Viacom?s Spike TV has acquired critically-acclaimed US drug drama Breaking Bad and ordered its first UK commission ahead of its launch next month.


The male-skewing, free-to-air channel has commissioned a UK version of Tattoo Nightmares from in-house production division 5 Production. It will air the 10 x 30-minute series, which chronicles the horror stories behind unfortunate tattoos and the attempts to fix them, as part of its launch schedule next month. It will air as Tattoo Disasters UK.

The original version of Tattoo Nightmares has aired on Spike TV in the US since 2012 and is produced by Fremantle Media-owned 495 Productions, which was responsible for hit MTV series Jersey Shore.

Separately Spike has also acquired the free-to-air rights to Bryan Cranston-fronted drama Breaking Bad.

It has picked up the rights to all five series of the drama, which is available via Netflix in the UK, from Sony Pictures Television. Channel 5 aired the first two series of show in 2009 but opted not to buy the remaining series.

Spike plans to strip the show across a 12 week period.

Channel 5 scheduler and Spike TV launch director Craig Morris said that Breaking Bad would bring an ?edge and a swagger? to the channel.

?No one else is delivering high quality drama with edge on free-to-air,? he said.

The broadcaster has also hired Kris Graham as channel manager to take responsibility for Spike and 5USA, along with C5 acquisitions executive Marie-Claire Dunlop. Graham joins from the BBC, where he was a scheduler for BBC4.

Spike launches in April and will air on Freeview channel 31, the slot which previously housed 5USA. The US-themed channel has moved to slot 21, replacing Viva.
. Viva will continue to air on pay-TV platforms Sky and Virgin Media.