James R | On 10, Jul 2014

UKTV has sinked its teeeth into Guillermo del Toro’s The Strain. The series’ UK broadcast will be on Watch this autumn.

The sci-fi horror is based on the best-selling vampire novel trilogy co-written by the Pan’s Labyrinth director and author Chuck Hogan.

The series, set in New York, opens with a feature-length episode and follows the lethal outbreak of a virus linked to ancient vampires, spanning a total of 13 one-hour chapters.

House of Cards’ Corey Stoll will star as Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, the head of the Center for Disease Control Canary Team in New York City, who finds himself investigating a mysterious viral outbreak. The supporting cast includes David Bradley, Mia Maestro and Sean Astin. Carlton Cuse (Lost) will serve as Executive Producer/showrunner.

There is no confirmed UK broadcast date for The Strain, but the pilot, which was written by del Toro and Hogan and directed by del Toro, premieres in the US on Sunday 13th July. UKTV has confirmed that it will arrive on British shores in the autumn.

UKTV’s Watch has enjoyed a strong start to 2014 with adult share up year-to-date 14 per cent (year-on-year). More than 14m individuals tune into the channel every month, while UKTV’s network of 10 channels reaches over 42 million viewers a month. For those tuning in online, UKTV’s channels are all available on Sky, including Sky Go and Sky on Demand, while Gold – but not currently Watch – are available on NOW, Sky’s VOD service for non-customers.

Catherine Mackin, Director of Acquisitions, UKTV, comments: “Forget everything you’ve seen about vampires, as this series will turn it on its head and leave you spinning. It has a rich heritage of writing talent combined with stunning visuals and outstanding acting and we can’t wait to bring this exciting and epic series to Watch. We are also delighted to be extending our relationship with Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution and bringing more quality drama to the UK.”

Steve North, General Manager for Watch, adds: “The opportunity to premiere the work of Guillermo del Toro in the UK was too good to miss.”

Steve Cornish, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution, says: “Guillermo, Chuck and Carlton have really created a stunning and terrifying piece of television. The show definitely raises the bar for horror and fantasy on TV.”

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