BBC Four acquires NBC Universal’s Parks and Recreation

British digital broadcaster BBC Four has acquired long running US sitcom Parks and Recreation after striking a deal with NBC Universal International Television Distribution as part of its latest slate of shows.

The digital spin-off of the British public broadcaster had initially announced that it had acquired the comedy, starring Amy Poehler and Aziz Ansar, in August before revising this. The network will now air the show, which is currently in its fifth season on NBC.

BBC Four has also commissioned a documentary on the life of comedian Richard Pryor, directed by Marina Zenovich (Roman Polanski: Wanted & Desired), as well as PG Wodehouse drama An Innocent Abroad, produced by Great Meadow Productions, Michael Grade and The World’s Oldest Joke and Numb: Simon Amstell Live at The BBC.

The broadcaster has also commissioned two new international dramas; Welsh detective series Hinterland, produced by Fiction Factory, and Inspector Montalbano spin-off Young Montalbano, as well as arts series Treasures of the Louvre and The Riviera: A History in Pictures and science series Pain, Pus and Poison.

“BBC Four is in really great shape at the moment, with share continuing to increase,” says controller Richard Klein. “Looking ahead, there’s much to look forward to and I’m delighted that we have acquired Parks and Recreation, one of America’s smartest comedy series. To accompany this, the channel is taking a year-long look at comedy, with a drama from award-winning writer Nigel Williams about PG Wodehouse and films celebrating some of our oldest jokes, exploring what makes us laugh and showcasing some of our most popular comedians, from Richard Prior to Simon Amstel.”