NBCUniversal Picks Up Four Scripted Series in Germany, Austria, Switzerland

By Ben Croll

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Banking on a long-running partnership with Entertainment One, NBCUniversal Intl. has picked up German, Austrian and Swiss licensing rights for the popular series “Deputy,” “Upright,” “Nurses,” and “Burden of Truth.”

Brokered by eOne’s Christian Fritzsche, the deal will offer Germany pay television rights to the four scripted dramas, all of which contain distinct procedural elements the broadcaster can deploy on its genre-dedicated channels like 13th Street and Universal TV.

Karin Schrader, vice president programming and acquisitions at NBCUniversal Intl., said: “The four top quality series… are a perfect fit for our channel brands. With tailored and exclusive content that is entertaining, inspiring, thrilling and touching we will keep on captivating the German audience.”

“Deputy” will be the first of the four series to launch. A modern cop drama that pays homage to classic westerns, the David Ayer (“Training Day,” “Fury”) created and Stephen Dorff (“True Detective”) led procedural will debut in April on NBCU’s genre-oriented banner 13th Street.

Shows like “Nurses” and “Burden of Truth” present new spins on the medical and legal drama, while “Upright” gives Australian comedian Tim Minchin (“Groundhog Day”) the opportunity to present his own stamp on the quirky, character driven dramedy.