BritBox takes on multi-genre package from Sphere Abacus for Best of British service

Soho Studios and Two Rivers’ Travels with Agatha Christie with Sir David Suchet

MIPCOM: International SVoD streamer BritBox has secured a package of multi-genre UK productions for its Best of British North American service in the US and Canada from Sphere Media’s distribution arm Sphere Abacus.

The new package, spanning non-fiction, true crime, entertainment and drama, includes the BritBox and Channel 4 co-commissioned doc series Travels With Agatha Christie with Sir David Suchet (5×60’) from Soho Studios and Two Rivers Media.

The series, which features Poirot actor Suchet following crime writer’s footsteps internationally, will launch on Channel 4 in the UK and BritBox in North America and the Nordics, and has also been picked up by SBS in Australia.

Also included is the celebratory doc Agatha Christie: 100 Years of Poirot and Miss Marple (aka Agatha Christie: 100 Years of Suspense, 1×67’), which explores Agatha Christie’s 10 most iconic works to mark the centenary of the publication of her debut novel. The special is produced by Honey Bee Media.

Other unscripted titles in the deal, announced on the first day of Mipcom here in Cannes, include Channel 4 comedy panel show Jon & Lucy’s Odd Couples (6×60’), made by King of Sunshine; true crime titles The Murder of Sandra Rivett (1×90’), from Woodcut Media; and Breaking Dad: Britain’s Unlikeliest Drug Dealer (2×60’), from Big Little Fish; documentary Diana: The Interview That Shook the World (1×60’), from Rogan Productions.

The package also includes the single drama Susan Hill’s The Small Hand: A Ghost Story (1×94’), adapted from the book and produced by Awesome and Two Rivers Media.

Sphere Abacus is new name of UK distributor Abacus Media Rights, which was acquired by https://www.c21media.net/news/canadas-sphere-media-completes-18m-abacus-media-rights-acquisition/ Canadian production group Sphere Media in September.