EXCLUSIVE: Ahead of Lifetime UK’s launch, which is due by the end of 2013, parent company A+E Networks UK has acquired another scripted series for the channel’s launch schedule. I’ve learned that the company has closed a deal with Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution to acquire the exclusive first run UK broadcast rights to Witches of East End for Lifetime UK.
Inspired by the book of the same name, Witches of East End was penned by Maggie Friedman and centers on the mysterious Beauchamp family: free-spirited artist Joanna and her two grown daughters, wild-child bartender Freya and shy librarian Ingrid, both of whom are unaware that they are gifted with a magical birthright. Freya is recently engaged to the man of her dreams, wealthy playboy Dash Gardiner, but when she finds herself inexplicably drawn to Dash’s troubled, enigmatic brother Killian, bizarre occurrences begin to manifest in her life. Meanwhile, Joanna’s long-estranged sister Wendy shows up with a warning that could change the Beauchamps’ fate forever, forcing Joanna to reveal to her daughters they are, indeed, immortal witches who possess great untapped powers. With their idyllic small town life now turned upside down, and a formidable and ancient enemy intent on ending the Beauchamp family line, will Freya and Ingrid be able to accept their true potential before it is too late? The drama series is produced by Fox 21 and stars Julia Ormond (Mad Men), Mädchen Amick (Damages), Jenna Dewan Tatum (American Horror Story), Rachel Boston (In Plain Sight), Eric Winter (The Mentalist), Daniel DiTomasso (CSI), Jason George (Grey’s Anatomy) and Madsen (Anna Nicole).
The acquisition is part of Lifetime UK’s parent company A+E Networks UK’s strategy to mirror the output of the US Lifetime channel as much as is possible. To that end, the company recently sealed a volume deal with Sony Pictures Television that gave Lifetime UK the rights to The Client List and a slew of Lifetime original movies. The other most recent Lifetime series, Devious Maids, was not available for Lifetime UK to acquire as the UK rights had already been obtained by the Discovery Networks International owned TLC UK, who will begin airing the series on Wednesday October 9th at 10pm.
TVWise’s Acquisitions Scorecard has been updated with this new information.
