Amazon Prime Video and BBC Worldwide greenlight Lookout Point's new fashion drama

The Collection epitomises the kind of exciting creative opportunities and business models now emerging, in particular from our strategic relationship with Lookout Point. But above all, its attraction is an outstanding script with amazing talent attached

Liam Keelan, Director of Scripted for BBC Worldwide

BBC Worldwide and Amazon Prime Video have greenlit Lookout Point's period fashion drama, THE COLLECTION - an eight part series, set in the world of French haute couture just after the Second World War - which will launch exclusively in 2016 for Amazon Prime members in the UK. The series is created, written and executive produced by award-winning showrunner Oliver Goldstick (Ugly Betty, Lipstick Jungle, Pretty Little Liars).

THE COLLECTION is the story of an illustrious Paris fashion house, emerging from the dark days of the Occupation, now ushering in a new golden age of design and business. This gripping family saga, centred on two very different brothers, exposes the grit behind the glamour and the treachery beneath the trappings of this empire, and all who work there.

Oliver Goldstick heads up a world-renowned creative team, including Emmy award-winning director Dearbhla Walsh (Penny Dreadful, The Tudors, Esio Trot), BAFTA award-winning producer Selwyn Roberts (Parade's End, Strike Back), production designer Alison Dominitz (Casanova, Hotel Splendide), costume designers Chattoune & Fab (Dheepan, Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky) and casting director Rachel Freck (The Go-Between, Life in Squares).

Goldstick says "I'm thrilled to be working with this fantastic team. The Collection has been a passion project of mine for years; an entrepreneurial fable set in a pivotal moment in history, where fashion served as the ultimate vehicle for transformation and re-invention. It's the story of a war-scarred family - upstairs and downstairs -- tethered together by its success and its secrets."

Series Executive Producers include Anne Thomopoulos (Rome, Borgia, Versailles), Pascal Breton (Marseille) for French production partner, Federation Entertainment, and Kate Croft (Murderland).

"Out of our shared passion for the world and the period, Oliver has created his extraordinary vision of Paris and the Golden Age of Couture. It's full of his signature flourishes, and his unique take means we get to peek behind the elegant fa�ade and realise it is not just about the dresses, but more about what they are covering up" says Executive Producer, Kate Croft who originated the series with Goldstick under her exclusive development and production deal with Lookout Point.

Lookout Point CEO Simon Vaughan commented, "This is a pioneering partnership structure between BBC Worldwide, Amazon Prime combined with investment from Pinewood and the Welsh Government. World class partners, but working together in entirely new ways. I am very proud of the fact that we are finding new and exciting partnerships to greenlight the best projects."

"We're delighted to be bringing such a smart, sophisticated period piece to Amazon Prime members in the UK," said Chris Bird, Film & TV Strategy Director, Amazon Video UK. "We aim to bring our customers the best international TV has to offer, and we're sure our members will enjoy this window into the seemingly glamourous world of Parisian haute couture, perhaps hiding a more sinister undercurrent."

"The project marks another dynamic shift in the way that drama is being created and produced globally" says Liam Keelan, Director of Scripted for BBC Worldwide. "The Collection epitomises the kind of exciting creative opportunities and business models now emerging, in particular from our strategic relationship with Lookout Point. But above all, its attraction is an outstanding script with amazing talent attached".

Amazon Prime Video offers subscribers unlimited access to over 15,000 popular movies and TV episodes, including an extensive library of leading original and exclusive shows, including Golden Globe(R) and Emmy(R) Award winning Transparent, the critically-acclaimed MR. ROBOT, Michael Connelly cop drama Bosch, newly released The Man in the High Castle, Norse hit drama Vikings, time-travel smash Outlander and Victorian thriller Ripper Street.

The project commences production in January, filming in both Wales and France. It will receive investment from the Pinewood Wales Investment Budget as well as Pinewood.

Goldstick's deal was brokered by Cori Wellins and Melissa Myers of WME and Don and Matt Walerstein of Rohner & Walerstein.

About Lookout Point

Lookout Point is a developer, producer and distributor of high-end international drama with a British sensibility. Since its establishment in 2009, the boutique London-based company has set up commercially and creatively successful co-productions, built upon well-established relationships with talent and key buyers and its innovative funding models. Lookout Point's productions include 3 completed series of police procedural Ripper Street, with two more series greenlit, BBC/A&E's much-anticipated mini-series War and Peace, written by Andrew Davies and the company is also working with BBC Wales on their mystery drama The Living and the Dead and Sid Gentle Ltd on Len Deighton's alternate history thriller adaptation SS-GB for BBC. Past productions include Tom Stoppard's critically acclaimed adaptation of Ford Madox Ford's Parade's End for BBC Two/HBO and the ITV/ABC mini-series Titanic, written by Oscar and Emmy-winning screenwriter Julian Fellowes, broadcast in 2012 in over one hundred countries. The company has an exclusive co-venture partnership with BBC Worldwide, through which they jointly maximise the financing and distribution of projects in the global marketplace. BBC Worldwide own 35% of Lookout Point.

About BBC Worldwide

BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Its vision is to build the BBC's brands, audiences, commercial returns and reputation across the world. This is achieved through investing in, commercialising and showcasing content from the BBC around the world, in a way that is consistent with BBC standards and values. The business also champions British creativity globally. In 2014/15, BBC Worldwide generated headline profits of �138.6m and headline sales of �1,001.8m and returned a record �226.5m to the BBC. For more detailed performance information please see our Annual Review website: http://www.bbcworldwide.com/annualreview bbcworldwide.com twitter.com/bbcwpress

About Amazon Prime Video

Prime Video is the U.K.'s largest online video streaming service, offering subscriber's unlimited access to over 15,000 popular movies and TV episodes. As well as exclusive TV and film content, such as Mr Robot, Outlander, Vikings, Paddington and The Imitation Game, Prime Video is the only place to watch critically acclaimed Amazon Original shows, such as 2015 Golden Globe(R) winning TV Series Transparent and Mozart in the Jungle and Ripper Street. Prime Video also offers customers unprecedented picture clarity with Amazon Original shows available for unlimited streaming in Ultra HD at no extra cost on compatible Sony, Samsung and LG Ultra HD smart TVs. Prime Video is available on hundreds of devices, including Amazon Fire TV and the newly released Fire TV Stick, Fire tablets, iPad, Android tablets, iPhone, Amazon Fire Phone, Android phones, Xbox, PlayStation, Wii and Wii U, and through the web at www.amazon.co.uk/primevideo. Prime Video is available at no extra cost to Amazon Prime members, who also benefit from unlimited One-Day Delivery on millions of items, more than one million songs to stream and download through Prime Music, unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud Drive and access to more than one million Kindle books to borrow. Customers who are not already Prime members can start a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime by visiting www.amazon.co.uk/prime. Amazon also offers all customers more than 50,000 popular movies and TV episodes available to digitally rent or buy through Amazon Video.

About Federation Entertainment

With offices in Paris and Los Angeles, Federation Entertainment heralds a new model for the creation, production, distribution and marketing of high quality original television series programming for the global marketplace. A fully-integrated television studio, Federation Entertainment is comprised of exclusive partnerships with several of the industry's most celebrated executives, producers and showrunners. Established by leading French entertainment executive Pascal Breton, Federation is run by Managing Director and partner Lionel Uzan and Founding Partners David Michel & Stéphane Sperry.

About Pinewood Pictures

Pinewood Pictures is part of the Pinewood Group, funding TV and film productions, as well as games, on behalf of the Isle of Man Media Fund and The Welsh Government's Media Investment Budget. It also invests Pinewood's own funds in projects and distributes films in the UK. Projects include SPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD and PRESSURE, which it distributed in the UK, BELLE, DOM HEMINGWAY, GENIUS and upcoming action comedy MINDHORN, horror DON'T KNOCK TWICE and the eagerly anticipated THEIR FINEST HOUR AND A HALF. The Pinewood Group is a leading provider of studio and related services to the global film and television industry. Pinewood Pictures has a range of funding options available to UK Film and TV productions, including equity finance investment, gap finance and discounting of the UK tax credit and pre-sales of a project.