Fox to return to the Deep State with second season order for Endor Productions show

Fox Networks Group (FNG) Europe & Africa has today announced that Deep State, the first regional scripted commission for the company, has been greenlit for a second season.

The highly anticipated new espionage thriller is produced by Endor Productions, a Red Arrow Studios company, and a writers’ room has already begun headed by co-creator and showrunner Matthew Parkhill (Rogue). Hilary Bevan Jones (Cracker, State of Play) and Tom Nash (The Escape Artist, The Dark Outside) will continue as Executive Producers for Endor Productions, with Sara Johnson Executive Producing for Fox Networks Group, Europe & Africa.

The recommission comes on the back of a raft of first season international sales for the eight-part drama. Season one will premiere from April 5th 2018 on FOX, the leading regional entertainment brand in over 50 markets across Europe & Africa, followed by its broadcast around the world.

“Matthew and the team at Endor have produced a brilliant and compelling new series for us, which has been getting tremendous feedback from both our pay tv partners and buyers alike,” said Diego Londono, Chief Operating Officer, Fox Networks Group, Europe & Africa. “As audiences across the globe begin on their Deep State journey, we’re delighted to demonstrate our commitment to both this thrilling new drama and to commissioning regional stories that can entertain audiences around the world, in line with our rich Hollywood heritage.”

“We are thrilled that as the first season of Deep State launches, we also have a greenlight for Season Two. The team at Fox Networks Group, Europe & Africa have been the most supportive of partners and we look forward to our next adventure together,” said Hilary Bevan Jones, Exec Producer, Endor Productions. “Season one wouldn’t have been possible without the talents of our incredible showrunner, co-creator, writer and director Matthew Parkhill. Tom Nash and I would also like to thank the co-creator and writer Simon Maxwell, Robert Connolly whose direction of Episodes 1-4 brought the series to life, Jeff Ford at FNG E&A who commissioned the series and the rest of our fantastic team from in front and behind the camera.”

Fox Networks Group Content Distribution will continue to hold exclusive global distribution rights for both series, working in partnership with FNG Europe & Africa, and will be representing the show at MIPTV this Spring.

FNG Europe & Africa operates 154 channels as well as numerous digital services, from 25 offices, broadcasting in 58 countries. Deep State, the first regional scripted commission, follows a rich history of local commissioning for the channels, which includes producing over 1200 hours of scripted content for the Turkish market. Localised entertainment formats, such as Dance, Dance, Dance and Farmer Wants a Wife, have been instrumental to the success of the Italian FOX channels and recently launched game show Ten Thousand (Kymppitonni) has attained record ratings for FOX in Finland. In the Netherlands, FOX Sports broadcast over 200 hours of live and taped premium sports programming a week, including live matches, in-studio entertainment shows and original documentaries.

Through genre defining channel brands FOX, FOX Sports and National Geographic, FNG Europe & Africa is watched by over 250 million viewers, 40% of the population, in 150 million households making it the pan-regional leader for entertainment, factual and sports programming*.

About Deep State

Deep State stars Mark Strong (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Zero Dark Thirty), Joe Dempsie (Game of Thrones, Skins), Karima McAdams (Vikings), Alistair Petrie (The Night Manager, Rogue One), Anastasia Griffith (Damages, Once Upon a Time), Lyne Renée (Split), Amelia Bullmore (Happy Valley), Kingsley Ben-Adir (King Arthur: Legend of The Sword), Pip Torrens (The Crown) and Fares Fares (Tyrant).

The story centres on Max Easton (Mark Strong), an ex-spy whose past comes back to haunt him when he’s summoned away from his new life in the Pyrenees by George White (Alistair Petrie), head of covert MI6/CIA team ‘The Section’. White convinces Max to return to the field to avenge the death of his estranged son Harry (Joe Dempsie). But the stakes are soon raised when Max finds himself at the heart of a covert intelligence war, immersed in a widespread conspiracy to profit from the spread of chaos in the Middle East. Max enters into a dangerous game as powerful corporations demonstrate that they are willing to go to great lengths to protect their reputation and bury their secrets. With such a strong undercurrent of corruption, who can Max trust? Who is telling the truth? And what must be done to uncover it? To find out, Max is going to have to throw himself back into the dangerous and brutal life he so desperately tried to leave behind.

The extraordinary production team behind Series 1 include Emmy® Award-winning producer Hilary Bevan Jones (Cracker, State of Play, Roald Dahl’s Esio Trot), showrunner, writer, co-creator and director Matthew Parkhill (Rogue), co-creator, writer and executive producer Simon Maxwell (American Odyssey), director Robert Connolly (The Slap, Balibo), executive producers Alan Greenspan (Donnie Brasco) and Helen Flint (Close to the Enemy), producers Tom Nash (The Escape Artist, The Dark Outside) and Khadija Alami (Homeland) and BAFTA Award-winning production designer Pat Campbell (Wolf Hall). Jeff Ford and Sara Johnson are the executive producers for Fox Networks Group, Europe & Africa.