Drama round-up: Netflix takes BBC’s ‘A Suitable Boy’ global; Sundance Now takes ITV drama ‘Des’

Netflix snags BBC’s Suitable Boy

Netflix has confirmed that it has secured the upcoming adaptation of author Vikram Seth’s novel A Suitable Boy, following its premiere in the UK and Ireland on BBC1 later this month.

The streamer struck a deal with BBC Studios, which owns the series’ UK-based prodco Lookout Point, for exclusive streaming outside of Canada, the US and China. The series will be available on Netflix in the UK and Ireland 12 months after its premiere on BBC1.

The series is based upon Seth’s 1993 novel; set in 1951, it tells the story of a spirited Indian university student Lata whose mother is determined to find her a husband – a suitable boy.

Lata is torn between family duty and the excitement of romance, but the show is more than simply a coming of age story in northern India – instead it reflects not just the experiences of the show’s lead character but of the country as a whole.

The series’ director Mira Nair told TBI earlier this year that working on the adaptation was a passion project. “I’ve carried a torch for A Suitable Boy since it was written in 1993,” she said back in April. “I’m a friend of Vikram Seth and knew him while he was writing it and I’ve read it three times – it’s quite a long thing to read three times.

“It’s set three years after independence, the year my parents got married and it was always when I wanted to be born, because it was when India was learning to be what it was.”

Sundance Now, Stan snag ITV drama Des

All3media International has secured early deals for new true crime drama Des, starring David Tennant.

The show, which will debut on ITV in the UK, is based on the true story of serial killer Dennis Nilsen and is produced by UK-based New Pictures.

The three-parter will also now become available via AMC Networks’ streaming service Sundance Now for the US, Canada and the Caribbean, with an air date shortly after ITV’s premiere.

DirecTV has picked up rights for the Latin American region, whilst SVOD Stan has a premiere window in Australia.

C More Entertainment has rights in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, while additional pick-ups include: VRT (Flemish Belgium), Siminn hf (Iceland), TV2 (Norway), Virgin Media Television (Eire) and TVNZ in New Zealand.