor Colin Morgan ("Belfast," "Legend"), Toni O'Rourke ("God's Creatures," "Calm with Horses"), Kerr Logan ("Alias Grace," "Strike") and Simon Callow ("The Witcher", "Four Weddings and a Funeral"), and is directed by award-winning director Hannah Quinn ("Vikings: Valhalla, Disenchanted2, "Fate: The Winx Saga").