Netflix gets Bodyguard

World Productions’ Bodyguard was created by Jed Mercurio

RTS: Netflix is to stream hit BBC drama Bodyguard around the world after agreeing a deal with distributor ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVSGE).

The five-part series from Line of Duty writer Jed Mercurio concludes on BBC1 with a 75-minute episode this Sunday, having pulled in 10.4 million consolidated viewers for its first episode – the best performance of any BBC drama in 10 years.

The show is produced by World Productions, in which ITV took a majority stake in May last year.  ITVSGE struck a deal with Netflix at the script stage.

The SVoD firm will make Bodyguard available to its subscribers outside the UK, Ireland and China from October 24.

Starring Keeley Hawes (Line of Duty, The Missing) and Game of Thrones’ Richard Madden, the series focuses on a controversial UK home secretary and her troubled protection officer.

Carolyn McCall, ITV’s new CEO, told the Royal Television Society Conference in London today that Bodyguard’s success was good news for her firm despite it airing on a rival channel and beating its own adaptation of Vanity Fair in the Sunday night ratings.

“I’m delighted it’s doing 10 million on BBC because it’s brilliant TV and it’s made by ITV Studios,” McCall said.

“It’s a win. It’s a win for TV and it’s very good for us because we’re a commercial public service broadcaster and we’ve made quite a lot of money on Bodyguard because we produced it and we also did a co-licensing with Netflix on board.”

McCall added that Vanity Fair, which went up against Bodyguard on Sunday nights and has been dwarfed by its BBC rival, “is doing OK.”