The New Ireland-Canada Co-Production stars

Michael Smiley(Luther,Death and Nightingales),Kerr Logan(Game of Thrones,Alias Grace),

Eileen O'Higgins(Brooklyn,Mary Queen of Scots),Aidan O'Hare(Jackie,Pilis),Mark Rendall(Departure,Versailles), andfeaturing Martin Donovan(Big Little Lies,Fahrenheit 451)

Silver Spring, MD;May30,2019–RTÉ andAcorn Media Enterprises (AME) havepartneredto commissionDEAD STILL, anIrishperiod mysterywithDublin-basedDeadpan Pictures andToronto-basedShaftesbury co-producing, alongside ZDF Enterprises.Set in1880s Ireland in the Victorian era heyday of “postmortem photography,” the six-episodeperioddramafollowsa renowned memorial photographer as he investigates the murders ofhisrecently deceasedsubjects.DEAD STILLis written byJohn Mortonand directed byImogen Murphy(Can't Cope, Won't Cope, Red Rock) andCraig David Wallace(Slasher, Todd and the Book of Pure Evil, Murdoch Mysteries).Acorn Media Enterprises has secured all rights in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom; co-premiere rights in Canada; and secondary rights in Ireland. ZDF Enterprises will distribute the series in the rest of the world.It was developed with the support of Screen Ireland and Creative Europe.

DEAD STILLwill premiere in 2020 onRTÉin Ireland andon Acorn TV inthe United Statesas an Acorn TV Original.Acorn Media Enterprises (AME) is the UK-based development division for the Acorn TV brand of RLJ Entertainment, Inc., aprivately ownedsubsidiary of AMC Networks.The series,with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI),isnowfilming on location in and around Dublin through June 2019.

DEAD STILLblends mystery and drama with gallowshumour, andfeatures an incredible ensemble of acclaimed international actors includingMichael Smiley(Lutheras DS Benny Silver,Wire in the Blood,Death and Nightingales)as BrockBlennerhasset,Kerr Logan(Game of Thrones, Victoria, Alias Grace) asConallMolloy,Eileen O'Higgins(Brooklyn, Mary Queen of Scots) as Nancy Vickers, andAidan O'Hare(Jackie,Pilis) as Detective Frederick Regan.DEAD STILLalso starsJimmySmallhorne(Taken Down,Clean Break) as Cecil Carruthers,Mark Rendall(Departure,Versailles) as Percy Cummins,Peter Campion(Derry Girls,Kat and Alfie: Redwater) as Henry Vickers, andMartin Donovan(Big Little Lies, Fahrenheit 451).

Dublin, 1880. The practice of memorial portraiture is at the height of its popularity – that is, the portrait photography of the recently deceased. As renowned memorial photographer?BrockBlennerhasset?(Smiley) expands his business with the help ofhis would-be actress niece Nancy Vickers (O'Higgins) and assistantConallMolloy (Logan), someone with more sinister designs is getting in on the death photography game. A serial killer is cashing in on the sordid, developing taste for ‘snuff' imagery - pictures of people in their death throes. The murders escalate and Detective Frederick Regan?(O'Hare) of the Dublin Metropolitan Police suspects that Ireland may have its first serial murderer at large. AsBlennerhassetbecomes a possible suspect and his family is put in harm's way, they must track down the serial killer before he strikes again.

“John Morton has written a truly unique series and RTÉ is delighted to work with Deadpan Pictures again and our partners at Acorn, ZDFEnterprises, and Shaftesbury. We can't wait to introduce this mysterious and intriguing drama to Irish audiences,” saidShane Murphy, RTÉ's Group Head of Drama and Comedy.

CatherineMackin, Managing Director ofAcorn Media Enterprisesnoted,“Given the popularity ofRTÉ'sStriking Out,Acceptable RiskandFinding Joywith Acorn TV subscribers,we're thrilled to commission a first-rate perioddrama with our friends atRTÉ.With its fascinating setting,gallowshumour,inventive storylines and stellar cast,Dead Stillwill offer a fresh take on the genre and is sure to interest fans of international dramas.”

“DEAD STILL is a cracking original idea which entertains and surprises. Together with Shaftesbury and a fabulous cast we look forward to bringing this darkly comic Irish story to an international audience courtesy of Acorn,RTÉand ZDFEnterprises,” saidPaul Donovan, Managing Director, Deadpan Pictures.

“We are thrilled to partner with the talented team at Deadpan Pictures to produceDEAD STILLand look forward to working withRTÉ, Acorn, and ZDF to bring this morbidly comic drama to global audiences. We were immediately drawn to the series and its unique and compelling story world. Add to that an incredible all-star cast and I have no doubt that DEAD STILL is going to be an international hit series,” saidChristina Jennings, Chairman & CEO, Shaftesbury.

DEAD STILLis executive produced byPaul Donovan,AilishMcElmeel, Christina Jennings, andScottGarvie, and produced bySuzanne McAuley.DEAD STILLis an Ireland/Canada treaty co-production produced by Deadpan Pictures (Ireland) and Shaftesbury (Canada) in association withRTÉ, Acorn TV with Acorn Media Enterprises, ZDF Enterprises, and BAI, and with the participation of the Irish Tax Credit, Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, and the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit.DEAD STILLwas developed with the support of Screen Ireland and Creative Europe.

DEAD STILL?comes on the heels of recent RTÉ?co-production drama series including?Taken Down,?Finding Joy,?Women on the Verge?and?Striking Out.

RTÉ(RaidióTeilifísÉireann) is Ireland's national public-service mediaorganisation.?RTÉ commissions?a broad range of high-quality programming and content to meet the needs of multiple audiences.?Further information can be found?here:?https://www.rte.ie/about/en/how-rte-is-run/2014/0310/601244-about-rte/?

Acorn TVwith Acorn Media Enterpriseshas commissioned several series includingAgatha Raisin, Series 2(Trailer)andSeries 3starringAshley Jensen; the straight-to-series order of British drama?London Kills, in corporation with ZDF Enterprises andstarringHugo SpeerandSharon Small(Trailer); andfunBritish mysteryQueens of Mystery, in corporation with ZDF Enterprises andstarringOlivia VinallandJulie Graham(Trailer). Acorn TV has also recently featured theU.S. premiere ofITV'shighest rated dramain the past five years withtrue crimedramaManhuntstarringMartin Clunes(Doc Martin)(Trailer), andUK's highest rated show of the year and from the creator ofBodyguardwith thereturn ofLine of Duty, Season 5(Trailer).

RLJ Entertainment:A privately owned subsidiary of AMC Networks,RLJ Entertainment, Inc. is a premium digital channel company serving distinct audiences primarily through its popular OTT branded channels, Acorn TV (British TV) and UMC (Urban Movie Channel), which have rapidly grown through development, acquisition, and distribution of its exclusive?rights to a large library of international and British dramas, independent feature films and urban content. RLJE's titles are also distributed in multiple formats including broadcast and pay television, theatrical and non-theatrical, DVD, Blu-ray, UHD, and a variety of digital distribution models (including EST, VOD, SVOD and AVOD) in North America, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Additionally, through Acorn Media Enterprises, its UK development arm, RLJE commissions and co-produces new programs and owns 64% of Agatha Christie Limited. For more information, please visit?RLJENTERTAINMENT.COM,?ACORN.TV,and?UMC.TV

About ZDF Enterprises

ZDF Enterprises was founded in 1993 as a commercial subsidiary of ZDF, one of the largest and most renowned TV broadcasters in Europe. Headquartered in Mainz, Germany, ZDF Enterprises is responsible for the worldwide sale of programs, the making of internationalcoproductions, the acquisition of licenses as well asthe merchandising of strong program brands in its own name, for the ZDF, and for third parties. ZDF Enterprises has successfully established itself as an independent market player on the German and international stage. Bound into a strong group, the company manages the largest German-language stock of programs in the world and, next to this, a continuously growing portfolio of international productions consisting of series and miniseries, TV movies, documentaries and children's programs. In the course of the development and diversification process carried out up to now, many business fields in the television and media domains were made accessible in the ZDF Enterprises group.ThusZDF Enterprises can provide a comprehensive, full-service offering today, and covers every step in the chain of origin and exploitation of successful TV programs, from development to production and up to the marketing of TV licenses, merchandising rights, online rights and much more.

About Deadpan Pictures

Deadpan Pictures is an award-winning boutique production company specialising in TV and feature film comedy drama. Building on the success of International Emmy-winnerMooneBoy,Trivia?and a history of highly successful comedy production (as Grand Pictures), Deadpan continues to work with the best Irish comedy talent, bringing projects with a distinct Irish flavour to the international market.

Our most recent productions includeThe Last Right, from writer/director AoifeCrehan, starringMichielHuisman and NiamhAlgar. We teamed up withCrossDayProductions for the film which is part financed byeOneEntertainment.Four Kids and It,a family adventure feature film starring Academy Award-winner Michael Caine, Paula Patton, Matthew Goode and Russell Brand, is due for release in late 2019. The film is based on the best-selling children's novel by Jacqueline Wilson and is a co-production with Dan Films and Kindle Entertainment.

We also recently brought Sharon Horgan and Lorna Martin'sWomen on the VergetoRTÉ, as production partners alongside Merman and House Productions in the UK where it aired onUKTV's premium entertainment channel,W. Prior to that we produced female-led comedyNowhere Fast?(6 x 30 mins) by Alison Spittle, which is about life in the Irish midlands and aired to critical acclaim onRTÉandBBC Worldwide (BBC Studios)and Can't Cope Won't Cope which was received with acclaim onRTÉfor 2 series and has sold internationally to Netflix.

About Shaftesbury

Shaftesbury is an award-winning creator and producer of original content for television, film, digital, and brands. Shaftesbury's current slate includes 13 seasons of?Murdoch Mysteries?for CBC, UKTV, and ITV STUDIOS Global Entertainment, three seasons of detective drama?Frankie Drake Mysteriesfor CBC, UKTV, and Kew Media, three seasons of critically acclaimed thriller series?Slasher?for Netflix, as well as new primetime series?Hudson & Rex?forCityTV/Rogers Media, and?Departure?for Global/Corus Entertainment. Shaftesbury's digital arm produces original digital, convergent, and branded entertainment projects including the global phenomenon and MIPTV Brand Content of the Year award winnerCarmilla. Shaftesbury's branded entertainment division drives profitable engagement with millennials using scripted series, turning brands into executive producers. Recent brand partners include Nokia, Walmart,Interac, U by Kotex®, and RBC.For more information on this and other Shaftesbury series, please visit the Shaftesbury media site atshaftesbury.ca/media.