BBC Buys Australian Psychological Thriller Series ‘Safe Harbour’

By Stewart Clarke

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – The BBC has bolstered its international drama lineup, acquiring Australian limited series “Safe Harbour” and inking deals for new seasons of shows from Canada, France and Iceland. The shows will all run on the U.K. pubcaster’s BBC Four channel.

“Safe Harbour” is a psychological thriller that played on pubcaster SBS in Australia. It follows a group of six friends on a yacht trip from Brisbane to Indonesia. When they come to the aid of a group of asylum seekers, it leads to a series of events that change all of their lives.

The show is made by NBCUniversal-backed Australian producer Matchbox Pictures and is sold by NBCUniversal International Distribution, which did the BBC deal.

The BBC has also picked up the sophomore season of Canadian crime drama “Cardinal” from distributor Entertainment One. It plays on CTV domestically.

BBC viewers with a penchant for non-English-language drama will get new installments of Icelandic series “Trapped,” after the pubcaster bought the second season from Dynamic Television. Danish drama “Follow the Money” returns for Season 3 after the BBC sealed a deal with the sales arm of DR, the Danish pubcaster that airs it locally.

The shows are destined for Saturday night slots on . “As the original home of contemporary international drama on British Television, BBC Four continues to fire on all cylinders, bringing choice new titles and returning favorites back to its established Saturday night slot,” said Cassian Harrison, BBC Four channel editor

He added: “Ranging from the open seas of the South Pacific to the backwoods of Canada, with – of course – some Nordic wilderness stop-offs along the way, we hope audiences will enjoy our thrilling spring selects as much as we do.”