UKTV has picked up Alcatraz and Hart of Dixie from Warner Bros, after reshuffling its team in the wake of Gold and Watch general manager Paul Moreton’s resignation.
The UK diginet will air the 13×60′ JJ Abrams sci-fi drama on Watch in January 2012, following its mid-season debut on Fox in the US. It has also picked up (22×60′) comedy drama Hart of Dixie for Really. The CW series will get a spring 2012 debut.
The acquisitions come as UKTV rejigs management after Moreton quit to join Merlin Magic Making as group creative director from early 2012. The company is part of Merlin Entertainments, which owns tourist attractions such as Legoland and Alton Towers.
Steve North, currently general manager of Dave, will add comedy network Gold to his duties, while Alibi general Steve Hornsey will take over running entertainment channel Watch.
Emma Tennant, UKTV’s controller said: “Both are incredibly strong general managers who have demonstrated have strong commercial and brand acumen but are also excellent creative programmers.”
North led the rebranding of male-skewing entertainment channel Dave from UKTV G2, and has overseen a commissioning slate that includes Red Dwarf: Back to Earth, Jo Brand’s Big Splash and panel show Argumental.
Hornsey oversaw the rebranding of UKTV Drama into crime channel Alibi, which airs US imports including Castle, Rizzoli and Isles, and Body of Proof.
He has also overseen a co-production deal with Canadian production company Shaftesbury Films to bring five series of the hit detective series Murdoch Mysteries to the UK.
In August, Scripps acquired Virgin Media’s 50% stake in UKTV in a deal worth £340m (US$553.5m) and making it a joint venture partner with BBC Worldwide. Later that month, C21 revealed that UKTV will boost its programming budget by £50m over the next five years.
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