Channel 21 International - Fall 2023

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Fall 2023

TV takes a lead role in climate change drama

French scripted exports adopt a new accent

21 new shows to fall in love with in Cannes

PLUS: C21’s Content Trends Report on branded entertainment Česká Televize’s Jan Maxa | Sat.1 | Pango | Little Dot Studios

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Channel21 International | Fall 2023 | Issue #321

UPFRONT

Getting through TV’s annus horribilis

J

ust as Queen Elizabeth referred to 1992 as her “annus horribilis,” the TV industry may look back on 2023 in much the same way.

Among the reasons the late monarch had such a bad time of it all those years ago was because her beloved home caught fire while three of her children’s marriages collapsed as various scandals engulfed the royal family.

Similarly, there has been plenty of acrimony between different players in the industry this year, while at times it has felt as if the entire business model for both making and watching TV has been set ablaze.

The TV industry has been shown up by the fleetfootedness and ingenuity of online creators, while audiences are getting worryingly used to watching shortform content on TikTok made for a fraction of the cost of the catering on a TV drama.

Look across at what your fellow passenger is

watching on public transport and occasionally it’ll be RuPaul’s Drag Race on iPlayer or Sex Education on Netflix. But more often than not it’s a bewildering melange of whatever TikTok, Facebook or YouTube’s algorithm has thrown up, from energetic dance routines filmed on the London Underground to street fights to dangerous conspiracy theories.

So long golden age of TV, hello golden age of dancing videos accompanied by disinformation and misogyny.

As ever, the children’s TV industry acted as the canary in the coalmine for this trend over five years ago when those pirate videos of Peppa Pig at a sinister dentist emerged. Since then, that side of the business has attempted to embrace video-sharing platforms, taking the ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’ approach and hoping their more professionally produced content could help tidy up the Wild West.

Alex Mahon, CEO of UK public service broadcaster Channel 4, recently described the habit of watching snack-length clips on social media among younger viewers as a “generational timebomb” for the sector.

Mahon isn’t wrong. The TV industry is currently losing the battle for attention, but it must resist the temptation to lower editorial standards as it engages more with platforms like TikTok and chases audiences lost to cheaply made user-generated content.

What execs can do instead is remove the barriers facing working-class talent and bring a renewed sense of relevancy to their programming. Also, providing fewer energy-sapping notes to creatives who are used to reaching audiences online without any need for gatekeepers will help to get talent back on side.

Only then might 2023 go from being TV’s annus horribilis to the year when the industry regained the initiative, got out of its own way and reconnected with its audience.

Nico Franks

CONTENTS C21 CONTENT TRENDS REPORT: 15 THE Fall 2023

Our quarterly outline of the biggest trends in the business continues with a look at the TV industry’s latest efforts to address the climate emergency.

online creators use social media and 19 As live streaming to link with audiences, is this damaging the traditional TV model?

success of Barbie and other 23 The consumer product-related content has put branded content on the agenda.

distributors are responding to a 26 Smaller wave of high-level M&As while greater rights flexibility opens up opportunities.

OF A DEAL: Blue Ant & 30 ANATOMY Marblemedia

After engineering a major Canadian merger, what comes next for the firm?

France 33 COUNTRYFILE: The latest figures for French TV exports

revealed new trends emerging as drama sales outstripped animation.

STRATEGIES: Sat.1 38 CONTENT The German family channel is betting

on more in-house productions, with international formats in the driving seat.

LEADERSHIP: Jan Maxa 43 THOUGHT Countering pubcaster Česká Televize’s ongoing funding freeze.

BIG THINGS: 21 on 21 49 NEXT Our selection of the 21 shows you can’t afford to miss at Mipcom.

PLAN: Pango Productions 57 THREE-YEAR The Māori-led New Zealand indie is

shoring up its international relationships.

59

DEVELOPMENT SLATE: Xilam How the Paris prodco is leading Europe’s charge into animation for adults.

PLAN: Little Dot Studios 60 THREE-YEAR A decade of reaching digital audiences with premium content.

DRAMA

65

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: Christian Wikander Banijay’s scripted chief on the return of international copros into the spotlight and attitudes towards AI.

BIG THING: Generative AI 68 NEXT The tech could lead to an ‘explosion of creativity,’ but is the industry willing to embrace it?

OF THE CURVE: US strikes 75 AHEAD aftermath

A look at the long-term impact of the writers and actors’ strikes and whether they sounded the death knell of peak TV.

LEADERSHIP: John King 140 THOUGHT CNN’s anchor and chief national

correspondent issues a rallying call to international news organisations.

OF THE CURVE: Travel 144 AHEAD programming

TV travel shows turn to environmentally friendly ways of seeing the world and more diverse presenting talent.

BIG THINGS: AI and journalism 151 NEXT Could the technology allow journalists to focus on finding better stories and give them greater relevancy?

PLAN: Rex 154 THREE-YEAR Lana Salah on the company’s strategy to focus on the US and make a move into true crime docs.

FORMATS

SLATE: Wiip 82 DEVELOPMENT International copros are on the up as

LEADERSHIP: Arthur Essebag 157 THOUGHT The French TV host and founder of

SPAIN SPECIAL EDITION

OF THE CURVE: Adventure reality 161 AHEAD How Covid-19, cheap access to

limited series fall out of favour with streamers, reveals David Flynn.

deep dive into the 83 ASpanish business,

from opportunities to coproduce with and film in the country, to how local players are implementing new strategies and investing in content.

FACTUAL OF THE CURVE: Natural history 135 AHEAD How those working in the genre have embraced innovation and drawn inspiration from other genres.

Satisfaction Group will receive the Gold Award at The International Format Awards at Mipcom.

drones and James Bond have led to a cinematic boom in the genre.

BIG THINGS: Dating reality 167 NEXT The latest innovations in dating reality

shows, which can be both cost-effective for broadcasters and attract the elusive youth audience.

PLAN: Woodcut 173 THREE-YEAR Kate Beal on her goal to make more

ethical shows with The Association of True Crime Producers.

IMPERFECT FUTURE TENSE 178 PRESENT Fraser Ayres on why Black history is not something we should be remembering for just one month a year.

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03/10/2023 10:04

THE C21 CONTENT TRENDS REPORT: Fall 2023

Channel21 International | Fall 2023

No TV on a dead planet The C21 Content Trends Report, a quarterly outline of the biggest trends in the business, continues with a look at the TV industry’s latest efforts to address the climate emergency both on- and off-screen without letting governments and big business off the hook. By Nico Franks

‘H

ottest season on record puts world on alert to impact of changing climate,’ ‘Heatwaves, wildfires and floods are just the tip of the iceberg, leading climate scientists say’ and ‘Climate change dystopian future already here.’

These are just a few of the alarming headlines that have been unavoidable over the past quarter as the period from June to August this year turned into the warmest on record globally by a large margin, according to The Copernicus Climate Change Service.

The inaugural Climate Content Summit took place in London over the summer, a one-day event that saw producers, commissioners, talent, writers and directors wrestle with making programming that informs, entertains and empowers audiences to demand action from governments and big business on the climate emergency.

The opening address came from Chris Stark, CEO of The Committee on Climate Change, whose latest research has shown an urgent need for more government leadership to make low-carbon behaviour easier, cheaper, more accessible and more attractive. But how can TV industries around the world, many of which are at the mercy of government influence, help the cause?

“We’re stuck in a bit of a creative rut

when it comes to the stories that we tell about climate change. We could be so much better,” said Stark.

He called for the TV industry to help make the charge towards net zero carbon emissions feel less like the radical, impossible dream the press often portrays it as and more like a process of positive, achievable and progressive change that will improve people’s lives.

While bosses from some of the world’s biggest polluters and influential politicians were absent from the day’s discussion, commissioners at some of the UK’s key broadcasters were present to discuss the challenges they face communicating the climate emergency to audiences while calling for content that makes the fight to avoid disaster feel winnable.

Jack Bootle, head of commissioning for specialist factual at the BBC, pointed out the influence the pubcaster’s primetime programming on a Sunday night has already had on both people’s behaviour and government policy. “You can draw a line between Blue Planet II, the BBC special Drowning In Plastic, the banning of single-use plastic straws in the UK and the United Nations Treaty on plastic pollution,” Bootle said.

Elsewhere, David Smyth, entertainment commissioner at ITV, pointed out how switching Love

Island’s sponsor from fast-fashion outlets to eBay, to encourage its contestants and audience to buy ‘preloved’ clothes, is one way the world of entertainment can have a positive impact.

Alf Lawrie, head of factual entertainment at Channel 4, said

the television industry has done a “good job” of making viewers aware of the problem of climate change, but has fallen short when it comes to providing solutions to what is a “very complicated” issue.

Lawrie said the media tends to focus on how individuals can reduce 

Above: BBC special Drowning In Plastic. Below: An Extinction Rebellion protest in New York City

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THE C21 CONTENT TRENDS REPORT: Fall 2023

their individual carbon footprint, but more programming is required that attempts to “distil complex issues” about the wider societal changes needed to save the planet.

Discussing the types of programming he tends to get pitched in relation to climate change, Lawrie said he receives a lot of projects involving celebrities attempting to reduce their carbon footprints. “The thing I’m desperate for is something that makes the elusive, complicated and boring-sounding televisual. That’s a tough challenge,” he said.

Meanwhile, the past quarter has seen 22 Canadian broadcasters and networks promise to minimise their environmental impact as part of the Canadian Broadcasters for Sustainability initiative, as well as a new Green Rider from UK actors’ union Equity, which aims to clamp down on A-List talent’s use of private jets and other luxuries that harm the environment.

The Green Rider is a proposed contractual agreement between artists and production companies with clauses that include opting for travel by trains over planes, avoiding oversized trailers for star actors, and reusing sets and costumes.

It has been backed by more than 100 actors, including Mark Rylance, Gemma Arterton, Ben Whishaw, David Harewood, Bill Nighy and Paapa Essiedu, who have agreed to consider and reduce the carbon impact of requirements or conditions attached to their contracts, known as riders.

Elsewhere, UK-based screen sustainability collective Albert continues to forge partnerships around the world, including with Sustainable Screens Australia, as various countries’ TV industries begin to selfregulate to reduce their environmental impact while their governments and corporations sit on their hands.

It comes as protest organisations such as Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion (XR) continue to gain traction, with the latter staging a mass march in New York City in midSeptember calling for President Joe Biden to end the use of fossil fuels. And with industries such as fashion and music already in its crosshair, how long until XR brings its “No TV on a Dead Planet” message to events such as Mipcom, with activists crashing the Palais and calling for more airtime to be dedicated to the climate emergency?

Jack Bootle, head of commissioning for specialist factual, BBC Talking about systemic change is something that really keeps me awake at night, because it’s not easy to make great TV out of that. You don’t want the viewer to leave Frozen Planet II feeling utterly depressed and apathetic. You want to empower the viewer to engage in the democratic process, write to their MP and vote.

That is quite hard to make sexy TV out of, but we’ve got to get better at it and think more cleverly about it.

Fehinti Balogun, actor and activist The whole industry needs restructuring.

The way it exists now is what caused the problem.

Sometimes we just talk about doing the good thing in the system as it exists, without challenging it at all, which doesn’t work.

Nicky Hawkins, strategic communications, framing and narrative change consultant People want to hear more about the climate. But the way they hear about it really matters. Our job is not just to turn up the volume, it’s sometimes to change the tune. If we just turn up the volume, we can end up with a lot of noise but an empty dancefloor. We need to normalise systems changing as well as individuals changing. If we just keep giving

Channel21 International | Fall 2023

people lists of things to do, we will not win this. We need to normalise changing policies and the bigpicture options as well as focusing on the individual.

Lucy Willis, commissioning editor, Channel 5 It’s governments and big businesses that can make the biggest change.

But television does have the most enormous soft power and we can’t underestimate its ability to influence hearts and minds. But we can’t do a week of climate change programming, our viewers just wouldn’t watch it. The challenge is reaching those people that aren’t engaged, who are either climate change deniers or ambivalent.

We’ve got to start incorporating climate change issues in some shape or form in every single programme we do.

Katy Tallon, global sustainability manager, Fremantle We’re trying to move away from ‘apocalyptic doom’ messaging to something that is solutions-focused.

Fremantle is predominantly still an entertainment format production company but we’re growing in both drama and documentary output.

Just like the rest of the industry we’ve still got a long way to go to incorporate the climate into all those genres. People don’t tune into X Factor, Idol or Got Talent to

hear about the climate. But we need to talk to all audiences about the climate crisis and meet them where they are.

Susie Braun, director of social purpose, ITV ITV was one of the founding signatories of the Climate Content Pledge in 2021. Our approach will naturally be different to other broadcasters.

Some of the content will be on the nose – for example, the natural history programme A Year on Planet Earth – but there’s also a real opportunity for that Trojan horse approach in series like Love Island, Emmerdale or Coronation Street.

Keith Scholey, cofounder and co-CEO, Silverback Films We’re going to have to think about different ways of doing things, because relying purely on the broadcast set-up as it is won’t deliver results.

The scale of what’s coming terrifies me and we’re about 10 years behind where we should be. We have to think of a way of getting in front to bring about the changes required.

Bella Ramsey, actor Equity’s Green Rider is a practical route to positive change in the film and television industry in regard to sustainability.

We can make all the films in the world about climate change but unless we are environmentally conscious in the process of making them, our efforts are superficial.

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Channel21 International | Fall 2023

Going your own way As online creators around the world continue to use social media and live streaming services to forge direct links with their audiences, is this putting the future of the traditional TV model under threat?

By Nico Franks

A+E Networks survival format Alone

F

rom Twitch and TikTok to YouTube and Patreon, pint or a cup of coffee once a month via Patreon in return there have never been more platforms for online for episodes titled ‘The History of Bootcut Jeans’ and ‘A creators to monetise content that rivals TV in Thorough Meditation About Sparkling Water.’

Discussing why he would never be able to present terms of popularity and, in some cases, quality. And all documentaries on such esoteric subjects under the without a commissioner or broadcaster in sight.

The notion these platforms would simply act as a current TV model, Blindboy said: “A commissioner, who’s talent pool for TV now feels naïve at best, given the self- under pressure from advertisers, would have come in and sufficiency of many online creators and live streamers said, ‘We need to make what you’re doing more popular now, many of whom command higher viewing figures and more accessible to more people.’ And what you get from that is shit.” from their spare rooms than Back on YouTube – or now some TV channels. even OnlyFans’ OFTV (yes, According to research it really exists) – there have done by Oxford Economics, never been more unscripted in 2022, YouTube’s creative formats that wouldn’t appear ecosystem supported more out of place on traditional than 45,000 full-time TV, just without any editorial equivalent jobs in the UK, scrutiny – for the time being and the total contribution – from media regulators like of YouTube’s creative Ofcom to ensure they aren’t ecosystem to the UK’s doing any harm.

GDP was more than £2bn For example, while (US$2.5bn).

OnlyFans original reality show Model Farmers broadcasters such as History This growth stands in contrast to the stasis many countries’ TV industries in the US and Channel 4 in the UK have their own versions have found themselves in over recent months, with of the A+E Networks survival format Alone, a trio of commissioning freezes at traditional channels rife and German YouTubers developed reality format 7 vs Wild, which follows seven teams of fellow content creators and freelancers questioning their futures in the business.

Pivoting to digital has been on the to-do list of influencers in the wilderness with just seven basic items.

Hosted by Hamburg-based CaliVision Network on broadcasters and production companies for years now, but many online creators are suspicious of TV execs who YouTube, it has since been sold by Germany’s Quintus they feel won’t allow them the same creative freedom that Studios to Amazon-owned Freevee, which will bring the three seasons of the show to its free, ad-supported is so important to the way they work.

Blindboy, the Irish podcaster who has also presented streaming TV (FAST) service on connected TVs around documentaries for BBC Three, speaks regularly on the Germany.

Television still holds an undeniable appeal for many  subject while asking his listeners to send him the cost of a

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THE C21 CONTENT TRENDS REPORT: Fall 2023

Channel21 International | Fall 2023

CaliVision Network’s 7 vs Wild

creators, given the opportunity to reach sizeable audiences who could turn into paying customers for national standup tours, which seems to be where the real money is these days. This is particularly true for comedians burnt by the arduous TV development process, as guests on Richard Herring’s podcast like Alistair Green and Adam Rowe frequently point out.

Meanwhile, companies are springing up looking to ride the wave of popularity of online creators and bridge the gap between traditional TV and OTT platforms. These include Viral Nation Talent, the representation arm of North American influencer-focused marketing and technology company Viral Nation, and Strong Watch Studios, set up recently by former LADstudios execs Ben Powell-Jones and Thom Gulseven.

Finally, there’s the curious phenomenon of young audiences watching whole episodes in five-minute clips on Snap or TikTok, whose execs are keen to see rightsholders put full episodes of shows on their platforms for free, as Netflix did recently with Top Boy. “Really amazing things can happen when you think of your IP not as things to hold back from people but as building blocks for people to express themselves with,” Gerrit Kemming, MD, Quintus Studios 7 vs Wild is a perfect example of how social media can grow into state-ofthe-art, big-screen entertainment.

It also shows how traditional TV and streaming platforms can benefit from the community power on social video platforms.

Bianca Serafini, head of content licensing, Viral Nation Talent Creator content has been snubbed for a very long time by traditional players, but when you start comparing traffic metrics between YouTube and platforms like Netflix, you start realising the snubbing was unwarranted. They have huge fan bases and fervent audiences, and tapping into those creators is going to be the next frontier of entertainment. It’s going to be really meaningful, especially in AVoD and FAST, which is quickly becoming the number one method of watching television.

Alistair Green, online comedian If you have a discussion with TV executives they’re like, ‘We love what you do, but how can we make that TV?’ They want to define their own medium as better. They’re like, ‘How can we bring that up to TV?’ And you go, ‘No, no, no, that’s bringing it down. You would make it worse.’

No disrespect to TV executives – although a bit.

TikTok exec James Stafford told the TV industry at the Edinburgh TV Festival in August.

“It’s where young people watch TV instead of on TV,” says Jen Leeming, senior vertical video producer at All3Media-owned Little Dot Studios, of social media.

‘Senior vertical video producer’ may be an unfamiliar job title in TV circles, but Leeming’s role highlights the trajectory of the industry in the 2020s, as younger audiences continue to abandon traditional terrestrial channels, preferring to consume ‘snackable’ content on streaming services, video-sharing platforms and social media.

Those in TV who find themselves disheartened by declining linear viewing figures can at least take solace from the fact so much of what is popular on social video began with TV in mind – meaning it’s the means of distribution that’s the problem, not necessarily the content itself.

Nevertheless, while TV viewing figures head south, it looks like the only way is up for vertical video.

There’s this idea that if you add to things you make it better, but it’s really not true.

Adam Rowe, comedian and podcaster My manager said, ‘We could pitch a special to Netflix. We could definitely get Amazon Prime to give us like £15,000 [US$19,000].’ But then I’m basically being paid £15,000 so that nobody watches it. I don’t see the value in that. I want people to see it and go, ‘Oh, I’ll go see them live.’ 200,000 views on YouTube on a special is worth more long-term than £15,000.

David Chambers (aka Blindboy Boatclub), satirist, writer and podcaster I make this [podcast] myself and put it out independently, with full creative control. No fucking interference, no bullshit, no advertiser getting in the way. I’m always quite critical of TV and how it’s made.

TV relies very heavily on advertisers. When you allow creativity space to fail, you’ll end up with occasional greatness. But if you try and force creative people to create in an environment where they must succeed and can’t fail, you’re guaranteed consistent mediocrity.

Vikram Singh Barn (aka Vikkstar 123), member of The Sidemen We can turn things around fast and there’s no

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Keily Blair, CEO, OnlyFans Following the success of House of Sims and Model Farmers, we’re excited to be bringing Off The Hook to OFTV viewers in the coming months. Off The Hook will have reality fans ‘hooked’ from day one. OnlyFans creators are hard-working, smart and inventive. OnlyFans is a creator-first platform and this is another example of how our free-to-access streaming channel OFTV is providing opportunities for our creators to express themselves and grow their fanbase.

Ben Powell-Jones, co-founder, Strong Watch Studios As an industry, it feels like we’re all way beyond the era of clips and one-off virals, and the gulf between that world and TV. We’re firmly in a digital broadcast era now where long-running formats, digital IP with huge fandoms and the multitude of ways it can be distributed and monetised is more important than ever.

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THE C21 CONTENT TRENDS REPORT: Fall 2023

Channel21 International | Fall 2023

Worldwide cinema hit Barbie

Mattel and Warner Bros Discovery’s box office success with Barbie this summer plus a string of other consumer product-related movies and TV shows has put branded content firmly on the agenda, particularly as funding from elsewhere becomes squeezed.

By Jonathan Webdale

Barbienomics B

arbie became Warner Bros Discovery (WBD)’s biggest movie ever in August when it topped US$1.35bn at box offices around the world, giving hope to Covidand streaming-afflicted cinemas of a return to pre-pandemic business, in part thanks to double billing with Christopher Nolan’s incongruous Oppenheimer.

The live-action comedy, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, also earned Greta Gerwig the title of first woman to direct a US$1bnearning movie. Penned together with Gerwig’s partner Noah Baumbach, Barbie delivered a major boost to toy company owner Mattel too – around US$125m this year, according to chief financial officer Anthony DiSilvestro.

This comprised a reported 5% share of theatrical receipts plus sales of the iconic dolls and related merchandise.

But the movie’s success has also raised the profile of that oft-maligned entertainment sector named ‘branded

content.’ The notion may be loathed by purists who baulk at the thought of consumer products purveyors interfering in the creative process, but the reality is capital from the likes of Mattel is becoming vital in helping pay for rising production and talent bills, particularly as studios and streamers become squeezed.

Former Saban Brands, Fox Kids Europe and Endemol boss Ynon Kreiz

Saint Laurent Productions’ Strange Way of Life

understood this when he took the helm at Mattel five years ago and revived an in-house film division, which had been shut after its first title, Max Steel, flopped.

Mattel Films now has a Hot Wheels movie in development with JJ Abrams; a Matchbox Cars one with Top Gun: Maverick maker Skydance; a Polly Pocket project with Lena Dunham, and more. The latter property has

already had its own animated TV series – one of many that have emerged over the years from Mattel brands or those it has added to its collection, from Thomas & Friends to Monster High, Fireman Sam, new NBC automobile makeover format Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge and Fox gameshow Pictionary.

As a side note, the latter network commissioned a fifth season of Banijay’s Lego Masters ahead of the September debut of its fourth – making it surely one of the most successful branded content series in recent years, with Hungary becoming the 20th country to order its own version in June and building on the popularity of The Lego Movie.

Back at Mattel, a He-Man-centred Masters of the Universe live-action movie was in the works at Netflix until recently when it was cancelled as the straightened economics of streaming’s new era began to bite. This was not before a cartoon series revival had 

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THE C21 CONTENT TRENDS REPORT: Fall 2023

Ynon Kreiz, CEO, Mattel People who buy our products are not just consumers, they are fans, and in the aggregate a lot of fans become an audience. Capturing full value from our IP remains a priority. You will see more of this happening as we continue to evolve the company from what it used to be, a toy manufacturing company that was making items, to now what it is, which is an IP company that is managing franchises.

Elizabeth Bassin, VP, Mattel Films For a long time, we were just a licensee – people would come to us and option our brands – and we weren’t controlling that storytelling.

Now we’ve seen that power of toys in the marketplace as storytellers and we’ve realised that if we’re not in the driver’s seat, those stories might not get told in the way that we want them to be.

David Zaslav, CEO, Warner Bros Discovery Every division of this company got behind Barbie. If you went to Sweden and you were watching a football match, at halftime the field turned pink and you saw Barbie. Every asset that we had was turned pink, talking about the strength

Channel21 International | Fall 2023

of Barbie. We had shows on HGTV, every cake on Food Network for a month was pink. Anywhere you went you saw it.

Chris Cocks, CEO, Hasbro Hasbro will continue to develop and produce entertainment based on the rich vault of Hasbro-owned brands. We will also bring to life new original ideas designed to fuel all areas of Hasbro’s blueprint, including toys, publishing, gaming, licensed consumer products and location-based entertainment. We expect to move to an asset-lite model for future live-action entertainment, relying on licensing and partnerships with select coproductions.

Anthony Vaccarello, creative director, Saint Laurent I want to work with and provide a space for all the great film talents who have inspired me over the years. A film is something you can still see in 10, 20, 30 years if it’s good. In some ways, making a film can be more impactful than a seasonal collection. I’m very excited to extend that creativity into something broader and more popular.

Victoria Lozano, exec VP of marketing, Crayola As world leaders in creative self-expression, the

made its way to the platform, however.

Of course, Barbie also has had plenty of animated TV spin-offs, and branded content (in particular, tie-ups between toy companies and kids’ entertainment) is nothing new, but such crossovers by no means guarantee success, as illustrated by developments at rival Hasbro, whose sale of Entertainment One (eOne) to Lionsgate in August this year for US$500m was broadly billed as a corporate failure, given it acquired the business for US$4bn in 2019. Crucially, however, the Transformers, Dungeons & Dragons and My Banijay’s Lego Masters Little Pony owner got to keep Peppa Pig as part of the deal – surely the most valuable property spicey variety of PepsiCo’s Cheetos in the eOne portfolio and still going puffed corn. Jerry Seinfeld will make his directorial debut with Unfrosted: strong.

There is a sense, however, that The Pop-Tart Story, a movie awaiting Mattel’s movie success within a a Netflix release based on a joke Hollywood system increasingly reliant routine about the breakfast snacks. on recognisable IP will have ripples Seinfeld has previously demonstrated across the industry. This year also saw his penchant for brand integration with the release of Air, Ben Affleck and Matt web series Comedians in Cars Getting Damon’s movie about Nike’s Michael Coffee. Again, product placement is Jordan sneaker; and Eva Longoria’s nothing new and, indeed, commercial directorial debut Flamin’ Hot, on the television would not exist without some

establishment of Crayola Studios is a logical next step for us. It builds on plans announced last year to develop entertainment content that inspires and nurtures the next generation and helps them develop lifelong creative mindsets. Our unique perspective offers an exciting opportunity for the industry as it searches for standout new and trusted content that has creativity at its heart.

Allison Wallach, president of unscripted programming, Fox Entertainment Lego Masters has become a foundational property of Fox’s robust unscripted slate and a fastgrowing franchise on our schedule. This upcoming season is its biggest yet.

Peter Kolosi, chief content officer, RTL Hungary Lego Masters is a smash hit all around the world and RTL Hungary is very proud to present it in our country as well. The show is a completely new format for our viewers, that builds on creativity, fun and excitement. Lego is a shared experience, we have all played with it and we are happy to bring families together and watch something enjoyable for everybody.

form of relationship with advertisers – soap operas being the archetype – but it’s always a fine line. For example, the latest season of Darren Star’s Netflix comedy-drama Emily in Paris, about an aspiring US marketing exec, attracted flak for drawing on the likes of Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Giverny and McDonalds a little too heavily.

The fast-food chain aside, Emily in Paris naturally plays to the luxury end of the market, which offers the richest

pickings, as embodied by James Bond for decades. But this year has also witnessed the launch of Saint Laurent Productions, an initiative from the French fashion house’s creative director Anthony Vaccarello. The division’s first project, a Western called Strange Way of Life starring Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal and directed by Pedro Almodóvar, again illustrates the allure of big brands’ big bucks, even for auteurs.

While Saint Laurent Productions is currently focused on film and has titles in development with David Cronenberg and Paolo Sorrentino, the latter was behind HBO drama series The Young Pope and as the movie business has increasingly migrated to TV, it’s conceivable Vaccarello may veer in the same direction at some point. Just as Red Bull Studios is synonymous with high-octane action sports, Saint Laurent is seeking to align itself with high-end drama, while US arts supply giant Crayola, a sibling of Hallmark, has established a studio to make its own kids’ content. More brands will undoubtedly follow.

New Scripted Series / Drama 6 x 30’

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13/09/2023 11:15

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THE C21 CONTENT TRENDS REPORT: Fall 2023

Channel21 International | Fall 2023

Mediawan’s Zorro

State of independents I

t’s a nail-biting psychological adventure in which treachery and deceit are the name of the game.

Through manipulation, seduction, blackmail, and even murder, a group of contestants devise a plan to win the ultimate prize.

This is the pitch for The Traitors, the hit format from All3Media’s Dutch subsidiary IDTV which has taken the world by storm over the past year. But it could – more or less – just as well be a description of the bidding process underway at time of publication for the Warner Bros Discovery/Liberty Global-owned business whose other interests include Studio Lambert, Two Brothers Pictures, Neal Street Productions, Optomen and more.

“Pretty much everybody you can think of is interested,” said Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries at the Royal Television Society Convention in Cambridge in September.

ITV, Banijay, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Zorro distributor Mediawan are some of the names in the frame, although, unlike in Traitors, none is likely to join forces to defeat the others. And rather than competing for just cash, what is at stake is one of the top producerdistributors in the industry.

All3 today comprises more than 50 production labels across the UK, US, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and

With a wave of high-level M&As having swept the industry and the sale of All3Media a potential catalyst for more deals to come, smaller distributors are having to respond, while greater rights flexibility opens up opportunities. By Jonathan Webdale

The UK version of IDTV’s Traitors

New Zealand, responsible for making over 4,000 hours of programming annually and, through distribution arm All3Media International, sells a catalogue of 30,000 hours around the world. Group revenues eclipsed £1bn (US$1.3bn) last year while EBITDA topped £100m. A company like this hasn’t been on the block since Endemol was shopped to 21st Century Fox and Apollo in 2014, although the Big Brother maker brought substantial debt to the roll-

up with Shine, which was eventually absorbed by the subsequent Banijay buy-out.

M&A is a constant but in TV it reached fever pitch in the past decade thanks to the disruption brought on by streaming, with Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox, Comcast’s addition of Sky to NBCUniversal, Amazon’s purchase of MGM and the creation of Warner Bros Discovery all significant chapters in the story.

Liberty Global’s Fries suggested an

All3Media sale could be a further “catalyst for consolidation,” as if one were needed at a time when rumours are percolating again of an AppleDisney buy-out.

The ripple effects across the industry are palpable and, of course, within the businesses concerned, with ‘rationalisation’ an inevitable consequence of such transactions, driven by a desire for reliable revenue-generating IP and better means of distributing it. It’s in the u

New Entertainment Format

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THE C21 CONTENT TRENDS REPORT: Fall 2023

Channel21 International | Fall 2023

Amazon MGM Studios Distribution is shopping originals Hunters and The Marvelous Mrs Maisel (right)

latter category that efficiencies are often most quickly found, meaning combined companies’ sales arms frequently find themselves at the sharp end of such ‘streamlining.’

Such was the case with Endemol, Shine, Banijay and the rest, and the situation would be the same were ITV Studios and All3 to come together, for example.

The fact US players like Disney and Warner Bros Discovery are returning to licensing after a period of withholding rights for their own streaming services, and that Amazon Studios is selling originals such as Hunters and The Marvelous Mrs Maisel via new unit Amazon MGM Studios Distribution, is also indicative of how quickly distribution dynamics are shifting. Anecdotal evidence suggests Netflix, too, has become more relaxed about its rights position and there’s a general sense a greater degree of flexibility in the marketplace has created more opportunity for sellers, especially as the number of buyers and windows continues to proliferate despite an overall market correction.

Smaller players are having to respond, with notable deals in the past quarter including Canada’s Blue Ant Media acquiring compatriot Marblemedia and bringing its Distribution360 sales arm together with in-house seller Blue Ant International under the Blue Ant Studios banner, alongside several production labels (more of this on page 30).

Also in Canada, Montreal-based Media Ranch and LA-headquartered GRB Studios merged their respective distribution functions while maintaining distinct production businesses. Elsewhere, Night Train Media is realigning Eccho Rights following the departure of co-founder Fredrik af Malmborg little more than a year after the Swedish distributor was acquired by the German outfit, also owner of the UK’s BossaNova Media.

Meanwhile, a few hardy souls continue to plough the lonely independent distributor furrow, with US format veteran Phil Gurin, for example, establishing TGC Global Entertainment earlier this year.

In association with

The industry is changing and studios are searching for scale, especially pureplay studios like All3Media, so we decided that this might be a business that has greater value in a larger platform and could be a catalyst for consolidation and really help transform other studio businesses.

Mike Fries, CEO, Liberty Global We have made it really clear that we want to expand our ITV Studios business and we have done that very effectively with smaller acquisitions and organically. That is all working and, of course, All3 is a great business, but there is always going to be a lot going on in any discussion about getting together.

Carolyn McCall, CEO, ITV When you’re huge, like our competitors, when you have pitched all your catalogue, you need new fresh product, so the easiest way to grow is through acquisitions.

That’s their strategy because they can afford that strategy and because they want quick catalogue and also they’re buying out the competition. We’re among the only independents left in each of our fields, so it made sense to work [with GRB Studios]. The goal is to become an international distribution powerhouse.

Sophie Ferron, CEO, Media Ranch It was a perfect time to do this joint venture because we need to compete

more strongly against the giant companies.

While there has been huge consolidation, it came at a great cost. A lot of debt was taken on and it may add some revenue to the bottom line, but in terms of profitability, we wait and see, as all the streamers have been struggling with that. But one of the advantages when you take a Media Ranch and a GRB and you put them together is that we can respond very quickly to our buyers’ needs.

Gary R Benz, CEO, GRB Studios Marblemedia has long been regarded as one of the most respected production and distribution companies in the unscripted and scripted space, having created huge hits for the biggest streamers and broadcasters in the industry. With Mark and Matt leading our combined studios and rights business, Blue Ant Media is well positioned in its growth as an international media company with production, rights and an established global channels division all operating at scale.

Michael MacMillan, CEO and co-founder, Blue Ant Media Building this new merged production and distribution studio will bring together our talented teams who have a shared vision and belief that original content and rich IP are the greatest differentiator. The appetite for premium

content remains strong in the global market, and we can better serve this demand with high-quality content and by working with best-in-class collaborators.

Mark Bishop and Matthew Hornburg, co-presidents, Blue Ant Studios There are some independent distribution companies based around Europe, some in Asia. In the US, there’s very few, and almost all the others are part of a larger company in some respects.

Unless you are owned or partially owned by one of these global entertainment giants, your content is probably not going to be the first thing they pitch. We are 100% independent. As the business has changed, there is an opportunity again for producers and creators to own or co-own their IP, so they should have somebody who can help them exploit it.

Phil Gurin, CEO, The Gurin Company This is the first time a big, global streamer is bringing content to market, and the amount of content and the body of content is incredible. It’s very strategic for us to get this product distributed in a broader way. We’re open for business and open to license to anybody. The best part about it is that the models for licensing this content, they don’t exist, so we’re inventing them now.

Chris Ottinger, head of worldwide distribution, Amazon MGM Studios Distribution

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Channel21 International | Fall 2023

Teen comedy Davey & Jonesie’s Locker

T

Anatomy of a Deal

his past summer saw one of the most significant Canadian M&A deals in recent years as producer, distributor and channel operator Blue Ant Media acquired producerdistributor Marblemedia.

While the price tag was not disclosed, it will not come close to the US$500m Lionsgate paid for Canada-headquartered Entertainment One. However, the impact on the local industry is arguably more consequential, creating a TorontoAfter engineering a major Canadian merger, what comes next for Blue based powerhouse with a major presence across all Ant Media and Marblemedia? By Jordan Pinto unscripted genres as well as kids and family.

Marblemedia produces shows including Netflix’s Bishop points to synergies on the production side Blown Away and CBC’s Race Against the Tide, while “We wanted the value, luster and reputation of each Blue Ant produces and commissions a slew of factual TV show that we make or distribute to accord with of the business. On the animation side, Blue Ant has for its linear channel brands including Makeful, the company overall, and not just with a piece of it. its own studio, Look Mom! Productions, which up Cottage Life, T+E and Love Nature. The transaction And we want Matt and Mark together to have overall until now has worked primarily in adult animation, also creates a considerable distribution business leadership of our content business. That was not while Marblemedia works extensively in the livewith the combination of Blue Ant International and going to be effective if they were on an island over action kids and family space but has never had its own studio.

Marblemedia’s Distribution 360. This comes less there.”

“We believe there’s huge potential to really grow While the complementary nature of the than 18 months after Blue Ant made a splash by businesses makes a lot of sense on paper, Hornburg and expand in animation,” says Bishop. The same purchasing Drive in the UK. is true on the scripted side, where Marblemedia co-founders and CEOs Marblemedia has invested meaningfully Mark Bishop and Matthew Hornburg over the past three years, recently have been installed as co-presidents of securing a co-commission from Hulu in the unified studio and rights business, the US and Prime Video in Canada for reporting to Blue Ant CEO and coteen comedy series Davey & Jonesie’s founder Michael MacMillan.

Locker. Blue Ant, meanwhile, recently The latter knows a thing or two about produced comedy series I Have Nothing building and scaling businesses, having for SVoD service Crave. co-founded producer-distributor Atlantis “We have a great team in-house for Communications in 1978 and later producing scripted content. When you merged it with Alliance Communications marry that with a great slate that’s been to form juggernaut Alliance Atlantis. developed on the Blue Ant side, imagine Over the course of more than 45 years what we can do in the primetime drama in the business, MacMillan has seen ups and comedy space,” he says. and downs. Right now, he acknowledges, L-R: Matt Hornburg, Michael MacMillan and Mark Bishop The deal also raises the question is a down. But he believes tough times what’s next for MacMillan, and whether are best spent getting set for the future.

“We want to be ready, positioned and have lots and Bishop are now in the process of figuring out the end game is to bulk up with a view to pursuing going on for when the market returns. And, frankly, the nuts and bolts. “We’re very committed to figuring an eventual sale. “No, I’m not planning on leaving even if the market doesn’t exactly return, we think out how we integrate distribution, development and anytime soon, but this is part of a larger growth we can significantly grow our market share on our production altogether,” says Hornburg, adding that plan,” he reveals.

“We’re not putting these companies together and the companies are combining not as a defensive own terms,” he tells C21. then going home, or selling the business or me The new company structure – with the two move, but from a position of strength.

“We were attracted to doing a deal because we retiring. That’s not it. We have an ambitious play. We businesses being integrated, and Bishop and Hornburg coming from outside to helm it – is didn’t have to do a deal. Blue Ant was the same think we’ve put together the right pieces of a pretty perhaps the most interesting facet of the deal. There way.” He adds that the combination gives rise to interesting platform that we can build on, and we believe there’s a lot more to come. Stay tuned.” were two reasons for that, according to MacMillan: compelling new co-financing models.

Blue Ant & Marblemedia

Mipcom 2023

Your next TV Hit is from Spain

Double meeting space:

Stand R7.J11 & Seaview Producers Hub (R9)

COUNTRYFILE: France

Channel21 International | Fall 2023

Plus ça change T

he times they might be a-changing in the world of French TV exports. In Biarritz in September, France’s National Centre for Cinema & the Moving Image (CNC) and export trade body Unifrance revealed their latest export figures for the previous year at the annual Rendez-Vous event.

To the surprise of many, a nation that traditionally exports animation and unscripted fare to its Western European neighbours is now, for the first time, shopping more drama than anything else, and the US has suddenly become its biggest buyer.

ABC’s English-language remake of TF1’s detective series HPI (High Intellectual Potential) helped drive French TV programme sales revenues to a record high of €214.8m (US$232m) in 2022. Disney-owned ABC Signature picked up the rights to make an English-language version of the series from Newen Connect this time last year, contributing to a 15.4% year-on-year increase in French TV programme sales. This figure is 4.7% higher than 2017, the next best year for French exports. The deal also made the US the biggest buyer of French content for the first time, spending €19.2m, ahead of Germany and Austria (€14.2m) and the UK and Ireland (€14.1m).

However, the picture was not all rosy. Following a record year in 2021, there were sharp decreases in foreign presales and coproduction investments in 2022. International presales for French projects were recorded at €50.5m, which was down a hefty 50.3% on the previous year and 15.9% down on the 10-year average. Coproduction stood at €54.4m, down 38.4% on 2021 and 18.5% on the decade average. The €104.9m total prefinancing figure was down 45% on 2021.

Cécile Lacoue, director of research and insights at CNC, was keen to point out 2021 was an “exceptional year,” with a spike in production after Covid-19 lockdowns, and the 2022 figure was only 17.3% below the 10-year average. The declines were particularly steep in fiction (down 54.5%) and animation (51.6%) and meant that the overall export figure for the year was €319.6m, a drop of 15% from its record high of €375.9m the previous year.

When paired with investment from abroad in French projects through the Tax Rebate for International Productions (€442.1m), the overall international flow of money into the country’s TV industry was €761.8m, up 12% from €678.6m the previous year and a new record high.

French TV exports in 2022 revealed clear changes in trends, with a new style of French drama powering scripted sales past animation for the first time. But clouds are gathering as big international players start putting their wallets away.

By Clive Whittingham

The HPI deal in the US, as well as sales of shows such as Call My Agent (aka Dix Pour Cent) The Bureau, Women at War and Vortex, mean that, for the first time since genre figures were collected, drama is the leading category in French exports, over and above animation. Drama sales were worth €80.7m, up 40.9% on the previous year, and accounted for 37.6% of total exports, ahead of 26.8% for animation and 22.6% for documentary.

Randall Broman, VP of of Unifrance and Mediawan’s head of international scripted sales, described the record year for scripted as a “perfect storm” of big worldwide deals and said the genre has been less affected than others by the Covid shutdowns because of its long lead times.

“It’s not normal, let’s face it,” he told journalists.

Inset: TV5’s Anne-Claire Villeneuve (left) and Sarah Hemar of Unifrance. Below: TF1’s detective series HPI is set to be remade by ABC in the US

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COUNTRYFILE: France

Channel21 International | Spring 2023

But Broman also believes the general trend is driven by a different style of drama coming to the fore in France, which was previously best known for traditional procedurals, such as youth-skewing About Sasha, which was picked up by Disney+ and has been sold into 111 territories.

“On the fiction side, we are creating French programming that resonates internationally,” he explained. “Five or 10 years ago you might have had French programming that was Franco-French and not resonating internationally.

Now the quality and variety of scripted shows has made it well received.

“When you look at fiction, an increase of 40% on the previous year is not normal. It’s not like the documentary side where there was a rebound from the Covid effect. There was relatively little suffering from Covid on the scripted side and we didn’t really lose the business so much. It’s really been a perfect storm for fiction.

“In 2022 a lot of big worldwide deals were closed, which brings in a lot of revenue. You have huge successes with certain types of shows like HPI, which was a procedural that was written thinking about American shows and done in an American way. There is variety, with shows trying to cater for different audiences, like About Sasha and historical epics like Marie Antoinette.”

That tallied with what C21 heard from buyers on the ground in Biarritz. Anne-Claire Villeneuve, head of acquisitions for Quebec’s TV5, said she had been drawn to the market looking for this new breed of French drama to attract a younger audience to her streaming platform.

“Fiction is doing very well for us and as we develop our online platform that’s what audiences want,” Villeneuve told C21. “We have a very loyal fanbase but it’s ageing, so we want to target younger audiences and attract them with fiction. We’ve always had French police procedural shows but we’re trying to move towards edgier shows, more comedic maybe. We’re playing with the genres we acquire. We bought The Brigade from StudioCanal, which isn’t a complete departure from the procedurals but is perhaps a bit edgier, a bit funnier.”

There were some words of caution as well, however. With streamers starting to row back their spending, Broman said he cannot believe scripted will see another 40% increase in business any time soon.

“Scripted may suffer from big platforms commissioning less and being more cautious,” he said. “They expanded so quickly they’re perhaps now in a moment where they’re holding back a little. The days of Netflix and Paramount saying they want five-year worldwide rights at US$1m per episode will not last. It may happen for exceptional productions with a star or creative talent that resonates but that’s going to be

rare. We have to face that challenge. We look forward with concern.

“I’m definitely feeling problems with platforms now.

We had shows that were evidently suitable for worldwide rights and people should have jumped on them, and they didn’t. We’re feeling that. 2024 will be a more challenging year than 2023.”

There was good news in the documentary field, which with traditionally short turnarounds had been hit particularly hard by the Covid-19 production shutdowns.

Having dropped from €46m in 2020 to €36.8m in 2021, sales rose to €48.6m in the latest figures – a new record high. Pompei: The Origins, La Story Zelensky and Federation Studios’ Nadia were among the shows credited for the rebound.

But again, the picture was mixed. Animation, traditionally the country’s biggest export genre, continued to decline for a fourth year in a row – down from its 2019 high of €77.4m and 2021 total of €60.8m to €57.6m for 2022, the lowest total in seven years.

Sarah Hemar, director of audiovisual Unifrance, said this decline could be due to long lead times and the cyclical nature of animation production. “Animation sales are declining but there is a lot still travelling,” she said. “It’s a very cyclical industry and we’re at the bottom of the cycle. We have big assets and can be optimistic for the future. French producers are diversifying the kind of production they’re providing to the world. We’re very 

“

Call My Agent, titled Dix Pour Cent in France, became an international hit both as an original and a format

Scripted may suffer from big platforms commissioning less and being more cautious. They expanded so quickly they’re perhaps now in a moment where they’re holding back a little. The days of Netflix and Paramount saying they want five-year worldwide rights at US$1m per episode will not last.

Randall Broman

Unifrance and Mediawan

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COUNTRYFILE: France

Political thriller The Bureau (above, aka Le Bureau des Legendes) has sold well overseas, as did First World War doc Women at War (inset)

Channel21 International | Fall 2023

have been structural changes – for example, the merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery.

“Meanwhile, for the first time, slower growth in the SVoD market has meant some big players have faced difficulties – Netflix lost subscribers for the first time in Q2 2022, Disney+ in Q4 – and this impacts the international sales market and acquisition budgets. What exporters told us is there were slower decision-making processes across the board, including among TV broadcasters and streamers.

There is a lot of uncertainty in the market.”

The writers and actors’ strikes in the US, which have run for many months, could strong in preschool but are cause a problem in next year’s developing a lot in other figures, however, with US target groups. Droners, for studios unable to get to work example, targets 6-10, an on their versions of shows like older target. There is a lot HPI and therefore perhaps of development going on in reticent to pick up more from animation for young adults.” this year’s offering.

Bad news, too, for French “The less they produce, the entertainment formats, less competition there is and with shows like Slam the more we sell. The bad side and Mystery Duos now We love French is formats like HPI and Call accounting for just 7.9% of programmes in My Agent will not get produced the country’s exports, down France, yet we are now and we miss a year and the big from 10.4% the previous money that comes from format year and a world away from watching all kinds of sales. In general, I don’t think the 16.1% share it held a programmes that our the strikes are a good thing,” decade ago. parents or grandparents Broman said.

Predictably, revenues for Gilles Pélisson, former TF1 non-linear rights continue had no idea we would watch. Our Group chairman and CEO, to explode. While linear shows being accepted in each crossed the floor to become sales are still the leading international market is a treasure we chairman of Unifrance earlier source of sales income didn’t have five years ago. this year. He summed up the (49.1%), that’s a marked current situation in France. decrease on 2013 when Gilles Pélisson “What you’re seeing in the linear accounted for 84.1% Unifrance figures is the result of two major of sales. Now 43.1% of sales impacts that global players, be are non-linear, up from it in AVoD or SVoD, have had on us,” Pélisson said. “We love 4.6% in 2013.

Western Europe remains the biggest export region French programmes in France, yet we are now watching for French programming, but its 40.7% share in 2022 all kinds of programmes that our parents or grandparents continues a steady decline – it was 57% in 2013. Worldwide had no idea we would watch. Our shows being accepted in rights, of the sort many streaming services demand, now each international market is a treasure we didn’t have five account for €57.9m and 27% of sales, when in 2013 they years ago.

“The second thing is global players have driven high were negligible. Within that 27%, AVoD is starting to be a significant player, making up 21.2% of worldwide rights quality and high investment. By putting so much money sold, up from 18.3% and 12% compared with the previous on the table, global players, platforms and streamers have obliged local players – France Télévisions, TF1, M6, two years.

The CNC’s Lacoue said: “We need to remember 2022 Canal+ – to raise our game. We have to put more money was still a phase of transition out of Covid-19, with the on the table and if you do that, you hopefully see it on consequences really beginning to recede in the second the screen.

“There are more high-quality shows coming out. In half of the year and the resumption of physical markets the past, 52-minute episodes were less than €1m but now and international travel.

“It was the end of the delivery delays which impacted €2m or €3m are possibilities. It’s far away from €10m mainly documentary in 2021, and we saw the arrival of lots for an episode of Game of Thrones but it’s heading in that of new projects on the market because we had a spike in direction and it’s higher-quality content.”

The veteran exec ended on a positive note, concluding production in 2021 owing to the catch-up effect after the that the combination of better-quality productions, high stalled projects in 2020.

“We have also, for several years, been in a state of levels of competition between platforms for acquisitions transformation in the entertainment industry, which has and greater audience demand for international content consequences for the international TV business. There made him “optimistic for the coming years.”

“

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CONTENT STRATEGIES: Sat.1

Channel21 International | Fall 2023

Das Küstenkommissariat (The Coastal Commission)

P

roSiebenSat.1 Group’s commercial, family-driven, free-to-air channel Sat.1 will be banking on more in-house productions for the 2023/24 season as it weathers a climate of financial pressures, including a slump in advertising and high inflation rates.

As part of Sat.1’s core studio entertainment output, unveiled at the German television industry upfronts, called Screenforce Days, the channel is lining up a second season of The 1% Quiz – its local adaptation of UK broadcaster ITV’s quizshow The 1% Club – hosted by Jörg Pilawa for the end of the year. It follows a successful first season, which launched in March this year in a run of six episodes.

The international unscripted formats market has proved a treasure trove for Sat.1, which has also secured the rights to new quizshow ‘for fanatics’ The Floor, developed by John de Mol’s Talpa Concepts.

Along with third-party ideas, formats are also being sourced from within the group, one of which comes from Seven.One Studios-owned Danish production company Snowman Productions in the form of Stranded on Honeymoon Island. Both formats are due to launch next year.

Another newcomer is Kiwi’s Big Party Night. Airing four times a year, the musical variety show is fronted by presenter and former sportswoman Andrea Kiewel, who aims to spread the party mood with German musicians, ensuring the boom in the popular ‘Schlager style’ of music programming does not remain the preserve of the public broadcasters.

Alongside the flurry of new shows, Sat.1 is returning a large handful of established formats in the 2023/24 season. This autumn sees the return of The Taste, Back to School and Das große Backe (Bake Off), both with and without celebrities. Also back are Promi Big Brother (Celebrity Big Brother); Hochzeit auf den ersten Blick (a version of hit Danish format Gift Ved Første Blik, aka Married at First Sight); Sight and comedy show Halbpension mit Schmitz XXL, which is being promoted to primetime.

Other returning shows include Stars in der Manege (Circus Circus of the Stars), Stars in which celebrities perform circus acts, The Voice Kids and Leben leicht gemacht (The (The Biggest Loser), Loser all to air in 2024.

Sat.1’s adaptation of The Taste

Sat-isfaction guaranteed Also arriving in 2024 are new episodes of unscripted medical show Doc Caro – Einsatz mit Herz. The series, known as Doc Caro for season one in 2022, was originally fronted by Dr Carola Holzner but has lost her to RTLowned competitor channel Vox and will continue with two new doctors who have yet to be named.

Sat.1 is also expanding its sports coverage. In addition to its rights to Bundesliga football, it has added the U21 European Football Championship and the Ice Hockey World Championship to its line-up, both from 2024.

“Sat.1 is currently undergoing a transformation,” says channel boss Daniel Rosemann. “The Sat.1 audience has become younger and younger over the past 10 years and the station has focused too much on inspiring younger people with new programmes.”

For Sat.1, this skew doesn’t fit its overall positioning very well, which is “very broad and very German in its roots,” says Rosemann. “If Sat.1 is now looking for programmes for its relevant target group [14-59s], it is wrong to think of the 14-year-old. A Sat.1 programme is successful when we can attract the whole family, and especially adult women.”

In his view, programmes like The Voice of Germany and The Voice Kids are the “ideal fit” for the Sat.1 brand.

“With these shows, we appeal to the whole family and achieve very high net ratings above and beyond our market share. More than five million people are very happy to tune in of an evening – that’s more than five million different 

German family channel Sat.1 is betting on more in-house productions, with international formats in the driving seat.

By Wilfried Urbe

F R OM THE CR E ATOR OF

E L E C T R I F Y I N G 6 x 6 0’ D R A M A S E T I N A W O R L D O F F A M I LY T I E S , TEENA GE K ICK S AND THE MU SIC OF A GENER ATION

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03/10/2023 17:19

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CONTENT STRATEGIES: Sat.1

Channel21 International | Fall 2023

Die Landarztpraxis follows a doctor who moves from Berlin to the Bavarian Alps

Returning series include Das große Backe (Bake Off)

“

A Sat.1 programme is successful precisely when we can attract the whole family, and especially adult women.

Daniel Rosemann Sat.1

contacts who are important for marketing and show the power of the Sat.1 brand.”

An area that has proved difficult to crack, however, is the early evening line-up, where attempts to establish new gameshows have not been particularly successful in recent years. “In access primetime, between 18.00 and 19.45, we also have a need for new shows,” says Rosemann. “We have aired wellproduced shows in recent years, such as a remake The Floor comes from John de Mol’s Talpa Concepts of Name That Tune in access primetime, but unfortunately without great success.”

In a change of tack, the channel will be revamping its devoted to cooking and baking, reinforced by The Taste, access primetime zone and from mid-October with a which enjoyed its strongest run yet in 2022. Meanwhile, switch to scripted productions, a genre that has been less new format The Floor will be broadcast on Thursdays, as well as season two of Das 1% Quiz. of a focus for Sat.1 in recent years.

Friday primetime is fronted by The Voice, The Voice “At 19.00, starting on October 16, we will be playing early evening series daily for 60 episodes. We start with Kids, Zurück in die Schule (Back to School) and Murmel Die Landarztpraxis [The Country Doctor’s Office], a series Mania (Marble Mania), which Sat.1 recently snatched about a doctor who moves from Berlin to the Bavarian away from rival RTL. “These are the programmes with the Alps with her daughter. We are also producing 60 episodes broadest family appeal,” observes Rosemann.

Finally, Sat.1’s weekends continue to offer viewers a of the crime series Das Küstenkommissariat [The Coastal Commission, working title], on the Baltic Sea. Both series choice of theatrical movies at weekends.

Sat.1’s management also hopes to generate additional have things in common: they are set in beautiful, almost idyllic regions; have a relatable main character; and are viewing with event programming such as Promi Big Brother during the winter. “Sat.1 is well positioned on close to the viewers,” says Rosemann.

In a related scheduling reshuffle, Sat.1 will show individual evenings in primetime, but we still have room docusoaps at 18.00, starting with Die Lebensretter on for a new hit for every day of the week in the second half October 2. “For both slots we are looking forward to ideas of 2024,” says Rosemann, inviting producers to contact his team with new ideas. in those genres for 2024,” says Rosemann.

Rosemann and his colleagues are interested in a broad Filmpool began production on Die Landarztpraxis in the summer. Meanwhile, the shooting of Das spectrum of genres, and both serialised programmes Küstenkommissariat begins this autumn, with the group’s and single events are in demand. However, he observes: “Basically, serial programmes are more fun for us than subsidiary prodco Pyjama Pictures producing.

Mornings, on the other hand, remain an area of strength single events.”

In evaluating its content mix across linear and digital, for Sat.1, where it considers itself well-positioned with “Germany’s most successful breakfast television.” Sat.1 the channel’s programming strategists are also seeking has no new content needs for this zone, but Rosemann the best way to achieve maximum reach for each says he’s on the lookout for ideas in other parts of the programme. “Sometimes a programme runs online seven schedule. “Of course, we are very happy about [having] days before its linear broadcast, sometimes three months new programmes for primetime in all genres,” says before,” says Rosemann. “For example, you can watch the channel manager, who emphasises Sat.1’s broad all five new episodes of our new early evening series Die Landarztpraxis from Monday onwards. Married at First positioning in primetime.

As well as top-rung football, with the Bundesliga, Sat.1’s Sight is always shown on Joyn one week before its linear evenings cover a wide range of genres across the week. broadcast. In addition, we show two special episodes Monday night is fronted by its successful adaptation of exclusively on Joyn.”

Overall, with the exception of live entertainment or Married at First Sight, with Stranded On Honeymoon Island due to launch in that slot in 2024. “We still have room sports events, almost all programmes run on Joyn ahead there for more romance and new reality programmes,” of their linear airing. If a new programme cannot meet this requirement, it won’t be suitable for Sat.1. “Every says Rosemann.

Tuesday, on the other hand, is dedicated to US series, programme must be able to excite viewers both on Sat.1 predominantly crime, like NCIS. This fall sees Wednesday and on our streaming platform Joyn,” says Rosemann.

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04/10/2023 11:08

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: Jan Maxa

Channel21 International | Fall 2023

Held in Czech Czech-Austrian drama Marie Terezie

Y

ou rarely get commissioners asking to be pitched producers’ most boring concepts for a new TV show. But not all commissioners are as finely tuned to their audience’s tastes as Jan Maxa, director of content and new media at public broadcaster Česká Televize.

“Czechs seem to feel guilty when they enjoy themselves in front of the screen. They need a sense of purpose. Most gameshows and talent shows have very short and unhappy lives,” explains Maxa when discussing importing entertainment formats into the Czech Republic.

Hence quizshows – and especially the kind of quizshows that audiences in other countries might find a little dry – work so well on Česká Televize.

“The more boring they are, the more the audience loves them,” adds Maxa, who highlights Pointless – a hit early access primetime in its native UK – as an example of the kind of quiz that Czech audiences hated.

“Out of desperation I went to Mipcom and told all the format suppliers, ‘I need the most boring quizshows you have in your catalogue,’” remembers Maxa, who was presented with a paper format called National Pride by a sales exec from Endemol Shine Group.

This became the long-running teatime Česká Televize quizshow Kde domov můj? (Where’s My Home?),

Jan Maxa at Česká Televize is using his expert knowledge of the Czech audience to counter the ongoing funding freeze at the public service broadcaster.

By Nico Franks which launched on flagship channel ČT1 in 2016 and whose popularity shows no sign of waning. Hosted by Aleš Háma, it challenges contestants on their general knowledge of the Czech Republic.

At Česká Televize, Maxa oversees a group of 15 creative producers and approximately 500 projects in development in all TV genres, including drama, entertainment, factual and documentary, as well as children’s programmes.

His team is responsible both for in-house development and production, as well as commissioning from independent producers.

In addition, the development team also manages coproduction of cinema projects, international coproductions and presales. In recent years, Česká Televize has consistently kept a market share of around 30%, a figure Maxa admits to being “amazed by.”

Like many public broadcasters around the world, Česká Televize faces a certain degree of hostility from the national government and has had its licence fee, which accounts for

around 85% of its budget, frozen since 2008. Maxa wants to see it increased, but such a move won’t be popular during a cost-of-living crisis.

“We’re facing quite severe spending cuts. Our challenge is to make the politicians understand that they can’t hide their heads in the sand for much longer and that they either will do something about our financing or we will have to start cutting the service significantly.

“Nobody seems to want that, although I’m not saying all Czech politicians are keen on having a public broadcaster, or having a public broadcaster of this shape and size. But I think the consensus of the mainstream part of the political spectrum is that they will probably have to do something about it. So hopefully they will,” says Maxa.

In April 2020, Maxa also became the head of new media projects of Česká Televize, preparing a new organisational and process structure for web and mobile products. The media veteran is open when it comes to where Česká Televize sits on the sliding scale of ‘digital-first’ pubcasters, with the likes of the BBC in the UK making it a priority and investing millions in the process.

“

Czechs seem to feel guilty when they enjoy themselves in front of the screen. They need a sense of purpose. Most gameshows and talent shows have very short and unhappy lives.

Jan Maxa

Česká Televize

“We certainly are not a digital-first broadcaster, that’s for sure. Most of what we do goes first to linear broadcast. I would even say we are not really aiming [to become digitalfirst] because if you say ‘aiming,’ it means we are actively pursuing that goal,” says Maxa, who highlights the still-strong habit of watching linear TV in his homeland.

“In the Czech Republic, the average time spent on linear television has 

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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: Jan Maxa

Channel21 International | Fall 2023

Long-running general knowledge quizshow Kde domov můj?

barely moved. In fact, it increased during Covid. It’s still well over three hours across the age groups, and even in the young age group it’s still over an hour.”

However, Maxa is aware the ‘new media’ in his job title will become known simply as media eventually.

“We’re well aware of the fact that it will come. And we are preparing ourselves for it. We are already going, especially for the younger age group, digitalfirst and digital-only. I can’t say the whole broadcaster is moving there, but certainly in the content we create for younger age groups we’re very active.”

Decades ago, in the 1970s and 1980s, Česká Televize was a frequent collaborator with Germany’s public broadcasters, but by the 2000s and 2010s such partnerships were far from common. That was until around a decade ago when the Česká Televize management realised things needed to change.

“Nobody can go it alone these days, especially in a small market with a weird language and a limited amount of financing,” says Maxa, who cites public and private broadcasters in Slovakia as Česká Televize’s most frequent partners, alongside FrancoGerman cultural broadcaster Arte, while increasingly pubcasters in German-speaking Europe, like ORF, ARD, ZDF and KiKa, are getting in on the act.

“We’re also looking at working with SVoD operators, even the local ones.

This has created a bit of controversy because some view sharing with a commercial broadcaster as a betrayal of the public broadcaster’s mission.

But it’s the way to go to multi-source financing and survive in ever more challenging conditions,” says Maxa.

Previous coproductions have included the historical Czech-Austrian

drama Marie Terezie (Maria Theresia).

Serialised in five parts, the drama concluded last year, with ČT1’s coproduction partners on the fifth edition including ORF, ZDF-Arte and BetaFilm.

In the pipeline is procedural series We’re On It, Comrades!, a copro with ZDF and Barletta Productions, which follows an investigative team that explores paranormal activities during the 1980s, reviving the spirit of the time when Czech and German collaborations were at their peak.

“It’s a great, moving story. We’ve read the scripts and seen some of the footage. We were afraid there would be a lot of pathos and taking things only seriously, which would be fully understandable. But for a Czech way of looking at things, it’s much more natural for us if humour and weirdness is involved, as that’s the way we look at our own history as well,” says the former content development director at CME Group.

The climate emergency is an area of interest to Maxa, but although there

Czech-German paranormal procedural copro We’re On It, Comrades!

“ZDF has been telling us for years that they don’t want to coproduce period drama and procedural drama.

And we ended up doing a period procedural drama. This shows you how complex the development of international series is. But this is a very interesting project and I’m really looking forward to it,” says Maxa.

Another forthcoming series that will air on Česká Televize as a result of an international partnership is Those Who Stayed, the Ukrainian war anthology series filmed in the country since Russia’s full-scale invasion.

is plenty of ambition among writers, particularly younger ones, to feature the topic in their dramas, they are yet to find a way to tell it within an interesting story. “At least from what we’ve seen so far,” he says. “It’s been good on the political side of things but weaker on the story side. Hopefully this will change. I’d love to do a drama series on that topic.”

But while countries in Western Europe are seemingly forming coproduction alliances here, there and everywhere, Maxa isn’t optimistic the same formal partnership structures

will follow in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) any time soon. “One of my favourite quotes comes from the founder of TV Nova, who said in the 90s, ‘The only thing these countries in CEE have in common is Hollywood.’

He is still right. It’s a very diverse place and the countries have very different histories.

“For almost 100 years, the Czech Republic and Slovakia were part of one country and before that part of one empire. But culturally, some things work the same and some things don’t work at all. We have to learn how to work together. We have some way to go before we actually achieve that,” says Maxa.

Meanwhile, as what audiences are willing to embrace changes across Europe at varying speeds, Maxa feels his country may well embrace LGBTQ+ participants in dating shows, but even straight incarnations of the genre are yet to grace the broadcasters.

“Czech Republic is a fairly godless and liberal country so we don’t really have these kinds of problems. But I don’t think Czech TV has ever broadcast a dating show of any kind, so we haven’t started with LGBT yet.

Otherwise these topics are covered in our dramas, documentaries and current affairs shows.

“Of course, there is always some reaction – we have an idiotic group of people called The Alliance for Family who think everything that is not straight and as it was 200 years ago will destroy the fabric of society. So yes, they send us angry letters about everything we do but that’s just proof we’re doing the right thing.”

CEE100 is a C21 initiative to celebrate 100 leading executives from channels, platforms and producers who are redefining the content business across Central and Eastern Europe.

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NEXT BIG THINGS: 21 on 21

Channel21 International | Fall 2023

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Mipcom musts Online talent transferring to TV, bold representations of diversity and thrillers with comedic twists are among the programming trends to watch out for in Cannes. By Nico Franks

Davos 1917 (6x45’) Producers: Contrast Film, Letterbox Filmproduktion, Amalia Film, SRF/ARD/ Degeto Distributor: Global Screen They say: “Thrilling and emotional at the same time, offering a great love story and many surprising plot twists.”

We say: As the First World War ravages Europe, a small spa town in Switzerland becomes the focal point for a relentless battle between secret agents representing the interests of competing global powers in this classy spy drama.

House of Kardashian (3x60’)

Davey & Jonesie’s Locker (10x30’)

Producer: 72 Films Distributor: Fremantle They say: “The story behind how these women redefined the word ‘dynasty,’ all while our attitude to celebrity, race and women has changed, is inspiring, thought-provoking and tells us so much about ourselves.”

We say: Sky in the UK and Ireland is behind this revealing documentary series that features input from the likes of Caitlyn Jenner and hopefully provides an antidote to fawning celebrity-led access docs made by prodcos owned by their famous subjects.

Producer: Marblemedia Distributor: D360 They say: “Having been an extremely goofy 16-yearold myself once, my goal was to create a series about two best friends who have already learned to celebrate their bold senses of humour—and who get to enjoy the radical self-love that comes with that.”

We say: Blue Ant Media-owned D360 is bringing this young adult-skewing Hulu/Prime Video comedy about two lovable, eccentric best friends who discover their high-school locker is actually a portal to the multiverse.

Of Money & Blood (12x52’) Producer: Curiosa Films Distributor: StudioCanal They say: “Tells the shocking story of what has been called the ‘scam of the century,’ the embezzlement of carbon quotas by a clever gang of conmen in 2009.”

We say: Award-winning film director Xavier Giannoli’s made his first move into television with this Frenchlanguage crime thriller for Canal+, which tells the true story behind one of the biggest financial crimes of all time.

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NEXT BIG THINGS: 21 on 21

Perfect Love (60x60’) Producer and distributor: Globo They say: “A feelgood story about love that nonetheless discusses subjects that are relevant to society, like racism and machismo.”

We say: A Brazilian telenovela that features all the family feuds, romance and betrayal you’d expect, but with a racially diverse cast that has made swathes of Globo’s audience feel represented on screen.

Channel21 International | Fall 2023

Apples Never Fall (7x60’) Producers: Heydey Television, Universal International Studios Distributor: NBCUniversal Global Distribution They say: “Set against the backdrop of competitive tennis, this story takes us into a family’s darkest secrets and asks, ‘Can we ever really know the people closest to us?’”

We say: This eagerly anticipated adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s (Big Little Lies) bestselling novel of the same name has a cast full of bighitters, including Annette Bening (pictured), Sam Neill and Alison Brie, and is set to garner plenty of attention when it drops on to Peacock in the US next year.

Migrants: The Failures of Fortress Europe (1x52’) Producer: CAPA Distributor: Newen Connect They say: “Faced with pressures from large-scale migration, the European economic bloc has been barricading itself and betting on outsourcing, negotiating with neighbouring countries to retain migrant flows rather than managing the issue themselves.”

We say: Arte France aired this documentary that concerns the complex situation of migration in Europe against the backdrop of tightening border controls in countries such as Hungary, Poland, Finland and the UK.

I Kissed a Girl (10x45’/format) Producer: TwoFour Distributor: ITV Studios They say: “The smash-hit gay dating format is back and now we’re helping girls who like girls.”

We say: Following the huge success of I Kissed a Boy on BBC Three earlier this year, the groundbreaking, stereotype-smashing format returns with a cast of women looking for love, beginning with one kiss to test their chemistry as soon as they meet.

Late Bloomer (8x30’) Producer: Pier 21 Films Distributor: Cineflix Rights They say: “I’m looking forward to this next step in my storytelling and filmmaking endeavours, showcasing South Asian perspectives that mainstream audiences have yet to see.”

We say: This comedy for Crave in Canada follows a turban-wearing millennial struggling to find his place in life while balancing Eastern roots with Western ideals and is inspired by creator and star Jasmeet Raina’s life as a Punjabi Sikh millennial and online celebrity.

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NEXT BIG THINGS: 21 on 21

Channel21 International | Fall 2023

53

World War II: Women on the Frontline (3x47’)

Producer: Woodcut Media Distributor: Woodcut International They say: “Rarely do we hear about the brave women who played a pivotal role on the frontline.

Women jumped into cockpits, dropped bombs, broke codes, bravely fought and risked their lives, as did their male counterparts – and we want audiences worldwide to know about their amazing feats.”

We say: Pre-bought by Channel 4 in the UK and SBS in Australia, this series offers a fresh take on a familiar subject by exploring the unknown histories of the women soldiers, pilots and spies who fought, flew and died in the Second World War.

Truelove (6x60’)

Producer: Clerkenwell Films Distributor: BBC Studios They say: “Breaks the rules for older characters on screen and flips ageist tropes on their head in a series which promises thrilling twists and turns, irreverent humour and passionate romance.”

We say: By flipping the script on romance with an older central couple who become embroiled in a story of love and death, this Channel 4 thriller is a refreshing sight with its core cast in their late 60s and 70s.

Paid in Full: The Battle for Payback (working title, 3x60’)

The Turkish Detective (8x45’) Producers: Miramax, Ay Yapim, Paramount International Television Studios Distributor: Paramount Global Content Distribution They say: “A universally intriguing crime thriller set against the landscape of one of the most stunning, culturally rich cities in the world.”

We say: Based on the series of bestselling novels

by Barbara Nadel, this Istanbul-set series mixes the English and Turkish languages to create a detective drama full of heart and hope, as well as potentially huge international appeal.

Producers: Green Door Pictures, Pink Towel, Supercollider, Catalyst Distributor: Abacus Media Rights They say: “It’s about the people who created the soundtracks of our lives in popular music and the pain of their exploitation.”

We say: This three-parter for BBC in the UK and CBC in Canada, produced by Idris (pictured) and Sabrina Elba, examines the systematic exploitation of black artists by the music industry – so often the elephant in the room during many music docs – and explores what it would look like for black artists to receive reparations.

Bria Mack Gets a Life (6x30’) Producer and distributor: New Metric Media They say: “We’ve created a show that authentically portrays what it can be like to be a young black woman trying to figure out who she is and how she wants to make her way through the world.”

We say: This fantastical comedy launched recently on Crave in Canada and follows a 25-year-old black woman as she navigates adulthood in a predominantly white world, which is made all the more difficult, but also more tolerable, by her invisible hype girl.

Soap (20x22’) Producer and distributor: In Stitches Animation They say: “A workplace comedy from the point of view of a bar of hotel soap who just wants a clean getaway.”

We say: Buyers at Mipcom can get an early glimpse at the first project from Gigglebug Entertainment in Finland’s fledgling dedicated adult animation label, which is seeking a distributor and follows the messy trials and tribulations of the cleaning products in a high-end hotel.

C21’s NEXT BIG THINGS - The people, programmes and businesses that are about to change the game. Keep reading online at www.c21media.net/next-big-things

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NEXT BIG THINGS: 21 on 21

Channel21 International | Fall 2023

Rush (format) Producer: Endemol Shine Australia Distributor: Banijay They say: “Truly captures audience desire for attention-grabbing, entertaining shows packed with adventure, that are unique and scalable.”

We say: One of numerous blockbuster formats being shopped at Mipcom this year that ramp up the adventure reality stakes, this high-octane travel show, originally made for Nine Network down under, sees people dropped into pulsating locations without all their senses and tasked with completing missions.

Those Who Stayed (6x30’) Producer: Film.UA Group Distributor: Red Arrow Studios International They say: “A unique drama anthology series for our time, inspired by true events which happened in Kyiv in the first few weeks after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.”

We say: Commissioned by SVT in Sweden, YLE in Finland and NRK in Norway, this drama series features the stories – some moving, some funny, some sad, some stark, some unsettling and some uplifting – of those who decided to stay in the Ukrainian capital in February last year.

Obituary (6x60’)

Producers: Magamedia, APC Studios Distributor: About Premium Content (APC) They say: “From Ray Lawlor’s sharp-witted pen, Elvira rises as a full-fledged, self-aware, serial killer we can’t help but root for as chaos unfolds in Kilraven, the new quirky TV town for the ages.”

We say: An obituary writer with an untapped bloodlust is a great premise for a dark comedy crime drama and this RTÉ/Hulu show looks killer.

Concordia (6x45’) Producer: Intaglio Films Distributors: Beta Film, ZDF Studios They say: “The exploration of AI surveillance, privacy and data is the backdrop for this chilling thriller. Concordia merges both, technology and its abuses, and also how it shapes the hierarchy of society.”

We say: An ambitious English-language drama from ZDF in Germany, France TV, Hulu Japan and MBC in the Middle East, Concordia will have its world premiere screening at Mipcom and comes from showrunner and executive producer Frank Doelger (Game of Thrones, The Swarm).

Lost Boys & Fairies (3x60’) Dating in the Metaverse (1x30’) Producer: The Connected Set Distributor: Orange Smarty They say: “TikTok sensation Olivia Neill immerses herself in a strange new world to see if it’s possible to meet your match in virtual reality.”

We say: Artificial intelligence may have trumped virtual reality when it comes to hot talking points, but this BBC Three documentary speaks to people who, through their shiny avatars, have found love in the metaverse and puts a modern spin on the dating show.

Producer: Duck Soup Distributor: All3Media International They say: “A glittering, moving and groundbreaking drama set in Cardiff, exploring the universal theme of parents and children through the perspective of gay adoption.”

We say: This BBC One miniseries was developed by Welsh writer Daf James via a BBC Writersroom’s TV Drama Writers’ Programme and fuses queer culture with powerful family drama.

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The Māori-led New Zealand indie is shoring up its international relationships while converting its CEO’s connections in the world of sport into commissions.

By Nico Franks

Three-Year Plan Pango Productions A

s ever, there will be a flock of dedicated Kiwi producers making the trip halfway around the world to do business at Mipcom in Cannes in October.

There may even be a few more at the market than usual this year, but obviously that’s got nothing to do with the Rugby World Cup being held in France and the All Blacks being among the favourites to lift the trophy come October 28.

Leading the pack is Bailey Mackey, founder and CEO at Pango, who combines his passion for storytelling with his deep love of rugby at the Auckland-based film and television prodco, which has been behind a host of rugbythemed programmes in recent years.

These include the documentary series All or Nothing: New Zealand All Blacks for Amazon’s Prime Video; three seasons of Match Fit, the Kiwi version of Fremantle-owned Talkback’s entertainment format, in which former sporting legends take on a series of challenges to help them get back into shape, for Warner Bros Discovery-owned Three; and, most recently, Tour de Rugby, which saw Kiwi icon Taika Waititi explore France’s relationship with the sport for fledgling streamer NZR+.

Mackey, who also serves as co-deputy chair at NZ Rugby (NZR), is a former head of sports at broadcaster Māori Television and sees the popularity of access-all-areas sports documentaries continuing to grow in the years ahead, given the insatiable appetite of fans to watch content about their favourite teams, players or competitions.

“Sport is probably the purest form of drama there is. You watch a game and instantly you have a protagonist and an antagonist.

And usually the antagonist for most Commonwealth countries is England,” quips Mackey, who represented Ngāti Porou East Coast at rugby before joining the TV scrum.

Pango, which is also The Kiwi version the Māori word for black, of Talkback celebrates its 10th year in format Match Fit business in 2024 and is the second production company Mackey has founded after

Black Inc Media, which went on to operate as a division of Eyeworks NZ. Among Mackey’s immediate priorities over the next three years is to continue to navigate a way out of what he calls the “post-Covid funk” affecting the international TV business, brought on by a combination of stalled relationships during the pandemic and the wave of consolidation and megamergers.

“Tell me a platform globally that isn’t under pressure at the moment. There’s a cost-of-living crisis in a lot of OECD countries, there’s a real squeeze on the ad revenue model, which is on a steeper decline than any of us would have imagined, and the VoD model is challenging in many markets. So the view from the bottom of the world is that it’s tough.”

Nevertheless, Mackey says unscripted specialist Pango enjoyed its “biggest year” recently, thanks to relationships forged at markets such as Mipcom in the years leading up to the pandemic.

Match Fit was borne out of a partnership with production and distribution giant Fremantle, for example, and Mackey is keen to strike Bailey Mackey up more collaborations with larger entities to make shows in New Zealand before concentrating on shopping Pango’s own IP internationally.

Getting shows off the ground with buyers at Mipcom won’t be Mackey’s main mission, therefore, in Cannes and he will instead be looking to foster key relationships with international producers and distributors that could pay dividends over the next three years.

“Being from a small market like New Zealand, scale is important. And the easiest way to scale up is to go into a relationship with bigger players. It effectively gives you a much more meaningful position in bigger markets. That’s just the way it is. One of the things you learn quite quickly in New Zealand is you might be a big dog in your own market but once you get to a market like the US, you need the collaborative approach.

“Growth is still on the cards. There are massive opportunities in the global market and we’re going to continue on that path.”

Meanwhile, Mackey says Pango has a “pretty significant stream of AI [artificial intelligence] work going on at the moment,” led by the company’s head of operations, Mark Taylor. “We want to be at the forefront of that and the reality is if you’re in the content game and you do not have an AI strategy then you will be poorer for it in the next few years,” says Mackey.

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F

rench animation studio Xilam has a string of hit children’s series under its belt, including Oggy & the Cockroaches and its preschool spin-off Oggy Oggy. In 2019, the company ventured into adult animation with Oscar-nominated feature film I Lost My Body, following which it has plans to expand further into the world of animated content for adults.

This ambition starts with Netflix’s forthcoming 2D-animated action series Twilight of the Gods, for which Xilam is serving as animation studio.

Produced by Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder and Wesley Coller’s prodco The Stone Quarry, the series is based on Norse mythology.

Beyond Twilight of the Gods, Xilam aims to have two adult animated series in production and release one adult animated feature film every year, representing 35-40% of its overall business. “It should become a good chunk of our activity,” says du Pontavice.

According to du Pontavice, Xilam’s move was triggered by two things: the success of I Lost My Body and the uptake of such content by the global streamers. “Those two things combined made us realise it was the proper time for us to explore adult animation, even though until recently it was very much driven by the US and Japan. We do feel there could be a voice for Europe in this field.”

Du Pontavice identifies three branches of adult animation: comedy like The Simpsons and South Park, Japanese anime and a third genre that “encompasses lots of subgenres, such as horror, fantasy, science fiction, action and adventure,” such as Netflix’s Arcane.

Many productions in this third group are driven by video games, du Pontavice notes, adding that the third branch is the one Xilam is mainly exploring.

“That’s where we believe, at least in terms of series, we can probably make something happen,” he says.

In addition to Twilight of the Gods, Xilam is in production on The Doomies for Disney+, an animated horror-comedy series in which two best friends mistakenly open a gateway into another world, turning their sleepy coastal town into a hotspot for terrifying creatures. The Doomies is aimed at teenagers rather than adults but its horror element is one that isn’t usually explored in kids’ animation.

“Teen animation is always a challenge because that is typically the age where most teenagers are considering animation as a regression and they’re embracing live-action. I don’t expect teen animation to become a huge thing, but there’s still a place for certain genres, like comedy and horror,” du Pontavice says.

“We have to take advantage of what animation can provide that live-action cannot, and when it comes to genre-oriented animation, there’s a lot to say. I don’t think there is much place for rom-com in animation, especially towards teenagers, but when it comes to genres such as horror, there is something

Xilam’s upcoming The Doomies

Development Slate Xilam

CEO and founder Marc du Pontavice reveals why the Paris-based animation production company is leading Europe’s charge into the world of animated series for adults. By Karolina Kaminska Adult animation is typically created in 2D, but du Pontavice wants to experiment with 3D in some of his projects, despite 3D generally being reserved for children’s toons.

“I don’t think the market is mature for pure CGI when it comes to adult animation, but We have to take we should be smart in creating a hybrid advantage of what pipeline between 2D and 3D to take advantage of what CGI brings,” he says. animation can provide that “One of the things Xilam is trying to live-action cannot, and when do in adult animation, which we did in it comes to genre-oriented I Lost My Body – which was a hybrid of animation, there’s a lot to say. 2D and 3D – is incorporate a live-action When it comes to genres such film grammar into animation, and CGI is very helpful in that respect.” as horror, there is something Du Pontavice is optimistic about fun to be done that you don’t the future of adult animation in terms necessarily find in live-action. of series, but notes that there isn’t an established market yet for adult Marc du Pontavice animated films.

“When it comes to feature films it’s still very much three adult animated films, the first of which started an exploration. We are among the companies that production in September.

“For us, adult animation provides an immense want to establish a market for feature films and opportunity to attract a new breed of talent that we cinema in adult animation,” he says. “Our core goal wouldn’t have necessarily been able to tap into in is to establish that adult animation can also work as the children’s space. So that’s a really great thing,” feature films in cinema and have its own success.

That’s an important thing to achieve.” du Pontavice says.

fun to be done that you don’t necessarily find in liveaction.”

Meanwhile, Xilam is in development on an adult animated series that is being adapted from a video game, plus one other adult animated show and

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Three-Year Plan Little Dot

s a marker of how far Little Dot has come in recent years, making history by being part of the team that discovered the Endurance, Sir Ernest Shackleton’s long-lost ship, goes some way to demonstrating how the East London-based digital content studio has grown.

The company is now a decade old, having been launched by Selma Turajlic and Andy Taylor during the boom in user-generated content on YouTube in the early 2010s, when the duo spotted an opportunity to connect the traditional TV world with new audiences online.

Reaching audiences on digital All3Media has backed Little Dot since its inception with premium content may be in 2013 and in 2021 it became fully owned by the production and distribution giant, which at the time everyone’s business strategy of writing is looking for a buyer after being put up for these days but it’s been followed sale by parent companies Liberty Global and Warner by All3Media’s Little Dot for over a Bros Discovery (WBD). decade. By Nico Franks Meanwhile, Little Dot itself has turned acquisitive in recent years, buying podcast network and subscription VoD service HistoryHit in 2020 and, digital channels with a combined total of 800 million more recently, specialist production agency WING subscribers and followers.

With linear TV figures continuing to decline, and social media analytics firm Locowise, while it these digital channels are becoming invested in Formation Games in May. increasingly important to Little Dot’s It was the relationship with HistoryHit roster of around 200 clients, which and its founder, historian and presenter include the likes of Netflix, Disney, Dan Snow, that led to Little Dot joining WBD and Amazon’s Prime Video, who the expedition to locate the Endurance, task Little Dot with engaging, growing which had not been seen since it and monetising their audiences online was crushed by the ice and sank in using their content. It also runs the the Weddell Sea in 1915. “Our docs social media video channels and team took a massive chance, but we makes original digital formats for found it and now we’re in production various, undisclosed consumer brands. on a feature doc with Nat Geo,” says “Money is moving more and more Dan Jones, who joined Little Dot from towards digital and brands want All3Media-owned prodco Maverick as Dan Jones premium content,” says Jones, who director of content in 2015 and was adds sustainability is important to Little Dot, which named CEO in late 2020.

Having gone from primarily putting premium is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2025 and doesn’t content on YouTube on behalf of its entertainment work directly with petrochemical brands or sovereign clients, Little Dot now works across a vast array of wealth funds.

Little Dot has also emerged as a commissioner of social platforms, creating content for more than 700

The wreck of Shackleton’s Endurance

originals and licensor of content for its owned and operated channels in recent years, a business that is already a “massive growth area” for the company, Jones says.

Little Dot currently has 40 channel brands across social platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snap, in a variety of genres and languages. Jones expects this number to rise to 50 by the end of this year and potentially 100 by the end of 2024, with revenue share deals putting US$100m back in the pockets of rights owners over the past three years, according to the exec.

Little Dot has licensed over 16,000 hours of handpicked longform content so far, while its network of free, ad-supported streaming TV channels includes Real Stories, Timeline, Wonder, Real Crime, Real Wild, Real Life, The Chat Show Channel and Don’t Tell the Bride.

The company has just under 600 employees spread across London, Munich and the US, with further international expansion in the coming years set to focus on the latter, where most employees work remotely, while a Singapore base was mothballed during the pandemic.

Data is key to the audience insights that drives Little Dot’s business and Jones sees artificial intelligence (AI) as helping to automate a lot of lower-level tasks people don’t want to do while freeing up time to be more creative. “It’s changing roles. We haven’t lost a role because of AI and we don’t expect that to happen,” says Jones.