Ovation Acquires Exclusive Cable Rights To Big Talk Productions' Hit UK Series A Young Doctor's Notebook Starring Jon Hamm And Daniel Radcliffe

SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Ovation, America's only arts network, has further grown its slate of arts-centric programming by completing a deal with BBC Worldwide for the highly sought after UK hit from Big Talk Productions, A Young Doctor's Notebook, starring Jon Hamm (Mad Men, 30 Rock) and Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter, The Woman in Black).

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"As a cause-based media company dedicated to the arts, Ovation is the perfect home for such a rich visual adaptation of this classic literary work," said Robert Weiss, Ovation's Chief Creative Officer. "It's an honor to deliver work from artists as passionate about this project as Jon Hamm and Daniel Radcliffe."

Originally broadcast on Sky Arts in the UK last year, A Young Doctor's Notebook became the highest-rated program in the network's history, with audiences up over 1000% on the slot average and receiving universal critical acclaim.  

"I'm thrilled that Ovation has picked up the rights to broadcast A Young Doctor's Notebook stateside," said Jon Hamm.  "Like our UK benefactor Sky Arts, they have proven to be a singular champion of unique, artistic projects that often remain unseen in the current commercial broadcast landscape. I hope everyone enjoys A Young Doctor's Notebook as much as we enjoyed making it."

Renowned Russian writer and playwright Mikhail Bulgakov's book A Young Doctor's Notebook was adapted into a television series by writers Mark Chappell, Shaun Pye and Alan Connor (The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret). It is a darkly humorous account of the turbulent experiences of a newly graduated young doctor (Daniel Radcliffe), artfully told through the eyes of his older, opiate-addicted self (Jon Hamm), who narrates the action from his own notebooks. The young doctor lands a post at a small hospital in a remote village during the Russian Revolution.  Dealing with superstitious and poorly educated patients creates for the doctor a brutal, panic-inducing introduction to his medical practice, causing the young doctor to struggle with doubts about his own competence.

A Young Doctor's Notebook is co-produced by multi-award-wining Big Talk Productions (Rev., Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Shaun of the Dead) with eight-time Emmy ® Nominated actor Hamm's own Points West production company. The highly sought after literary adaptation stems from Hamm's interest in the book, having been introduced to the work by producer Clelia Mountford.

Weiss emphasizes, "Given Ovation's quest to surface, create and connect viewers to top-notch arts programming from around the world, we couldn't be more excited about how well A Young Doctor's Notebook fits into our wheelhouse."

Big Talk Chief Executive Kenton Allen added, "Ovation is the perfect home for this extraordinarily original series. It blew the roof off the ratings in the UK and we can't wait to see how US audiences respond to Bulgakov in the brilliant hands of Messrs Hamm and Radcliffe." 

A Young Doctor's Notebook premieres Fall 2013, only on Ovation.

About BBC Worldwide Sales & Distribution, America
BBC Worldwide Sales & Distribution is one of five core businesses under BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm and wholly-owned subsidiary of the UK public service broadcaster, BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation).  BBC Worldwide exists to maximize the value of the BBC's assets for the benefit of the UK license payer, and invests in programming in return for rights.  The Sales & Distribution business negotiates, sells and distributes television programs to networks and secures co-production partners in the Americas region.

About Ovation
Ovation is America's only arts network, whose mission is to surface and connect the world to all forms of art and artistic expression. Ovation programming is one-of-a-kind mix of original and selectively curated series, films, documentaries and specials. The network reaches a national audience of nearly 50 million homes and is available on national cable systems, as well as nationally on DIRECTV, Dish, Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-Verse. Ovation is also available on VOD (in both standard and high definition). Ovation's diversified viewer experiences extend across its linear network, the popular ovationtv.com, and active social presence on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more. See the Ovation Facebook page for the latest information and conversations happening across the Ovation brand and the arts: www.facebook.com/OvationTV.

About Big Talk
Big Talk Productions is one of the UK's leading film and television production companies whose break out hit Spaced paved the way for Big Talk's hit films Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and Paul.

Big Talk has produced string of award-winning productions from BAFTA-award winning Rev. (BBC2) to Him & Her (BBC3) as well as Friday Night Dinner (Channel 4) and The Job Lot (ITV1). Big Talk made its move into drama with The Town (ITV1) and Youngers (E4) with Our Men (BBC2) soon to come starring long-term collaborators Mitchell and Webb. In addition to 21st century classics, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World Big Talk has made Paul written by and starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost; Joe Cornish's Attack the Block; and Sightseers, directed by Ben Wheatley. Coming next are Jeremy Lovering's In Fear and Cuban Fury, a Salsa dancing rom-com starring Nick Frost, Rashida Jones, Chris O'Dowd and Ian McShane. The World's End, the third collaboration between director Edgar Wright, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.

For images and more, visit the Ovation press site at www.ovationtv.com/media

SOURCE Ovation