CRIME PAYS:
London-based Silverprint thrives with crime dramas, including flagship “Vera”
Global audiences savor Silverprint’s distinctive Brit-crime flavor.
Silverprint Pictures has a purview for distinctive, high-quality and ambitious dramas that appeal to global audiences for all channels.
The London-based production company boasts a slate of critically acclaimed series featuring “distinctive and ambitious” storytelling set in and across the United Kingdom.
The company’s hits include “Vera” and long-running Scottish series “Shetland,” both created by award-winning writer Ann Cleeves.
“Shetland” is set to return for two more seasons. Also among Silverprint’s popular crime offerings is “Flesh and Blood” starring Imelda Staunton.
“There is something so highly addictive about those sorts of crime shows,” says Ruth Berry, ITV Studios’ managing director of global distribution.
Silverprint’s creative director, Kate Bartlett, says, “We’re incredibly proud of our history of partnering with the ITV Studios team. Through this relationship, we have built our shows to be critically acclaimed international successes that are loved by fans around the world.”
The company’s flagship title is another crime drama: “Vera.” Set in England’s beautiful Northumberland, the series follows the caustic police officer, played by Brenda Blethyn, and her murder investigations.
The “Vera” team returns to make six new episodes for Season 11, including two feature-length episodes to air in the spring of 2021.
“That show performed incredibly well for France, Germany and Scandinavia, it does phenomenally well [on streaming] in the U.S.,” says Berry.
“Everyone loves a good whodunit; everyone loves to play detective. ‘Vera’ has that same magic ingredient. It’s just one of those shows that works, and when they do, they can run and run.”
One of the most successful imported drama titles in Belgium, Denmark, France, Netherlands and Norway, “Vera” has been sold to more than 150 territories worldwide and series 10 averaged 7.5 million viewers in the U.K. ɿ