Marketing
Burke and Hare - The West Port Murders
Download Marketing
Market Positioning
Burke and Hare is positioned as a prestige historical crime drama aimed at adult audiences (30–70) drawn to morally complex true-crime narratives, Gothic atmosphere, and socially grounded period storytelling. The series’ focus on poverty, institutional complicity, and the commodification of human bodies places it firmly in the lineage of internationally successful prestige dramas such as Taboo, The Terror, and Peaky Blinders (in tone and audience reach rather than style). The project is best suited to a £25–40 million total series budget (or £4–6 million per episode for a limited series), achievable through UK tax incentives, contained period locations, and minimal VFX reliance. Comparable historical crime and Gothic dramas have demonstrated strong performance through festival launches, public broadcasters, and premium streaming platforms, with particular strength in the UK, Europe, North America, and Australia. Burke and Hare offers buyers a true-crime property with built-in awareness, elevated by literary dialogue and thematic depth, positioning it as a high-prestige, exportable historical drama with awards potential and long-term catalogue value rather than mass-market dependency.
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Comparable Titles – Sales Reference Table
Positioning Summary
Burke and Hare sits comfortably within a globally proven prestige drama bracket, comparable to series that have achieved 100+ territory sales, multi-platform rollouts, and long-tail catalogue value. With a £4–6M per episode budget, the project offers buyers a high-end historical crime series with built-in true-crime recognition, controlled production risk, and clear international appetite across Europe, North America, Australia, and premium streaming platforms.
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Territory-by-Territory Sales Expectations
Positioning Against Comps
Sales Strategy Summary
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Primary revenue drivers:
UK/Ireland, North America, France, Germany, Australia/New Zealand -
Secondary strength:
Nordics, Benelux, Japan, Spain -
Optimal release pathway:
Festival or Canneseries launch → UK broadcaster / premium streamer → international sales rollout -
Commercial advantage:
True-crime recognition + Gothic prestige + controlled budget delivers high export reliability and strong catalogue longevity.
​Burke and Hare is a prestige British historical crime series designed to perform strongly across the UK, Europe, North America, and Australia, leveraging true-crime recognition, Gothic tone, and awards-grade storytelling to deliver durable international sales and long-tail value.
BURKE AND HARE — One-Slide Finance Waterfall (Illustrative)
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Sources of Finance
Waterfall Recoupment Order
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Sales Agent Fees & Expenses
(typically 10–15% of gross receipts) -
Senior Lenders / Gap Financing
100% recoupment + negotiated premium -
Equity Investors
100% recoupment + uplift -
Producer Corridor
(typically 10–20% of net profits) -
Backend Participation Pool
Creator / writers / key talent
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Why 4 × 80’ Works Commercially
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Event-series framing increases broadcaster and streamer appetite
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Higher per-episode spend delivers cinematic scale without multi-season risk
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Shorter episode count reduces exposure while preserving prestige
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Strong fit for festival premieres (Canneseries / Berlinale Series)
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Investor & Buyer Upside Drivers​
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True-crime recognition with global appeal
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UK tax incentive significantly lowers net risk
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Contained locations, minimal VFX, period authenticity
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Strong long-tail value for repeat scheduling and international resale
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​STREAMER-LED MODEL (Netflix / Apple / Amazon)​
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Total Budget
£24M
Sources of Finance
Waterfall / Rights Logic
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Streamer acquires global rights (fixed term or perpetuity)
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No traditional presales or backend participation
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Producer upside via premium fees, bonuses, and future commissions
Why Streamers Fit
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High-impact true crime with global recognition
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Binge-friendly limited series
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Strong international portability without cultural dilution​​​