FilmRise, the New York-based film and television studio and streaming network, has announced the acquisition of the U.S. AVOD distribution rights to 23 episodes across four seasons of BBC TWO’s most popular drama series, “Line of Duty” starring Adrian Dunbar (The Crying Game) from Quiver Entertainment. The program follows the investigations of AC-12, a controversial police anti-corruption unit. The announcement was made today by Danny Fisher, CEO of FilmRise.
Fisher comments, “This award-winning and critically acclaimed series is a wonderful addition to our recently launched British TV OTT channel which provides free top-tier British programming on our FilmRise Streaming Network. So, now for the first time, U.S. fans can enjoy ‘Line of Duty’ and more without having to subscribe to a streaming service.”
“Line of Duty” follows Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott (Martin Compston, Doomsday, Sweet Sixteen), a former authorized firearms officer who was transferred to Anti-Corruption Unit 12 (AC-12), a unit tasked with uncovering police corruption. Arnott is partnered with Detective Constable Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure, This Is England, Redemption), a highly commended undercover officer with a keen investigative instinct. They work under the supervision of Superintendent Ted Hastings (Dunbar). Throughout the series, AC-12 investigates seemingly disparate cases involving allegedly corrupt police officers, with each season focusing on a different corrupt officer.
“Line of Duty,” garnered 4.1 million viewers collectively when it originally aired in 2012, becoming the best-performing drama series in ten years on BBC Two. The series won the Royal Television Society Award for Best Drama Series, an Edgar Allen Poe Award from the Mystery Writers of America and has been nominated for a number of BAFTA TV Awards. Due to its success, “Line of Duty” began airing on BBC One in 2017, where it launched its fourth season.
The deal was negotiated by Danny Fisher, CEO, Max Einhorn, SVP, Acquisitions and Co-Productions and Berry Meyerowitz, President of Quiver Entertainment.