Netflix takes The Fall with UK drama buy

Netflix has acquired season two of edgy UK serial killer drama The Fall for North America.

The streaming service will launch the six-part drama in mid-January.

It launched last night on BBC Two in the UK, garnering a respectable 2.5 million viewers.

Season one of the series, in which the serial killer (50 Shades of Grey’s Jamie Dornan) is identified at the start, was the highest rated drama for a decade on BBC Two, and also attracted criticism for its abrupt ending.

Gillian Anderson (The X Files) stars as the detective hunting the killer.

It is written by Allan Cubitt (Prime Suspect 2) and produced by Fables Production and Gub Neal’s Artists Studios, which was bought by Endemol earlier this year.

Endemol’s distribution arm struck the Netflix deal. Season one of the show is already on Netflix in the US.

“The Fall in its first series, was one of the best reviewed TV shows of 2013. It is incredibly suspenseful storytelling, topped with a great cast including Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan,” said Ted Sarandos, chief content officer at Netflix.