News | RTL Group | Londond, 11/22/2021

Fremantle’s Hit Series ‘Reyka’ Sold In 80 Territories

“Reyka” is Fremantle’s first ever South African drama series. The compelling eight-part series already scored top ratings for the South African broadcaster M-Net this year. Now Fremantle has sold the rights to “Reyka” in a total of 80 territories globally. The series revolves around Reyka Gama, a profiler investigating a brutal serial killer.

In South Africa, where the series was filmed, “Reyka” is already a huge hit with TV audiences. Fremantle’s first-ever South African drama is currently the highest-rated South African drama for broadcaster M-Net. “Reyka” opened the annual Monte Carlo TV Festival earlier this year and Fremantle, which is also its handling global distribution, has since sold the eight-part series in a total of 80 territories.  “Reyka” launches on BritBox North America – the streaming service from BBC Studios and ITV – on 16 November. CBC has picked up the series for Canada, Channel 4 will bring the series to U.K. audiences, TVNZ will broadcast for New Zealand and public broadcaster SBS recently launched the series in Australia. In Europe, Canal+ has acquired the rights for numerous territories, including Poland and France, and RTL Deutschland will broadcast in Germany. Following a pan-regional deal negotiated by Sheila Aguirre from Fremantle, HBO LatAm will launch “Reyka” in numerous countries in the Latin America region.

Julie Hodge, Editorial Director, Global Drama for Fremantle and Executive Producer for “Reyka”, says: “We are delighted that so many exciting broadcast partners will be bringing our first South African scripted series to audiences across the world, reinforcing the global appeal of this captivating drama. With compelling scripts, world class performances and astonishing production values, it is not a surprise the series has performed excellently for M-Net and I have no doubt that success will be emulated in the international market, cementing Fremantle as a key player in the English language drama space.”

In the series, the flawed but brilliant criminal profiler, Reyka Gama, investigates a series of brutal murders committed by a serial killer in the sugar cane fields of South Africa. Gama enters the minds of Africa’s most notorious criminals while simultaneously being haunted by her own past – in which she was abducted by a farmer named Speelman as a child. Twenty years later, the manipulative but charming Speelman still has a hold on her. The result is a story of secrets, lies, truth, trust, damage, healing and forgiveness. The sugar cane fields provide a dramatic backdrop to the storyline, alongside tropical beaches, stifling heat and dangerous wildlife.