TCM Acquires AMC Drama HELL ON WHEELS from Endemol
TCM (Turner Classic Movies), the popular film channel owned by media giant Turner Broadcasting, today announced that it has acquired the one hour drama series Hell on Wheels from Endemol, a world leader in entertainment programming.
The deal was negotiated by Endemol Worldwide Distribution's Sales Director UK and Eire, Gisela Asimus-Minnbergh, and was secured prior to its worldwide premier on AMC November 6th.
Jemma Yates, Director, General Entertainment, UK and Eire, Turner Broadcasting said:
"We are thrilled that Hell on Wheels will have its UK debut on TCM in a deal which marks our continued investment in high quality content for the channel."
Cathy Payne, Chief Executive - Endemol Worldwide Distribution said:
‘Hell on Wheels is an epic drama, a character-driven historical series with an amazing cast. We are extremely pleased to be working with TCM to bring the series to UK audiences".
Produced by eOne in association with Endemol USA and Nomadic Pictures for AMC, Hell on Wheels is the epic story of post-Civil War America, focusing on a Confederate soldier (Anson Mount) who sets out to exact revenge on the Union soldiers who have killed his wife. His journey takes him west to ‘Hell on Wheels', a dangerous, raucous, lawless melting pot of a town that travels with and services the construction of the first transcontinental railroad, an engineering feat unprecedented for its time. The series examines the railroad's institutionalised greed and corruption, the immigrant experience, and the plight of the newly emancipated African-Americans during reconstruction. Over time, Hell on Wheels chronicles this potent turning point in America's history, and how uncivilised the business of civilisation can be.
Hell on Wheels stars Anson Mount (City by the Sea, Cook County), Common (Just Wright, Date Night), Dominique McElligott (Moon) and Colm Meaney (Get Him to the Greek) and is written and produced by Joe and Tony Gayton (Faster, Murder By Numbers) and John Shiban (X-Files, Breaking Bad). The pilot is directed by David von Ancken (Californication, Seraphim Falls).
Endemol holds all television distribution rights across Europe with eOne handling all remaining territories, as well as worldwide rights for DVD/Blu-ray, VOD and digital distribution. Hell on Wheels has to date been acquired by the Sundance Channel for Portugal, Spain and Eastern and Central Europe with further deals to be announced shortly.
The series will premiere on TCM UK in 2012.
For further information please contact:
Yinka Akindele
Senior Press Officer
Turner Broadcasting
Tel: +44 20 7693 1105
Email: Yinka.akindele@turner.com
Shannon Becker
Marketing Manager
Endemol Worldwide Distribution
Tel: +612 9 202 8504
Email: Shannon.becker@endemol.com
ABOUT ENDEMOL
Endemol is a global leader in entertainment programming and the largest independent television production company in the world.
Endemol was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It comprises a global network of over 80 companies in 31 countries
Each year the company produces more than 10,000 hours of programming and partners with over 300 broadcasters and licensees worldwide. Endemol is also one of the largest independent distributors of formats and finished programming in the world, with a growing library of over 2,300 formats and more than 24,000 hours of content across genres, including entertainment, reality TV, game shows, comedy, drama, sport, docu-dramas, animation, features and feature films.
Endemol's credits include international blockbusters such as Big Brother, Deal or No Deal, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, 1 vs. 100, Star Academy, Wipeout and The Money Drop. Its growing drama portfolio includes Hot in Cleveland, Hell on Wheels, Home and Away, Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Rush and Nini.
Endemol is owned by Goldman Sachs, Mediacinco and Cyrte, which acquired the company in May 2007.
ABOUT TCM
TCM (Turner Classic Movies) is a 24-hour cable, satellite and digital terrestrial film channel that launched in the US in 1994 and in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Africa in 1999 as part of the Time Warner group. Ensuring that film lovers are fully catered for is at the heart of TCM, whether it's quirky comedies such as Boogie Nights, horror greats like The Shining, acclaimed Westerns like Pale Rider, or crime dramas such as Goodfellas. TCM also shows family favourites such as Batman and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as well as Oscar-winning epics (Gone with the Wind, Ben-Hur). New to TCM's portfolio are cinematic TV dramas Pillars of the Earth, Band of Brothers, Rome and Deadwood.
TCM is available throughout EMEA in 50 million homes. In the UK TCM can be found on SKY 317; Virgin TV 415. TCM 2 can be found on SKY 318.
For information on TCM see www.tcmuk.tv
