Titanic, Scandi drama sell for ZDFE

MIPTV: The distribution arm of German pubcaster ZDF has clocked up multiple sales with the help of Titanic-related content and its portfolio of Scandinavian crime drama.

ZDF Enterprises (ZDFE) has sold feature-length doc Saving the Titanic (1×90’) to Canada’s CBC, France’s Planète and Slovakia’s STV, along with Julian Fellowes-penned drama miniseries Titanic (2×90′). The latter has also been picked up by Croatia’s HRT and Austria’s ORF.

Season one (20×60’) of Danish crime drama The Killing has gone to Italy’s Rai 4 and Croatia’s HRT; Danish-Swedish coproduction The Bridge (5×110’) to Poland’s Ale Kino/Canal+ Poland; and season two of Danish crime drama The Protectors (5×100’) to Australia’s SBS.

On the documentary front, Werner Herzog’s films about death-row prisoners Into the Abyss (1×90’) and Death Row (4×60’) have both been sold to Discovery Italia, Discovery Nederland and Belgium’s VRT. Poland’s Ale Kino/Canal+ also picked up Death Row.

Meanwhile, TV3 in Catalonia and France 5 each acquired a larger package of documentaries.

ZDFE also reported continuing appetite for factual reality content, with the sale of Alaska State Troopers season three (13×60’) to Canada’s Shaw Media and The Delta Divers (2×45’) to Planète in France.

The company’s children’s portfolio includes Jonathan M Shiff’s latest live-action series Lightning Point (26×26’), which has gone to Portugal’s SIC, Finland’s YLE, Hungary’s MTVA and Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) Europe for German-speaking Europe.

Meanwhile, STV and MTVA have both picked up Aussie talent series Dance Academy (52×26’), following the sale of the series to TeenNick in the US earlier this year. Austria’s ORF has picked up the 3D animated series Jungle Book season one (52×11’), with TBS Europe taking season two (52×11’) for German-speaking Europe, along with Roary the Racing Car (52×10’).