ITCH goes global with further deals in USA, NZ and Finland
The cast of Itch – L – R Charles Russell (Tim), Samuel Ireland (Itch), Melanie Wozniak (Jack) & Kylah Day (Lucy). Photo by Nic Duncan.
ITCH goes global with further deals in USA, NZ and Finland
After initially securing a deal with the BBC in the UK, ABC Commercial announced this week that children’s action-adventure series Itch has sold to the US broadcaster BYU Broadcasting, who has secured FTV, STV and SVOD rights for its family entertainment platform BYUtv.
The series, shot in WA’s Albany is also attracting interest in additional territories after the recent sale to UK’s public broadcaster BBC, with ABC Commercial announcing the completion of a further two agreements of territory rights to TVNZ in New Zealand and public broadcaster YLE in Finland.
The ABC’s Head of Content Sales & Distribution, Jessica Ellis said, “This is our first sale to BYUtv, and we are excited to be working together to bring our high-quality content to U.S. audiences. We have built an excellent campaign around Itch which has been well received with buyers in the international marketplace and are pleased to have secured sales to blue chip partners in the UK and now in the US, NZ and Finland.”
Ellis added, “ABC Commercial continues to work on a new distribution approach that has delivering strong results for our clients and production partners.”
“Itch is a textbook example of the kind of audacious, exciting content that BYUtv’s audience is clamoring for,” said Michael Dunn, BYUtv’s Managing Director. “Young people and their parents will be swept away by the gripping plot and fascinating characters. We’re pleased to work with ABC Commercial to bring such a great family show to the U.S.”
“We’re exceptionally pleased that Itch will reach audiences in the US, Finland and New Zealand and showcase the talent and creativity of Western Australians and the beautiful landscapes of Albany to a global audience,” said Willie Rowe, CEO of Screenwest.
Itch follows the adventures of Itchingham Lofte, a science obsessed teenager who pursues the unusual hobby of collecting all the elements on the Periodic Table. When Itch gets his hands on a new, previously unknown element, things start to get interesting.
Itch will be broadcast on BYUtv in early June.
For more information on the broadcast of Itch in the UK read the article.
ITCH is a Komixx Entertainment Production in association with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Screen Australia, Screenwest and the Western Australian Regional Film Fund. Based on the best-selling book by Simon Mayo, the screenplay is written by Melanie Halsall, Dan Berlinka, Ron Elliott, Heather Wilson, Jessica Brookman and Roger Monk. Produced by Amanda Morrison, Tania Chambers and Melanie Halsall.
Season 1 of Itch is now available on iTunes.
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