In an increasingly crowded global market, returnable character-led crime series and regional thrillers continue to serve as vital pillars for international broadcasters and digital platforms. Coming into MIPCOM 2026 with over 150 hours of fresh content -ranging from star-studded Australian thrillers like Fortitude Valley to the Jo Spain adaptation The Last to Disappear– DCD Rights demonstrates how compelling regional IP can seamlessly travel across borders.
In this interview, Rick Barker, Head of Sales at DCD Rights, breaks down the enduring commercial power of “cosy crime” franchises, how distributors are taking on active financing and co-production roles to get projects greenlit, and what it takes for true crime titles to stand out in a far more selective market.
Coming into MIPCOM 2026, which key crime titles and factual docuseries are headline-news on your slate this market? What makes these specific shows resonate with international buyers right now?
We are very excited to be presenting more than 150 hours of new content across a plethora of genres that will entice all buyers. These include three new crime thrillers from the UK, Europe and Australia which will all deliver before the end of the year.
Firstly, we have recently announced that UK commercial broadcaster ITV and North American streamer Acorn TV have picked up The Last to Disappear, based on the bestselling novel by Jo Spain. The plot follows an Irish lobbyist working in London who finds out his sister accidentally drowned while working at a luxury resort in Lapland. But he soon discovers her death was no accident and may be the latest in a string of murders of women.
Secondly, we will showcase Fortitude Valley, starring British actor Rupert Everett. This Australian crime thriller follows straight-arrow detective Ethan Tobane, who finds himself caught in a dangerous web of lies and murder after human remains are discovered under a demolished city building. Finally, six-part thriller, An Impossible Way to Die, follows DS Katie Salter happily solve everyday crimes until fate drags her into an impossible murder mystery. Four people seated around a table set for a dinner party: dead, the only clue a scorpion crawling out of a victim’s mouth…
Katie’s quiet policing life is upended as she’s thrown into a high-pressure murder investigation. Plus, with factual crime still very relevant across TV schedules and digital platforms, we have a new series of crime investigations in The Truth About My Murder and a multi-series catalogue investigating chilling coastal murders called Murder by the Sea.
DCD Rights has an impressive track record with long-running, character-driven crime franchises (My Life Is Murder, Jack Irish). In a market that often demands high-concept limited series, why do returnable, character-led crime series continue to be such a strong commercial asset?
Returnable crime series remain very high on broadcasters and platforms wish lists. The appeal of cosy crime, in particular, is its warmth, humour and familiarity. Commercially, established characters offer broadcasters a recognisable, internationally accessible brand with genuine long-term franchise potential. Series that offer a crime of the week as well as a series arc really appeal internationally – they offer a new mystery each week for those that wish to dip in and out of a series, and also a compelling storyline across the series for those more dedicated viewers.
You’ve successfully distributed major crime and thriller titles originating from Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and beyond. How open is the international market today to regional, non-US/non-UK crime stories, and what makes these regional IPs travel so well?
Crime dramas travel so well as they hold universal appeal by tapping into secrets, lies, justice and the darker side of ordinary life, and these themes resonate across cultures. Audiences want to be taken on compelling journeys and in The Last to Disappear (Finland) and Fortitude Valley (Australia), we have two series where unique local flavour makes each series distinctive, while the underlying crime story gives it genuine international appeal alongside recognisable casts and strong production values.
With global commissioners tightening budgets, co-productions and pre-sales have moved from optional to essential. How is DCD Rights helping independent producers structure these deals to get crime projects greenlit in today’s market?
For a number of years, we have actively engaged with producers to bring us content in order to collaborate with key partners, as early as possible. We aim to be a fundamental part of the process with both our acquisitions and sales teams contributing with both strategic planning and financial input, along with the ability to bring a project to life, using our creativity, experience and expertise. The role of the distributor has become intrinsic to the actual content being shaped, financed and ultimately produced and DCD Rights has a very strong record in supporting producers across drama and factual co-productions and pre-sales.
True crime continues to command huge audiences, but the market is becoming far more selective. What kind of true crime stories are buyers actively asking for right now- and which angles are becoming a harder sell?
I think buyers are still very interested in true crime, but the bar has definitely been raised. They’re looking for stories with a fresh angle such as extraordinary characters and unexpected twists. Buyers are looking for exclusive access and insider testimony, while “stranger-than-fiction” stories that move beyond traditional crime narratives are cutting through. Our new true-crime series – Murder by the Sea and The Truth About my Murder – look into the perspective of murder from a scientific angle and also from the point of view of those who investigated the crimes and brought the killers to justice.
This interview was conducted by Yoldaş Özdemir and originally appeared in 221B Magazine’s MIPCOM 2026 issue.
