MIPCOM 2019: BBC Studios opens The Mallorca Files
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Editor
| 14 October 2019

The commercial arm of the BBC, BBC Studios, has revealed international pre-sales of the new crime drama series The Mallorca Files, a Cosmopolitan Pictures and Clerkenwell Films co-production for the BBC.

Created by Dan Sefton, the writer behind The Good Karma Hospital, Trust Me, Delicious and Porters, The Mallorca Files is set amongst the international community of the Spanish island, and centres around detective Miranda Blake (Elen Rhys) – an introvert who is used to living by the rules – and her German counterpart Max Winter (Julian Looman), whose approach to policing is based on gut-instinct, with little interest in process. Their dynamic sets the tone of the series, which the BBC says marks a welcome return to the police caper, epitomised by classic shows like Moonlighting and Dempsey and Makepeace.

The Balearic-based ten-part series has pre-sold to New Zealand (TVNZ), Czech Republic (Prima), Japan (AXN Mystery), Finland (YLE), Denmark (TV2), Norway (TV2) and Sweden (SVT). North America, Germany and France already have access to The Mallorca Files thanks to co-production partnerships via BritBox, ZDFneo and France Télévisions respectively. BBC First channels across Benelux, Africa and Poland will also be premiering the series.

“Sun, sea and subterfuge, great chemistry and escapist locations all add up to make our newest crime series a sure fire hit with international audiences,” commented Paul Dempsey, president global distribution for BBC Studios. “This is a great new addition to our hugely popular stable of crime drama which has something for all tastes.”

Ben Donald, Founder of Cosmopolitan Pictures, added: “When we first set out to create The Mallorca Files, we wanted to deliver a high-quality, feel-good crime series that would provide a welcome antidote to those darker expressions of the genre which have been a staple of prime-time TV for the last few years. Sales secured in these major international markets suggests buyers feel the same way.”