Today, BBC Worldwide announced a deal with one of China’s largest providers of Internet value added services, Tencent Holdings Limited (“Tencent”, SEHK: 00700) for The Collection. The announcement was made on the second day of the Asian Television Forum in Singapore.
The eight-episode drama, set in the world of French haute couture after the Second World War from writer, creator and award-winning showrunner Oliver Goldstick (Pretty Little Liars, Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives) features Tom Riley (Da Vinci’s Demons, Kill Your Friends), Mamie Gummer (The Good Wife, Ricki and the Flash), Richard Coyle (Crossbones, Life of Crime, Going Postal) and Alix Poisson (Disparue, 3xManon, Parents mode d’emploi).
In January 2017, it will air exclusively on Tencent’s qq platform, available to over 830 million active QQ accounts. Tencent also has the distribution rights for the series in Hong Kong, Taiwan and China.
“We are very excited to partner with Tencent on The Collection. We have a great relationship with them, most recently co-producing Planet Earth II which has been incredibly popular in China, with 28 million views for its first four episodes in just four weeks,” said Kelvin Yau, BBC Worldwide, GM, Greater China. “We are confident that The Collection, with its a story about the price of success, set during a pivotal moment in France’s history when fashion became a vehicle for transformation and reinvention, will resonate with viewers in Greater China.”
“We had previously worked together to bring Doctor Who and Orphan Black, successfully to Chinese audiences. We are now very excited that Chinese audiences will be part of The Collection, which is fast becoming a global phenomenon, said Jeff Han, Vice President, Tencent Online Media Group and General Manager, Marketing & Video Content Co-operation. “Our partnership with BBC Worldwide has been a fruitful one so far, and I look forward to working with them to bring more great content to China.”
The Collection, also starring Frances de la Tour (The Lady in the Van, Vicious, Into the Woods, Hugo), Jenna Thiam (The Returned) and Irène Jacob (The Affair, La Habitación, Three Colours Red), tells the story of an illustrious Paris fashion house emerging from the dark days of the Occupation. This gripping family saga, centred on two very different brothers, exposes the grit behind the glamour and the treachery beneath the trappings of this empire, and all who work there.
The Collection is a Lookout Point and Artis Pictures Production co-produced with Amazon Studios, Federation Entertainment, MFP and Masterpiece with the participation of France Télévisions and BBC Worldwide Ltd in association with Tencent Distribution.
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For more information, please contact:
Jeanne Leong
BBC Worldwide
Tel: +65 68495292
Mob: +65 96791173
Email: Jeanne.Leong@bbc.com
NOTES TO EDITORS
The Collection
The Collection (8×50’) is a gripping relationship drama set in France just after the Second World War. Spearheaded by two clashing brothers, it exposes the grit behind the glamour, and the treachery beneath the trappings of an illustrious fashion house.
Paris. 1947. An ambitious designer is tasked to restore the pre-eminence of the fashion capital. His fresh vision will usher in a new romantic era, offering the chance to lift the post-war gloom and dream of better days. But can the family business survive meteoric success? Dark shadows threaten to topple this empire at any moment: internal rivalries and betrayals, hateful bargains made to survive the Nazi occupation, and the twisted secret behind the master’s success. The atelier survived one devastating war, but another one is looming, where personal battles and passionate love stories pit brother against brother, husband against wife, mother against daughter and protégé against mentor.
Entertaining, sophisticated and contemporary in tone, full of air and wit, The Collection is a meticulously researched piece about this mysterious, morally ambiguous time. Often dark and deceptive, the drama pits dreamers against schemers, with storylines and characters as layered and complex as the stunning gowns seen within the Paul Sabine atelier.
A Lookout Point and Artis Pictures Production co-produced with Amazon Studios, Federation Entertainment, MFP and Masterpiece with the participation of France Télévisions and BBC Worldwide Ltd in association with Tencent Distribution.
About Lookout Point
Lookout Point is an independent drama production company working with the UK’s leading writing, directing and on screen talent to produce bold and innovative television drama.
The company was established in 2009 and has a proven reputation as the market leaders in global drama financing. Faith Penhale, formerly Head of Drama at BBC Wales, recently joined as joint CEO alongside Chairman and joint CEO Simon Vaughan to take the company into its next phase as a leading producer of high quality scripted drama.
Lookout Point’s credits to date include Andrew Davies’ critically acclaimed adaptation of War & Peace for BBC One, Ripper Street (shortly in its fifth and final season on Amazon Prime), Tom Stoppard’s adaptation of Ford Madox Ford’s Parade’s End starring Benedict Cumberbatch and recently collaborated with BBC Cymru Wales on period mystery drama
The Living and the Dead and with Sid Gentle Films on Len Deighton’s alternate history thriller adaptation SS-GB both for BBC.
Lookout Point is currently co-producing Mike Bartlett’s bold and provocative newspaper drama, Press, with Nigel Stafford-Clark/Deep Indigo and BBC Studios for BBC One; Sally Wainwright’s landmark single film for BBC One about the extraordinary lives of the Bronte sisters, To Walk Invisible, with BBC Studios/Wales; Andrew Davies’ adaptation of Victor Hugo’s 19th century classic, Les Misérables, with BBC Studios and The Weinstein Company for BBC One. They also recently produced Oliver Goldstick’s sumptuous drama set in a post war Paris fashion house, The Collection, for Amazon Prime.
About BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Its vision is to build the BBC’s brands, audiences, commercial returns and reputation across the world. This is achieved through investing in, commercialising and showcasing content from the BBC around the world, in a way that is consistent with BBC standards and values. The business also champions British creativity globally.
In 2015/16 BBC Worldwide generated headline profits of £133.8m and headline sales of £1,029.4m and returned £222.2m to the BBC.
For more detailed performance information please see our Annual Review webpage:
bbcworldwide.com/annual-review/
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