At its 48^th annual Showcase event BBC Studios unveils a range of international sales for compelling drama series, Beyond Paradise, Blue Lights, Boiling Point and The Famous Five.

Beyond Paradise Series One, a spin-off from perennial favourite Death in Paradise (Red Planet Pictures), follows DI Humphrey Goodman and his fiancée, Martha as they leave London to start a new life on the Devon coast, where DI Humphrey sets out to help crack a host of baffling cases. Each week the team face a new crime with a unique puzzle at its heart which helped the series become one of the UK’s biggest new dramas of 2023. Co-commissioned by the BBC and BritBox International, the series has captured sales in 40 countries, including Germany (ZDF), Italy (Mediaset), New Zealand (Sky), Nordics (BritBox), Portugal (STAR Crime) and Spain (COSMO and Atreseries). The show also premiered on BBC First in Australia, Poland, Turkey, Belgium and the Netherlands where it became the highest performing title ever for the channel.

The tense and visceral adaptation of the hit film, Boiling Point, delves into the high stakes and chaos of running a new kitchen and how the team must find a way to manage their complicated personal lives whilst creating quality food day in, day out. Starring an exciting ensemble cast including the remarkable Stephen Graham and Vinette Robinson and produced by Ascendant Fox and Matriarch Productions with Made Up Productions for the BBC, the series has garnered widespread interest, with sales confirmed in Africa (M-NET and ShowMax), Cyprus (CyBC), France (CANAL+), Finland (YLE), Greece (CINOBO), New Zealand (TVNZ) and the Netherlands (NPO). The show has also premiered on BBC First in Australia, Belgium and the Netherlands and will reach new heights with it being licensed to numerous airlines including Emirates and Singapore Airlines.

The Northern Ireland set critically-acclaimed crime drama Blue Lights (Gallagher Films/Two Cities Television) which follows three rookie police officers as they navigate their entry into the police force, has proved popular with international buyers with strong sales for the first series. Territories which have snapped up the series include, Africa (M-NET and ShowMax), Australia (SBS), Canada (BBC First, Blue Ant Media)  Cyprus (CyBC), Denmark (DR), Estonia (ERR), France (POLAR+), Finland (YLE), Greece (COSMOTE TV), Iceland (RUV), Latvia (LTV), New Zealand (Warner Bros Discovery ANZ, Three Now), Netherlands (NPO), Norway (NRK), North America (BritBox), Spain (Movistar Plus+) and Sweden (TV4). Out of Home sales include Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Etihad. The show also premiered on BBC First in Poland and Turkey.

Nicolas Winding Refn (byNWR) and Matthew Read (Moonage Pictures, one of BBC Studios’ invested indies) bring Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five to life with a new and fresh reimagining of the iconic stories. It follows the adventures of five daring explorers as they embark upon remarkable mysteries, unparalleled danger and outstanding secrets in an unforgettable odyssey. Commissioned by the BBC in co-production with German ZDF and in association with The Mediapro Studio The Famous Five has found its home in Africa (M-NET and ShowMax), Australia (Stan), France (TF1), Greece (COSMOTE TV), Korea (KT) and New Zealand (Warner Bros Discovery ANZ, Three Now). The series has also been acquired by BBC First for the Netherlands and Belgium.

Nick Percy, President of Global Media & Streaming at BBC Studios, said: “From exploring the intricacies of running a new kitchen amid personal struggles in Boiling Point, to the gripping drama of rookie police officers in Northern Ireland in Blue Lights, these sales are a testament to the appeal of thought-provoking storytelling that transcends borders and brings people together. Beyond Paradise, Blue Lights, Boiling Point, and The Famous Five have all resonated with international audiences, capturing sales in multiple countries. It’s great to see the global reach of these compelling drama series.”

New scripted titles presented to international buyers at BBC Studios’ Showcase 2024 include Firebird Pictures, one of BBC Studios’ owned production labels, The Jetty (4 x 60”), a four part crime thriller starring Jenna Coleman (Wilderness, The Serpent) which asks big questions about sexual morality, identity and memory, in the places that Me Too has left behind.

Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story (6 x 30”) is a factual drama from BBC Studios’ River Pictures in association with ZDF Neo. It tells the story of Chloe Ayling, a British model who was abducted in Italy in 2017, in full for the first time and goes behind the headlines to shine a light on the shocking truth.

Other titles include the Hartswood Films production for ITV1 and ITVX in association with Sky Showtime’s Douglas is Cancelled (4 x 45’) written by globally renowned screenwriter and executive producer Steven Moffat (Doctor Who, Dracula, Sherlock). The series is a comedy drama about cancel culture, set in the world of television news and stars Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, Paddington), as respected news presenter, Douglas, and Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Who) as his sharper, savvier co-anchor, Madeline. 

Created and starring Michelle de Swarte (The Baby) and produced by Various Artists Limited, one of BBC Studios’ minority invested companies, Spent (6 x 30”) is a comedy series which follows the story of a former catwalk model who finds herself broke, pushing 40 and struggling to find somewhere to sleep. The party is officially over and Mia must now come back down to planet earth with a bump and learn to navigate her new reality, it’s not quite the champagne reception she was hoping for.