Munich, 28 April 2026. Beta Film has closed several high‑profile deals for premium series from the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands with leading French broadcasters and platforms.

The prestigious English-speaking dramas Bookish and Professor T are finding new homes in France: CANAL+ secured both seasons of the distinctive crime series Bookish, created by and starring Primetime Emmy Award winner Mark Gatiss, for its crime channel POLAR+, while the NBCUniversal-backed pay channel 13ème Rue picked up the crime drama Professor T, starring Ben Miller. CANAL+ also acquired the record-breaking crime movie cycle Death in Denmark, set to premiere soon on POLAR+.

Furthermore, the second season of the glossy Dutch royal drama Maxima is set to premiere on HBO Max France on April 29.

 

Bookish, launching on May 16 on CANAL+/POLAR+, is sold in more than 100 territories across five continents. The series launched strongly on UKTV in the UK, averaging 1.5 million viewers and becoming the second‑highest-performing premiere in the channel’s history. Set in post‑war London, the stylish crime drama combines a period atmosphere with a modern tone. Season two sees Polly Walker (Bridgerton) and Connor Finch (Everything I Know About Love) return, alongside creator, writer, and star Mark Gatiss. The cast also includes Elliot Levey (We Were the Lucky Ones, Quiz), Blake Harrison (Still Up, World on Fire), Buket Kömür (Our House), Jason Watkins (The Game, McDonald & Dodds), Miranda Richardson (The Last Anniversary) and Simon Callow (Étoile, The Boy That Never Was), among numerous guest stars.
Bookish (12x1h) is produced by Eagle Eye Drama, part of ITV Studios, in association with Happy Duck Films and is supported by the Belgian Tax Shelter.

 

Professor T, the highly acclaimed and smart crime drama series, has been sold by Beta in almost 120 territories worldwide. The New York Times’ “must-see” returns for a fifth season and once more reunites Ben Miller (Bridgerton, Death in Paradise), who plays Cambridge’s illustrious Professor Jasper Tempest, with Frances de la Tour (Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, The History Boys), who also reprises her role as the Professor’s mother Adelaide Tempest. Set against the glorious and prestigious backdrop of Cambridge University, the high-end primetime crime series Professor T (30x1h) is produced by Eagle Eye Drama, part of ITV Studios, for ITV and PBS. Beta Film holds worldwide distribution rights on all seasons, while PBS Distribution holds the North American rights.

 

HBO Max France’s acquisition of Maxima, the drama series about the Dutch royal family, follows its strong international performance. Sold in 85 territories worldwide, the series broke viewing records on RTL Netherlands’ streaming service Videoland, achieved superb ratings on Rai in Italy, TV2 in Denmark, and Atresmedia in Spain, and ranked in the Top 10 on HBO’s streaming service Max in Latin America for multiple weeks.

Following their romantic engagement at the end of season one, Maxima and Willem-Alexander's love reaches new heights in season 2, as they prepare for the most important day: their wedding. A third season is currently in development, alongside the spin‑off The Other Royals - A Maxima Story (5x1h), which is in production. Maxima (12x1h) is produced by Millstreet Films in co-production with FBO and Beta Film.

 

The crime movie cycle Death in Denmark (4x2h) delivered record-breaking results in Germany achieving the highest market share for a Thursday crime film in over two years. With standout ratings of an average audience of 6.5 million viewers and an impressive market share of 28.7%, the movie cycle clearly outperformed all competitors. Produced by EIKON Media for ARD Degeto, Death in Denmark centers on Danish police officers Ida and Magnus, who stop at nothing when dark legacies clash with modern crime.