Netflix has acquired the exclusive global streaming rights (outside the UK) to The Hour creator Abi Morgan’s new BBC One series River after striking a deal with international distributor Endemol Shine International, TVWise has learned.
The six-parter will be made available on the streaming service in the U.S., Canada, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, France, and The Nordics on November 18th.
River follows John River, a brilliant police officer whose genius and fault-line is the fragility of his mind – a man haunted by the murder victims whose cases he must lay to rest. A man who must walk a professional tightrope between a pathology so extreme he risks permanent dismissal, and a healthy state of mind that would cure him of his gift.
The cast includes Stellan Skarsgård as John River, Nicola Walker (Spooks) as Detective Sergeant Jackie ‘Stevie’ Stevenson, Eddie Marsan (Ray Donovan) as a notorious killer who haunts River, Lesley Manville (An Adventure In Space And Time) as Chief Inspector Chrissie Read, Adeel Akhtar (Utopia) as Detective Sergeant Ira King, Sorcha Cusack (Father Brown) as Stevie’s mother Bridie and Georgina Rich (Sherlock) as police psychiatrist Rosa.
The six episode drama was penned by Abi Morgan, the Emmy award winning writer behind the shortlived BBC drama The Hour and The Iron Lady. Kudos Film & Television are producing, with Chris Carey serving as the series producer and Lucy Richer, Jane Featherstone, Manda Levin and Abi Morgan serving as executive producers. Burton And Taylor helmer Richard Laxton is the director.
River is the latest British series that Endemol Shine International has sold to a key U.S. network in the past couple of weeks. Earlier this month the international distributor sold ITV Encore’s Sean Bean fronted period drama The Frankenstein Chronicles to A+E Networks’ flagship network A&E. This is also the latest British series that Netflix has taken streaming rights to of late, as appetite for UK drama across the globe continues to grow. Netflix also holds streaming rights to The Fall and Peaky Blinders outside of the UK.