Britain's UKTV Snares 'Almost Human' From Warner Bros. (Exclusive)

The multichannel network operator owned by BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive seals a deal to bring U.K. audiences the Karl Urban show.

LONDON – UKTV, the British TV network's joint venture of lifestyle channels firm Scripps Networks Interactive and BBC Worldwide, has nabbed the British premiere of U.S. futuristic thriller Almost Human via a deal with Warner Bros. International Television Distribution (WBITD).

The season, from executive producers J.J. Abrams and J.H. Wyman, stars Karl Urban, Michael Ealy, Minka Kelly, Mackenzie Crook, Michael Irby and Lili Taylor.

Set 35 years in the future, Almost Human features a detective who is the sole survivor of a devastating police ambush. When he wakes from a 17-month coma he can’t remember much -- except that his partner was killed, he lost one of his legs and he is now outfitted with a highly sophisticated synthetic appendage.

UKTV will debut the show on its Watch channel. It marks the second UKTV deal for a show involving Abrams after it acquired Believe from WBITD and J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions and filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron.

UKTV's Watch general manager Steve Hornsey said: "The combination of Almost Human’s unique and compelling twist on a police procedural drama and J.J. Abrams’ stamp of creative quality makes this show the perfect fit for Watch. It also reinforces our commitment to premiering fresh and exciting U.S. content to U.K. viewers, ahead of other British broadcasters."

The deal with WBITD for Almost Human was brokered by UKTV’S director of program acquisitions Catherine Mackin.

"We believe that Almost Human will be a terrific addition to Watch’s programming lineup,” said Jeffrey Schlesinger, president, Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Distribution.

Created by J.H. Wyman, Almost Human is produced by Bonanza Productions in association with Bad Robot Productions and Warner Bros. Television and is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. International Television Distribution.

Abrams, Wyman and Bryan Burk (Fringe) serve as executive producers, while Kathy Lingg (Person of Interest) and Reid Shane (Fringe) are co-executive producers. The series will air on Watch in the U.K. in May.