Distributor seeks British broadcasters to board three-part factual series
Keshet International (KI) has inked a deal with Scottish indie Caledonia TV to co-develop a three-part docuseries about Adolf Hitler and the British royal family and is on the hunt for British broadcasters to board the project.
The co-development pact is the second such deal signed by KI in recent years, following the success of its partnership with SandStone Global on Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, on which KI boarded five pre-sale partners before its world premiere on Channel 4 last month. The show has also sold into 20 other countries.
Hitler’s Favourite Royals is a 3 x 60-minute series that explores how elements of the royal establishment saw Nazism as a bulwark against communism and a way to protect the empire.
It explores the ties between Queen Victoria’s dynastic links to Germany, and Hitler’s attempts to leverage those connections during the Second World War. The series will expose secret meetings, coded correspondence and covert diplomacy between London and Berlin.
Newly uncovered evidence and expert insight will reveal how these links were later concealed through buried archives and suppressed records, shining new light on the monarchy’s entanglement with Nazi Germany.
The series is executive produced by producer and historian Dean Palmer and will build on his book, Tea with Hitler, as well as new research from the University of London.
Kelly Wright, KI’s managing director of distribution, said: “Hitler’s Favourite Royals combines two subjects that continue to fascinate global audiences – the British monarchy and World War II – in a way that feels both revealing and timely. We’re delighted to be collaborating with Caledonia TV to bring this buried chapter of British history to life on TV, and to engage with potential UK broadcast partners at an early stage.”
Palmer promised the series will “rip the lid off” one of the British monarchy’s darkest secrets, namely what Queen Elizabeth II’s German cousins did during the Second World War and their ties to Hitler.
Anke Stoll, KI’s senior vice president of acquisitions and co-productions, added: “Caledonia TV’s extensive research and access to new archive materials adds layers of extra colour, depth and detail to what we already think we know about the royal family’s connections to Hitler and the Nazis.
“I particularly love that this history show feels relevant now because it has the added value of bringing context to how the royal family deals with modern day scandals like Prince Andrew and Epstein, and Megxit.”
Hitler’s Favourite Royals was originally pitched as part of KI’s commissioning initiative Greenlight: Factual and Formats, which led to the company ordering Hitler’s Treasure Hunters. The 6 x 60-minute series from Perpetual Entertainment has since sold into more than 70 territories following its launch to market at Mipcom last year.
Since launching its Greenlight initiative, KI has also greenlit Woodcut Media’s Catch Me If You Can, a 10 x 60-minute true crime series about murderers who evaded capture.
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