Pandemic series ‘Contagion’ sold to European, Asian broadcasters

Contagion

UK production house Rare TV’s medical documentary Contagion has been picked up for re-broadcast in several countries in light of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The one-hour special was originally commissioned by BBC Four and first broadcast in 2018. It was retransmitted on the UK pubcaster last month and has since been sold by UK-based distributor Magnify Media to TV4 in Sweden, NRK in Norway, RSI in Switzerland, TRT in Turkey, PTS in Taiwan and RTHK in Hong Kong.

Contagion, which was produced long before the current Coronavirus outbreak, sees Dr Hannah Fry create a mathematical model to help predict and plan for the impact of a pandemic on the UK.

Andrea Jackson, CEO of Magnify Media, said: “This is not only an intelligent and informative documentary, but it’s also a timely one in the light of the misinformation and uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus.

“Contagion is a sensitively made programme that explains how pandemics evolve and move around communities, based on reliable modelling techniques and technology.

“The take-away is that, when it comes to a pandemic, knowledge is our best protection. If we understand how viruses behave, we can learn how to keep ourselves safe and calm, and avoid panicking ourselves into a greater crisis.”