EXCLUSIVE: Three U.S. networks, including at least one cable channel, are in what BSkyB calls a bidding war for Hit and Miss, its first original drama for its Sky Atlantic channel. Hit and Miss, starring Chloe Sevigny as a pre-op hitwoman, is the first original show BSkyB has made for flagship channel Sky Atlantic, which mainly airs high-profile U.S. cable series including AMC’s Mad Men and HBO’s Game of Thrones. Hit and Miss has started shooting in Manchester, England. The six-episode show is executive produced by Paul Abbott, creator of Shameless, and is helmed by feature director Hettie Macdonald. Fremantle is handling international distribution. BSkyB recently announced it plans to increase its investment in original British content by more than 50% to £600 million ($965 million) a year over the next three years. “We have a bidding war on Hit and Miss at the moment with three big U.S. entities. They’ve seen that we’ve worked on raising our game here,” Sophie Turner-Laing, BSkyB’s managing director of news and entertainment, tells me. “If we have the American market as a buyer for our shows, that gives me much more strength going to [Sky CEO] Jeremy Darroch asking for another £300 million please.”


Depending on how its done (i.e. not making the trans element of the story into some kind of pathology like early Hollywood films about being gay), this could be interesting.
Why can’t a broadcast network pick it up? Maybe a network could air it in a miniseries format over the course of 3 weeks. Perhaps Bob Greenblatt or Paul Lee should take a look at picking it up.
Not a chance in the world. This has pay cable written all over it.
This show hasn’t even been shot yet! Have we all lost our minds? The value placed on anything Brit-centric that’s available is beyond laughable. Did you all read the concept? Does anyone remember Pretty Handsome? Created by a writer. Ryan Murphy with the same kind of clout here in the States as Abbott has in the UK. Made by FX no less and still never saw the light of day. Subject matter is the problem on this one, but the larger problem is the absolutely lame level of development skills and in the end, decision making as to what gets on the air and what doesn’t. Can any of these “bidders” really say this is must have? Or is it simply about some smart people creating a buzz simply because it’s low hanging fruit. Come on people, you’re embarrassing us all!
Pretty Handsome was awesome, one of the best pilots I’ve seen that year.
Hit & Miss from description sounds laughable, but it has named behind it so… we will see.
Yes, we have in fact lost our minds. Have you seen Same Name? I mean, really.