E1 production 'Rookie Blue' premieres simultaneously on two major networks

Rookie Blue Scores Ratings Success in U.S. and Canada - Regulatory Release

- Cop drama heats up ratings race drawing over 9 million U.S. and Canadian viewers

- Debut provides ABC and Global best summer scripted opener in more than five years

Entertainment One Ltd (AIM: ETO), the independent international entertainment group, scored a prime time ratings hit through its TV production business with the premiere of its new TV cop drama Rookie Blue, drawing more than 9 million viewers in the U.S. and Canada.

The debut marked the first time an Entertainment One production has premiered simultaneously on two major networks - ABC in the U.S. and Global in Canada. It was the highest-rated summer scripted series debut in more than a year in the U.S. and, with over 7.3 million viewers, the drama was ABC's best summer scripted opener in six years. Drawing more than 1.8 million viewers on Canwest Global, Rookie Blue represented the Canadian network's highest rated premiere for an original commissioned drama in the last five years.

Entertainment One also has a number of other productions that will have their initial US broadcast this summer including the second season of Hung, the highest rated freshman comedy in HBO's history. Other projects include the July debuts of The Bridge on CBS in the US and Haven on Syfy (U.S.) and Showcase (Canada). In September, Jason Priestley takes the lead role as Richard Fitzpatrick in the new dark comedy Call Me Fitz airing in Canada on TMN and Movie Central in the US.

Entertainment One typically owns the worldwide rights for its TV productions and markets its programs to broadcasters, digital outlets and retailers around the globe.  

Darren Throop, Chief Executive Officer, commented:
"The success of Rookie Blue is a testament to the strength of our television division and its launch marks the latest step in the division's evolution as a leading independent studio. This is further evidence that the model we created for Entertainment One Television a little more than two years ago is developing well, both in terms of the quality of our productions and the response from broadcasters, critics and viewers."

Enquiries:
Redleaf Communications
Emma Kane
Rebecca Sanders-Hewett
020 7566 6700
 
Entertainment One
Giles Willits
Scott MacFadyen
020 7907 3773
+1 416 903 6581
 
Singer Capital Markets Limited
(NOMAD and joint broker)
James Maxwell
Richard Savage
020 3205 7500
 
Cenkos Securities plc
Stephen Keys
Alex Aylen
020 7397 8926

Notes to Editors:

Rookie Blue

Rookie Blue follows five young, ambitious cops, fresh out of the Academy, who are plunged into the world of big city policing on their first day on the job: a world where even the smallest mistake can have life-or-death consequences coupled with some serious emotional fall-out. Andy McNally is the soul of this close-knit group: Andy and her uniformed family of boyfriends, best friends, mentors and competitors, undergo extreme trials and tribulations, share their triumphs and revel in their competition.

Rookie Blue is a Thump Inc/E1 Entertainment Production that is co-created by Berbner, Vanstone and  Cameron, who also serves as executive producer along with Wellington and Frank (Would be Kings) and E1's Morayniss (Hung, The Bridge) and Halpern (Hung, Haven). 

Along with the sales to ABC and CanWest, the exclusive global pay-TV rights (excluding U.S., Canada, France and Germany) for Rookie Blue were previously acquired by Universal Networks International, the global channels division of NBC Universal.

The critics were positive about the drama with some of the early reviews of Rookie Blue stating:  "Summer's must-watch show" (TV Guide Canada); "Arresting entertainment" (The Toronto Star); "ABC's new police drama actually has more than a little in common with a medical show, 'Grey's Anatomy.' And that's not a bad thing." (LA Times); "The cast is spunky and promising" (Boston Herald); "ABC's Canadian import Rookie Blue last night emerged as the most promising new off-season scripted prospect" (Deadline Hollywood), and "Viewers will keep coming back" (The Globe and Mail).