16 November 2020
S4C Original series Merched Parchus (Respectable Girls) will be available to watch in Germany, Switzerland and Austria after it was acquired by an European streaming platform.
Following an agreement with S4C, ie ie Productions, and British sales house Videoplugger, the series will feature on SOONER, a new film and series platform.
This innovative series was created and written by Hanna Jarman and Mari Beard, who also star as two of the main characters. Merched Parchus was the first S4C drama to appear online first as a box set on S4C Clic – S4C's digital platform.
The series, which was broadcast a week later on traditional television, has been shortlisted in the Best Drama category at the 2020 Broadcast Digital Awards and 2020 RTS Cymru Awards, and the Writer Award and Breakthrough Award at the 2020 BAFTA Cymru.
Merched Parchus is the second S4C Orginal drama series to be featured on SOONER, after Byw Celwydd (Living a Lie) was also acquired earlier this year.
Other S4C Original titles include the award-winning dramas Keeping Faith/Un Bore Mercher (Vox Pictures) and Bang (Joio and Artists Studio), the award winning entertainment series, Priodas Pum Mil (Boom Cymru), and the BAFTA Children's Award winning series Prosiect Z (Boom Cymru).
Hanna Jarman, who plays Carys, said: "We are thrilled to be able to share our work with a wider audience.
"Welsh is a minority language and we're so happy that there is an appetite for Welsh language work and that we are able to share ours with other countries.
"Merched Parchus is a story about a girl who gets dumped unexpectedly by her long-term boyfriend. She retreats into a world of true crime podcasts and dark fantasy whilst trying to become a fully functioning adult.
"The feeling of being lost and striving to find your way is a universal one and we hope that you enjoy Carys' journey."
Amanda Rees, S4C Content Director, said: "We're delighted to see Merched Parchus deservedly joining the recent trend in Welsh language content reaching global audiences under the S4C Original brand.
"Merched Parchus is an example of S4C at its best- edgy, emotive, digital-first drama, created by a group of talented Welsh women. We're extremely proud to share this fantastic series with audiences across Europe."
SOONER is a film and series platform where content can be accessed via streaming as part of a subscription or individually for a fee. SOONER is operated by the French-German joint venture ContentScope.
Andreas Wildfang Chief Executive Director, ContentScope GmbH, said: "SOONER's programming is aimed at true enthusiasts of sophisticated films and series.
"We shine a light not only on gripping documentaries and serial formats, but also captivating short films from outside the mainstream, and Clair Fowler's Respectable Girls is a great example of that."
Emanuele Galloni, CEO Videoplugger, said: "Videoplugger keeps on the winning tradition of placing great Welsh content internationally.
"Merched Parchus, an incredibly funny comedic series shot in both Welsh and English falls right in the kind of content we always look for with great production value, highly innovative and well acted."
