UK's Bonafide strikes deal with ZDF

The deal is one of the latest examples of an international distributor striking a first-look deal with a UK producer as competition for programme sales rights continues to heat up.

Bonafide, which was set up by comedy writer Sacha Alexander and Margery Bone, will receive investment from the international sales arm of the German public broadcaster to produce drama and comedies for UK and international broadcasters.

ZDF Enterprises, which distributed The Bridge and The Killing, will provide international coproduction agreements for Bonafide and will sell its shows globally.

Bonafide’s biggest commission to date is Talking to the Dead, a coproduction with Warp Films, greenlit in January for Sky Living.

The 2 x 60-minute drama, an adaptation of Harry Bingham’s novel, tells the story of a wayward female police officer who suffers from Cotard’s Syndrome, an illness that give her empathy for the dead.

Margery Bone, executive producer and cofounder of Bonafide Films, said: “We are huge fans of ZDF Enterprises’ work on quality crime shows such as The Bridge and The Killing and their expert network for international distribution.

“We very much share the same taste in captivating, high-end productions, so we’re tremendously pleased to be working together on Talking to the Dead for Sky Living in the UK - and for this relationship to now extend into a development one is a very exciting opportunity for us.”

This story was first published by Broadcast.