CBS Chello Zone UK has acquired three gritty crime series including a drama dubbed “the Australian Sopranos” and a police procedural starring a pre-Mad Men Jon Hamm.
The 13 x 60-minute Underbelly, acquired from distributor DRG for broadcast on CBS Action, tells the story of the 1995-2004 gangland war which took place in Melbourne between the Carlton Crew and Car Williams.
It spawned three prequels, including a New Zealand-based version, which will also air on CBS Action.
CBS Drama will air both 22 x 60-minute series of The Division, a police drama set in San Francisco, which was acquired from CBS Studios International. John Hamm plays a cynical inspector who starts a relationship with one of five female police officers who are struggling with life in the department.
CBS Reality is to air the 29 x 60 minute second and third series of documentary Sins & Secrets, acquired from Rive Gauche, which uses a mixture of eye-witness accounts, real life footage and dramatizations to show the lengths criminals go to in order to cover their tracks.
All three shows will tx this autumn.
CBS Chello Zone UK director of programmes Alina Florea picked up Underbelly and The Division, with CBS Reality director of programmes Sam Rowden picking up Sins & Secrets.
Florea said she was looking forward to offering viewers the range of “gritty programming.”
Broadcast, 31 August, 2012 | By Alex Farber
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