Tag Archive: RTÉ

  1. Banijay Kids & Family Confirms Raft of Distribution Deals

    Comments Off on Banijay Kids & Family Confirms Raft of Distribution Deals

    Banijay Kids & Family, a global leader in children’s entertainment, behind hit shows such as Totally Spies!and Mr Bean: The Animated Series, today announces a host of new deals, secured by its dedicated commercial and sales division, Banijay Kids & Family Distribution.

    Miniheroes of the Forest season 1 has been picked up for Hong Kong by HK Television Entertainment Company Limited, and Vme Media Inc across the US; Chimera Keepers: Adventures with Incredible Creatures season 1 is heading to Switzerland with Radio Télévision Suisse; Moominvalley has been ordered by Hot Telecommunication Systems Ltd in Israel (season 1), StarTimes for Sub-Saharan Africa (seasons 1-3), and Czech Television in the Czech Republic (season 4); and The Game Catchers season 2 is heading to Ireland with RTE and Hong Kong with HK Television Entertainment Company Limited.

    Cecile Cau, SVP Co-productions, Sales and Acquisitions, Banijay Kids & Family Distribution says: “We have an incredibly strong slate of shows heading into MIPCOM, and as you can see, these titles are proving extremely popular with buyers all around the world. From our fantastic in-house productions to premium third-party titles, we have something for every buyer and platform.”

    Miniheroes of the Forest is produced by Movimenti Production and MoBo, and co-produced by Zodiak Kids & Family France (all part of Banijay Kids & Family). Chimera Keepers: Adventures with Incredible Creatures is produced by Banijay Kids & Family’s Monello Productions with Belvision and RTBF and was in the top 20 most watched shows in the MIPJunior screenings library this year. Moominvalley is produced by Gutsy Animations in collaboration with Yle, Sky, and  Viaplay, Banijay Kids & Family Distribution represents worldwide distribution. The Game Catchers is produced by Studio Bozzetto and Sphere Media, Banijay Kids & Family Distribution represents worldwide distribution.

    Led by Benoît Di Sabatino, Banijay Kids & Family is part of content powerhouse Banijay Entertainment. Its dedicated commercial and sales division, Banijay Kids & Family Distribution, is responsible for the exploitation of linear and non-linear rights for the group’s high-quality animated and live-action kids brands. As part of these efforts, it drives ancillary activity across all platforms, and through brand licensing and digital exploitation.

  2. Global Buyers Catch Welsh Crime Drama The One That Got Away From Banijay Rights

    Comments Off on Global Buyers Catch Welsh Crime Drama The One That Got Away From Banijay Rights

    Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of content powerhouse Banijay Entertainment, today announces that UK public broadcaster the BBC has acquired new crime drama series The One That Got Away for BBC Wales, BBC Four and BBC iPlayer, as MIPCOM 2024 gets underway.

    Produced by BlackLight TV (a Banijay UK company), the series has also been acquired by SVT in Sweden, RTÉ in Ireland and Warner Bros Discovery in New Zealand in deals negotiated by the Banijay Rights global sales team.

    Written by Catherine Tregenna (Law & Order UK, Lewis, DCI Banks) and starring Elen Rhys (The Mallorca Files, Craith/Hidden), Richard Harrington (Y Gwyll/Hinterland) and Rhian Blythe (Y Golau / The Light in the Hall, Craith / Hidden), The One That Got Away is a psychologically driven thriller that sees DI Ffion Lloyd (Rhys) partnering up with her ex-lover DS Rick Walters (Harrington) to find out who is responsible for murdering a nurse in a Welsh coastal town. The series is the English language version of Welsh-language drama Cleddau, an original series for Welsh language broadcaster S4C.

    Chris Stewart, SVP Sales, UK & Eire, Banijay Rights, who brokered the BBC deal, said: “The One That Got Away is a thrilling new crime drama that combines gripping murder mystery with an electrifying love story. Set against the coastal backdrops of beautiful West Wales and fronted by a stellar cast, the series reinforces the BBC’s reputation in showcasing the strength in Welsh storytelling and helping to bring the best in Welsh drama to a global stage.”

    Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, says: “The One That Got Away is a deliciously dark and atmospheric thriller – sure to keep BBC viewers gripped to the very end…”

    Ben Bickerton and Phil Trethowan, Joint Managing Directors, BlackLight TV, said: “The One That Got Away is as interested in the personal as it is the professional, with high stakes and captivating characters. We’re delighted it’s found a home in the UK on the BBC and internationally in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and Sweden, where we are sure it will hook and thrill the audience.”

    Filmed and set on location in Pembroke Dock, Wales, the shocking murder of a nurse opens old wounds in a small-town community, throwing a historic conviction into doubt, raising the horrifying prospect of a copycat killer and reuniting two former lovers tasked with finding the killer. With twists and turns leading to a heart-stopping finale, The One That Got Away is a forensic examination of a town, a killer and a relationship, past and present.

    The series was produced by Blacklight TV for S4C and supported by Welsh Government via Creative Wales. The drama is one of several scripted highlights on Banijay Entertainment’s slate for MIPCOM 2024, which includes Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light and the re-imagining of iconic detective drama Bergerac. The company will exhibit at C.20 in Cannes.

  3. Banijay Rights Takes The Hardacres From Rags to Riches

    Comments Off on Banijay Rights Takes The Hardacres From Rags to Riches

    Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of Banijay Entertainment, today announces landmark acquisitions of major new six-part period drama series The Hardacres ahead of MIPCOM 2024 in Cannes next week.

    In deals negotiated across the Banijay Rights global sales team, The Hardacres has been acquired by BritBoxin Australia, TVNZ in New Zealand, TV4 Sweden, MTV in Finland, DR in Denmark, RTÉ in Ireland, BBC Firstin Benelux and, as previously announced, Movistar Plus+ in Spain. Dazzler Media has acquired home entertainment rights for the series in UK.

    Produced by Playground (Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, All Creatures Great and Small), in association with Screen Ireland, Red Berry Productions and Newgrange Pictures for Channel 5 in the UK, the 6 x 60’ series chronicles the lives, loves and fortunes of the working-class Hardacre family as they move from a grimy fish dock to a vast country estate in 1890s Yorkshire, England.

    Cathy Payne, CEO, Banijay Rights and Executive Producer, said“The Hardacres is a sprawling and captivating saga that follows an ordinary family on their rags to riches journey into an extraordinary new world. We’re delighted this series will form part of our exciting line-up of new scripted fare at MIPCOM 2024.

    David Stern, Joint Managing Director, Playground, said: “Inspired by CL Skelton’s epic novels, audiences will undoubtedly fall in love with and root for the Hardacre family as they try to answer the age-old question: Can money truly buy happiness? At its core, The Hardacres is a bold, gutsy, funny and incredibly heartwarming story about a family trying to do their best and stay together in a world that doesn’t always seem to share their values, all enhanced by the remarkable talent in front of and behind the camera which we cannot wait for viewers to experience for themselves.”

    The Hardacres was filmed on location in Dublin and Wicklow, Ireland, and was adapted for television by Amy Roberts and Loren McLaughlan (The Winter King, Call the Midwife) who serve as Lead Writers and Executive Producers. They are joined by Emma Reeves (The Worst Witch) who wrote episode three, and Liz Lake (Waterloo Road) who wrote episode four. Rachel Carey (Deadly Cuts) is Lead Director.

    The Hardacre family consists of Claire Cooper (The Continental, The Peripheral) and Liam McMahon (Hunger, The Secret, Warrior Nun) as loving married couple Mary and Sam Hardacre, alongside Julie Graham (Time, Ridley, Penance), as Mary’s wily mother, Ma, and their three kids, Joe, Liza, and Harry, played by Adam Little (Ackley Bridge, Coronation Street), newcomer Shannon Lavelle and Zak Ford-Williams (Better, Bridgerton).

    The series, commissioned by Deputy Chief Content Officer, Paramount UK, Sebastian Cardwell, alongside Paul Testar, Commissioning Editor, Drama, Channel 5 and Paramount+, is produced by Alex Jones (Witness Number 3, Penance) and co-produced by Jackie Larkin (Strike, Mrs Wilson); Executive Producers are Sir Colin Callender CBE (All Creatures Great and Small, The Undeclared War) and David Stern (Howards End, The Last Tycoon) for Playground, Lesley McKimm (My Name is Emily, Sunlight) for Red Berry Productions, Cathy Payne and Simon Cox for Banijay Rights and Nada Cirjanic and Andrew Byrne for Screen Ireland.

    The Hardacres is one of several scripted highlights on Banijay Entertainment’s slate for MIPCOM 2024, which includes Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light and the re-imagining of iconic detective drama Bergerac. The company will exhibit at C.20 at MIPCOM 2024.

  4. Banijay Rights Takes Marie Antoinette Worldwide

    Comments Off on Banijay Rights Takes Marie Antoinette Worldwide

    Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of content powerhouse Banijay, today announces further landmark sales of historical drama Marie Antoinette.

    Produced by Banijay Studios France, CAPA Drama and Les Gens, this CANAL+ Creation Originale eight-part series – created and written by Deborah Davis (The Favourite) – has been acquired by Antenna Plus (Ant1+) in Greece, Ceska Televize in the Czech Republic, DIRECTV in Latin America and Canada’s national public broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada for CBC Gem (English) and ICI Télé and ICI Tou.tv (French).

    Meanwhile, RTÉ in Ireland, Sky Italia, Radio & Television Slovakia – RTVS and Viaplay across all Nordic and Baltic countries and the Netherlands, have all acquired the drama.

    These agreements follow previous sales of Marie Antoinette to BBC First in Australia, PBS Distribution in the US, and BBC Two and iPlayer in the UK, which reported consolidated viewing figures of 2.1 million for its premiere last month.

    Claire Jago, EVP Sales and Acquisitions, EMEA, Banijay Rights, said: Boasting tour-de-force performances, beautiful scenery and powerful writing from Deborah Davis, Marie Antoinette is an extraordinary drama that continues to appeal to broadcasters and streaming services worldwide. We’re extremely pleased that so many new buyers have acquired this series, which gives one of the most comprehensive accounts of this unique woman to date.”

    Marie Antoinette tells the story of the incredibly modern and avant-garde young queen, played by Emilia Schüle (Ku’damm 56/ 63), with Louis Cunningham (Bridgerton) as the Dauphin of France, Louis XVI.

    The series is produced by Claude Chelli and Margaux Balsan for CAPA Drama, Stéphanie Chartreux for Banijay Studios France, and Christophe Toulemonde for Les Gens. Filming took place in many prestigious historical places including the Châteaux of Versailles, Vaux-le-Vicomte, Lésigny, Champs, Voisins, and in the emblematic studios of Bry-sur-Marne.

    Joining Davis in writing the ambitious drama is Louise Ironside (The Split), Avril E. Russell (All on a Summer’s Day) and Chloë Moss (Run Sister Run). The series is directed by Pete Travis (Bloodlands) and Geoffrey Enthoven (Children of Love).

    Marie Antoinette was a young teenager when she left Austria to marry the Dauphin of France. Growing from a stubborn young princess navigating the rules of the French court under pressure to continue the Bourbon line, to a true fashion icon, she impressed with her natural charisma, and recreated life in Versailles in her image: free, independent and feminist ahead of time. Even with rumours undermining her reputation, the notorious figure would defeat the enemies of the Versailles court with courage and dignity.