U.K. Ch. Four seeks 'Queer' deal

Brit b'caster looking to license rights to several shows

By ELIZABETH GUIDER

Channel Four Intl. toppers Bernard Macleod and Gub Neal are in L.A. this week to drum up deals for several of the British broadcaster's current series, including the high-profile gay-themed drama "Queer as Folk."

One of Macleod's main challenges, he told Daily Variety, is to boost both programming sales to U.S. broadcasters and format deals with Stateside producers. Macleod, who is managing director, took over the foreign sales operation of the station last October.

He and Neal, who is head of drama for the channel, are apparently talking to both HBO and Showtime about licensing the rights to "Queer as Folk" -- and about commissioning an original Americanized version of the show. The two are also talking to several production companies in town about versioning "A Young Person's Guide to Becoming a Rock Star," a tongue-in-cheek young-skewing ensemble drama centered around rock musicians, and "Love in the 21st Century," a young-skewing anthology series.

Meanwhile, the company presold three docus of its "Secret History" strand to the History Channel and sold the comedy series "Smack the Pony" to the Bravo Channel.