TCM acquires drama ?Hell on Wheels? from Endemol

MUMBAI: Television format creator and distributor Endemol has announced that TCM, the film channel owned by media giant Turner Broadcasting, has acquired the one hour drama series ?Hell on Wheels?.

The deal was negotiated by Endemol Worldwide Distribution?s sales director UK and Eire, Gisela Asimus-Minnbergh.

Turner Broadcasting director, general entertainment UK and Eire Jemma Yates said, ?We are thrilled that ?Hell on Wheels? will have its first UK debut on TCM in a deal which marks our continued investment in high quality content for the channel.?

Endemol Worldwide Distribution CEO Cathy Payne said, ?Hell on Wheels? is an epic drama, a character-driven historical series with an amazing cast. We are extremely pleased to be working with TCM to bring the series to UK audiences?.

Produced by Entertainment One (eOne) in association with Endemol USA and Nomadic Pictures for AMC, ?Hell on Wheels? is the story of post-Civil War America, focusing on a Confederate soldier (Anson Mount) who sets out to exact revenge on the Union soldiers who have killed his wife. His journey takes him west to ?Hell on Wheels?, a dangerous, raucous, lawless melting pot of a town that travels with and services the construction of the first transcontinental railroad, an engineering feat unprecedented for its time.

The series examines the railroad?s institutionalised greed and corruption, the immigrant experience, and the plight of the newly emancipated African-Americans during reconstruction. Over time, Hell on Wheels chronicles this potent turning point in America?s history, and how uncivilised the business of civilisation can be.

Hell on Wheels stars Anson Mount, Common, Dominique McElligott and Colm Meaney.

Endemol holds all television distribution rights across Europe with eOne handling all remaining territories, as well as worldwide rights for DVD/Blu-ray, VOD and digital distribution.

Hell on Wheels has to date been acquired by the Sundance Channel for Portugal, Spain, Eastern and Central Europe along with AB Droits France, Antenna 3 Spain, TV Norge Norway and CNBC-e Turkey.

The series will premiere on TCMUK in 2012.