Remember those three Transporter movies? Starring Jason Statham? The one about the guy who makes deliveries of specialized packages anonymously? The guy with the three rules: #1 – Never change the deal; #2 – No names, and #3 – Never open the package. Well, he’s coming to American television courtesy of TNT.
A while back, Cinemax entered a co-production partnership to make a Transporter series. Delays (showrunner change, star getting injured) caused them to back out of the deal, but the first season was finally finished and did well in Canada and overseas – well enough that a second season was commissioned and goes into production in February. Which is where TNT comes in. The network has picked up U.S. rights to Transporter: The Series, including the second season. The series, which stars Chris Vance (Rizzoli & Isles, Burn Notice) as Frank Martin is slated to premiere in the fall.
For more, check out the press release after the jump.
Transporter The Series Coming to TNT in Fall 2014
TNT Lands U.S. Television Rights to Action-Packed Drama As Production Begins on Second Season in Morocco
TNT has picked up Transporter The Series, making the network the U.S. television home for the exhilarating, adrenaline-charged series based on the smash-hit movie franchise. TNT will air the first and second seasons of the series, which will make its U.S. television debut on the network in fall 2014. Season two, which is slated to premiere worldwide in late 2014, will go into production Feb. 26, with shooting planned for Morocco, the Czech Republic and Canada.
Transporter The Series stars British actor Chris Vance, whose credits include Prison Break, Dexter and Burn Notice. A familiar face to TNT viewers, Vance has a recurring role on the network’s hit series Rizzoli & Isles, in which he plays Lt. Col. Charles "Casey" Jones, Jane Rizzoli’s on-again-off-again romantic interest.
Transporter The Series centers on Frank Martin (Vance), a professional "transporter" paid to pick up and deliver people or cargo from anywhere in the world. Frank is the very best at what he does and handles only the most difficult dangerous and assignments. Transporter The Series features dry wit, exotic locations, heart-pounding action and nail-biting suspense.
"Transporter The Series is a roller-coaster ride with big-screen action, fantastic locations and an extremely charismatic lead in Chris Vance," said Michael Wright, president, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). "The Transporter franchise is a proven winner embraced by movie and television viewers around the globe, and we’re proud that TNT will become the television home for fans in the United States. Transporter The Series is a perfect addition to TNT’s lineup, as we continue to expand our reach with such action-packed dramas as our upcoming Legends and The Last Ship."
Transporter The Series is produced by Atlantique Productions, with executive producer Olivier Bibas (Borgia, Jo), and QVF Inc., with producer Susan Murdoch (Doomstown, Dan for Mayor). The series is commissioned in France by M6 and in Canada by The Movie Network and Movie Central. Award-winning writer and producer Frank Spotnitz (X-Files, Hunted, Strikeback) has come on board as the new showrunner and executive producer of the 12-episode second season. Also serving as executive producers are Chris Vance and award-winning producer Fred Fuchs (The Godfather: Part III, Bram Stoker’s Dracula).
About Atlantique Productions
Atlantique Productions is a production company dedicated to high-end drama programs for the global market and is headed by Olivier Bibas. Over the years, Atlantique fostered a strong network of creative and financial partners in Europe, as well as in North America, allowing it to bring together the best talents from both sides of the pond. All of Atlantique’s productions are shot in English and sold around the world, including Borgia (38 x 52 min – Canal+, 3 seasons, licensed in over 70 countries, including the US/Netflix, Germany/ZDF); Transporter The Series (12 x 52 min – licensed in over 130 countries, including France/M6, Germany/RTL, Canada/HBO Canada); Jo (8 x 45 min – TF1, Sat1, Fox International); and Death in Paradise (8 x 60 min – France Télévisions, BBC).
About QVF Inc.
QVF Inc. is a boutique entertainment company with a legacy of excellence in the production of long form and series television. Headed by Susan Murdoch, QVF has been a trusted production partner and originator of award-winning, high quality television product. More information about QVF can be found on the company’s website at http://www.qvfinc.com.
About TNT
TNT is television’s destination for drama. Seen in 101 million households and ranking among cable’s top networks, TNT is home to such original drama series as Rizzoli & Isles, Major Crimes, Falling Skies, Perception, Dallas, Franklin & Bash and Mob City. TNT’s upcoming slate of scripted dramas includes the original series Legends, The Last Ship and Murder in the First, as well as Transporter The Series, which will make its U.S. television debut on the network this fall. TNT also features dramatic unscripted originals like Cold Justice, Boston’s Finest, Marshal Law: Texas, APB with Troy Dunn and the upcoming Private Lives of Nashville Wives, Save Our Business, Inside Job, On the Menu (working title), Wake Up Call (working title) and Life Flight. In addition, TNT is the cable home to popular dramas like Hawaii Five-0, Castle, The Mentalist, Bones and Supernatural; primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards®; blockbuster movies; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR, the NBA and the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.
TNT is part of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company. Turner Broadcasting creates and programs branded news; entertainment; animation and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.
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