Press Release BBC Worldwide
Dripping in Chocolate, a one x 90 minute Southern Star commission for UKTV Australia, had an average audience of 111,000 viewers since its premiere on Saturday April 7, as part of the annual murder mystery event Whodunit?
The consolidated reach of 215,000 for 7-14 April adds over 35,000 viewers to the already impressive 179,400 unique viewers for its premiere (combined reach for UKTV and UKTV+2).
Commissioning a bespoke Australian drama as the promotional anchor of a curated crime collection helped the channel reach 83,000 new viewers and enticed the established heartland of 'over-55s' to sample a new treat amongst the familiar franchises of Lewis, Midsomer Murders and literary adaptation DCI Banks.
A delicious mix of love and mystery, Dripping in Chocolate is a contemporary crime drama set in the laneways of inner city Sydney. When Detective Bennett O’Mara (Wenham) finds a chocolate wrapper on a strangled girl, it leads him to enigmatic chocolatier Juliana Lovece (Louise Lombard, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) Just as this perceptive woman gets under his hardened skin, he suspects she may be at the centre of an increasing murder count.
BBC Worldwide Australia’s GM / Director of Channels & Branded Services Deirdre Brennan said, “Subscription television is a fantastic platform for unique, premium drama and I am very proud that UKTV’s local commission Dripping in Chocolate has proved to be an audience favourite. This is another step towards increasing our commitment to creating original, quality local drama.”
UKTV has commissioned a slate of successful dramas to support the ACMA expenditure requirement including AFI and ASTRA award-winning drama False Witness. In 2013, the channel will premiere Top of the Lake, a 6 x 60 minute mystery written and directed by Jane Campion, which is a co-production between BBC Two, Sundance Channel, and UKTV Australia and New Zealand.