UKTV's Watch Network Gets U.K. Broadcast Rights to New Drama 'Beauty and the Beast'

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LONDON - CBS Corp.'s CBS Studios International and UKTV, a U.K. TV network operator co-owned by BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive, have struck a multi-season deal covering the exclusive broadcast rights to drama Beauty and the Beast.

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Beauty and the Beast, which launched in the U.S. on the CW last week, will debut in the U.K. on the TV venture's Watch flagship channel in early 2013. Financial details weren't disclosed.

"CBS’s Beauty and the Beast feels fresh and contemporary while also encompassing an out of the ordinary feel to it, which is perfect for Watch’s viewers," said Catherine Mackin, director of program acquisitions at UKTV. "We are delighted to be continuing our successful partnership with CBS.

“We’re excited that UKTV has acquired CBS’s new take on this classic love story," said Stephen Tague, senior vp Europe, CBS Studios International. "Beauty and the Beast will appeal to Watch’s younger, dynamic audience, delivering them CBS’s customary high-quality storytelling and production values.”

The show stars Kristin Kreuk( Smallville, Chuck) as Detective Catherine Chandler, a smart, no-nonsense homicide detective. She witnessed the murder of her mother years earlier and would have been killed too, but someone saved her by attacking the assassins.

Steve Hornsey, general manager of Watch, said: “The success of Dynamo: Magician Impossible, Grimm and Alcatraz show Watch is a must-have channel for audiences that want to see exclusive new content with a distinctive twist. Beauty and the Beast is one of the most highly anticipated offerings of the new season, and I'm thrilled that Watch viewers will see it here first in the U.K."

Beauty and the Beast is produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Take 5 Productions/Whizbang Films.