Blue Ant Studios reports a surge in sales and demand for true crime documentaries and mystery content in CEE. From limited series to long-running true crime formats, buyers across channels and platforms are turning to Blue Ant Studios to fill their schedules. Over 270 hours of premium series and documentaries from Blue Ant’s growing roster of true crime production partners have been acquired by Canal+, CBS Reality, DOX TV, Lithuanian Radio & Television (LRT), MRT, Delfi, Digi Romania (formerly RCS and RDS), and Viasat World.
“The crime and mystery genre is driving growing demand for series and documentaries thanks to compelling storytelling and compelling headlines, and we’ve noticed growing interest in these stories in CEE,” said Kate Blank, VP of international sales at Blue Ant Studios. “Our catalogue features everything from limited series to long-running, returnable franchises that explore true crime, cold cases, strange phenomena, police procedurals and profiles of criminal masterminds, satisfying audiences’ growing appetite for binge-worthy, compelling stories and characters.”
Sales in this region include:
Croatia’s HRT, Czech Republic’s FTV Prima and Digi Romania, as well as Lithuanian public broadcaster Lithuanian Radio and Television (LRT) have all licensed the long-running series. Mystery from above (30 x 60′, Saloon Media) explores historical and contemporary sites from above, using drone, satellite and aerial photography to reveal fascinating insights into these strange happenings from a unique perspective.
In Poland, Canal+ The most difficult case (6 x 60 mins, Woodcut Media) re-enacts some of the most challenging cases police officers have ever faced, providing first-hand insight into incidents that have caused huge reactions and shook entire communities to their core. Night Stalker: Small Town Terror(3 x 60′ | 2 x 90′ | 1 x 120′, Joined Up Films) is a shocking true crime documentary that explores the longest manhunt for a serial killer in Australian history. Predator: Catching a Black Cab Rapist (1 x 60′, October Films) follows the case of Britain’s most notorious serial rapist, John Worboys, who drugged, raped and assaulted over 100 victims in the back of black cabs.
CBS Reality Acquisition Big Little Crimes (10 x 60′ | 30 x 30′, Brown Bob Productions) tells the story of an ordinary constable who stumbles upon a key piece of evidence that leads to the arrest of a major criminal. Murderer: Caught on Camera (20 x 60′, back-to-back) Piece together video footage to solve the crime and bring the perpetrators to justice.
International broadcaster Viasat World has licensed the eighth season to its Viasat True Crime channel in Poland. See no evil (20 x 60′, Arrow Media & Saloon Media) A long-running, groundbreaking series about how real crimes are solved with the help of surveillance cameras. Playboy Bunny Murders (2 x 60′ HD, Future Studios, Soho Studios) Journalist and author Marcel Cerrault transports viewers to the glamour and exoticism of London’s vibrant 70s Playboy Club, the setting for the world’s longest-running unsolved murders of four young women. Casey Anthony: Where is the truth? (3 x 60 min., Blue Ant Studios) In this film, Casey Anthony finally tells her story 10 years after her acquittal in the murder of her daughter, a trial that outraged millions and earned her the nickname “America’s most hated mother.”
Featured by DOX TV Colin McLaren and the Mafia Killers (6 x 60′, Bedlam Productions), in which detectives take a closer look at six notorious American gangsters, including John Gotti, Henry Hill and Sammy Gravano. Evil Plan: Survive Nygard (3 x 60′, Blue Ant Studios) A three-part documentary series exploring the truth behind Peter Nygard’s 40-year reign of terror, featuring first-hand testimonies from survivors recounting their horrific experiences of abuse. Undercover: Fighting the Scammers (10 x 60′, Curve Media, Season 1) Follow investigative journalist Paul Connolly as he investigates the rapidly expanding world of fraud and shenanigans, from phishing to investment fraud, romance scams to counterfeiting. Madeleine McCann: Investigating the Prime Suspect (3 x 60′, ScreenDog Productions) The first televised investigation into Christian B., the German pedophile who became the prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case.
North Macedonia’s MRT also approved Playboy Bunny Murders Also screening will be Cracking The Code (8 x 60′, Blink Films), which unravels some of the world’s most famous and infamous codes. Deciphering these codes could reveal military secrets, reveal the true identities of fearsome enemies, and even decipher lost civilizations. The real spy among friends (1 x 60′; Wingspan Productions) is the true story behind the hit drama series A spy among friends. This documentary about Kim Philby and his Cambridge University cohort of traitors exposes the most notorious spy ring in history.
In Lithuania, Delphi Rocks Police Officer (10 x 60′, Rare TV) shows the extraordinary work of Gibraltar’s Police and Customs in their fight against international smugglers and drug dealers. Women in the Police (16 x 60′, Flint TV and Lambent Productions) captures the female officers working on the frontline of West Yorkshire Police and the demands their jobs place on their lives, both at work and at home.
