The world will be tuning in to The Newsreader.
A slew of international broadcasters, including Britain’s BBC, French-German channel Arte and Nordic network Viaplay, have picked up rights to the Australian drama series set in a commercial TV newsroom in the 1980s.
Entertainment One (eOne) said on Wednesday that it has licensed the show to more than 80 territories, including to NBCUniversal International Networks & DTC for Latin America, RTE for Ireland, Now TV in Hong Kong, Telus in Canada, Cosmo in Spain, and Filmin, which took first window rights in Portugal and second window in Spain.
Created by Michael Lucas, The Newsreader stars Anna Torv (Mindhunter) and Sam Reid (Prime Suspect 1973) as colleagues — she’s the channel’s star female news anchor, he’s an ambitious young TV reporter — in an Australian TV newsroom in the 1980s.
The show has been a critical and commercial hit down under, drawing a total audience of 1.5 million across linear and on-demand platforms for national broadcaster ABC, making it one of the most-watched dramas of 2021 in the country. The Newsreader secured an impressive 16 nominations for the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards (AACTAs) and won five, including for best drama series and best lead actress for Torv.
“The response to this series has been overwhelmingly positive, with critics and audiences embracing the workplace drama told against the backdrop of some of the most pivotal historical events of the era,” said Stuart Baxter, president, international distribution at eOne.
