New York, NY – This August, BBC Worldwide will host its 8^thannual BBC Showcase Latin America event featuring a spectacular line-up of new shows accompanied by its revered catalog of over 50,000 hours of first-class content. Broadcasters from across Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic market will take part in the three day event, which is Latin America’s only television market hosted by a single distributor. This year, BBC Showcase welcomes special guest Vanessa Berlowitz, Series Producer for the BBC Natural History Unit, who will share her experiences working on the spectacular natural history series, Frozen Planet.  BBC Showcase Latin America will run from Sunday, August 28^ththrough Tuesday, August 30^that the JW Marriott located in Rio de Janeiro.

The BBC Worldwide catalog includes some of the world’s most celebrated and critically-acclaimed shows. With 2,000 hours of HD content, 575 hours of Spanish-language programs, and a wide range of digital offerings, BBC Worldwide has something for every client and every audience; from drama and comedy to natural history, children’s, and science. Along with traditional television broadcasters, BBC Worldwide has a large number of impressive offerings for buyers in Latin America’s fast-growing digital and mobile space.

Matt Forde, EVP Sales & Co-Productions, BBC Worldwide said: “Rio de Janeiro has been a perfect host city to our Showcase events over the past seven years, allowing us the valuable opportunity to connect with new and long-standing clients in both Brazil and across Latin America.  We have a strong line-up of programs this year, especially in the drama and natural history genres, which we are eager to share with our clients.”  Forde continued, “Digital technology is expanding rapidly across Latin America, and BBC Worldwide is ready to meet the challenges in a rapidly growing Latin American media market. This year at Showcase, we intend on exploring new opportunities with both new and existing partners to expand BBC Worldwide’s Latin American presence.”

This year, BBC Worldwide will present a massive line-up of thrilling, heart-pounding dramas that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.  First, Matt Smith returns as time-traveling savior of the universe, as Doctor Who returns for a sixth series. Follow the Doctor and newlyweds Amy Pond and Rory Williams as they face monsters and mysteries across time and space. Series Six earned fantastic ratings during its UK run, and the U.S. premiere on BBC America was the channel’s highest rated telecast ever. The star-studded drama, Torchwood: Miracle Day, sees the return of John Barrowman (Torchwood, Desperate Housewives) and Eve Myles (Torchwood, Little Dorrit) as Captain Jack Harkness and Gwen Cooper, with new cast members Mekhi Phifer (ER, Lie to Me) and Bill Pullman (While You Were Sleeping, Independence Day). In this exhilarating series, people all across the world have stopped dying, and a CIA investigation leads to a secret British institution named Torchwood, which seems to hold the answers. Haunting new drama series Bedlam¸ centers on hip new apartment building, Bedlam Heights. The fancy apartments offer stylish 21st century living, but behind the facade lie unimaginable horrors; for this pre-Victorian asylum is haunted by the ghosts of its dark and violent past.

The mystery genre is booming this year, with a number of captivating new series that all beg the famous question, “Whodunnit?”  Benedict Cumberbatch (Atonement, The Last Enemy) and Martin Freeman (The Office UK, Hot Fuzz) reprise their roles as Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John Watson as BBC Worldwide presents a second season of Sherlock. After the global success of the first series, the famous duo resume their crime-solving escapades in modern-day London. Also in the business of crime-solving, The Shadow Line, featuring a first-class cast that includes Chiwetel Ejiofor (American Gangster) and Christopher Eccleston (Doctor Who), is a sophisticated conspiracy thriller that follows Detective Inspector Jonah Gabriel. Struggling with amnesia, Gabriel is called to investigate the murder of the head of one of the UK’s largest crime organizations, and begins to wonder whether he can trust anyone, not least, himself. Outside the UK, Italy has its own mysteries to solve and formidable detectiveAurelio Zen, played by Rufus Sewell (Eleventh Hour, The Pillars of the Earth, The Holiday), is never afraid to question authority or use a few unorthodox methods to see justice done. Zen is based on the books by Michael Dibdin and was filmed on-location in Rome and the stunning Italian countryside.

Moving on to factual programming, the BBC’s Natural History programming is world-renowned; having won countless awards and caught numerous amazing feats of nature on camera – some for the very first time. The latest blockbuster series from BBC’s Natural History Unit, Frozen Planet takes audiences on an epic, ambitious polar expedition, offering the ultimate portrait of the great wildernesses of the Arctic and Antarctic before they’re forever changed. Over three years in the making, the visually stunning Earthflight 2D uses state-of-the-art technology and sophisticated camera techniques to give us a view of the world through the amazing perspective of birds.  Polar Bear: Spy on the Ice also offers viewers a unique glimpse into the life of these elusive, charismatic creatures. A new generation of specially-designed spy cams capture their way of life..

BBC Worldwide has also added some fantastic value to its children’s and tween catalogs. One selection that stands out is the urban musical, Rules of Love. With eight original R&B pop tracks, Rules of Love follows Matt, a kid with no money and big dreams, and Daisy, a boarding school girl with the world at her feet. When their worlds collide at a swanky ad agency, fireworks are inevitable. The adorable seriesSadie J follows one girl’s amusing journey from tomboy to girly girl.

Featured Programming
Doctor Who Series 6 (Drama)
A BBC Production
13 x 45’ & 1 x 60’ special

Torchwood: Miracle Day(Drama)
Produced by BBC Worldwide Productions for BBC Cymru Wales, BBC Worldwide and Starz Entertainment
10 x 50’

Bedlam (Drama)
A Red production for Sky Living HD.
6 x 50’

Sherlock (Drama)
A Hartswood Films production for BBC co-produced with MASTERPIECE
3 x 90’

The Shadow Line (Drama)
A Company Pictures/Eight Rooks Ltd/Baby Cow/CinemaNX production for BBC
8 x50’

Zen (Drama)
A Left Bank Pictures Production for the BBC, co-produced with RTI (Gruppo Mediaset), Masterpiece, ZDF and Ingenious Broadcasting in association with LipSync Productions and BBC Worldwide.
3 x 90’

Point of Rescue (Drama)
A Hat Trick production for ITV
2 x 45’ or 1 x 90’

Brinkburn Street (Drama)
A BBC Production
5 x 45’

Frozen Planet (Natural History)
A BBC/Discovery/Antena 3 Television S.A./ZDF/Open University/Skai co-production in association with Discovery Canada.
6 x 50’

Earthflight 2D
A John Downer production for BBC and Discovery Channel
6 x 50’

Polar Bear: Spy on the Ice (Natural History)
A John Downer Production for BBC and Animal Planet
1 x 90′ or 2 x 50′

Madagascar (Natural History)
A BBC/Animal Planet co-production
3 x 50’

Nature’s Miracle Babies (Natural History)
A BBC Production
5 x 50’

Lonely Planet – Stressbuster (Lifestyle)
Produced by Lonely Planet Television, Beach House Pictures and Channel Newsasia with the participation of the Media Development Authority of Singapore.
8 x 30’

Masterchef (Lifestyle)
A Shine production in association with Ziji Productions for BBC.
Series 4: 35 x 30’ & 3 x60’
Series 5: 23 x 30’ & 9 x 60’
Series 6: 17 x 60’ & 7 x 30’
Series 7: 15 x 60’

Salem: Satan’s Masterpiece (History)
A Wide-Eyed Entertainment production for National Geographic Channel
1 x 50’

Young Leonardo (Children’s, Drama)
Kindle Entertainment production for CBBC
13 x 30’

Rules of Love (Children’s, Drama)
A Serena Cullen production for BBC
1 x 75’

Sadie J (Children’s)
A BBC production
13 x 30’