ABC GIVES STRAIGHT-TO-SERIES ORDER TO ‘REEF BREAK’ FROM POPPY MONTGOMERY AND KEN SANZEL

ABC STUDIOS, ABC STUDIOS INTERNATIONAL TO PRODUCE, PARTNERING WITH FRANCE’S M6

POPPY MONTGOMERY TO STAR

(August 23, 2018) — ABC has given a 13-episode straight-to-series order to a new crime drama starring Poppy Montgomery, produced by ABC Studios and ABC Studios International in partnership with M6. Montgomery will also executive produce the series, which is based on her idea, along with Ken Sanzel, who will write the series as well as serve as showrunner.

Poppy Montgomery – Photo courtesy of ABC Studios.

“Reef Break” is a sexy, action-packed, one-hour drama starring Poppy Montgomery as Cat Chambers, a thief-turned-fixer for the governor of a stunning and seductive Pacific Island paradise. Impulsive, reckless and irresistible, Cat’s less-than-perfect past gives her an instinctive gift for understanding crime and criminals as she becomes enmeshed in fast-paced, high octane adventures and island intrigue.

Cat’s reappearance also makes waves for old friends, enemies and lovers, including an FBI agent ex-husband, her imprisoned crime boss and a police detective lover who is in over his head. Each episode will be a character-driven cocktail of crime, surf, sex and sunshine, and for Cat, the lines between work and play have never been blurrier.

“We’re thrilled to add this new series fronted by Poppy Montgomery to our summer 2019 slate. It’s an exhilarating and suspenseful ride set against some of the most beautiful locations,” said Channing Dungey, president, ABC Entertainment.

“ABC Studios International is very excited to be in business with Poppy Montgomery and Ken Sanzel, the dream team behind this fantastic new series. We anticipate a series that will engage audiences around the world and are thrilled to work with our partners, M6 and ABC Network on this truly global initiative,” said Keli Lee, managing director, International Content, Platforms and Talent, ABC Studios International.

The series will be produced by ABC Studios and ABC Studios International in partnership with M6 and will air on ABC in the U.S. and M6 in France. Disney Media Distribution holds international rights to the series.

Poppy Montgomery starred in two long-running CBS drama series, “Without A Trace,” which ran for seven seasons, for which she was nominated for a SAG Award, and “Unforgettable,” which ran for five seasons and for which she was nominated for a People’s Choice Award. Montgomery also served as executive producer on the hit CBS/A&E police drama, “Unforgettable.”

While executive producing and starring on “Unforgettable,” Montgomery developed and executive produced the television movie (and backdoor pilot) “Sworn to Silence” for Lifetime starring Neve Campbell.

On the big screen, Montgomery’s feature credits include the independent film “Between,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Montgomery starred alongside Diane Keaton in Garry Marshall’s “The Other Sister,” and alongside Eddie Murphy in the acclaimed comedy “Life.” Montgomery also starred in the cult classic “Dead Man on Campus” for Paramount Studios.

Montgomery is represented by Peg Donegan at Framework Entertainment and ICM Partners.

Ken Sanzel, a former New York City cop, was the executive producer and showrunner on the successful CBS show “Numb3rs” for several seasons. Following that, he was the executive producer and showrunner of CBS’s “NYC 22” and “Ironside” at NBC.  More recently, Ken wrote and directed the film “Blunt Force Trauma” starring Ryan Kwanten and Freida Pinto, and wrote the pilots “Crosshair” for Gaumont, “Rule 44” for NBC, “Targets” for Legendary and “Counterspy” for CBS.  He is currently filming “Kill Chain,” starring Nicolas Cage.

Sanzel is represented by ICM Partners, Jeff Field/Field Entertainment, and Ryan Nord of Hirsch, Wallerstein.

About ABC Studios International
ABC Studios International is the international division of ABC Studios, a global leader in the development, production and distribution of entertainment content, and the home of “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Lost,” “How to Get Away with Murder,” “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “Desperate Housewives,” “American Crime,” “Guerrilla,” “Quantico,” “Designated Survivor,” “Scandal,” and many more. ABC Studios International is developing and producing international co-productions and local productions for a global audience. Its first series, “Harrow,” a co-production with Hoodlum Entertainment and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, starring Ioan Gruffudd, has received a 2018 Logie Award nomination for Outstanding Drama series. The second season of “Harrow” will return on ABC1 in Australia in 2019.

About M6 Group
Established in 1987 around the M6 channel, M6 Group is a powerful multimedia group offering a wide range of programming, products and services. Television (8 channels including M6, the second largest commercial channel in the French market), radio (3 stations including RTL, the leading radio station in France), as well as content production and acquisition, digital, e-commerce, cinema, music, events, etc. Leveraging its brands and content, M6 Group has gradually expanded its operations through targeted diversification activities and innovative offerings such as 6play, its digital platform launched in 2013 (21 million registered users and more than one billion videos viewed in 2017). Its goal is to develop synergies between its brands in order to respond to the expectations of its various audiences and their new viewing patterns. http://www.groupem6.fr/
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