Germany’s Premiere pounces on new ABC dramas

In Germany, pay-TV broadcaster Premiere has secured a deal to transmit two new American dramas almost immediately after the shows debut in the US.

The deal with Buena Vista International Television (BVITV) means that Premiere has a broadcast slot for ensemble one-hour drama series Desperate Housewives on October 14. The ABC network launches the dark comedy about a group of upmarket suburban wives on October 3.

Lost, meanwhile, has a tx date of October 6 on Premiere, following its arrival on ABC on September 22. Both series will be broadcast in English.

“With this extraordinary offer, Premiere has built up its selection of hot new programming, enabling subscribers to have a look at the highest profile US drama series,” said Premiere’s head of programming of Rainer Ingber.

“To work with Premiere to license these series for such an early broadcast on pay TV in Germany, is a pioneering and exciting move for us,” added BVITV’s senior vice president and managing director of EMEA, Tom Toumazis.

Both shows were launched at the LA Screenings back in May. Created and exec produced by Marc Cherry (The Golden Girls) and Charles Pratt Jr (General Hospital and Melrose Place), Desperate Housewives stars Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman and Marcia Cross, whose characters are spied upon by a deceased former neighbour.

Behind action thriller Lost are Alias creator J J Abrams and Crossing Jordan’s Damon Lindelof. The hour follows what happens to survivors of a plane crash who are stranded on a remote desert island.