Development Slate Media Res

world now. Covid and the war in Ukraine maybe sped that up, but it wasn’t a sustainable situation and would have happened anyway. Producers, we’re like water – we always find a way down the mountain,” he says.

When asked about coproductions, Blomgren advises producers to consider the cultures of all the countries taking part in order to create a successful programme.

“The most important lesson is you have to embrace and respect the local culture. You can’t have an imperialistic view, thinking, ‘I’m from the bigger country so we’re doing it my way.’ That’s why I’ve always wanted to have broadcasters from both territories attached when we start,” he says. “Even between Sweden and Denmark there are incredibly different cultures and mindsets.”

The local commissioning model at streamers is creating headaches as well as opportunities for producers looking to sell ambitious projects, Blomgren told C21’s Content LA event in May.

“The entry point is extremely important, especially now because the streamers’ local offices have gotten much better, so the bosses or the higher-ranking people trust the local commissioners. But if you bypass them, you will insult them, so the best entry point is [still] to go to the people in that area, but then you will end up with a budget that is way too small,” Blomgren said.

“If we want to do something that is slightly elevated or bigger, then it doesn’t work because now the message from all the streamers is that it’s local for local – not local for global. We’ve had several conversations with several streamers about how to bypass this system without insulting anyone.”

When asked whether The Morning Show, which examines the culture inside a breakfast TV show, could be turned into an international scripted format, Ellenberg hinted that it might be a possibility in the future. “I’ll just say it’s a good question,” he said.

Additional reporting by Jordan Pinto.