“Departure” will be on the Universal TV channel in the U.K. and Germany and 13th Street in France and Spain after NBCUniversal prebought the upcoming drama series. The conspiracy drama is in production in Canada and the U.K. and stars Archie Panjabi (“The Good Wife”) and Christopher Plummer (“All the Money in the World”). It will also be on Universal TV in Africa and 13th Street in Poland as part of NBCUniversal International Network’s pay-TV deal for the show in several parts of the EMEA region.


A Canada-U.K. coproduction, the six-part scripted series will follow aviation investigator Kendra Malley (Panjabi) as she attempts to solve the mystery of a passenger plane that has disappeared over the Atlantic. She has to investigate her former boss and mentor Howard Lawson (Plummer) as part of the case. Kris Holden-Ried (“Vikings”), Claire Forlani (“Hawaii Five-O”), Rebecca Liddiard (“Frankie Drake Mysteries”), and Shazad Latif (“Star Trek: Discovery”) are also among the cast.


Canadian free-TV network Global commissioned the series and will launch it later this year. It is helmed by T.J. Scott (“Orphan Black”) and produced by Shaftesbury and Greenpoint. Starlings Television co-financed the event series and is distributing in the U.S. In the rest of the world it is being sold by Red Arrow International, which struck the NBCUniversal deal.


“’Departure’’s gripping storyline – steeped in conspiracy, mystery and intriguing characters – is a great fit for our international channel brands and will have our viewers on the edge of their seats,” said Steve Patscheck, EVP global programming, NBCUniversal International Networks. “We look forward to bringing this thrilling series and its stellar award-winning cast to our fans around the world.”