Apple’s longest-running original comedy series is getting new life on the BBC in the United Kingdom. The Apple Original Trying, which premiered on Apple’s streaming service in May 2020, will now be available on BBC iPlayer and set for broadcast on the BBC’s linear channels.
The BBC deal was first reported by Deadline, and apparently includes the first three seasons of Trying with the first season debuting on September 8. Meanwhile, Apple TV+ is currently in development of a fifth season of the under-rated British series.
Trying stars Rafe Spall and Esther Smith as they navigate the complicated world of adoption and family. You can watch the complete series so far on Apple TV+ here. It was greenlit for a fifth season earlier this year.
How come Apple Original series can arrive on other platforms? It all depends on the deal-making when these series were commissioned. Many Apple series are made by third-party producers under contract.
Apple typically negotiates a five year exclusivity window for all rights. After that window is up, producers can renew exclusivity with Apple, or look for alternative buyers. As Apple TV+ is now more than five years old, many of its high-profile originals are entering these non-exclusive windows.
In this case, the producers of Trying (who incidentally are BBC Studios) have sold secondary UK distribution to the BBC. This does not mean Apple TV+ subscribers lose out. The show will continue to air on Apple TV+, even in the UK market.
A similar deal has already been struck by UK broadcaster ITV for Suspicion, an Apple drama series. Apple cancelled that show after just one season due to poor ratings.
International producers are interested in licensing Apple’s output as the streamer has relatively low penetration, especially outside of the United States. This means international markets still see these high-budgeted premium projects as “new”, but the producers can license them much more cheaply in second windows than what Apple paid to make them in the first place.
Such licensing negotiations played a part in Ted Lasso’s revival. It was reported that Apple was set to lose worldwide exclusivity on its most popular series, with rights reverting to Warner Bros. Apple seemingly extended its contract as part of the seasons four renewal.
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