BBC takes Oz drama 'The Slap'

LONDON -- U.K. TV rights to the eight-part skein based on the international best selling novel "The Slap" have been snapped up by the BBC. Show, made by Matchbox Pictures for ABC TV Australia, the shingle in which NBC U has a majority stake, will air on upscale web BBC4, which introduced such high-end acquisitions as "Mad Men" and "The Killing" to U.K. auds. The Slap," starring Jonathan La Paglia, Sophie Okonedo, Melissa George, Essie Davis and Alex Dimitriades, is a story of racial, sexual and class politics set in contemporary Australia. Christos Tsiolkas' novel starts when a man slaps a child who is not his son, and goes on to track the ensuring fall-out this incident causes to family and friendships. BBC program acquisition topper Sue Deeks said: "'The Slap' is a phenomenon, one of those books that everyone seems to be reading. This fine Australian adaptation brings the novel's keen-eyed dissection of suburban living to the screen with tremendous performances -- it is a truly powerful, compelling and thought-provoking watch."The Slap" is distributed by DCD Rights. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com