'Heritage' puts Endemol on Russian radar

Endemol International has secured its first drama series commission in Russia, inking a deal with Channel One to produce a local version of the Dutch show "The Heritage," the company said Thursday (HR 6/8).

Endemol Moscow has been commissioned to produce the 16-part series, which begins with the death of an international trading tycoon and then follows the gripping game of intrigue he plays from beyond the grave.

The series, which has been a huge success in the Netherlands, is set to premiere in spring 2008.

"We have long established ourselves as a world leader in creating and distributing formats," said Endemol scripted programming chief Caroline Torrance. "Now we're beginning to replicate that model in the scripted genre."