STV crime dramas given Alibi
Target Entertainment Group, the production and rights management company, has sold new episodes of STV productions' long-running drama series Taggart and Rebus to UKTV. Both will air on crime and detective channel Alibi.
UKTV has licensed the exclusive secondary rights to 27 episodes of Taggart and will also take an additional 28 episodes for broadcast after ITV’s license period has ended. It has also acquired VOD rights.
Consistently rated one of the top 10 dramas in the UK, Taggart also broadcasts on ITV1 and has been licensed to over 160 countries.
UKTV has also acquired ten episodes of Rebus. Based on the best-selling books by award-winning writer Ian Rankin, the episodes acquired star Ken Stott as the eponymous hero Detective Inspector John Rebus. Internationally the series has been licensed to 151 countries.
In a separate deal Target has also sold the format of another STV productions series Secrets Revealed: DNA Stories to Dutch public broadcaster Channel 1.
Broadcast first in the UK on Sky Real Lives, it charts real life cases in which the science of DNA helps people answer questions about their lives.
Alan Clements, director of content at STV productions said: "This is a fantastic deal for stv and highlights the continued appeal of strong, high quality drama such as Taggart and Rebus. The format of DNA Stories has great universal appeal and I’m sure it will be as successful in the Netherlands as it has in the UK.”