MipTV: Studiocanal Sells Harlan Coben’s ‘The Five’ to Germany
Studiocanal has sold German rights to drama “The Five” in two deals announced Tuesday at MipTV in Cannes. The 10-part show, created for television by bestselling author Harlan Coben, saw German pay-TV rights taken by ProSiebenSat.1 TV Deutschland GmbH and free-TV rights acquired by ZDF.
“Harlan Coben is an absolute expert in creating complex, intelligent and captivating thrillers, and I’m very pleased to see “The Five” making its debut in Germany on both pay-TV and free-TV services,” said Kalle Friz, CEO of Studiocanal Germany.
Produced by the U.K.’s Red Production Co. for Sky 1, “The Five” debuted on the U.K. broadcaster in April 2016. Studiocanal has since secured a number of sales for “The Five,” with the German acquisitions the latest European deals. Other European sales include to Canal+ for France, TIMvision for Italy, Telefonica for Spain, NPO in Netherlands and Yes DBS in Israel.
It launched in Latin America via OnDIRECTV late last month and has also been broadcast in Japan via Wowow Prime; in French-speaking Canada with Radio-Canada; on Sky in New Zealand; and via SBS 1 in Australia.
“We’re delighted to see the success of ‘The Five’ continue with these acquisitions in Germany,” said Katrina Neylon, EVP of sales and marketing at Studiocanal. “Harlan’s first television project has proved to be such a standout success around the world, with international broadcasters quick to recognize its potential to appeal to a wide audience demographic and its proven ability to keep viewers hooked across the entire series.”
“The Five” follows a group of friends whose lives are thrown into turmoil when the DNA of one of the friends’ brothers, who disappeared 20 years ago, is detected at a fresh crime scene. It will debut in Germany later this year.
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