Mola, SBS, Now TV shop at Keshet

The Trial of Christine Keeler centres on a real-life political scandal

Indonesia’s Mola TV and Australian pubcaster SBS are among the broadcasters around the world to have picked up scripted series from Keshet International (KI), the distribution arm of Israel’s Keshet Media Group.

Mola TV has bought the Indian version of Prisoners of War (110×30’), a scripted series loosely based on Keshet’s Israeli drama Hatufim (adapted as Homeland in the US) and produced by Emmay Entertainment. Mola will show the series on its pay TV channel and streaming platform.

The Indonesian broadcaster has also acquired The Brave (13×60’), a coproduction between Universal Television and Keshet Studios, and Australian prodco Seven Studios’ Secret Bridesmaids’ Business (6×60’).

Anna Akana-fronted comedy Miss 2059 (10×12’) and HBO and Keshet Studios’ Our Boys (10×60’), which is based on events leading up to war in Gaza in 2014, have also been bought by Mola TV.

Our Boys has also been picked up by SBS, which has come in for season three of autism drama The A Word (6×30’) as well. The latter is made by London-based Keshet Productions and Fifty Fathoms, with SBS also buying the catch-up rights to the first two seasons.

Elsewhere, Hong Kong pay channel Now TV has also bought Our Boys in a package deal that also includes historical drama The Trial of Christine Keeler (6×60’), which was originally produced for UK channel BBC1. The series tells the story of the Profumo Affair, which rocked UK politics in the 1960s, and is produced by London’s Ecosse Films and Great Meadow Productions.

Global distributor BBC Studios has also taken The Trial of Christine Keeler for its UKTV channel in New Zealand. The series has previously been picked up in the US by HBO Max, Australia (ABC), Benelux and Africa (BBC First), the Netherlands (NPO) and Spain (Cosmo TV).

Further Keshet sales into New Zealand include TVNZ’s purchase of The Brave, Secret Bridesmaids’ Business and Dig.

Kelly Wright, Keshet International’s senior VP of distribution and new business, said: “The rise of local SVoDs has broadened not only the number of outlets but also the type of content you can sell as well, particularly in Asia. We are thrilled to see our shows finding new broadcast partners in the region. It is an exciting time to be a distributor.”