Premium British drama channel BBC First launches on 27th May 2020 with a raft of world class content including exclusive territory premieres of Doctor Who, Les Misérables and The Mallorca Files alongside MotherFatherSon and Brexit.

Agreement with Türk Telekom will include a selection of bingeworthy drama boxsets, available on demand to Tivibu subscribers. Turk Telekom Tivibu is the second largest pay TV operator in Turkey.

BBC Studios has announced that premium drama brand, BBC First, will launch for the first time in Turkey via Türk Telekom’s Tivibu platform. A bespoke feed programmed for Turkish audiences, the channel will launch on 27th May 2020 and be available with full Turkish subtitles. BBC First will join BBC Studios global brands – BBC Earth, BBC World News and CBeebies – in the Turkish market.

BBC First is home to the very best original, innovative British drama, showcasing award-winning talent both on and off-screen. The channel offers viewers the chance to see unforgettable, world-class stories featuring the finest writers, directors and actors all in one place.

BBC First will be the exclusive home of all-new series of Doctor Who in Turkey, launching with the 11th and 12th seasons starring Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor and premiering future series closer to UK TX than ever before. This will be especially appreciated by Turkish Whovians who are among world’s most loyal fans ranking #6 in the world on the Doctor Who Facebook page and #9 for YouTube views on Doctor Who official channel, with 1.7m video views in the last 12 months.

In its star-studded line-up BBC First in Turkey will also include thrilling drama MotherFatherSon telling a story of a ruthless owner of one of the world’s most influential media empires, featuring Richard Gere (Pretty Woman) in his first major television role for 30 years as well as Helen McCrory (Peaky Blinders) and Billy Howle (The Witness for the Prosecution). The series was written by Tom Rob Smith, bestselling author and Emmy-nominated creator of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.

Brexit: The Uncivil War from Olivier Award-winning writer James Graham and Emmy Award-winning director Toby Haynes, stars Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, Doctor Strange, Patrick Merlose) as a powerful and divisive figure driving Brexit from the shadows.

An extraordinary cast of a-list actors such as Dominic West (The Wire) and Oscar winner Olivia Colman (The Favourite) bring the epic adaptation of Victor Hugo’s classic novel Les Misérables to life, telling the story of fascinating characters struggling to survive in war-torn France.

Feel-good drama The Mallorca Files, centres around Detective Miranda Blake (Elen Rhys) – an introvert who is used to living by the rules – and her German counterpart Max Winter (Julian Looman), whose approach to policing is based on gut-instinct on the vibrant Spanish island.

BAFTA award-winner, Molly Windsor (Three Girls) stars in suspense-filled thriller, Traces which is based on an original idea by best-selling crime writer Val McDermid where forensic science takes centre stage.

Joining the line-up are perennial audience favourites, Father Brown, Death in Paradise, Call the Midwife, Shakespeare and Hathaway and The Durrells.

Avid drama fans will also have access to bingeworthy drama boxsets on demand through Tivibu and via the mobile app Tivibu Go. Titles include the BAFTA award-winning Doctor Foster, The Collection, SS-GB, New Blood and many more. Series that have completed their run on the linear channel will also be added to on-demand offer, creating an unrivalled selection of drama at subscriber’s fingertips.

Natasha Hussain, Senior Vice President for MENA at BBC Studios, said: “As the World’s spotlight shines bright on British drama, I’m thrilled to be expanding our offering in Turkey with the truly unmissable BBC First channel. The BBC has a strong reputation for its original storytelling and high production values in this genre, and I can’t wait for audiences in Turkey to be introduced to the raft of unique stories and unforgettable characters on BBC First.”

Türk Telekom TV/OTT Content and Product Director, Ziyad Varol, stated: “We are very much happy with our years of cooperation with BBC, a household name for broadcast and media worldwide. Five years ago, Tivibu was the first platform to launch BBC’s documentary channel BBC Earth in Turkey, introducing one of the most important documentary producers of the world to Turkish audiences. And now, with BBC First, we are again excited to provide Tivibu audience with the newest and most popular series content of BBC. We hope to add new firsts into our list with BBC and to provide further value to Tivibu viewers by presenting them premium contents before everyone else in Turkey.

The new agreement with Türk Telekom will also see the BBC EARTH and BBC World News channels continue on the service for a further 2.5 years.