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Paramount’s U.K. network 5 is being sued by one of its production partners over what the company claims was the “wrongful termination” of an agreement over a crime drama series.
Blackbox Multimedia, the U.K. banner that
has made series for 5 such as “The Ex-Wife” and “Benidorm is Murder,” claims that it is owned money by the channel, which was acquired by Paramount in 2014.
According to lawyers representing Blackbox, the case revolves around a drama that that was originally to be based on true events.
Blackbox asserts that it was approached by 5, which asked it to come aboard as a producer on the project, which had already been conceived by the channel and a third-party, which had the pre-existing relationship with the individual at the center of the events.
“Blackbox established early in development that the individual did not wish to participate or for the story to be based on her experiences. Channel 5 was aware of this from a very early stage,” said Blackbox’s legal representatives in a statement to Variety. “Accordingly, and in full consultation with Channel 5, Blackbox developed the project into a wholly fictional drama. No character, relationship or storyline in the series is based on or intended to represent any specific individual or real case.”
But Blackbox claims that the drama was not finalized or delivered “only because Channel 5 wrongfully terminated the agreement.” As as result, it says that it “has been left carrying the financial burden of Channel 5’s wrongful termination.”
According to Variety‘s sister publication Deadline, which first broke news of the court case, 5 denies that Blackbox ever delivered the drama and that it pulled the series following a complaint by an individual connected to the project, who had claimed that the drama was affecting their safety and wellbeing.
It added that 5 said it was not made aware of such claims by Blackbox before production commenced and felt it had no choice to walk away because of duty of care. Variety has reached out to 5 for comment.
In its statement to Variety, Blackbox’s lawyers said that litigation was “very much a last resort,” adding that the company was a “long-standing and trusted production partner to Channel 5.”
