Russian deal for Mother

MIPTV: Russian general entertainment network CTC has picked up local production rights to 20th Century Fox’s sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

CTC will air its version of the show this fall. The Emmy-winning series is the latest in a string of US and other foreign comedies localised by CTC, including The Nanny, Grace Under Fire, Everybody Loves Raymond, Who’s the Boss? Home Improvement and Ugly Betty.

How I Met Your Mother is CTC’s first 20th Century Fox project since the launch of the US studio’s scripted formats initiative last year.

CTC’s local version features top Russian talent and is produced by Goodstorymedia. It is exec produced by Artyom Loginov, Anton Shchyukin, Anton Zaytsev and CTC Network’s CEO and CTC Media’s chief content officer Vyacheslav Murugov (Everybody Loves Raymond).

CTC Network’s Konstantin Naumochkin (The Nanny, Everybody Loves Raymond) will act as one of the series’ creative producers.

“We’re not surprised this format is getting tremendous traction around the world,” said 20th Century Fox Television chairmen Gary Newman and Dana Walden. “These vividly drawn characters and the show’s central theme of searching for a soulmate are universal in their appeal. We expect this Russian version to be the first of many international takes on this series.”

In the US, How I Met Your Mother has been renewed for a sixth season by CBS.