DRG Prescribes Doc Martin To France

A leading content distributor has signed a landmark deal for hit comedy drama Doc Martin, as French national broadcaster TF1 picks up scripted format rights to the show, commissioning a six-part series from leading French producer Ego Productions.
Digital Rights Group (DRG) who agreed to the French adaptation, will work with producers during all phases of the production process with filming getting underway in April in Brittany.
The series will star French feature film actor Thierry Lhermitte (les Bronzés, Un indien dans la ville) in the lead role of the truculent and tactless doctor who causes mayhem in a small community.
Ego Productions, a subsidiary company of the Carrere Group, is responsible for a range of leading long running series in France including “Une Famille formidable” and “Le Juge est une Femme”, both for TF1.
This is the third scripted adaptation of the comedy drama in Europe. Antena 3 in Spain recently renewed its deal with DRG for scripted format rights to the drama and will produce another 18 part series of its hugely successful Doctor Mateo starring Gonzalo de Castro in the lead role. In Germany, two series of Doktor Martin, starring Alex Milberg have also been commissioned.
In the UK, the original Doc Martin, starring Martin Clunes and produced by Buffalo Pictures in association with Homerun Productions was recently recommissioned by ITV1 for a fifth 8 x 50’ series, due for delivery in Autumn 2011. Series four, which aired from September 2009, gained an impressive average of 8.5 million viewers (32.8%), peaking at 9.4 million viewers.
Anne Roder Botbol, Senior Sales and Co-Production Executive at DRG, who negotiated the deal in France, commented: "It is a pleasure to work with Ego Productions, one of France’s leading drama producers and we cannot wait to see the result of the adaptation of the series for TF1. Doc Martin has performed outstandingly well over four series in the UK. It’s fun, family orientated and witty script has strong appeal for range of leading international broadcasters who want to adapt it for their own territory."
(BMcN/BMcC)