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Death in Paradise headed to BBC First

The next series of Death in Paradise will premiere in Australia on BBC First.

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2014-07-17_1707The next series of Death in Paradise, which has screened in earlier incarnations on ABC1, will premiere in Australia on BBC First.

It is part of the changing landscape for BBC dramas and comedies which will also see Call the Midwife series four premiere on the channel in 2015.

Death in Paradise, currently in production on the Caribbean island of Guadelope, will premiere next year.

Under the deal, ABC gets re-broadcast rights 12 months later.

Natalie Edgar, Director of Television BBC Worldwide Australia and New Zealand, said “Death in Paradise is a hugely popular programme and I am delighted that our audiences will get a chance to see it first on BBC First as part of our mix of exciting new titles and the latest series of established shows. I’m confident that The Musketeers and Peaky Blinders will be a big hit with our viewers so it’s good news that the second series of each of these well-received shows will be coming to Australia on BBC First.”

Starring Kris Marshall (Love Actually, My Family) as DI Humphrey Goodman, the successful series follows the detective team on the idyllic Caribbean island of Saint Marie as they investigate the most intriguing and dastardly of murders. They must use their skills to uncover the truth behind the island’s complex crimes. Guest stars for the fourth series include ex Coronation Street actress Natalie Gumede, Amy Nuttall (Downtown Abbey) and former EastEnders’ star Hettie Bywater.

Death in Paradise and Call the Midwife will sit alongside a slew of new, original programmes. The second series of BBC First launch titles The Musketeers and Peaky Blinders, also currently in production, have now been secured for the channel.

Death In Paradise is a Red Planet Pictures production in association with BBC Worldwide, produced with the support of the region of Guadeloupe.

8 Responses

  1. Yes this is disappointing… if I didn’t have Foxtel and will likely get this channel when it is launched. But really the BBC decided to switch Top Gear from the long standing contract on SBS. In the short term the ratings were great but Nine killed the show.

    Maybe that’s why they want to put them on a channel they can control?

    I’m pretty sure fans will find a way to see all their top BBC shows.

  2. Under the previous deal the BBC hawked what they could (the ABC bought Doctor Who, Nine Sherlock, Ten Ripper Street). Then the ABC had an output deal which that gave them picks of the rest.

    The ABC didn’t buy stuff in perpetuity but gambled that the commercials would buy them so they could get them cheap through the output deal.

    The BBC wasn’t happy so didn’t renew the deal and will air their premium content on BBC First. The will sell rights to FTA 12 months later, after the DVDs have sold.

    Viewers can buy Foxtel, the DVDs or wait till they run on FTA (The ABC is the logical buyer for most of them). Or use a VPN to watch them on the BBC’s website.

  4. I can understand the reasoning for it, but can’t help think that this strategy is likely to impact on both the BBC and ABC.
    A lot of fans of BBC shows will seek out downloads, rather than subscribe to BBC First via Foxtel; and by the time the ABC get the rights to broadcast these shows most interested parties will have already seen them elsewhere.

    As a Brit in Australia I have to say that I’m disappointed with the BBC getting into bed with Murdoch too. He’s just as much a critic of the Beeb as he is of the ABC here.

  5. Yes…I also figured that would happen…not a lot I can do….darned if I am going to take out a Foxtel package to watch a couple of shows.. and last time I saw Foxtel at a friends house….there were ads …?!?

  6. Expected, but still disappointed. BBC First is the reason why the ABC is burning off all the new episodes of trusted series. Otherwise, if it was the status quo most of these episodes may have taken months to come to our screens.

  7. That’s a ratings hit for ABC1 and people will not sign up for Foxtel just for first run BBC content. I think some people, or their relatives who know how to use a computer will assist them in getting the programs elsewhere.

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