Woodcut International handling worldwide sales
For immediate release:
London/Hampshire, Wednesday 11th September 2024 – A+E Networks EMEA has commissioned a brand-new six-part series from leading true crime producer Woodcut Media for Crime + Investigation®.
Faces of Evil (6 x 45’) explores the twists-and-turns of the flawed investigations into some of the world’s most notorious killers in the US and UK. These include the so-called Death House Landlady Dorothea Puente, who managed to fool everyone into thinking she was a harmless old lady for over a decade, before she was arraigned on nine counts of murder in California. And the Kansas City Butcher, Robert Berdella Jr, who kidnapped, raped and murdered at least six young men in the 1980’s, before the law finally caught up with him. And in the UK, the cases of Billy Dunlop and Russell Bishop, both of whom managed to escape conviction for murders, respectively, of Julie Hogg and Nicola Fellows, and Karen Hadaway, despite compelling evidence against them, before finally being brought to book, decades later.
In each case, the series explores the missteps and flawed procedures, which resulted in these killers managing to evade capture and conviction for so long, and the courage and persistence of those who refused to accept defeat in their efforts to bring them to justice.
Distributor Woodcut International is handling worldwide sales and presenting to international buyers for the first time at the upcoming MIPCOM market.
The series has been ordered for A+E Networks EMEA by Dan Korn, VP of Programming and Diana Carter, Commissioning Editor and Head of Talent.
Korn said: “We’re delighted to be working again with Woodcut Media, exploring how, in the 1980’s in particular, killers on both sides of the Atlantic managed to slip through the net, despite the best efforts of law enforcement. It’s an important reminder of how far we’ve come but also of the valiant efforts of the families of the victims, who refused to let these heinous crimes go unpunished.”
Executive producers are Matthew Gordon and Koulla Anastasi. Series producer is Tracey Moore.
“With true crime, one important aspect is to see that justice has been served, which is highlighted in each episode of this series. Thankfully forensics has come a long way, and the speed at which crimes are being resolved has drastically improved. It’s a pleasure to be producing this new series for the Crime + Investigation platform, and we look forward to presenting to our buyers at MIPCOM,” said Koulla Anastasi, Commercial Director Woodcut Media and MD Woodcut International.
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About A+E Networks EMEA:
At A+E Networks EMEA, we share stories that matter everywhere, anywhere. A leader in factual entertainment, our compelling, award-winning content connects with millions across the UK, Nordics, Benelux, Germany, Italy, Spain, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Our portfolio of premium brands – The HISTORY® Channel, Crime + Investigation®, HISTORY2®, BLAZE®, and COSMO TV® – inspire and excite viewers with hit franchises (Forged in Fire), must-see dramas (Vikings) and original commissions (The Hunt for Baltic Gold and Ross Kemp: Shipwreck Treasure Hunter). Our stories are global and local, linear, and digital, and always compelling. With offices in London, Rome, Madrid, Warsaw, Munich, and Johannesburg, we are a truly international company that celebrates difference and diversity.
About Crime + Investigation:
Crime + Investigation® opens the door to the complex, compelling world of real crime, taking viewers on a journey in pursuit of truth, justice, and a better understanding of criminal behaviour. Each journey is personal and emotional, telling the story through investigators, experts, and those most affected. The channel is home to top-rating series such as Crimes That Shook Britain, Britain’s Darkest Taboos, Homicide Hunter, and Cold Case Files. CI is available in more than 50 million households in eighteen languages.
About Woodcut Media:
Founded by award-winning producer Kate Beal in 2014, UK indie prodco Woodcut Media is a female-led operation with a diverse team at its core, whose main ethos is to provide an honest and trusted voice – creating programming that tells incredible human stories with creativity, authenticity, and care. As well as being one of the leading true crime doc producers in the UK, Woodcut also specialises in a broad range of standout unscripted content covering factual entertainment, specialist factual, and premium/talent led programming. Titles include Confessions of a Psycho Killer (Amazon Prime Video), long-running series World’s Most Evil Killers/Britain’s Most Evil Killers (8 seasons), Fiennes: Return to the Wild and Fiennes: Return to the Nile with Joseph and Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Cut from a Different Cloth, Mandela, My Dad and Me, both featuring Idris Elba, Hitler: A Life in Pictures, and Paranormal Captured to name just a few. In 2020, Woodcut launched distribution company Woodcut International. www.woodcutmedia.com
About Woodcut International:
Established in September 2020, UK based Woodcut International is the distribution division of Woodcut Media, a leading producer of a broad range of factual programming that includes True Crime, specialist factual, premium factual and factual entertainment. Woodcut International focuses on the global sales of select Woodcut Media series and specials that include new productions and library titles such as Titanic in Colour, World War II: Women on the Frontline, World’s Most Dangerous Prisoners, A Royal Guide To, (K)nox: The Rob Knox Story, Forgotten War Stories, The Killer Within, the Idris Elba led docs (Cut from a Different Cloth, Mandela, My Dad and Me), and Fukushima: Nature in the Danger Zone, to name a few. www.woodcutinternational.com