Portman Film & Television brings drama and comedy to MIP-TV (press release March 2008)

Headlining the drama slate is Criminal Justice, a 5 x 1 hour psychological thriller with sex, murder and action at its core, featuring a cast of engaging characters including Ben Whishaw (Perfume), Con O’Neill (Waking the Dead) and Pete Postlethwaite (Jurassic Park, The Constant Gardener).  When Ben Coulter (Whishaw) embarks upon a spontaneous evening of fun with a sexy stranger he doesn’t expect to wake up beside her dead body, covered in her blood and holding the murder weapon.  Stone (O’Neill) is Ben’s world weary, second division duty solicitor who, in an attempt to vindicate Ben and see him reunited with his family, uncovers a bizarre conspiracy that leads to a surprising and shocking conclusion. 

Providing entertaining, thought provoking drama exploring the themes of truth and justice whilst offering a stylish and cinematic experience, Criminal Justice is a BBC In house Production for BBC1 directed by rising talent Otto Bathurst, who brought his own distinctive vision to the highly successful series Hustle and won many plaudits for his stylish and riveting direction of Golden Globe nominated Five Days.

A brand new drama series from Nine Network Australia, Canal Road is a 13 x 1 hour returnable format set in a thriving medical-legal centre in the heart of Melbourne. Each self-contained episode exposes the secret lives of the professionals who work at the Centre and the clients who seek their help, whilst an over-arching murder mystery story runs throughout the series.  Loyalties are tested, friendships are pushed to the limit, mysteries bubble to the surface and skeletons return to haunt those who thought they had consigned them to the past.  Over thirteen episodes a tangled mystery of murder, corruption and cover-ups is gradually uncovered stretching to the very top of politics and business. Dark, dangerous, light and humorous, whatever the story, Canal Road is sexy, thrilling and always entertaining.

The Hothouse is a new 7 x 1 hour primetime drama series for New Zealand channel TV One.  Produced by The Gibson Group, the company behind the award-winning series The Insiders Guide to Happiness and The Insiders Guide to Love; The Hothouse follows the complicated lives of a group of twenty-somethings who share a run down, but very cool, inner-city apartment.Three are cops and one is a lawyer – but their personal dilemmas are far more intriguing than their day jobs and, as a consequence, they struggle with being ‘

upholders of the law’. Into the apartment comes a rogue, a charmer, who, unknown to the others, operates on the wrong side of the law. His arrival sparks a rapid chain of events that disrupt the already delicate balance of the house.  Confrontational, contemporary drama mixed with moments of black humour, The Hothouse explores themes of loyalty, morality, friendship and, of course, love.  

The 1 x 100’ TV Movie Blood In The Sand, produced by Taylor Media and commissioned by ABC Australia, is a true crime story, set in rural Australia in 1928.  English born crime novelist, Arthur Upfield plots the perfect murder for his first novel but, ahead of publication, Upfield’s friend, Snowy Rowles, decides to put Upfield’s fantasy to the test and commits several murders before he is caught, subsequently tried and executed.  Written by Ian David (Blue Murder, The Shark Net), Blood In The Sand explores the complex relationship between violent behavior and creative responsibility.  Arthur Upfield is Australia’s first crime novelist, best known for his works featuring Detective Inspector Napolean Bonaparte (“Bony”), a character that appeared in 29 novels published in 40 languages and a television series shown all around the world.

New comedy series set for launch at MIP-TV by Portman Film & Television include State of the Union (5 x 30’) Tracey Ullman’s new comedy show, which features a satirical look at a day in the life of America – from the country’s celebrity obsessed, 24-hour news culture to original impersonations, and parodies.  Ullman has created a line-up of 30 original characters to reflect a cross-section of American society.  State of the Union, Tracey’s first series since the multi Emmy award-winning series Tracey Takes On which sold successfully around the world and ran on HBO in the US for seven years, premieres on the Showtime pay cable network in the US on March 30th 2008.  Tracey Ullman has won eight Emmys and has a reputation as “one of the funniest women on the planet” (Vanity Fair).  Executive Producers Allan McKeown & Tracey Ullman.