Acorn TV & Viacom’s Channel 5 Board Crime Thriller ‘Blood’

Acorn TV and Viacom’s Channel 5 have come on board psychological crime thriller Blood starring Line of Duty’s Adrian Dunbar.

The SVOD service has taken U.S. rights and the British linear broadcaster has picked up UK rights to the six-part series, which was originally commissioned by Ireland’s Virgin Media Television. The deal was struck with All3Media International.

The drama follows Cat Hogan, played by Unforgotten’s Carolina Main, an isolated woman on the run from her past, a past she is forced to confront when the sudden ‘accidental’ death of her mother, Mary, played by 7 Days in Entebbe’s Ingrid Craigie, draws her back to the family she has spent the last ten years trying to avoid. Her suspicions start to mount against her father, played by Dunbar, when she begins to notice discrepancies in his stories

Written by Riviera and The Last Kingdom writer Sophie Petzal, Blood is produced by Midsomer Murders’ Jonathan Fisher for Company Pictures in association with Element Pictures. The cast also includes Diarmuid Noyes (Five Minutes of Heaven), Gráinne Keenan (Black Mirror), Cillian Ó Gairbhí (Vikings) and Mark O’Regan (The Commitments).

Virgin Media Television in Ireland will have the global premiere for the show, which is expected to take place this Autumn, while sister company Virgin UK will take the UK SVOD window after C5’s linear launch.

Catherine Mackin, Managing Director of Acorn Media Enterprises, said, “We’re thrilled to partner again with our friends at All3media international on another high-quality drama production. Delivering a new and exciting take on the crime genre, Blood boasts a stellar line-up of talent both on- and off-screen, ensuring it is perfectly in line with the first-rate dramas we’re bringing to Acorn TV’s subscribers every month.”

Ben Frow, Director of Programmes, Channel 5, said, “This announcement underlines our ambition to diversify the schedule and deliver high quality drama to the channel. With a talented cast headed by Adrian Dunbar, thrilling storylines and the drama expertise of Company Pictures, Blood will appeal to UK audiences.”

Stephen Driscoll, EVP, EMEA at All3Media International, added, “We’re very pleased to welcome Acorn onboard as a key production partner on this fantastic new drama. Our collaboration on Blood continues All3Media International and Acorn’s strong ongoing relationship, which has already resulted in a wealth of high-profile UK-produced drama airing on Acorn TV. In addition, partnering with Channel 5 is another fantastic step on the drama’s international journey. The Virgin Media UK window further endorses its appeal.”