Channel Five secures exclusive deal with Warner Bros.

Channel Five announced today that it has secured an exclusive deal with Warner Brothers International Television Distribution.

The deal means that Channel Five has now gained the rights to a range of series and films, and can air them on both terrestrial and digital platforms.

The third season of drama The Mentalist, starring Simon Baker and created by Bruno Heller, has been acquired exclusively. When the series was previously shown on Five, it averaged 2.5 million viewers, and was the highest rated US series on UK television between February and July.

Other series purchased are police drama Dark Blue, due to be shown on Five USA later this year, and action drama Human Target, which will be aired on Fiver in autumn, along with “blockbuster films”.

Jeff Ford, Channel Five’s managing director of digital ahannels and acquisitions,  said: “I am thrilled to have secured this wide-ranging deal for Channel Five. I am delighted to welcome back the critical and ratings smash The Mentalist for another season. The addition of Dark Blue and Human Target strengthens our burgeoning slate of quality offerings on the digital channels. Plus, the movie line-up is an exciting mix of terrestrial premieres and blockbuster films for all the family.”

Jeffrey R. Schlesinger, president or Warner Bros. International Television, said: “We are always looking to place our programming on the right networks where they can thrive and connect with viewers. You don’t have to be a mind reader to know the best continuing home for The Mentalist is Channel Five, where they have contributed to this show becoming one of the most popular US series being telecast in the UK today.

“The commercial appeal of shows like Dark Blue, Human Target, Blade and these selected top feature films also make this programming perfectly suited to be telecast and succeed on Five’s family of channels.”

Richard Desmond, owner of the Daily Express and OK! magazine, bought Five for £103.5 million last week.