Designated Survivor heads to Channel 5

Designated Survivor with Kiefer Sutherland

MIPTV: Viacom-owned UK commercial broadcaster Channel 5 has picked up a pair of US drama series from transatlantic producer and distributor Entertainment One (eOne).

Crime procedural The Detail and Kiefer Sutherland-fronted political thriller Designated Survivor will air on the UK terrestrial net following a deal brokered by eOne VP of international sales Patrick Roberts,  C5 and Viacom International Media Networks UK VP and head of acquisitions Katie Keenan and acting C5 acquisitions and channel manager Cherry Yeandle.

The Detail (10×60’) stars Angela Griffin and focuses on three female homicide investigators who must balance the demands of work with issues in their personal lives.

The show was originally produced for Canada’s CTV by Ilana Frank’s ICF Films and eOne. Fox Networks in the Middle East, Yes DBS in Israel and SBS in Belgium are among the other international broadcasters to have picked it up, with France Télévisions also previously taking the show.

Designated Survivor, meanwhile, has previously been available to UK audiences via Netflix but will now get a terrestrial airing on C5.

The series features a lower-level cabinet minister who suddenly becomes president after an attack on the US Capitol during the State of the Union.

ABC in the US premiered the show, which is also available on CTV and around the world on Netflix.

eOne has closed a number of other deals here in Cannes this week for shows including Mary Kills People (12×60’), which is going to Fox Networks in The Middle East, Ziggo in the Netherlands and Movistar+, Telefonica’s pay television network in Spain.

Ice (20×60’) has been sold to Sony AXN in Germany, Switzerland and Austria as well as AMC Iberia/Multicanal in Spain and Portugal for Xtrm Channel.

Finally, Cardinal (18×60’) has been sold to Italy’s LaF, the Feltrinelli pay TV channel available on Sky.