BBC and SBS Australia snap up Irish thriller Clean Sweep from ZDF Studios
Mainz, June 21st, 2023
Clean Sweep (6 x 52’), starring award-winning actress Charlene McKenna (Bloodlands, Peaky Blinders, Vienna Blood), has been licensed by ZDF Studios to the UK’s BBC Four and BBC iPlayer as well as SBS TV in Australia who will be launching the series on SBS On Demand on 1st June. The deals were brokered by Yi Qiao, Director Drama at ZDF Studios, who only recently has sold the series to TV4 for Sweden and MTV3 Finland.
The Irish thriller drama is produced by one of the country’s top indie production companies, ShinAwil (Dancing with the Stars Ireland, Miss Scarlet and the Duke) and Canada’s Incendo (Be Mine Valentine, Terror Train), renowned for producing and distributing high quality content.
Clean Sweep, which premiered in the US on Sundance Now and on RTÉ in Ireland this year, tells the story of a seemingly ordinary housewife, Shelly Mohan (Charlene McKenna), a mother of three married to a Garda detective. On the surface all seems normal until her dark past comes back to haunt her. Shelly makes the fatal decision to kill her former partner in crime when he resurfaces and threatens to expose her, and it’s her husband who is assigned the job to find the killer. The pressures mount as the noose tightens and all the while she is also coping with her husband’s unfaithfulness and an ailing son. Inspired by true events, the suspenseful drama keeps viewers on tenterhooks until the very end.
Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, says: “Clean Sweep is a gripping psychological thriller – BBC viewers will be hooked by Shelly, and how she copes with all of the repercussions of her secret life.”
Haidee Ireland, Channel Manager, SBS On Demand: “SBS audiences have been devouring the fantastic output of Irish crime drama we have seen in recent years and we cannot wait to bring this taut and complex thriller to our drama fans. We look forward to seeing Clean Sweep join our offering of the best world’s best drama series on SBS On Demand.”
Yi Qiao, Director Drama, ZDF Studios added: “I am absolutely delighted to see Clean Sweep making its way around the world starting with the UK, Australia and Scandinavia. I cannot wait for audiences to follow Shelly’s journey and to wonder about how far they would go to protect their family."
Clean Sweep was created by Gary Tieche whose other credits include AMC’s Preacher, Amazon’s I Know What You Did Last Summer and Medium for CBS. ZDF Studios is the exclusive international distributor.
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About ZDF Studios
ZDF Studios is a commercial subsidiary of ZDF, one of the largest TV broadcasters in Europe. Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Mainz, Germany, the ZDF Studios Group operates more than 30 direct and indirect subsidiaries and affiliates in Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom spanning TV production, distribution and services. The parent company, ZDF Studios, is responsible for global programme distribution, realisation of international co-productions, acquisition of licences and merchandising of successful programme brands under its own name, for ZDF and third parties. ZDF Studios has the largest German-language programme inventory in the world and a constantly growing range of international productions, consisting of series and mini-series, television films, documentaries and children's programmes.
The companies of the ZDF Studios Group cover the entire value chain from the development of scripted and unscripted TV content to production, marketing and monetizing, including TV and streaming licences as well as merchandising and online rights. The positioning of ZDF Studios as an integrated media company enables the development of innovative, outstanding and high-quality programmes and makes the Group an attractive workplace for German and international talent to flourish in a very inspiring and creative environment.
Contact ZDF Studios
Christine Denilauler (VP Marketing and Corporate Communications), ZDF Studios GmbH, Erich-Dombrowski-Str. 1, 55127 Mainz/Germany, Tel.: +49 6131-9911130, Email: christine.denilauler@zdf-studios.com, www.zdf-studios.com