Monday 20 May 2019
UKTV has acquired hit US mini-series Waco (6x60) starring Taylor Kitsch (True Detective, Friday Night Lights), Michael Shannon (Little Drummer Girl, Shape of Water), Andrea Riseborough (National Treasure, Black Mirror), John Leguizamo (Bloodline, Romeo + Juliet) with Melissa Benoist (Supergirl, Glee) and Hollywood rising star Julie Garner (Ozark, Dirty John) for its crime drama channel Alibi.
On February 28, 1993, the eyes of the world suddenly converged on a small religious community just outside Waco, Texas when the FBI conducted a raid on charismatic cult leader David Koresh (Taylor Kitsch) and his devoted followers. After what became the longest fiery gun battle in U.S. law enforcement history, four agents and six civilians were left dead, and dozens more were wounded. 51 days later, a fire engulfed the com- pound, killing 76 men, women and children inside.
What transpired over those 51 days remains one of the most misunderstood stories in American history. Waco has come to evoke different ideas to different people -government recklessness, religious fanaticism, conspiracy theories, and cover-ups. But what really happened at Waco?
Written by John Erick Dowdle (Quarantine, No Escape) and Drew Dowdle, the series also stars Rory Culkin, Paul Sparks, Shea Whigham and Camryn Manheim. Shannon, Kitsch, the Dowdle brothers and Salvatore Stabile serve as executive producers. UKTV's head of acquisitions Emma Sparks has brokered the deal with Endeavor Content for crime drama channel Alibi.
Emma Ayech, channel director for Alibi said:
Waco is one of the most thrilling and tense series I've seen in a long time. The performances from Taylor Kitsch and Michael Shannon are in a league of their own and bring out the previously unseen human side to this infamous story. We can't wait for our viewers to see this Emmy-nominated event series as we continue to offer bold, new and exclusive stories for Alibi audiences.
Laura Andrews, VP of Scripted Programming at Endeavor Content said:
Alibi is the perfect home for UK audiences to watch this compelling exploration into how and why these tragic events occurred in Waco.
Emma Sparks added:
We are thrilled to bring this show to Alibi with Endeavour Content, the story is incredible and powerfully told with a stellar A-list cast.
Waco will air on Alibi this summer and follows the exciting announcements of the channel's scripted crime drama UKTV Original Traces, produced by RED Productions and written by Amelia Bullmore and We Hunt Together, written by Gaby Hull and produced by BBC Studios.
Notes for Editors: For more information, please contact: Gem Pinkney Kerry Goode Head of Network Communications, UKTV
About Alibi
Sky 132/826, Virgin 126/200, BT 312/382, TalkTalk 312, TV Player
On demand on Sky, Virgin, BT and TalkTalk
Alibi is the only TV channel dedicated to crime drama, promising the best selection from the genre premiering hit US series such as Rosewood and Quantico. The channel also features some of British TV's best-known detectives such as Miss Marple and most-loved British crime dramas including Death in Paradise, Father Brown and Silent Witness. Plus, the original crime scene detective Doctor William Murdoch in the channel's popular co-production, Murdoch Mysteries.
About UKTV
UKTV is a commercial broadcaster reaching almost 40m viewers every month.
The award-winning independent has eleven imaginative brands - UKTV Play, Dave, W, Gold, Alibi, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home, Eden and Good Food. These include the two most popular non-PSB channels in the UK and account for nearly 10% of the British commercial TV market.
The network delivers inspired channels to audiences through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat, Amazon Fire and UKTV Play, and distributes its highly valued original programmes to 200 territories.
Now celebrating over 20 years at the forefront of digital television, UKTV - an independent commercial joint venture between BBC Studios and Discovery, Inc. - is proud to be the first British television broadcaster in The Sunday Times top 100 companies list.