Doctor Who arrives in Latin America

Doctor Who arrives in Latin America

Popular BBC television show Doctor Who is to be screened in Latin America for the first time, BBC Worldwide has announced in a deal with OnDIRECTV, the exclusive channel for DIRECTV Latin America subscribers. The programmes Season 6 series of the renowned and popular sci-fi show opens with a spectacular two parter set in United States in the 1960’s.

The iconic series follows the adventures of the Doctor, a mysterious traveller who journeys throughout all of space and time, facing off against monsters and aliens and picking up companions along the way.  It stars Matt Smith as the Doctor, Karen Gillan as his assistant, Arthur Darvill as Rory and Alex Kingston as River Song. Guest stars include actor Hugh Bonneville known for his role in Downton Abbey, Mark Sheppard from Supernatural, Battlestar Galactica and supermodel Lily Cole.

‘Doctor Who boasts a massive audience and fan following around the world and OnDIRECTV is the perfect home for this incredibly successful show,’ said Helen Jurado, vice president of sales and distribution for BBC Worldwide Latin America, ‘As one of the longest running science fiction programmes in history, we are confident it will gain further traction with viewers and attract new legions of fans throughout Latin America as it approaches its 50th anniversary,’ she explained.

Quote from Gringos.com : “This story might be more for the housewives in Venezuela, or so my wife here in the Philippines says. Venezuela has launched a brand new TV drama show in the country.”

Willard Tressel, OnDIRECTV general manager said that after airing the recent series re-boot of Doctor Who, subscribers have been urgently asking for more, adding, ‘We value our ongoing partnership with BBC Worldwide, which allows us to offer a variety of high quality content on OnDIRECTV and OnDIRECTV HD to our subscribers in Latin America’.

It is not the only popular BBC show that is airing in the region as BBC Worldwide Content & Production has licensed the celebrity dance competition Dancing with the Stars in Panama – TVN 2 is producing a localised version of the critically acclaimed series. ‘Dance is deeply rooted in Latin American culture, so we’re very excited about bringing the original and official Dancing with the Stars format to Panama with our partners at TVN 2,’ said Gareth Williams, senior vice president of content and production for South America, BBC Worldwide.

‘One of Dancing with the Stars’ greatest features is its ability to engage a wide variety of viewers from all age groups, and I can’t wait for dance fever to spread across Panama and Latin America,’ he added.

A global phenomenon, Dancing with the Stars has captivated audiences across the world and has been licensed to over 35 broadcasters internationally and broadcast in over 75 countries.  The series has broad appeal, offering the viewer dazzling costumes, dancing, celebrity gossip, behind the scenes training and popular music.  The Guinness Book of World Records 2010 announced that Dancing with the Stars is officially the world’s most successful reality TV format based on format sales, viewing figures and spin off shows.