German rights trader Splendid Medien has launched a New York-based television arm, headed by TV veteran Douglas J. Schwalbe.

The unit will acquire, co-finance and sell mini-series and TV movies. "We realised that there is worldwide demand for a special type of product," said Splendid chairman Andreas Klein.

Splendid's first television project will be the two-part TV series Victoria And Albert, produced by the UK's own2feet Productions for US network A&E. Splendid has worldwide rights outside the US and UK to the $9m project which stars Victoria Hamilton as Queen Victoria and Jonathan Firth as her husband Albert.