UKTV has today announced an acquisition deal with Endemol Worldwide Distribution, which will bring the UK premiere of a gripping new real life crime series, Cold Justice (series one 8x60' & series two 10x60') from Emmy and Grammy-winning producer Dick Wolf, to Really.
Clare Laycock, General Manager, Really says
'We're investing more in 'real crime' programming for the channel as the genre continues to attract viewers and stimulate a lot of conversation on our social platforms. Recent successes such as I Survived Evil show Really viewers are highly engaged by exciting real life stories so I am confident they will be captivated by this gripping new show.'
Cold Justice follows former Texas Prosecutor, Kelly Siegler, and former crime scene investigator, Yolanda McClary, as they travel across the US helping law enforcement agencies solve violent crimes which have sat unresolved for too long. Between them they have worked on more than 7,000 cases.
Each week the pair set fresh eyes over old evidence, using their incredible interrogation skills and advances in technology to uncover the truth behind crimes that happened years, or even decades previously.
Produced for Turner Network by Wolf Films and Magical Elves the series is Executive-produced by Emmy winners Dick Wolf (Law & Order, Chicago Fire), Dan Cutforth & Jane Lipsitz (Chef, Fashion Star) and Tom Thayer (Hitchcock, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee). Dick Wolf specialises in crime dramas and was the creator of the highly successful US series Law & Order.
The deal was brokered by UKTV's Acquisitions and Co-Productions Manager, Emma Sparks and Endemol Worldwide Distribution's Sales Director UK & Eire, Gisela Asimus-Minnbergh. Series one will premiere on Really in March this year.
Cathy Payne, Chief Executive of Endemol Worldwide Distribution says
"We are extremely pleased that Cold Justice has found a home on Really. We are sure that the UK audience will appreciate the outstanding work of Kelly Siegler and Yolanda McClary and the quality of this programme."
UKTV's network of 10 channels attracts over 42 million viewers a month, with its free-to-air channel Really leading the lifestyle genre. Cold Justice is the latest in a run of real life crime series that have performed well for the channel. I survived Evil averaged 127k* (+28% on slot), Final Witness averaged 154k (+21%) and Got Home Alive currently attracts an average of 101k (+15%).
*All viewing figures are based on individuals and based on the premiere series run
For more information, please contact:
Lara Feinstein, Corporate Communications Coordinator
Notes to Editors
About Really (Sky 248, Virgin 267, Freeview 17)
Really provides a tantalising cocktail of honest and entertaining television. This Free to Air channel offers a compelling schedule with UK premieres of hit US dramas including Hart of Dixie starring Rachel Bilson and Covert Affairs, out of this world television with Paranormal Witness and Ghost Adventures, as well as BBC and UK docu-dramas such as Don't Tell the Bride, Bizarre ER, Embarrassing Bodies and One Born Every Minute. Drama, real life and out of this world programming Really gets you!
About UKTV:
UKTV is the multi-award winning media company that reaches over 42 million viewers per month.
UKTV¹s ten imaginative channel brands - Watch, Dave, Gold, Alibi, Eden, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home and Good Food - include the most watched non-PSB channel, the most watched channel in the Factual genre and the most watched channels in the Lifestyle genre (Pay and Free). The company's most recent financial results showed a record-breaking year-end revenue of £262m, and operating profit at £71m.
UKTV has a truly innovative model, curating brand-defining commissions, high-profile acquisitions and the very best of BBC and Channel 4 content, and embracing technology to deliver inspired channels to audiences through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT Vision, TalkTalk, YouView, plus direct On Demand digital services. The network distributes its highly valued programmes to 200 territories around the world and supplies Sky with more hours of HD content than anyone else.
Now celebrating its 21st year at the forefront of digital television, UKTV - an independent commercial joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (SNI) - is proud to be the only British broadcaster to be recognised by Best Companies.
corporate.uktv.co.uk / pressoffice.uktv.co.uk / @uktv_press
About Endemol:
Endemol is the largest independent television and digital production company in the world. It comprises a global network of around 90 companies in more than 30 countries and is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
The company annually produces over 350 series across genres, including entertainment, reality TV, game shows, comedy, drama, sport, kids programming, factual, docu-dramas and features.
Endemol works with roughly 400 broadcasters, digital platforms and licensees worldwide. The business covers development, production, marketing, distribution, franchise management and multi-platform initiatives including gaming, apps and digital video.
Credits include international hits such as Big Brother, Deal or No Deal, Wipeout, The Money Drop and Your Face Sounds Familiar. The company's growing drama and comedy portfolio includes Hell on Wheels, Hot in Cleveland, Kirstie, Leverage, Home and Away, Death Comes to Pemberley, Emmy Award winning Black Mirror, Ripper Street, Peaky Blinders and the forthcoming World War I drama The Ark for the BBC.
As one of the world's largest independent distributors of formats and finished programming Endemol launches over 50 new entertainment formats each year on broadcast networks around the world and distributes more than 29,000 hours of content. The company's creative teams around the world are continuously developing new ideas that are shared across the Endemol network.