Friday round-up: Latest news, deals & hires

The Voice & River Monsters FAST channels launch

ITV Studios is rolling out new entertainment FAST channel after striking a deal with Samsung TV Plus EMEA.

The partnership is via ITVS's Zoo 55 and will offer channels including The Voice Global, River Monsters and Vice.

The Voice Global is available exclusively on Samsung TV Plus and offers latest episodes from the current season of The Voice US in the UK and Scandinavia, while River Monsters houses the Jeremy Wade-led fishing series.

Vice will offer the youth-skewing brand's docustyle content and will launch in the UK later this month, while Vice: Dark Side Of will house episodes of the docuseries.

Beta strikes scripted pact with Rai

Italian broadcaster Rai has struck a major deal with Germany's Beta Film for a package of scripted series ahead of Mipcom next week.

The package comprises veterinary drama Barton Vet; French thriller A Guilty Affair, about a high school principal desperately searching for her missing daughter; and German period drama Mozart Mozart, which explores the musical genius’ overlooked sister.

Barton Vet is produced by Shaftesbury in association with BYUtv and Beta Film, while A Guilty Affair is from France Televisions, Episode Productions, Be-Films, and RTBF.

Mozart Mozart hails from Story House Pictures in co-production with ARD (WDR/SWR/ARD Degeto Film), ORF, and Dreaming Sheep Company. Beta Film and Bavaria Media are handling world sales.

Glassriver's Elma sets Icelandic debut

Icelandic streamer Sjónvarp Símans is preparing to debut Glassriver's crime thriller Elma, adapted from bestselling author Eva Björg Ægisdóttir’s book series.

The show debuts 15 October and follows a detective who returns to her small port hometown of Akranes, where she is confronted by a crime that forces her to reflect on her own past.

Directors include Katrín Björgvinsdóttir (Entrapped) and Þóra Hilmarsdóttir (The Rising), while scriptwriter and showrunner is Karen Björg Eyfjörð Þorsteinsdóttir, and series producer is Andri Freyr Hlynsson.

The show is a co-production with Belgium’s Lunamine and is sold globally by Mediawan Rights, with a pre-sale to Finland’s MTV also in place.

Australia's Dustfall heads to Apple TV

Apple TV is to extend the global audience for upcoming Australian crime drama Dustfall, starring The Newsreader’s Anna Torv.

The six-parter, produced by Sydney outfit Soapbox Pictures and London-based Moonriver Television (Nautilus), is set to debut on ABC and ABC iview this Sunday (11 October). As an ABC commission in association with the BBC and ZDF, it is will also TX in both the UK and Germany, details for which are yet to be revealed.

Apple TV will stream the title next year, excluding Australia and subject to premiere rights held by the BBC and ZDF in their respective territories.

Based on the novel The Unbelieved by Vikki Petraitis, the series follows a seasoned detective called in to investigate a harrowing sexual assault case, which spirals after a key suspect turns up dead. The series is set and filmed on the Gold Coast of Australia.

Eccho expands Turkish slate

Eccho Rights has added Asiye, a daily drama produced by Kino Film Productions for Turkish broadcaster Kanal 7, to its Mipcom slate.

Presales open ahead of the series’ November premiere on Kanal 7, with filming due to begin on 17 October.

Asiye is the latest title from Eccho Rights’ long-running partnership with Kanal 7, which has seen shows such as Legacy, Winds of Love and Behind the Veil being taken for global sales.