Sky1 has now closed a deal with Sony Pictures Television to acquire the exclusive first run UK broadcast rights to ABC’s drama series Last Resort. TVWise reported last week that chatter coming out of MIPCOM was that Sony was confident that the series would land with a UK broadcaster and that BSkyB was considered the frontrunner. I’m told that the show’s first season is scheduled to premiere on Sky1 later this year.
Last Resort, which hails from Shawn Ryan and Sony Pictures Television, follows the crew of a nuclear submarine who, after refusing an order to fire their nuclear missiles, take refuge at a NATO outpost where they declare themselves the world’s smallest nation with nuclear capabilities. The drama series stars Andre Braugher, Daisy Betts, Dan Lissing, Camille De Pazzis, Sahr Ngaujau, Autumn Reeser, Scott Speedman and Dichen Lachman.
SKY SECURES EXCLUSIVE UK RIGHTS TO LAST RESORT FROM SONY PICTURES TELEVISION
London, Wednesday 17th October 2012: Sky today announced the acquisition of the action-packed drama, LAST RESORT in an exclusive deal with Sony Pictures Television (SPT). The deal was negotiated by Lucy Criddle, Acquisitions Manager, Sky.
LAST RESORT, co-created by Shawn Ryan and Karl Gajdusek, has already been sold by SPT to over 100 territories worldwide since its debut on ABC and the series has been described as “the most ambitious new drama of the fall” by Entertainment Weekly. The Hollywood Reporter describes the series as “Tense and well-acted…one of the most promising new shows of the fall season” adding “many of the submarine scenes achieved a kind of Das Boot-style feeling of simultaneous claustrophobia and non-stop activity.”
Andre Braugher (Homicide: Life on the Street) stars in LAST RESORT as Captain Marcus Chaplin, the captain of a U.S. nuclear submarine who questions a dubious order to fire nuclear missiles and becomes, with his crew, fugitives from their own country. The crew commandeer a NATO listening station on a remote South Pacific island and declare themselves the world’s newest nuclear nation. What follows is a race against time as the crew struggles to uncover the truth while fighting internal dissent and growing resentment from the island locals.
In addition to Braugher, LAST RESORT stars Scott Speedman (The Vow, Felicity), Daisy Betts (Sea Patrol), Dichen Lachman (Being Human), Daniel Lissing (Crownies), Sahr Ngaujah (House of Payne), Camille de Pazzis (The First Day of the Rest of Your Life), Autumn Reeser (The OC) as Kylie Sinclair, Jessy Schram (Once Upon a Time) and Robert Patrick (The Unit).
Lucy Criddle, Acquisitions Manager, said: “LAST RESORT is a tense, edge of your seat thriller and I’m confident that it will resonate with our customers. It’s great to be continuing our partnership with SPT on another exemplary piece of television drama.”
Kylie Munnich, Sony Pictures Television’s senior vice president, distribution, UK, Ireland and Africa, added: “We’re thrilled that Sky will become the UK base for the USS Colorado and its crew. With the creative authority of Shawn Ryan and Karl Gajdusek behind the helm, LAST RESORT is on course to take Sky audiences on a terrific adventure!”
LAST RESORT was created by Shawn Ryan (The Shield, The Unit) and Karl Gajdusek (Trespass, Dead Like Me), who, along with Marney Hochman (The Chicago Code, Terriers) serve as executive producers for the pilot and series. The pilot for Last Resort was also executive produced and directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale). LAST RESORT is produced by Middkid Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television.
LAST RESORT is Sky’s latest acquisition from the 2012 US season following the acquisition of ARROW (Sky 1), THE FOLLOWING (Sky Atlantic), VEGAS (Sky Atlantic), ELEMENTARY (Sky Living) and CHICAGO FIRE (Sky Living).
