BBC First makes drama debut

BBC Worldwide (BBCWW)’s new drama-focused brand BBC First has made its inaugural local commission in partnership with UK channel BBC2 for a seven-part series about deportees sent to Australia.

Banished is loosely inspired by events in the 18th century when Britain established a penal colony on the other side of the world and follows the relationships of early settlers, criminals and soldiers.

It will air on BBC2 in April 2015 and then on BBC First, a new premium drama and comedy channel operated by BBCWW that is being launched on Foxtel in Australia this year. The series will also air on UKTV in New Zealand, with BBCWW appointed as the show’s international distributor.

The show has been written by Jimmy McGovern and will star Myanna Buring (Ripper Street), Russell Tovey (Being Human), Julian Rhind-Tutt (The Hour) and David Wenham (Top Of The Lake).

It will be coproduced by RSJ Films (Accused, The Street) and See-Saw Films (Top Of The Lake, The King’s Speech, Shame), with filming due to begin in April in Australia. Sita Williams, Roxy Spencer and McGovern are attached as exec producers along with Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Jamie Laurenson for See-Saw.

BBCWW, the commercial arm of UK pubcaster the BBC, first unveiled its new brands in October, which are being rolled out across linear and digital channels.

BBC Earth will carry premium factual content and is set to feature as a section on both the broadcaster’s UK website BBC.co.uk and its international online portal BBC.com, while BBC First will act as a home to first-run UK drama.

BBC Brit will target male audiences and offer factual entertainment content such as Top Gear to international viewers. Its first original commission, a DIY motoring show, was revealed to C21 last month.