Television
August 28, 2009
More 4 Acquires Acclaimed U.S. Drama “Southland” In Deal With Warner Bros. International Television Distribution
(August 28, 2009 – London and Burbank, CA) – More 4 has acquired the UK broadcast rights to "Southland" – the critically acclaimed drama series from Emmy® Award–winning producers Ann Biderman (“Public Enemies,” “NYPD Blue”), Christopher Chulack (“ER,” “Third Watch”) and John Wells (“ER,” “The West Wing”) – in a deal with Warner Bros. International Television Distribution. The announcement was made today by Gill Hay, Head of Acquisitions, Channel 4, and Jeffrey R. Schlesinger, President, Warner Bros. International Television. The series will make its debut on More 4 later in 2009.
“Southland” is a raw and authentic look at a police unit in Los Angeles. From the beaches of Malibu to the streets of East L.A., the fast-moving drama takes viewers inside the lives of cops, criminals, victims and their families.
John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz – “A River Runs Through It”) is a seasoned Los Angeles cop assigned to train young rookie Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie – “The O.C.”). Cooper’s honest, no-nonsense approach to the job leaves Sherman questioning whether or not he has what it takes to become a police officer. Detective Lydia Adams (Regina King – “Ray”) lives with and is the primary caregiver of her mother. Her partner, Detective Russell Clarke (Tom Everett Scott – "Boiler Room”), is an unhappily married father of three. Daniel “Sal” Salinger (Michael McGrady – “The Thin Red Line”) oversees fellow gang detectives Nate Moretta (Kevin Alejandro – “Sleeper Cell") and Sammy Bryant (Shawn Hatosy – “Alpha Dog”), while patrol officer Chickie Brown (Arija Bareikis – “Crossing Jordan”) is a single mum who dreams of being the first woman accepted into S.W.A.T.
Gill Hay said, “Our audience expects thought-provoking, high quality drama, and ‘Southland’ comes to More 4 with a sterling pedigree. As you would expect from the creative talent involved, it is gripping, uncompromising and a truly thrilling addition to the channel.”
Jeffrey Schlesinger said, “‘Southland’ follows in the great tradition of highly successful programming from Emmy®-winning producer John Wells and his creative collaborators. 'ER' and 'The West Wing' were both long-running hits in the UK on Channel 4 and More 4, and we are confident that ‘Southland’ delivers the dramatic and riveting storylines that the More 4 audience expects.”
"Southland" is from John Wells Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Biderman, Chulack and Wells serve as executive producers of the series, which was created by Biderman.
About Warner Bros. International Television Distribution
Warner Bros. International Television Distribution is one of the world’s largest distributors of feature films, television programs and animation to the international television marketplace (broadcast, pay cable, basic cable, satellite, pay-per-view, video-on-demand, digital platforms, etc.). It licenses some 50,000 hours of programming (including more than 6,000 features and 70+ current series), dubbed or subtitled in more than 40 languages, to telecasters and cablecasters in more than 175 countries. # # #