Tuesday round-up: Latest news, deals & hires

Lynley to return on BritBox, BBC1

BritBox has ordered a second season of its Playground-produced drama Lynley, with filming now underway in Dublin.

Leo Suter (The Face of Horror) returns as DI Tommy Lynley and stars alongside Sofia Barclay (Ted Lasso), who stars as DS Barbara Havers, with the pair reprising their roles in the adaptation of Elizabeth George’s novels.

The second run will premiere on BritBox in North America and on BBC iPlayer and BBC1 in the UK. BBC Studios handles global sales.

Lynley is created, written and executive produced by Steve Thompson (Vienna Blood) with Stewart Svaasand lead director and Christopher Arcache (Bookish) series producer.

Streamer BBC Player rolls out in Turkey

BBC Studios has launched its streamer BBC Player in Turkey following a deal with CosmoBlue Media, with plans to expand the service across the MENA region.

The agreement will see BBCS shows ranging from Go Jetters and Planet Earth to Top Gear and Luther launching on a Cosmo EN channel in Turkey, while BBC Player has become available via the Cosmo Go app with more than 1,000 hours of programming available.

The companies have also agreed to launch all services across MENA, with dates yet to be confirmed.

“By joining forces, we aim to broaden our reach, create new opportunities to connect with audiences, and accelerate growth in line with our regional strategy,” said Bartosz Witak, senior vice president and general manager of CEE, MENA and Turkey at BBC Studios.

ZED launches Artemis II docuseries

European producer ZED has started sales on its lunar exploration docuseries, Destination Moon: The New Space Age.

The 2 x 50-minute show, which is directed by Laurent Lichtenstein and Alain Brunard, offers rare access to the upcoming Artemis II lunar missions and explores the next era of space discovery.

The show has been in production for nearly four years and is coproduced by France Télévisions (France), NHK

(Japan), ZDF Terra X (Germany), and PTS (Taiwan).

The project has already secured prebuys from SVT (Sweden) and AMC Southern Europe, along with Swiss duo RTS and RSI.

Poison Pen’s Mavahalli sets up new label

The Serpent and War of the Worlds exec producer Preethi Mavahalli is exiting ITV Studios’ Poison Pen to launch her own drama label within the group.

Mavahalli, currently creative director at Ben Stephenson’s transatlantic drama house, will head up Paper Mill Productions and has recruited Poison Pen colleague Luke Woellhaf as executive producer to join her. The label will focus on high-end dramas.

Her credits at Poison Pen include upcoming love-story drama Adultery and serial killer thriller The Dark, based on GR Halliday’s debut novel. Both are set to launch on ITV later this year.

Prior to Poison Pen, Mavahalli worked on BBC/Netflix hit The Serpent, Noughts + Crosses (BBC1) and ITV1 duo The War of the Worlds and McDonald & Dodds. She has also worked as director of drama at ITVS label Mammoth Screen and at Sky Studios, Film4 and Film London. Read more

SPT’s Lord of the Flies, American Hostage head to Spain

Movistar Plus+ has picked up exclusive rights to six series from Sony Pictures Television, following an extension of their content pact struck last year. 

The titles include the recent adaptation of William Golding’s literary classic Lord of the Flies, as well as 1970’s psychological thriller American Hostage, Glenn Close-starring Up to No Good, and The Lady, about the extraordinary rise and fall of Jane Andrews, from Buckingham Palace to her conviction for murder.

The Other Bennet Sister, from Bad Wolf, and The Miniature Wife, produced by Media Res and based on the short story by Manuel Gonzales, are also included.