‘Bloodlands’ anticipation builds with Australia and Europe pre-sales

Broadcasters and platforms in Australia and across Europe have picked up British crime thriller Bloodlands.

SBS Australia, VRT Belgium, C-More Scandinavia, NPO Netherlands, TV2 Norway and TV4 Sweden are the latest to have acquired broadcast rights, following last week’s announcement that AMC-owned Acorn had secured the series for the US and Canada.

The 4 x 60-minute series, which was written by Chris Brandon and exec produced by Jed Mercurio, is the first drama series from the newly-formed Hat Trick Mercurio Television, and stars James Nesbitt (The Missing) as a veteran detective with a personal connection to an infamous cold case that has just reopened.

The show’s creator, Chris Brandon, told TBI that Bloodlands was “at its heart, a universal story of what we will do for love when faced with extreme circumstances.”

Mercurio, who is exec producing the series through his new production company, is known for his work on ratings hits such as Line Of Duty and Bodyguard.

Bloodlands will first premiere on BBC1 in the UK and is being distributed globally by Hat Trick International, whose director of sales Sarah Tong commented: “We are continuing to find strong demand for new, high-end drama from our international clients.  With its strong creative credentials, both in front of and behind the camera, Bloodlands is an intense and thrilling series which will have wide appeal globally.”