US TV updates on Lynda La Plante’s crime series and John Grisham’s novel are selling well at MIPCOM.

ITV Studios Global Entertainment has sold the new US version of Prime Suspect to over 30 territories.

The series has been licensed to broadcasters Nine (Australia), TVNZ (New Zealand), Diva Universal (Asia region including Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Hong Kong and Taiwan), Kanal 5 (Sweden), TV3 (Ireland) and between Fox International and NRK in Norway.

The drama is also set to launch in territories including Germany, France, Italy, Israel, South Korea, Canada and Latin America in the coming year.

Co-produced by ITV Studios America and Universal Media Studios, the US adaptation of Lynda La Plante’s bestselling novels debuted on NBC last month.

Derived from the critically acclaimed British television series of the same name, the US update has been redeveloped by writer Alexandra Cunningham (Desperate Housewives, NYPD Blue), director Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights); Maria Bello (A History of Violence) stars as tough Detective Jane Timoney.

The Firm has been another hot seller. Viasat Broadcasting has entered into a distribution financing co-venture, covering ten different markets, with eOne on legal thriller-drama The Firm, starring Josh Lucas and based on John Grisham’s best-selling novel.
 
The deal gives Viasat Broadcasting exclusive free-TV and pay-TV television broadcast rights in Sweden, Norway and Denmark, as well as the free-TV rights in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Ghana.

The series of 22 one-hour episodes has already sold to Global in Canada and NBC Networks in the US. It will also air on Sony’s AXN networks in more than 125 territories.
 
In other news, Lionsgate Television has formed a joint venture with Maryann Pasante’s TISA (Television Internacional Sur America). Lionsgate-TISA Television International which will focus on TV distribution and acquisition in Latin America, including of Lionsgate’s Mad Men, Weeds and Boss as well as its feature film library.

In Ireland, Windmill Lane Entertainment, the recently launched post and VFX co-production finance arm of Dublin-based facilities company Windmill Lane Pictures, struck a post-production deal with FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) for the series The Aquabats Super Show, in conjunction with Irish animation company Cartoon Saloon.

Finally, Content Television, a division of Content Media Corporation, has concluded a new deal in Australia for the BAFTA ceremonies, with Movie Network Channels acquiring the Orange British Academy Film Awards and the BAFTA Los Angeles Britannia Awards.
 
The acquisition will see Movie Network Channels airing both awards ceremonies on its Starpics Channel.

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