Scripted

Keshet International (KI) has completed another sale for The Trial of Christine Keeler, the UK’s highest rating drama of the 2019 festive period.

HBO Max has acquired the exclusive rights for the United States to Ecosse Films and Great Meadow Productions’ highly acclaimed period drama originally produced for BBC One from Keshet International, in partnership with Endeavor Content.

Starring Sophie Cookson, James Norton, Emilia Fox, Ellie Bamber and Ben Miles, The Trial of Christine Keeler brings one of the most controversial political sex scandals of modern times up to date with a contemporary rendition of the infamous “Profumo Affair”.

The high-profile 6x60’ series was described by the Radio Times as “an extremely handsome, expensive-looking production that wouldn’t look out of place dropped into a run of The Crown”. The Trial of Christine Keeler will launch on HBO Max on 9 December 2020.

Written by BAFTA award-winning novelist and screenwriter Amanda Coe and directed by Andrea Harkin, it evocatively recreates London in the Swinging Sixties to retell this compelling true story of sex, politics and power from Christine’s perspective for the very first time.

Keren Shahar, KI’s COO and President of Distribution says, “We are thrilled to have found this stunning series a home in the US on HBO Max. By retelling this scandal from Christine’s perspective for the first time, this captivating period piece feels relevant, contemporary, and so very HBO Max, despite depicting real-life events from nearly six decades ago.”

To date, KI has already sold The Trial of Christine Keeler into ABC in Australia, BBC First in Benelux and Africa, NPO in the Netherlands, and Cosmo TV in Spain. Acorn Media International and ABC’s Home Entertainment division has both picked up the home video rights from KI, in the UK and for both Australia and New Zealand respectively.

Filmed on location in and around Bristol, The Trial of Christine Keeler was commissioned by Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content, and Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama. Executive producers are Kate Triggs and Douglas Rae for Ecosse Films; Amanda Coe; and Lucy Richer for the BBC. Keshet International distributes the series internationally, alongside Endeavor Content in the US. The Trial of Christine Keeler is the first project to be supported by the KI Content Fund.