Sky Living HD snaps up hotly anticipated US thriller The Blacklist in exclusive deal with Sony Pictures Television
*Emmy-award-winner James Spader to star*
London: July 19 2013:
Sky Living HD today announces its acquisition of the most-talked about and sought-after show of this year’s LA Screenings, The Blacklist.
In an exclusive deal with Sony Pictures Television, The Blacklist will be the perfect addition to the channel’s highly successful drama slate, including recent smash hits Elementary and Hannibal, and will further enhance Sky’s commitment to bring customers the very best of the US.
Fresh from the American upfront season, Variety hailed the show “as one of the best dramas” to emerge this year. The Blacklist dominated the buzz at this year’s LA Screenings, and will be at the centre of a trailblazing Autumn/Winter schedule for Sky Living as it continues to heavily invest in quality programming.
Following its tradition of working with the very best talent, Sky is thrilled to be welcoming Emmy award- winning James Spader back to Sky Living HD since 2008’s Boston Legal. Playing the World’s most wanted criminal, he shares the screen with Megan Boone (Law & Order: Los Angeles) in her next lead role.
Commenting on the acquisition, Director of Sky Living Antonia Hurford-Jones said. “I couldn't be more excited to be bringing the series that everyone was talking about at the LA screenings to Sky Living. The Blacklist is an absolutely outstanding show with an exceptionally talented actor at its centre and will be the perfect addition to our brilliant existing series such as Elementary and Hannibal, as well as the UK original commissions that we are launching this Autumn, such as The Face and Dracula. I can't wait for our customers to see it.”
Debuting in the US on NBC this September in the coveted time-slot after “The Voice”, followed swiftly by its UK premiere on Sky Living, The Blacklist (13 x 60) is one of the most eagerly awaited shows of the year and will be the ideal enhancement to the channel’s ‘Drama Worth Investigating’ strand.
For decades, ex-government agent Raymond “Red” Reddington (James Spader, “The Office,” “Boston Legal”) has been one of the FBI’s Most Wanted fugitives. Brokering shadowy deals for criminals across the globe, Red was known by many as “The Concierge of Crime.” Now, he’s mysteriously surrendered to the FBI with an explosive offer: He will help catch a long-thought-dead terrorist, Ranko Zamani, under the condition that he speaks only to Elizabeth “Liz” Keen (Megan Boone, Law & Order: Los Angeles), an FBI profiler fresh out of Quantico. For Liz, it’s going to be one hell of a first day on the job. What follows is a twisting series of events as the race to stop a terrorist begins. What are Red’s true intentions? Why has he chosen Liz, a woman with whom he seemingly has no connection? Does Liz have secrets of her own? Zamani is only the first of many on a list that Red has compiled over the years: a “blacklist” of politicians, mobsters, spies and international terrorists. He will help catch them all… with the caveat that Liz continues to work as his partner.
“The Blacklist” also stars Diego Klattenhoff (“Homeland”), Harry Lennix (“Man of Steel”), Ryan Eggold (“90210”) and Ilfenesh Hadera (“Da Brick”). The series comes from writer/executive producer Jon Bokenkamp (“The Call,” “Taking Lives”) and executive producers John Eisendrath (“Alias”), John Davis (“Gulliver’s Travels,” “Predator”) and John Fox.
The deal was closed by Sky’s Senior Acquisitions Manager Lucy Criddle. Other Sony Pictures Television series currently licensed to Sky Living include the crime procedural, Unforgettable.
Notes to editor
For more information, please contact:
Rowan Adams,
Senior Publicist, Sky
Rowan.adams@bskyb.com / +44 207 032 3078
ABOUT SKY LIVING
Sky Living HD is the channel where characters collide. It embodies engaging storytelling, key characters and intricate relationships in the broader sense of the word. Sky Living offers a place for grown up escapism and is the number one pay channel among women in pay homes.
Following Sky’s recent commitment to investing £600million a year in home-grown programming by 2014 Sky Living recently announced a raft of new original commissions which will see names including; Lorraine Pascale, Naomi Campbell, Emily Mortimer, Dolly Wells, Jo Joyner, Anna Friel, Katherine Kelly, Suranne Jones, Russell Tovey, Chris Addison and Simon Blackwell join the channel.
Sky Living also remains a proven home for high quality US dramas with shows including; Hannibal, Elementary, Chicago Fire, Bones, Criminal Minds and Grey’s Anatomy and is committed to continually bringing its customers the best of the US. Elementary is the channel’s most successful series to date regularly attracting consolidated audiences of over 1 million.
With its rich mix of US quality drama and original scripted content, Sky Living HD works with some of the best and brightest talent both on and off screen, bringing its customers the best possible entertainment offering.
Sky Living HD is available on channel 107 cementing its place in Sky’s entertainment portfolio where it sits alongside Sky1, Sky Atlantic and Sky Arts.
