All3Media International has secured deals to bring the Gaelic drama series An t-Eilean (The Island) to a raft of markets as BBC ALBA renews the Black Camel Pictures production for a second season.
An t-Eilean was the U.K.’s first-ever high-end Gaelic drama series and the biggest in BBC ALBA’s history. The four-parter, presold to BBC Four in the U.K., is now headed to Acorn Media in the U.S. for English-speaking Canada and the Caribbean, and Canal+ for France, Africa, and French-speaking Europe. All3Media International has also landed deals with Antena TV (Romania), DR (Denmark), EITB (Basque Spain), Hellenic Telecommunications (Greece), RTBF (French-speaking Belgium and Luxembourg), and SVT (Sweden). SBS in Australia and Rialto Channel in New Zealand are also on board, Dazzler Media has acquired DVD rights for the U.K. and Eire, and Virgin Atlantic has secured in-flight rights.
Arabella Page Croft, CEO of Black Camel Pictures, commented, “It’s an honour to create the first high-end Gaelic drama, and we’re delighted that All3Media International is now introducing even more viewers to the exceptional talent, breathtaking landscapes, and wonderful language of this part of the world. It is always our ambition here at Black Camel in Scotland to make premium drama that appeals to a local, network, and global audience, and following the success of An t-Eilean (The Island) both at home and on the international stage, we look forward to returning another gripping instalment of our series.”
Maartje Horchner, EVP at All3Media International, added, “We’re very pleased to announce this extensive line-up of new deals for An t-Eilean (The Island). Delivering the perfect combination of tense crime story and enthralling family drama, all brought to screen by the talented team at Black Camel Pictures, this ambitious thriller has attracted a lot of attention among buyers, proving the strength in demand for premium minority-language drama in the global market. We’re looking forward to speaking to buyers about the second series at the upcoming London TV Screenings and hope this will be just the start of this incredible drama’s ongoing success story.”
Bill MacLeod, commissioning editor at BBC ALBA, added: “An t-Eilean will once again transport viewers to one of the most dramatic landscapes in the world with a taut and twisty story that will keep them on the edge of their seats until the final few frames.”
