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´óÏó´«Ã½ Worldwide Channels has today announced a significant package deal with NBC Universal International Television Distribution that will see it acquire the exclusive basic cable rights in Poland to a star-studded line-up of hit British movies, including Love Actually, Notting Hill, About a Boy and Billy Elliot.

The package includes some of the biggest box office smashes from the UK's Working Title Films and marks ´óÏó´«Ã½ Worldwide's first ever movie deal for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Entertainment, which launched in Poland in December 2007. The first of the movies to air on the channel will be Bafta-award winning romantic comedy Love Actually, which will kick off a month-long season of popular British films this July in a new Sunday night slot at 22.00.

Set in contemporary London, in the few weeks leading up to Christmas, Love Actually stars an ensemble cast including Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson and Liam Neeson, and marked the directorial debut of award winning screenwriter Richard Curtis.

Grant also stars in Notting Hill, which became the highest grossing British film of all time when it was released in 1999. Written by Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral), the film tells the story of a book shop owner in London's Notting Hill who falls in love with a Hollywood actress, played by Julia Roberts.

Other Working Title films set to air on the channel this summer include About a Boy, based on Nick Hornby's best-selling book of the same name; mafia comedy Mickey Blue Eyes; Billy Elliot, starring Jamie Bell and Julie Walters; and historical thriller Elizabeth (starring Cate Blanchett, Jospeh Fiennes and Geoffrey Rush).

Also included in the deal and airing later in the year on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Entertainment are the Oscar® winning Shakespeare in Love, starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes; Fierce Creatures, starring John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and Michael Palin; and 1997’s Bean, starring Rowan Atkinson in possibly his most iconic role.

John Taite, director of programming, EMEA, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Worldwide Channels, commented: "´óÏó´«Ã½ Entertainment is all about bringing the best of British to the world. We're already the home of great British drama and comedy and now our viewers can enjoy an outstanding line-up of movies. We've handpicked some of the best loved, most popular British films of recent years, all packed full of everyone’s favourite stars."

The deal was brokered on behalf of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Worldwide Channels by Karin Marelle, Acquisition and Content Consultant, Programming.

Harriet Otoo