In a major deal announced on Monday, News Corporation-owned Shine Group has agreed with SVT to take on international distribution rights to the Swedish public broadcaster?s new high end 10x60? series Real Humans (Äkta människor - pictured is Eva Röse) co-produced with Matador Film with support from Nordisk Film & TV Fond.

The Shine-controlled Kudos Film & Television will co-produce an English-language version and handle format rights.

The deal was signed by Dan Isaacs, Kudos’ COO, Noel Hedges, head of Shine International, Peter Gustafsson, SVT Commissioning Editor Drama and Henrik Widman from Matador Film. Set in a parallel universe, Real Humans features a society in which robots have become so human it is barely possible to distinguish them from real persons. Created by writer and show-runner Lars Lundström (Tusenbröder) the show follows the lives of people that have been transformed by the new generation of humanoids. The Emmy-nominated Harald Hamrell has directed episodes 1-4 and 9-10 and Levan Akin (Anno 1790) episodes 5-8. In the lead roles are Eva Röse (pictured), Andreas Wilson and Leif Andrée. 

“All of us at Kudos love this series,” commented Isaacs from the producer of award-winning TV series Spooks, Life on Mars, and feature film Eastern Promises. We are delighted to be able to collaborate at such an early stage with the series’ creators to make a new version for the international market of this truly original and fantastic series.”

Stefan Baron, Head of Drama for SVT Stockholm and executive producer of the series also said: “I’m thrilled and happy about the deal. Real Humans will hopefully lead to more international collaborations in the future.” Real Humans will air on SVT in January 2012.