NBC Universal has revealed that more than 100 territories around the world have now licensed period drama Downton Abbey, as the second series rolls into production.

New buyers of the 7 x 60-minute series, which aired on ITV1 over the autumn, include Star Channel in Japan, OSN in the Middle East, IBA in Israel, Prime in New Zealand and Sky in Germany, among others.

Several of these deals have been closed in regions that traditionally shun historical drama produced in the UK, according to Gareth Neame, founder of producer Carnival Film and Television.

“There’s a perception that British period drama is loved everywhere in the world, but that’s not the case,” said Neame. “I wouldn’t place Downton Abbey in the period genre, which tends to have closed-ended stories. It is more like a classy soap, in the vein of Mad Men.”

Set in an Edwardian country house in 1912, the drama explores the lives of the Crawley family and the servants who work for them.

It proved a ratings smash for ITV1, growing its audience from 8.9 million (31% share) for the debut episode to more than 10 million (35%) for the finale.

A second series has been commissioned and filming is under way. “The dramatic stakes will be elevated following the outbreak of war, and there will be even more highs and lows,” added Neame, who was named UK managing director of NBC International Television Production in October.

Downton Abbey was co-produced by Masterpiece in the US, where it aired on PBS in January and averaged more than 6 million viewers.

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