C O N T E N T B U D A P E S T

ITV Studios (ITVS) bought a majority stake in Lingo Pictures last November, making it the first scripted prodco from Australia to be acquired by the production and distribution arm of ITV. Now the company has revealed its newly scaled-up content strategy, which includes literary adaptions.

Recent years have seen US networks and streamers get out their chequebooks to acquire the rights to bestselling novels by Australian authors, including Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers and The Husband’s Secret.

However, Lingo now aims to develop Aussie literary IP in its native land and bring local stories to global audiences.

“We do feel a little protective of our territory; we’re often fighting off American producers for the rights to Australian books,” says Jason Stephens, creative director and co-owner of Lingo Pictures. “Aussie authors can get a bit dazzled by the US market, as American studios have book scouts operating around the world and they’ve focused on Australia in recent years.”

Lingo MD Helen Bowden previously founded Matchbox Pictures, where she developed awardwinning 2011 drama The Slap, based on a novel by Australian Christos Tsiolkas, for ABC1.

At Lingo, she has overseen production of psychological thriller The Secrets She Keeps, inspired by New South Wales writer Michael Robotham’s 2017 novel, for Network 10. It was also the first Australian drama in 35 years to be given a primetime slot on the UK’s BBC One and was the fifth most watched drama on BBC iPlayer last year. A second season has been produced for Paramount+, BBC One and Sundance/AMC.

“We’ve done a lot of adaptations at Lingo and we have great relationships with writers like Michael Robotham,” says Bowden. “It’s one thing for authors to sell the rights to their novels to US companies, but that doesn’t mean it will actually go into production.

“It’s about getting a show made, so we’ll wait a