First off, I really enjoy your blog and your discussions on all things TV. I am really excited about Stana &her new role. I agree with you that thisnis her kind of role. Iam a bit sad though because this is a foreign network and doesn't have a station in the states that we won't be able to see her. I know it is part of Sony Television and they are handling pushing the show in the US. Can you explain how this works and what your feelings are on the likelihood that wenin the US will see Absentia
I think that someone in the U.S. will pick it up, so I wouldn’t get worked up about that. Now, it might not be so that American’s and Canadian’s can watch in conjunction with the rest of the world, but in this day and age, even if you don’t get to see it on your tv, you’ll be able to buy it via iTunes or Amazon and such. So that’s not a big deal at all.
But essentially what has happened is this: Sony Television picked up the script for Absentia and started shopping it around to networks to see if anyone was interested. AXN, which is owned by Sony, will be airing the show on their networks, which broadcast practically everywhere but the United States and Canada. What will happen either now or at some point during/after filming is that Sony will go offer the show to American/Canadian networks and streaming services and whoever picks it up will have to pay Sony for distribution rights in America and Canada.
It’s the same exact thing as how Castle was bought by various channels all over the world and then broadcast weeks, or, sometimes, months after it aired in the U.S. The difference is that Stana’s new project will air in other countries and have to be sold here.