Starz to co-produce dramas with BBC
A deal with BBC Worldwide could deliver US cable network Starz as much as $300 million to create new programing.
- Published by David Knox
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US cable network Starz has struck a deal with BBC Worldwide Productions to co-produce TV shows.
It follows both coming together for Torchwood: Miracle Day.
The agreement could deliver Starz with as much as $300 million to create new programing while generating more than 100 hours of original TV.
According to SNL Kagan, Starz’s total programing budget was only around $685 million last year, about a third of what HBO spent.
As such, Starz series such as the various Spartacus incarnations shot using mostly computer-generated sets and no-name casts.
“This deal allows us to produce shows with significantly higher production values, shows that have a really premium look,” said Chris Albrecht, the former HBO programing architect who now serves as CEO for Liberty’s Starz LLC unit, to the Wall Street Journal.
“That’s more important than ever in a universe where so many networks are doing original series and some are spending $7 million or more an episode. Viewers expect more today.”
To help finance its portion of the productions, BBC Worldwide will look to international investors, including overseas channels.
8 Responses
Look out Doctor Who
Neither of the Spartacus shows suffered from lack of budget. If anything it forced the show to be more creative and concentrate more on story and characters. The CG looked great too. And as others have mentioned, John Hannah and Lucy Lawless are not unknowns; and the unknowns in the show were terrific and didn’t draw attention to themselves because they were “stars”—they were good actors.
Shows only really suffer when their writing and casting is weak. Exhibit A: Camelot.
@Armchair
i had the same thought about kevin sorbo being on spartacus while i was watching meet the spartans a couple days ago
I woudnt exactly say they were/are no name casts. John Hannah is not a no name iam sure. Some of the younger cast perhaps but the rest i think have had form even if it was over a decade ago. I would realy like to see Kevin Sorbo guest star in a episode of Spartacus, that would be fitting.
Well, they did pretty well with Spartacus. The CGI was obvious but not intrusive and I wouldn’t say that John Hannah and Lucy Lawless were no-names. But yeah, story should always come first, with acting a very close second.
I really hope they push the budget of Spartacus significantly up.
The story really is one that expands a lot more in scope than what they’ve done so far, where it’ll really suffer if they can’t do bigger more varied stuff.
This is not good news if the Torchwood collaboration is anything to go by.
i actually like no name casts… story is more important than big names, even if the names bring in the ratings, if the story sucks nobody will come back…