BBC partners with China on Life on Mars project

BBC Studios and Beijing-based Phoenix Entertainment Group will coproduce a Mandarin version of the popular British science-fiction television series Life on Mars, the two production houses announced on Monday.

It will be the first time the BBC has joined forces with the Chinese studio. David Weiland, executive vice-president of BBC Studios in Asia, indicated that further Chinese remakes of British television dramas may be on the horizon.

"We have a huge range of high-quality scripted titles, from Doctor Foster and Luther, to Thirteen and In The Club, shows that would captivate Chinese audiences", he said.