UK drama producer Left Bank Pictures and China International Television (CITVC) have signed a co-development deal for an English language drama for the Chinese and international market.
Under the deal, both parties will take ideas to the table over the coming months with a view to selecting one high-end English-language television series to go into production by next year, then air in China.
Sony Pictures Television will distribute the developed project worldwide outside of mainland China.
"China's culture is extensive and profound, and has gained more and more love and attention around the world,”said Xue Jijun, chairman and president of CITVC. “We hope we can discover and create more and better film and television content, and distribute them to audiences around the world."
Andy Harries, CEO of Left Bank Pictures, said China is in many ways the last frontier of television and the company has been looking for opportunities in this vast market for some time.
CITVC is one of China's biggest media companies and a subsidiary of China Central Television (CCTV), which operates a network of 45 channels available to more than one billion viewers.
Left Bank Pictures, a joint venture with Sony Pictures Television, is one of the UK's leading producers of scripted television programs and has developed international co-productions with partners including HBO and Mediaset.