Amazon Prime Video To Share ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season Five UK Premiere With Channel 4 Following MGM Buy

Amazon Prime Video is to co-premiere The Handmaid’s Tale for the first time in the UK with Channel 4.

The fifth season of Hulu’s original will land on both networks later this year in a deal rarely seen in the UK TV world.

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MGM is international distributor of the dystopian Margaret Atwood thriller, which is created by Bruce Miller and stars Elisabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes and O-T Fagbenle, and the move comes just a few months after Amazon acquired MGM, thereby giving Prime Video access to its distributor’s catalog worldwide.

Given these circumstances, Deadline understands both sides have worked together on launch plans and feel the agreement is reasonable. The UK deal will not impact the show in the U.S.

All four seasons are currently available on both Channel 4 and Prime Video in the UK.

The move could dent viewership for Channel 4, which has used The Handmaid’s Tale as an example in recent years of the success of its acquisitions department and growth of VoD player All4. The platform carries a number of major U.S. imports and acquisitions have become a big part of its strategy.

Amazon similarly takes UK rights to Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens with the BBC in the UK, although that show is given a short Amazon window before premiering on the BBC.

Adapted from the classic novel by Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale is the story of life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly the United States. Offred, one of the few fertile women known as Handmaids in the oppressive Republic of Gilead, struggles to survive as a reproductive surrogate for a powerful Commander and his resentful wife, and the latest series will see her face the consequences of killing Commander Waterford while struggling to redefine her identity and purpose.

“Over the series, The Handmaid’s Tale has remained reflective, high quality and hard hitting,” said Channel 4 Head of Acquisitions Nick Lee. “We’re thrilled Channel 4 and All 4 audiences will be returning to Gilead to see further justice dispensed in the next riveting instalment.”

The Handmaid’s Tale is produced by MGM Television and executive produced by creator Miller, Warren Littlefield, Moss, Daniel Wilson, Fran Sears, Eric Tuchman, Yahlin Chang, Rachel Skukert,  Sheila Hockin, John Weber, Frank Siracusa, Steve Stark and Kim Todd.

Jesse Whittock contributed to this report.

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