In the company’s second high-profile deal for content in the genre over recent months, factual content independent distributor and financing house Orange Smarty has revealed over 30 hours of US sales for its slate of true-crime factual programming.
The latest deal sees all episodes of Catching A Killer go to First Look Entertainment’s streaming service Topic, which specialises in crime, suspense and thrillers from around the world.
The BAFTA- and RTS-winning series follows the Thames Valley Police, which granted the documentary-maker unprecedented access to its Major Crimes Unit over a two-year period. The result is what is said to be a powerful television experience that takes viewers beyond the blue flashing lights into a world of complex partnerships and long hours of detailed work.
Now in its second series, Catching a Killer was produced for Channel 4 by UK indie True Vision and Candour Productions. Billed as “the real-life Inspector Morse”, the gripping murder hunt has been picked up by broadcasters around the world, including Foxtel and ABC in Australia, DR Denmark and TV4 Sweden, AVROTROS in the Netherlands, MTV Oy Finland, VRT Belgium, NHK Japan and YLE Finland.
“Catching a Killer is not your average true crime series,” commented Jennifer Liang, vice president of program strategy, acquisitions and sales at Topic. “The investigators bring our viewers unprecedented 360-degree access to their cases in real time. We’re so pleased to add Orange Smarty as a new source for our premium crime and suspense programming.”
Added Orange Smarty founder and CEO Karen Young: “The US is a key market for any distributor and our ability to nimbly seek out opportunity through longstanding relationships has seen us deliver some very fruitful returns.”