21 May 2014
The Welsh detective series Y Gwyll/Hinterland produced by acclaimed production company Fiction Factory and originally commissioned by S4C is about to embark on the next leg of its journey across the globe as distributors All3media International announce the latest sales.
ARD Degeto, the licensing and production subsidiary of leading German public broadcaster ARD, has acquired rights to broadcast the series in Germany.
The series, shot on location in Ceredigion, west Wales, has also been sold to Australia (BBC Global), Iceland (RUV), Holland (KRO), Belgium, France (DIZALE), Finland, Norway (NRK) and New Zealand. And as reported in the UK national press, the series will be playing on VOD platform NETFLIX in the USA – as well as on its feeds in Canada and Scandinavia.
Viewers in both Brittany and Belgium will be able to enjoy the original Welsh language version of Y Gwyll (the Welsh name for the series) on local French broadcaster DIZALE and VRT Belgium respectively.
The Belgian screening will be part of the channel's summer Crime Festival which will see Y Gwyll premier at the start of a season of eight different crime series from around the world. The series will go out in English on the channel later in the year.
Ian Jones, S4C's Chief Executive said:
“We’re delighted to see so many major players in broadcasting throughout the world taking this gripping series following its original airing on S4C in 2013. The new deals achieved by our partners at All3Media International will ensure that Y Gwyll/Hinterland will continue to be showcased across the globe. It’s great news for the series, great news for Wales and for our profile on the international stage.
“The deals secured by All3Media International will mean that the series will be available to audiences in some of the largest TV territories in the world. From the USA and Canada, to most of northern Europe - Y Gwyll/Hinterland is already proving to be a very successful Welsh export. With the second series in the pipeline, we’re confident that DCI Mathias and his team will bring about further success in future.”
Peter Grant, Senior Vice President International Sales at All3media International said:
"We are delighted that Hinterland will be playing prime time on the ARD channel - our first major deal on a series with this preeminent channel. It’s a perfect fit for the German audience who have embraced UK crime drama over the last few years – and Hinterland embraces not only the best of British production values, it also has the essence and atmosphere of “noir” that is presently very fashionable."
Ed Thomas, Fiction Factory Executive Producer said:
"This is excellent news for us at Fiction Factory and a vindication of the faith our partners at S4C, BBC Wales, Tinopolis, Welsh Government and All3Media International have had in the project from the very beginning. These new deals provide a platform for the stories and landscape of Y Gwyll/Hinterland to be seen internationally, and an opportunity to show that the local really can have widespread appeal."
Two DVD versions of the series will be available and distributed by Arrow; the original Welsh version, as was first broadcast on S4C in October 2013, and the bilingual version (with subtitles for the Welsh language dialogue) which was broadcast on BBC One Wales and BBC Four in 2014.
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