'The F Ward' Paramount Global Content Distribution Australian medical drama The F Ward is going global. Paramount revealed Thursday that it has sold the series to broadcasters and streamers covering 100 international markets, including Channel 4 in the U.K., CBC in Canada, JioHotstar in India and HBO Asia across Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong, among many others.
The six-part series, which premiered on Stan in Australia on July 17 and has been well received by local critics, follows a group of medical interns who have already failed once — through misjudgment, medical error or concealed personal issues — and are dispatched to the chronically underfunded Pines Hospital in Sydney for a final chance to complete their training. Anna Friel stars as Dr. Gloria Wall, the exacting head of surgery charged with salvaging the misfits, with Dan Wyllie as her warmer second-in-command, and Ioane Sa’ula, Lola Bond and Alex Fitzalan playing interns.
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Paramount Global Content Distribution, which handles the series outside Australia, also closed deals with SkyShowtime across 22 European territories, Claro video in 16 Latin American markets and AMedia Networks throughout Central Asia and the Caucasus. Other buyers include Streamz in Belgium, Quebecor Content for French-speaking Canada, Cosmote TV in Greece, RTE in Ireland, Siminn in Iceland, Sky in New Zealand, and Megogo and Kyivstar TV in Ukraine.
“Medical dramas are a universal genre with a strong, enduring appetite, and the hospital backdrop is a constant source of high-stakes, character-driven storytelling,” said Don McGregor, president of global content licensing at Paramount, adding that the series is “exactly the kind of underdog redemption story audiences love to root for.”
The F Ward was co-created by Dan Edwards and Kelsey Munro, the team behind Stan’s long-running hit Bump, who also produce for Roadshow Rough Diamond alongside executive producer John Edwards. Natalie Bailey and Neil Sharma direct. Stan’s Andy Ryan and Michael Healy executive produce, with Lindsey Martin and Dave Clarke for CBS Studios International. The series was made with major production investment from Screen Australia and support from Screen NSW’s Made in NSW TV Drama Fund.
“The audience response in Australia has been truly remarkable,” added Dan Edwards. “Anna Friel and this exceptional cast have captured the altruistic ambitions, humour and heart of so many within our health system, which has resonated far beyond our first hopes.”
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