Global Deals Roll In for Agatha Christie Miniseries ‘Ordeal by Innocence’

A number of international broadcasters have snapped up “Ordeal by Innocence,” the BBC-commissioned Agatha Christie adaptation that was partially re-shot after actor Ed Westwick was accused of sexual assault.


The three-part series just wrapped up over the weekend on the BBC’s flagship BBC One channel. Endeavor Content has closed several international deals for the show, including with Canal+ for France and Australian pubcaster ABC. TV4 in Sweden, TV2 in Norway, and MTV3 in Finland have also acquired the series.


Elsewhere, BBC Studios has picked up the show for its premium drama channel First in the Middle East and Africa. Endeavor has had a busy period, securing deals for “Killing Eve” at MipTV and now top-tier broadcasters for the latest Christie thriller.


The show follows events after wealthy philanthropist Rachel Argyll is murdered at her family estate. Her adopted son Jack, a young delinquent, is arrested for her murder. He vehemently protests his innocence but dies before a man who can vouch for his alibi surfaces. The series, which stars Bill Nighy and Anna Chancellor, is set in the 1950s, and is adapted from a novel that Christie named as one of her personal favorites.


“Agatha Christie is such an internationally iconic writer – outsold only by the Bible and works of Shakespeare – and we are thrilled to be partnering [with] Agatha Christie Limited on seven miniseries adaptations of her work,” said Gary Marenzi, head of entertainment sales and partnerships for Endeavor Content. “Our first in this series, ‘Ordeal by Innocence,’ is an expertly crafted and brilliantly executed thriller that will keep global audiences riveted.”


Series producers Mammoth Screen and Agatha Christie Limited had to reshoot scenes of the BBC drama with Christian Cooke (“The Art of More”) stepping in to replace Westwick after the latter was accused of sexual assault.