BBC America Orders First Original Scripted Series for Summer 2012

In its most significant original programming commitment to date, BBC AMERICA has announced its first original scripted drama series, Copper. The 10 episode series, which centers on a young Irish cop operating in the immigrant communities of 19th century New York, is co-created by Tom Fontana (OZ, Homicide: Life on the Street, St. Elsewhere) and Will Rokos (Monster's Ball, Southland). The executive producers include Fontana, Rokos, Barry Levinson (Good Morning, Vietnam, Rain Man, You Don't Know Jack) and Christina Wayne (Broken Trail and executive in charge of Mad Men at AMC) of Cineflix Studios.

Copper is set in the Five Points Irish neighborhood of New York City in the 1860's. The series focuses on a rugged young Irish cop who has to navigate the unruly and sometimes violent currents of his immigrant neighborhood, while simultaneously interacting with uptown Manhattan high society and the emerging black community in Harlem.

Copper will commence production in the fall of 2011 in Toronto and premiere on BBC AMERICA in Summer 2012.

Perry Simon, General Manager, BBC AMERICA says: "Copper is a great fit for BBC AMERICA, capturing the early American multicultural experience in provocative, ground-breaking fashion. In the spirit of great BBC drama it's brimming with fascinating and complex characters giving us the opportunity to cast the best actors from both sides of the Atlantic. I'm delighted to be working with Tom and Barry again, together with Will, Christina and the talented team at Cineflix Studios. We could not be in better hands for BBC AMERICA's first dramatic series".

"BBC AMERICA is the ideal home for Copper in the U.S.," said Glen Salzman, CEO, Cineflix. "Cineflix Studios has put together an amazing team for this series, some of the best in the business, who will produce compelling television with widespread international appeal. We look forward to starting production in a few months and continuing to ramp up our scripted programming slate."

BBC AMERICA has a history of co-producing and acquiring acclaimed, award-winning drama. The channel recently announced Dramaville - a new weekly slot launching August 17, as a home to series such as The Hour and Luther, which recently scored an Emmy nomination for lead actor Idris Elba.

BBC AMERICA delivers U.S. audiences high quality, innovative and intelligent programming. Established in 1998, it has been the launch pad for talent embraced by American mainstream pop culture, including Ricky Gervais, Gordon Ramsay, Graham Norton, and successful programming formats including ground-breaking non-scripted television like Top Gear and top-rated science-fiction like Doctor Who. Owned by BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, BBC AMERICA has attracted both critical acclaim and major awards including an Emmy, four Golden Globes and ten Peabody Awards. The channel attracts one of cable's most affluent and educated audiences and is available on digital cable and satellite TV in more than 68 million homes. It broadcasts in both standard and high-definition, with content available On Demand across all major digital platforms. Online, www.bbcamerica.com is the place to go to dig deeper into pop culture with a British twist.

Cineflix Studios combines global broadcast and production partners, major talent, and key executives to develop and produce high-quality scripted programming for cable and broadcast outlets in the US, Canada, and around the world. Christina Wayne is Studio President, Vlad Wolynetz is President of Production, and Sally Catto is Executive Vice President. Cineflix Studios was established in July 2010 and is a division of the international production and distribution company Cineflix Media.

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