- Six, 60 minute episodes to be released in the US in early 2020
- Produced by Endor Productions and MR Films
- Co-financed and distributed by Red Arrow Studios International
- UK Premiere delivers high ratings for BBC Two
LONDON. November 25, 2019: Red Arrow Studios International has sold Vienna Blood to PBS in the US. The thrilling six-part crime drama, written by acclaimed screenwriter Steve Thompson (‘Sherlock’, ‘Deep State’) is based on the best-selling Liebermann novels by Frank Tallis.
The series is produced by Endor Productions, a Red Arrow Studios company, and MR Film for Germany’s ZDF and Austria’s ORF. Other funding partners include Televisionfund Austria, TV-Filmfund Vienna and Niederoesterreich Kultur. Red Arrow Studios International has led the co-financing of the series, and is the international distributor.
Maria Bruno Ruiz, Vice President of Program Scheduling at PBS said: “At PBS, we love bringing dramas, rich in texture and intrigue, to our audiences, and we’re delighted to add this series to our line-up. Vienna Blood is a compelling whodunit that captivated us from the start. Our viewers will find themselves transported to turn-of-the-century Vienna, working to uncover the mystery alongside Max Liebermann and Oskar Rheinhardt, at a time when conventional thinking is being challenged and new discoveries are being made. We think that Vienna Blood will become a new audience favorite.”
Bo Stehmeier, President, Red Arrow Studios International said:
“We are delighted that PBS has acquired this bold and ambitious drama, which is starting to build momentum with buyers around the world, including in the UK. We are sure US viewers will be captivated by the gripping storylines, compelling cast and sumptuous backdrop of Vienna.”
Shirley Bowers, VP Sales & Acquisitions, North America, Australia and New Zealand brokered the deal with PBS, who will air the series in early 2020 on PBS, the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel, and Passport.
Red Arrow Studios International has also sold Vienna Blood to the BBC in the UK, where the premiere attracted large audiences to BBC Two when it aired on Monday, November 18. With 1.8m viewers, the series topped the channel’s average slot share of 1.1m by 63% and increased the market share by over 50% (9.2% over 6.0%), making it BBC Two’s second top-rated drama of the year.
The series also premieres on ORF2 in Austria on Friday, December 20, 2019.
Filmed in English on location in Vienna and starring Matthew Beard (‘The Imitation Game’, ‘And When Did You Last See Your Father?’), and Juergen Maurer (‘Vorstadtweiber’, ‘Tatort’), Vienna Blood is set in 1900s Vienna, a hot bed of philosophy, science and art, where a clash of cultures and ideas play out in the city’s grand cafes and opera houses. Max Liebermann (Matthew Beard) is a brilliant young English doctor, studying under the famed psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. When Max comes into contact with Oskar Rheinhardt (Juergen Maurer), an Austrian Detective Inspector struggling with a strange case, he offers his assistance. Max’s extraordinary skills of perception and forensics, and his deep understanding of human behaviour and deviance, help Oskar solve some of Vienna’s most mysterious and deadly cases.
Vienna Blood is directed by Academy Award® and Emmy® nominee Robert Dornhelm (‘Anne Frank: The Whole Story’) and Umut Dag (‘Cracks in Concrete’). The producers are Hilary Bevan Jones and Jez Swimer for Endor Productions and Andreas Kamm and Oliver Auspitz for MR Film. Executive Producers are Steve Thompson, Klaus Lintschinger (ORF), Wolfgang Feindt (ZDF) and Bo Stehmeier and Carlo Dusi (Red Arrow Studios International).
– Press release ends –
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
About Red Arrow Studios International
Red Arrow Studios International is a world-leading TV distributor of scripted, formats and factual shows from a global network of in-house production companies, outstanding third-party producers and digital-content partners.
Led by Bo Stehmeier, with offices in Munich, London and Los Angeles, Red Arrow Studios International co-produces and finances global entertainment, and distributes acclaimed content to over 200 territories worldwide.
Red Arrow Studios International is part of Red Arrow Studios, which is comprised of 20 production companies in seven territories; digital studio, Studio71; and film distributor Gravitas Ventures. Red Arrow Studios is a ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE company, one of Europe’s leading media groups.
For more information, please visit: sevenonestudios.com/international
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