"In the Pines" (Blue Ant photo)
Blue Ant Readies London Screenings Slate With First-Ever Move Into Scripted Programming
February 19, 2026
Blue Ant Rights, the distribution arm of Blue Ant Studios, on Feb. 19 unveiled an expanded slate of 40 new and returning premium titles that it will debut next week at the London TV Screenings, an annual, independent and invitation-only event for international content buyers to view new scripted, unscripted, and format content.
The line-up introduces scripted programming to Blue Ant’s regular offering of factual entertainment, true crime and documentaries.
The company’s global catalog now surpasses 9,000 hours following Blue Ant Media’s acquisition of Thunderbird Entertainment.
As part of its move into primetime scripted, Blue Ant Rights is introducing three new titles, “In the Pines,” “Elkhorn” and “Suspect.” The distributor is working with industry veteran Leona Connell, who has joined the team as senior scripted consultant.
Inspired by real events, the six-part scripted series “In the Pines” is a character-driven crime drama set inside a dangerous criminal enterprise built on deception. Sara, a down-on-her-luck outsider, is drawn into a high-stakes world by Dan, a regular guy who’s just trying to support himself and his daughter. Their friendship feels real, and their paths intertwine more and more — until a shocking event turns the tables on everything they know about each other. What begins as a way to get by quickly becomes something much harder to escape. As their paths intertwine, and the deeper they go, every connection raises the question of who is telling the truth and who may be playing another game.
“Elkhorn” is an action-packed Western that presents the coming-of-age story of a young man, Theodore Roosevelt, who must overcome an unimaginable personal tragedy when his mother and wife die on the same day.
And “Suspect” is a factual drama series that revolves around police interrogations of prime suspects in high-profile true crime cases. The scripted format format follows the minute-by-minute story of those critical hours in the interview room. The shows intercut the realtime interrogation with flashbacks to the crime scene, and documentary-style interviews with key characters in the story.
The slate also features returning shows “The Jury: Skeleton in the Garden” (Australia), the investigative series “World’s Most Secret Places,” and a slate of true-crime titles including “Fatal First Dates” and “Murder USA,” as well as contemporary documentaries “Deepfaking Sam Altman” and “Beyond the Silk Road.”
“This year’s London Screenings slate reflects the continued evolution of our business,” said Mark Bishop, co-president of Blue Ant Studios. “We’re expanding into primetime scripted while continuing to strengthen our offering across documentary, factual entertainment and formats. With a growing catalogue and an increased ability to leverage our collective strength across our distribution, expanded studios production and channels businesses, we’re able to offer partners flexible deal structures, tailored content packages and exclusive windowing opportunities.”
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