BBC Studios, Youku in drama deal

Jodie Whittaker in long-running BBC hit Doctor Who

SHOWCASE: BBC Studios (BBCS) has agreed a drama content deal with Alibaba Group’s Chinese streaming platform Youku.

The deal involves the extended licensing of all four seasons of Sherlock and an agreement for more than 80 hours of BBCS drama programming including Good Omens, Sanditon, the latest season of Doctor Who and seasons one to three of Luther.

Also included are the HD versions of comedies Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister, which will air in China for the first time. The shows will launch on Youku from this month.

BBCS has been partnering with Youku for more than 10 years, supplying drama, children’s shows, documentaries and other genres. The Chinese streamer has the largest library of British drama in mainland China, providing users with more than 350 hours of BBCS content.

Following this latest deal, Youku will be the only Chinese video platform to air the entire Doctor Who series.

“Our ambition is to be the number-one platform for British drama, and we are committed to delivering the freshest content to Chinese users,” said Xie Ying, Youku TV Series Centre general manager.

In other news announced at the BBC Studios Showcase event in Liverpool this week, South Korean broadcast group JTBC has secured the remake rights to BBC1 drama The Split.

The Split – originally produced by the multi-award winning makers of Chernobyl, Sister Pictures – will be remade for Korean audiences, marking its first international format deal. Created and written by Emmy and Bafta winner Abi Morgan (River, Suffragette, The Hour), The Split was first broadcast in the UK on BBC1 in 2018.

Following the story of Hannah Stern (Nicola Walker) and her family, the series examines the fast-paced circuit of high-powered female divorce lawyers through the lens of three sisters as they navigate complex relationships. The Korean version has been slated to launch in 2021.

The deal for The Split follows the 2018 agreement between BBC Studios and JTBC for the Korean version of fellow BBC show Doctor Foster, which will air in Korea this March on JTBC channel.