Worldwide touts drama sales ahead of Showcase

BBC Worldwide has shopped several of its drama series to buyers, including SS-GB to RTL in Germany and War and Peace to an SVOD service in Russia.

SS-GB, which was a key title at Showcase last year, launched on BBC One last night in the UK.

The alternative history drama has been acquired by RTL Pay, alongside period true-crime drama Rillington Place.

The adaptation of classic Russian novel War and Peace has already been sold to a free TV network in Russia, and Worldwide has now struck a digital deal for the series, with IVI picking it up.

Elsewhere in Europe, Italian pubcaster Rai has bought Doctor Foster for its Rai Cinema channel, VRT in Belgium has acquired Maigret, and TV2 in Denmark has acquired The Durrells.

Further afield, In Brazil, where Worldwide has been staffing up, Brazilian net Globo has bought War and Peace.

Worldwide was talking up recent drama sales as its Showcase event gets underway in Liverpool.

Key drama titles this year include the new Top of the Lake series, Jimmy McGovern’s Broken, and organised crime show McMafia.

Worldwide’s drama boss Liam Keelan recently told TBI about the Showcase drama plans ahead of the event, which begins today.