UKTV has boarded Ladies in Black, picking up the 1960s-set Australian drama for its streaming platform U in a new deal with ABC Commercial. The series, produced by Bunya Productions and based on Madeleine St John’s bestselling novel, becomes the latest international acquisition for the BBC Studios-owned network as it builds out U with more premium, character-driven fare.
Set against the backdrop of a Sydney department store in postwar Australia, Ladies in Black follows the intersecting lives of its predominantly female staff—a mix of ambition, social change, and class tension wrapped in mid-century polish. The cast includes Debi Mazar, Miranda Otto, and Jessica De Gouw.
The deal marks another solid export for the series, which has already landed with Now TV in Hong Kong, YLE in Finland, and Proximus Media House in Belgium. UKTV’s Melanie Rumani led the acquisition, continuing the streamer’s pivot toward prestige-leaning imports with clear audience hooks—this one tapping the same demo that powered Call the Midwife and The Hour in years past.
The pickup comes amid a broader push by ABC Commercial to scale the show globally, though a second season is not yet in active development. Karen Quinn, ABC’s head of content sales, called the UK sale a key step in growing the show’s international footprint.
For UKTV, it’s a play to feed its streaming pipeline with distinctive voices and period drama that travels. Ladies in Black checks both boxes.
