EXCLUSIVE: Showtime is in the market for British drama again, acquiring a pair of series from ITV Studios.

We can reveal the Paramount-owned Showtime snapped up The Guest and Coldwater, deals that follow its recent acquisition of BBC Studios drama Reunion. Most U.S. networks have been relatively cold on British drama in recent years, but Showtime is breaking the mould.

First up, The Guest will debut on Friday, October 17 via streaming on Paramount+ for Premium plan subscribers before an on-air debut two days later on Sunday, October 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Paramount+ with Showtime in the US. Coldwater will get an early 2026 launch.

The Guest, which ITV Studios-owned Quay St Productions produced, debuted on BBC One in the UK in September. The four-episode thriller series stars Eve Myles (The Crow Girl, Broadchurch) and Gabrielle Creevy (Black Doves, Three Women) combines action, intrigue and twists, and themes of class and social mobility. It follows two unlikely friends as their lives begin to unravel.

Matthew Barry (Men Up, Industry) is the writer and Ashley Way (Men Up, Who is Erin Carter?) the director. They also serve as Executive Producers alongside Quay Street founder Nicola Shindler (Happy Valley, It’s A Sin) and Davina Earl (Men Up, The Red King). Sion Daniel Young, Emun Elliott, Bethan Mary-James, Julian Lewis Jones, Joseph Ollman, Clive Russell and Catherine Ayers also star. 

Here’s a trailer.

Coldwater also debuted in September in the UK, on ITV Studios’ parent network, ITV. The six-episode series stars Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead, Love Actually) in his long-awaited return to British television and Ewen Bremner (Our Flag Means Death, Trainspotting). It’s billed as a “twisted thriller about a normal man, in a normal marriage, who finds himself in a far from normal situation when he falls under the influence of someone incredibly dangerous.” Lincoln plays a middle-aged stay-at-home-dad, whose anxieties bring him in contact with a new neighbor who harbors horrifying secrets.

David Ireland (The Lovers, Ulster American) is the writer and creator and executive produced by Ireland, Chris Fry (Black Doves, Kaos), Alice Tyler (The Following Events are Based on a Pack of Lies), Lydia Hampson (The Following Events are Based on a Pack of Lies, Fleabag) and Jane Featherstone (Black Doves, Chernobyl). Also starring are Indira Varma (Game of Thrones, Obsession) and The Guest star Myles. Lee Haven Jones (Passenger, A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story) and Andrew Cumming (Out Of Darkness, Payback) are the directors.

Andrew Lincoln in ‘Coldwater’

British fare back on menu

American networks have, for the large part, stepped away from international scripted co-productions, even with their sensibility-sharing British counterparts. On top of that, drama and comedy distribution has been challenged, with the Pact census recently showing international TV revenues at UK companies fell by £57M ($76.8M) to £1.35B in 2024, mainly down to a “decrease in international sales of finished programmes.”

British content-focused streamer BritBox has remained a reliable buyer, but few others have followed suit. That makes Showtime’s recent acquisitions all the more notable.

Katie Buchanan, EVP Americas, Global Partnerships at ITV Studios, today told Deadline she was seeing a shift from the U.S. market, with deals in the works at the likes of AMC, Hulu, Peacock and PBS.

“We’ve also been seeing multiple offers come in on series, which is exciting and highlights the quality of the content we distribute,” she added. “It makes our jobs ‘easier’ when we have compelling shows and incredible talent that drive interest from every key platform in the U.S. All it takes is for one to ignite and everyone’s interest is peaked.”

ITV Studios – seller of Mr. Bates vs The Post Office, Ludwig, Vigil, Code of Silence and unscripted hit Love Island among others – has focused on tight relationships with buyers to stay reactive to a market full of “changes and adjustments,” said Buchanan.

“Every platform looks at data differently, they have varied investment levels, some rights are more important than others, and timing is key,” she added. “Series with broad appeal, propulsive storytelling, and strong cast continue to stand out for us. We know buyers have to be selective and deals take time, but we make sure we get in front of platforms with projects as early as possible so we’re top of mind for them as they strategize their content rollouts and budget allocations.”

Showtime’s deals come on the same day ITV Studios unveiled its MIPCOM line-up, with unscripted romats Nobody’s Fool and Celebrity Sabotage accompanying the likes of Matt Baker’s food-meets-crime drama A Taste For Murder, Shaun Evans-starring spy thriller Betrayal, Suranne Jones- and Jodie Whittaker-led art heist series Frauds and upcoming BBC drama Two Weeks in August.