Channel 21 International - Spring 2021 by C21Media

international Everything about content

Spring 2021

Coping with the dark material that was 2020

C21’s Content Business Trends Report kicks off

TV does its bit in the climate emergency

PLUS: 21 new shows to catch during Digital MipTV – 32 Cally Beaton on side hustles during a pandemic – 38

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UPFRONT

Notes from down under

ello from Covid-free New Zealand. I’ll get to how I got here later, but first a bit about TV. It may be remote and lie in the shadow of its fellow English-speaking markets when it comes to exports, but New Zealand’s screen sector is emerging as a microcosm of the global industry. Analyse the recent developments within Aotearoa’s (the Māori name for the country) screen sector and you’ll see parallels with many other countries around the world. Local content has usurped Hollywood fare in the schedules of domestic broadcasters. Disney+ has arrived and taken out advertising on nearly every billboard in town. Meanwhile, the industry is striving to become more diverse and inclusive at all levels, knowing that refusing to do so would accelerate its demise. A major facet of that push is ensuring ‘storytelling sovereignty,’ a phrase likely to enter the wider parlance of our industry soon, particularly in markets like the US and Canada where Indigenous voices are set to be amplified in the coming years. It recognises that token efforts to create the illusion of diversity are as damaging to progress as doing absolutely nothing. For too long, the stories being told on TV have been told through a very white, often male, filter. If the industry really is serious about changing that, as it said it was in 2020, then Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) creatives and all the diversity within those groups must be in control of their own narratives. Otherwise, as a panel at TIFF put forward last

year, there will be a repeat of the kind of cultural theft seen under colonialism. As you can probably tell, my soapbox made the journey from the UK with me at the beginning of 2021. And you may ask yourself, how did I get here? Well, the chain of events begins with my mum and dad, both Brits, meeting in New Zealand in the 1980s, before marrying, getting Kiwi passports, returning to the UK and having kids. Thirty years later I travelled across the world in a mask during a global pandemic, clutching a New Zealand passport of my own. As something of a catastrophist, I shudder to think what penance I’m going to endure in return for the insane bout of luck that’s got me to a country where Crowded House can play to 12,000 people indoors, as they did in March. But we’ll just have to wait and see. So after getting used to doing interviews with trousers on again after a year of Zooming from my bedroom in London, it’s been eye-opening to learn about the Aotearoa New Zealand screen sector’s strategy for the next decade, which involves ensuring issues of story sovereignty are considered within funding and legislative frameworks. I’ve also heard that many stories from the country’s past involving Māori, Asian and Pasifika people are set to be re-told on screen, from a less European perspective. A right-wing bun fight will inevitably ensue, but with non-English-language content in demand, we could see those series exported around the world. Nico Franks

CONTENTS

AHEAD OF THE CURVE: Beyond 2020 Leading TV execs consider how the year of Covid and Black Lives Matter has impacted the business.

THE C21 CONTENT BUSINESS TRENDS REPORT: Spring 2021 A quarterly outline of some of the biggest content business trends.

Global streaming players now face competition from the rise of local SVoDs.

Demand for UK programming soars, as new platforms launch and production shutdowns hit US supply lines.

Buyers and sellers are embracing a new world of shared programming.

Global streamers’ deep pockets are pushing local players into coproduction.

AHEAD OF THE CURVE: Sustainable TV How the TV industry can play its part in tackling the climate emergency, both in front of and behind the camera.

NEXT BIG THINGS: 21 on 21 Shows about the experiences of black, trans and Aboriginal communities will be among the highlights of the programming on offer at this year’s Digital MipTV.

PRESENT IMPERFECT FUTURE TENSE: Cally Beaton The international TV exec-turned-comedian considers the benefits of side hustling in a gig economy in the midst of a pandemic.

Channel21 International | Spring 2021

AHEAD OF THE CURVE: Pandemic aftermath

Beyond 2020 A

year on from the World Health Organisation declaring Covid-19 a pandemic, the TV industry – like every facet of our lives – continues to grapple with the fall-out. The scramble to safeguard employees’ health, find new ways of working and shore up businesses dealing with unprecedented circumstances left many reeling. Production ground to a halt, broadcast advertising fell off a cliff and the plethora of conferences, markets and trade shows the industry traditionally relied on dried up overnight, not to mention the work that kept hundreds of thousands of freelancers employed. International travel bans hit overseas shoots and while a handful of nations with lower infection rates never stopped filming or resumed relatively soon, onerous testing, social distancing and hygiene regimes pushed costs and the time taken to make anything much higher. At the same time, streaming and linear TV boomed, with entire populations in lockdown and stuck at home with little else to do than binge on Netflix and a rapidly expanding array of rivals or delve into 24-hour news for the latest coronavirus horror stories. Quite quickly, those behind the shows did what they do best and found creative solutions to the challenges they faced. Governments in some countries stepped in as guarantors to alleviate the challenges presented by production insurers withdrawing, while commissioners with the biggest budgets stepped up to cover increased expenses – each recognising the economic benefits

It’s been a tumultuous 12 months and the television business has had to find its own ways of navigating the pandemic as well as responding to the Black Lives Matter movement. But there are signs these events have been turned into positives. By Jonathan Webdale

to themselves of helping sustain the sector. Some producers, however, have had to bear the burden and the extent to which they can absorb this remains to be seen. “I’m worried that a lot of the smaller independent production companies will have no choice but to merge or become part of a bigger one rather than keeping their independence because they won’t be able to film through 2021,” says Jane Tranter, co-founder of Bad Wolf, maker of series including BBC/HBO coproduction His Dark Materials. “I suspect that Covid restrictions will be in place for quite some time and it will prevent them filming unless they have got the backstop of a bigger company behind them to help.” The Cardiff- and Los Angeles-based prodco has the cushion of billionaire Len Blavatnik’s Access Industries to rely on, but, of course, it hasn’t been immune from the crisis. The firm was about to u

Bad Wolf’s His Dark Materials

AHEAD OF THE CURVE: Pandemic aftermath

Channel21 International | Spring 2021

Netflix’s Bridgerton “kicked open the doors to a debate around diversity of casting in period dramas”

shoot a special standalone episode for season two of its Philip Pullman adaptation when coronavirus swept the globe and the idea had to be scrapped. The required changes to the rest as a result meant an additional load on post-production, already wrestling with the process of going remote and the need to also complete BBC/HBO copro Industry, Sky drama I Hate Suzie and a second season of fantasy drama A Discovery of Witches for the same client. By the time summer came round and UK infection rates were down, Bad Wolf was able to return to production on the third season of the latter, but again, the number of intended episodes was curtailed – this time due to increased Covid-19 safety costs. “It’s slower to film. You have to stand the production down sometimes. We were lucky we didn’t have to for very long at any point, but you have to have a certain amount in your back pocket for a contingency when those things happen. It’s quite scary,” says Tranter. The exec considers the firm fortunate, too, that it only had one series to produce and that Sky was so supportive. As well as focusing on this and completing three other projects, Tranter admits she, like many, spent time reflecting on the wider events of last year and how these will inform her business in the future. After all, it wasn’t just Covid that rocked the status quo but the Black Lives Matter movement too. “Sometimes you have to lift your eyes from the valleys and look at the hills,” she says, quoting a Welsh metaphor. “And I spent all of 2020 just looking down the microscope and thinking, ‘How are we going to get these four shows through post remotely and on-air?’ And while lots of the rest of the industry was developing like crazy, we weren’t. “I don’t think it’s a bad thing because our world has changed so much. We’ve had the pandemic, the Black Lives Movement, and what audiences are watching and how they watch have changed. I’m now thinking ahead to Bad Wolf’s next new development phase and what the next five years of television viewing will be like. I don’t think for a moment it’s going to be like the past five.” She cites Shonda Rhimes’ debut Netflix drama Bridgerton as a series that has “kicked open the doors on a debate around diversity of casting in period dramas.” “Nobody should do a historical drama without thinking of how it holds a mirror up to the way we live now,” she says. Thomas Dey is CEO and president of ACF Investment Bank, a company responsible for some of the biggest

transactions in the international TV business over the last decade. He relocated from the UK to the US eight years ago and says it was incredible to witness first-hand the ripple effects of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police. “In a very short period of time, certainly in California, the Black Lives Matter movement was felt, and it was a big wake-up call to people on a social level, but also on a content level,” he says. “People had always pushed the issue to the back of their minds and now there are a lot of champions that have come forward actually heralding a black message from a black producer in the black community. And the content is immediately very different to what we’ve seen before.” Dey says the message has also filtered through to the world of finance and he has received approaches from investors keen to back black-controlled producers. He too identifies Netflix as being a major contributor to this movement. From his perspective the streamer and the string of studio-backed rivals that have sprung up in the last year are also the ones stimulating continued interest in TV production as a whole. ACF handled Netflix’s first acquisition in the scripted production space – that of Black Mirror creators Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones’s new venture Broke And Bones in the summer of last year. Although the transaction was in progress ahead of the pandemic it was one of only a handful that closed as deals were put on hold amidst the chaos and uncertainty. But Dey says buyers are “applying u

“

I spent all of 2020 just looking down the microscope and thinking, ‘How are we going to get these four shows through post remotely and on-air?’ And while lots of the rest of the industry was developing like crazy, we weren’t. Jane Tranter Bad Wolf

AHEAD OF THE CURVE: Pandemic aftermath

the folded piece of paper principle” – looking at how the world was in 2019, the outlook for 2021 and “almost all agreeing to ignore 2020.” “Most recessions or depressions that have happened have been quite local. In this instance, we’ve had someone unplug the global economy for 10 months and now they’re just starting to plug it back in again. There’s an acceptance that that was an extreme one-off situation, so people are being quite accommodating and there is now a backlog of demand,” says Dey. Netflix’s investment in Broke And Bones and its sustained content spend throughout the pandemic as subscriber numbers soared signifies what Dey sees the company doing over the next five to 10 years, which is “going out and starting to do more M&A-style transactions, not just the overall deals they’ve historically done.” He also notes the wider industry appetite as a result of the rise of Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Max, Peacock, Discovery+ and Paramount+ and the ever-growing array of other streamers. “I saw a report recently that said the US SVoD landscape had US$87bn of original content spend planned for 2021. That dwarfs anything we’ve ever seen before, so the demand is there. 2020 is going to be a blip, which is going to be really overcome in 2021 and 2022, and a lot of companies I’m talking to are already planning to double or triple in size,” he reveals. Dey concedes there will be winners and losers but believes those aligned with streamers and focused on high-end content will do just fine. “What we haven’t seen before is it isn’t just the scripted world, it’s also premium, unscripted. Scripted and unscripted premium is where we’re seeing the very big multiples,” he says. ACF facilitated the US$100m injection that natural history producer Plimsoll Productions received from Lloyds Banking Group in the summer of 2019 – a deal Dey says was significant because it signalled the return of interest in the production sector from institutional investors after a decade, a trend he believes is set to continue. Former ACF colleague Tom Manwaring, now founder of UK-based Helion Partners, helped steer All3Media’s acquisition of blue-chip natural history specialist Silverback Films in December, topping off a year in which he also completed Sony Pictures Television’s purchase of Eleven Film – maker of Netflix’s Sex Education – and the sale of literary agency The Agency to Avalon. Not surprisingly then, he too is bullish about the resilience of the TV industry and its ability to bounce back from the Covid crisis. “Producers of high-end shows with appeal and relationships with the streaming platforms have fared pretty well during the pandemic,” he says. “Those companies will continue to do well, but unfortunately it’s probably the mid-tier producers that are more reliant on ad-funded linear broadcasters that have suffered more of an impact. “A lot of the producers I know are back in production. It’s taken longer than expected and the budget has come in a bit higher as a result. But, generally, the premium commissioners, the likes of Netflix, have been relatively good at funding those extra costs.” Manwaring is also optimistic that despite consumers’

Channel21 International | Spring 2021

apparent accelerated shift to on-demand viewing during the coronavirus lockdowns, the linear ad market will also rebound in time and mid-tier non-scripted outfits will be the beneficiaries. “The overall sector will grow and be more balanced rather than just relying on the high-end producers,” he insists. Former Box TV, Artists Studio and Far Moor Media exec Patrick Irwin joined Newen-backed UK prodco Ringside Studios at the start of this year as executive producer, alongside creative director and long-term collaborator Gub Neal. The company was set up just as the pandemic struck and has a variety of projects in development, including a number with diversity at their core. “The past year has shown the industry we’re in is very

“

Inset: ACF Investment Bank CEO Thomas Dey. Above: Sky fantasy drama A Discovery of Witches

It’s been a remarkable success story keeping production going as it has and to retrench and get back into development when needed. So for me, the lesson has been this is a great industry which has a great future and Covid ain’t going to stop us. Patrick Irwin

Ringside Studios

adaptable. It’s made up of a lot of very talented people who think on their feet and find ways of getting things done,” says Irwin. “It’s been a remarkable success story keeping production going as it has and to retrench and get back into development when needed. So for me, the lesson has been this is a great industry which has a great future and Covid ain’t going to stop us.” “We’ve experienced something that, hopefully, we’ll never have to experience again,” says ACF’s Dey. “The impact continues to roll out and will be part of our psyche for the next five or 10 years “I do believe we will return to where we were before but I think it will be different. “What it’s told me is that intellectual property and ideas are just so key to our society. If we hadn’t had compelling stories to watch for the past 12 months, society would have gone crazy. So I think producers have been keeping everybody sane and IP, ideas and telling stories will only become even more important.”

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THE C21 CONTENT BUSINESS TRENDS REPORT: Spring 2021

Channel21 International | Spring 2021

The C21 Content Business Trends Report launches in this issue, as a quarterly outline of some of the biggest trends the C21 editorial team has identified in the course of their dayto-day coverage of the content business. The Mandalorian

Welcome to the

streaming age T

he biggest trend impacting the international content industry needs no introduction, as the effect of all the new US studio-backed global streaming platforms continues to upend the traditional programme distribution ecosystem. The seismic shift in strategy among the Hollywood majors is having enormous repercussions throughout the international industry. As well as overhauling their own companies, as the new direct-to-consumer (D2C) streaming strategy sees studios’ entire distribution divisions forced to the periphery along with their linear networks, they have impacted thirdparty broadcasters the world over. The clients/competitors that used to rely on a supply of studio content are not only having to find new sources but are finding that premium US content is appearing on studio-backed rival streamers in their own local markets.

Distributors are also finding new clients as traditional supply lines get shaken up and new and hungry streamers roll out across the globe, because even with the fattest programming pipeline from Hollywood, those new platforms all need local product too. And all this is happening against a backdrop of pandemic-driven production shutdowns, locked-in audiences turning to OTT in droves and broadcasters in the linear space suffering advertising downturns and huddling together with other legacy players to combine budgets in an effort to compete. The challenge facing the traditional broadcasting system is finding new content suppliers that can replace the big-budget US shows they are no longer getting, with the apparent beneficiaries being other suppliers from the Anglosphere. Also, the move

by the Hollywood majors to ringfence their own shows is accelerating a trend that has been seen in the market for years: networks worldwide being forced into local production and coproduction – pandemic permitting. The other big question that remains is whether the production studios currently enjoying a spike in demand will eventually follow suit as they roll out their own streamers globally. The commercial imperative that drove the Hollywood studios towards D2C applies to everyone, after all, and buyers might find their new suppliers, like their old ones, can switch from content partner to streaming competitor overnight. Brad Danks, CEO, OutTV If your business is reliant on acquisitions, particularly from the big studios, you’re more vulnerable. The really big shift is that all the premium shows are now going straight to the streaming platforms. We’ve seen that with Disney+ with The Mandalorian and we’ve seen it with Hamilton. We’re now seeing it with some of the other streaming services. This is going to take down most of the traditional broadcasting systems, because the better product is now going to be on the streaming services, which is going

THE C21 CONTENT BUSINESS TRENDS REPORT: Spring 2021

Channel21 International | Spring 2021

to accelerate cord-cutting. So if you’re not preparing for the future where those companies are going to be holding on to their rights, you’re going to really struggle. Andrew Shaw, consultant, former TVNZ buyer I finished my term as the buyer for TVNZ in June 2020. There’s a lot less to buy these days. The fact is that every studio you used to rely on selling their content outside of North America to the world is now holding those rights, whether it’s HBO Max, Paramount+ or whoever, everybody is hanging on to it. So there’s an awful lot less content to buy. Interestingly, that’s coincided, certainly in the last two years, with a significant decline in the attractiveness of US crime dramas and sitcoms in New Zealand. People’s habits have changed, driven by the bold creative statements made by the streamers and by an upsurge in local content. And that will continue. Mark Oliver, chairman, Oliver & Ohlbaum Associates If more global rights deals are being done effectively by maintaining content on the studios’ streaming platforms, the amount of material available to national broadcast and national platforms bought in from the US is going to shrink in quantity, and probably quality. In the short term, that can lead to a spike in prices because people still need to fill their schedules and there is less supply available. The distributors that do have content will see a spike on top of the Covid spike, because people need to fill their schedules quickly, leading to a bit of a golden period in programme distribution. Jack Davison, executive VP, 3Vision As direct-to-consumer efforts have grown in size and significance, like with Disney+, the influence on programme distribution is much greater. But each studio’s activity varies quite a bit by market. There is

a bit of a mixture in terms of what’s going on, but there is no question it’s changing. It can only present an opportunity for independent distributors. On the one hand, these services are licensing content from third parties so there’s an opportunity to sell to these players. Also, as they increasingly withhold their content, that’s going to leave a hole in the other services that can’t be filled alone by original productions and they’ll need to look for acquisitions. Bruce Tuchman, co-chairman, Rialto International Companies that put their own content exclusively on their streaming platforms do so because they have made a huge investment in those streamers. In the short term, they acknowledge that they will make less money but hope to reap the benefits in the long term. However, a great model of success in the streaming world does not yet exist as the space is too new. Believing that your business will grow enough to compensate for the loss of short-term cash is a risky and cocky strategy. It takes things off the table for those studios’ long-term customers. For decades, third parties have had output deals with them and now content is being pulled away. For these thirdparty channels and businesses, it is going to be tougher. Strong and solid partnerships could fray and fall apart. Walter Iuzzolino, co-founder and curator, Walter Presents Content needs to circulate and to be packaged, repackaged, disseminated and distributed. At the moment, I can see that content owners are thinking, ‘This is mine, don’t touch it.’ But it will be tricky if you erect too high a fence because it means in three or four

years’ time everyone will be trying to compete with the big verticals. Everyone will want their own content and for it to go global, and so another person will make that content as well and want it to go global too. That can’t be sustained for a very long period of time. Louise Pedersen, CEO, All3Media International US studios launching their owns streamers is a big opportunity for us. First of all, doing deals with those platforms. They have vast libraries but they are usually also interested in a local offering too. So in the UK, for example, they might be interested in some local British shows that they might not be getting from their primarily American libraries. But also, as those studio-backed services bring their content back to their own platforms, there are other local and global SVoD platforms that need fresh content too, in order to fill the gap. So it’s a two-pronged opportunity. Dermot Horan, director of coproductions and acquisitions, RTÉ One of the biggest challenges for buyers in 2021 is if more and more content goes directly to the consumer on a vertically integrated VoD service like Disney+. A lot of US drama hasn’t been landing as well as it was in the past. The days of European broadcasters putting 22part US crime dramas in primetime are long gone, except in cable channels like Sky Witness. But what we’re more interested in from the States is shorter, high-profile shows. Thankfully, we’re still able to do quite a lot of those shows as HBO Max isn’t yet available in the UK and Ireland. We’ve also got used to the fact a lot of US programming isn’t available to us, due to Sky’s deals with HBO and Showtime. Disney+ would be a case in point, particularly with movies. It is getting more complicated but it does give British content an opportunity.

THE C21 CONTENT BUSINESS TRENDS REPORT: Spring 2021

Channel21 International | Spring 2021

It’s a Sin

The streaming market has changed in recent years, with global players now facing competition for eyeballs and content from a plethora of local SVoD players that provide new strategic and revenue opportunities for distributors.

The rise of local SVoDs

s well as the dramatic growth of global streamers, which was accelerated by the pandemic, the past few years have also seen the emergence of local streaming services that compete with them in their local markets but not elsewhere. Each market now has a ‘local versus global’ dimension, with the likes of Netflix and Amazon now not only squaring up against other global services like HBO Max and Disney+ but challenger brands like Stan and Binge in Australia, Crave in Canada, TVNow and Joyn in Germany, Britbox and Acorn TV in the UK, Salto in France – the list goes on. This has given producers and distributors a way to leverage their local production presence in order to service the needs of each local player. The trend also offers an alternative to signing over global rights to content – something that has long rankled with some producers – and has provided distributors with the upside of a territory-byterritory sales strategy and opened the door to coproductions between local SVoDs. Coproductions between local SVoDs looks set to be a big thing in 2021 and beyond as these new services – now with their own originals budgets – try to compete with the global players by pooling resources and often drawing on existing

coproduction relationships between the broadcasters behind the services. And that originals strategy from local streamers then feeds fresh content back to distributors, which can find homes for that content on local streamers in other markets – or indeed, the global players on a RoW basis. The interface between the global and local streaming sectors is becoming more interesting as the year goes on. Louise Pedersen, CEO, All3Media International Whenever we consider one of the global SVoD buyouts there’s always a fairly careful piece of modelling that goes on around what that deal looks like versus what we would make if we took the show out territory by territory. The local SVoDs have an appetite for slightly edgy, more original, less mainstream programming, and that’s helpful in terms of some of the content we’re representing. [Channel 4 drama] It’s a Sin has played on a lot of local SVoDs, so at that premium end of the market those SVoD services are really interesting people to talk to.

Channel21 International | Spring 2021

Kelly Wright, senior VP of distribution and new business, Keshet International The rise of local SVoDs has broadened not only the number of outlets you can sell to but also the type of content you can sell into each territory. It’s exciting because there seems to be a home for almost every type of content now. If you do decide to sell piecemeal, you can ultimately end up making more money. It really depends on the content, but from one region alone you can end up making what you might have made from a global sale and then you’ve still got the rest of the world to sell to. Augustus Dulgaro, executive VP of sales and distribution in Asia Pacific, ITV Studios Local platforms are even hungrier for content, and they really want the best to compete with the global streamers. If you’re Lionsgate Play, ErosNow, Bilibili or Tencent and you’re suddenly no longer getting US content, you’ve got to get quality content from someone else. And local streamers commissioning their own content gives us the opportunity to take that content to the global market. Chris Bluett, senior VP of sales for Asia Pacific and Benelux, Cineflix Rights VoD platforms are on the rise in Asia as studios and major tech companies drive towards a direct-to-consumer model. The proliferation and growth of local services throughout Asia means demand for content has never been higher for both SVoD and AVoD platforms, with the latter core to broadcasters’ overall offering. Networks in Australia are combating global and local SVoD players, such as Netflix, Stan and Foxtel’s recently launched Binge, with a stronger focus now on securing rights for their AVoD services. Jens Richter, CEO, international, Fremantle Over the past 12 months we have seen a lot more local platforms launching and now there are no more local linear broadcasters left. Everybody that was once a local linear broadcaster is now a local linear broadcaster with a strong VoD offering. They all now have non-linear extensions and dedicated budgets for them too. All these players need to offer more choice than they were able to in the linear space. There are no longer any pure linear broadcasters, so the way we are selling is different. Emmanuèle Pétry-Sirvin, co-founder, Dandelooo The good news is that these new SVoD players are all non-exclusive so we can sell to all of them at the same time. The bad news is that the licence fees are extremely low compared with the big players like Netflix and Amazon. In terms of kids’ shows, most of the smaller players seem to be looking for edutainment programming

RuPaul’s Drag Race

THE C21 CONTENT BUSINESS TRENDS REPORT: Spring 2021

after the chaos brought about by Covid and the need to home-school. I don’t think the major players are interested in edutainment at all, they just want pure entertainment for children. It means the two players complement each other as they seek different programming. Paul Corney, senior VP of global digital sales and coproductions, All3Media International Initially, Netflix came into the market quite aggressively and expanded into multiple territories and bought a lot of content with the global rights. Now, global deals are done but they are more on a title-by-title basis. Amazon followed a similar journey to Netflix but has changed its model a lot. Instead of just acquiring content globally, it’s now more of a first-window platform. Amazon has also realised the need to make itself locally relevant and competitive in the local market. It’s not viable to continuously launch originals. Jimmy George, co-founder, GoQuest Media Ventures Global SVoD deals are a one-way ticket to sharing your content with the world and you can secure really high fees in one comprehensive deal. Local SVoD deals are a more time-consuming route that may or may not reach the same revenue. In some cases, they can collectively reach higher revenues but over a much longer period of time. What one Netflix deal can give you might be equal to numerous local deals. But having that local reach helps because it’s not every time Netflix will buy your content. We are looking at increasing our local SVoD pipeline; it’s time-consuming but it’s worth doing. Tom Burton, sales manager for global digital, Australia, NZ, Canada (English) and Middle East, Passion Distribution A global SVoD will take one brand and one version of that brand – for example, the US version of RuPaul’s Drag Race – and air that around the world. So to have a local SVoD on board means you can make programmes like Drag Race Canada and Drag Race Holland and all these other wonderful versions of the show that wouldn’t have been possible with an international service. A local SVoD will do promotion for a show in that territory. They build a fan base and integrate it, making the show almost a part of the landscape. That isn’t something a global SVoD would do in every one of its territories.

THE C21 CONTENT BUSINESS TRENDS REPORT: Spring 2021

Channel21 International | Spring 2021

Taskmaster

Demand for UK programming is rising sharply, as new streaming platforms launch, production shutdowns hit US supply lines and more Hollywood studios rethink their distribution strategies in favour of their own services.

UK in demand A

nother key finding from C21’s Content Business Trends Report is that as more and more US content is taken out of the distribution ecosystem to feed studio-backed SVoD services, or isn’t available due to stateside production shutdowns, networks and platforms around the world are increasingly turning to UK programming. Even before the pandemic, UK content was making waves around the world, cementing the industry as a global cultural powerhouse. Exports of UK programming to the international market for the 2019/20 financial year increased 6% year-on-year to £1.48bn (US$2.04bn), according to the latest UK TV Exports Report from producers’ trade body Pact. The US remains the UK’s biggest TV export market by far, contributing 32% of revenue in the period at £466m – a year-on-year increase of £22m. By region, North America continues to be the most profitable market for UK exports with an 8% year-onyear increase in revenue to £572m. But it’s not just finished programmes and formats that attract the region’s buyers to UK content – North America also commissions a lot of programming directly from UK production companies.

Events of 2020 might have impacted commissioning levels but they will also have increased the licensing of UK content to fill gaps in schedules. On the broadcast side, The CW led the charge in terms of shipping UK programming into US network primetime last fall. Among The CW’s acquisitions last year were UK sitcom Dead Pixels, Channel 4’s Taskmaster, ITV2 competition series Killer Camp and reality series Being Reuben, produced for Discovery-owned UK network Quest Red. This year it seems US demand for UK content has grown further, with streamers ordering, coproducing and licensing more programming from British firms, particularly since the arrival of the new streamers last year. Alongside established players Netflix and Amazon, companies such as AMC Networks (which operates Sundance Now and Acorn TV), WarnerMedia (HBO Max), NBCUniversal (Peacock) and Disney (Disney+ and Hulu) are now dominating the acquisition of UK programming in the US. With more and more US companies buying into the UK production, distribution and broadcast sectors (with Channel 5 and Sky now in US hands) this trend looks set to continue, long after the Covid situation eases.

Cathrine Wiernik, director of acquisitions, formats and development for the Nordic and Baltic regions, TV4 (Sweden) We’ve had more UK shows flowing in than US shows due to productions being postponed or cancelled [during Covid-19]. It’s hit us harder with shows from the US than from the UK, so we’ve had more UK shows than in previous years. But onward as well, it’s becoming even more important to secure UK premium series, library shows and formats, given the fact that the US studios are now retaining rights. The UK is one of the key countries from which we acquire both finished programmes and formats; historically, it has been the biggest country. John McVay, CEO, UK trade body Pact What has happened during the pandemic is that all the UK distributors have sold everything they’ve got on the shelf. So actually our export numbers might be even better because the markets, realising there was going

THE C21 CONTENT BUSINESS TRENDS REPORT: Spring 2021

Channel21 International | Spring 2021

to be a delay in new content, instead bought archive. I know from talking to some British distributors that 2020 was a very good year for sales. Networks that might normally have passed on a drama that was made a couple of years ago, because they wanted something new, have bought that same drama knowing they were going to have a hole in their schedule. Augustus Dulgaro, executive VP of sales and distribution in Asia Pacific, ITV Studios Streaming services in the region are very much interested in UK content, and this demand seems to be growing as competition increases. All streamers realise it makes absolute business sense to present audiences with the best of what the world has to offer. We’re seeing an increasing demand for buzzy scripted IP that’s going to make some noise on an SVoD/AVoD/ BVoD carousel. Thierry Mino, deputy head of factual documentaries, international coproductions and acquisitions, France Télévisions We acquire a lot from English distributors and producers – mainly wildlife programming, including Walking the Himalayas and Walking the Americas [both produced by October Films with GroupM Entertainment]. Another popular show in this space was nature documentary series The Hunt, produced by Silverback Films. For France 5’s science strand, Science Grand Format, we work with BBC Studios’ Science Unit, for example. In this slot, we have programmes across every area of science except for medicine and health. We also work a lot with London-based prodco Windfall Films, including on the Unearthed series. Nina Lorgen Flemmen, director of international acquisitions, TV2 (Norway) There is still room for UK content in our normal schedule for linear TV, which

is less the case with US content these days. It’s really hard to get anything scripted through to linear slots, as it’s becoming more and more about locally produced shows and formats, so UK limited series usually end up airing during shoulder season or in the holiday season. Now, there’s much more diversity in both genres and storytelling. I would say the US is still kind of a production machine. Even though you see some wonderful content coming from the US, I would say the UK producers are a little bit more realistic in their storytelling. Mira Vočinkić, head of documentaries, HRT (Croatia) We always have great success with BBC and ITV material. In what I call my BBC slot, which is in primetime, we air nature documentaries fronted by Sir David Attenborough, like Planet Earth and Blue Planet, as they are popular among audiences. With the coronavirus pandemic and the earthquakes in Croatia, we are seeking

Levison Wood in Walking the Himalayas

more cheerful and uplifting programming. In that bracket, we are particularly looking for travel, gardening and DIY shows. In terms of UK content in that space, I have a lot of documentaries with gardener Alan Titchmarsh. He is very popular with Croatian audiences. Zane Valeniece, head of acquisitions, Latvian Television A winner for a long time in Latvia has been soft crime, particularly British series like Poirot and Midsomer Murders. These appeal to our older, linear viewers. One thing I’m looking out for is content aimed at the male audience. We have a slot on our second channel, LTV7, that needs that kind of programming every day. We want new high-quality drama, and it just so happens that the UK is really high quality. But we particularly want shows aimed at a younger audience. For example, edgy limited series are among the top trends right now. We’re also very open to book adaptations, as that makes a good selling point.

Craig Junner, VP of programming, Canadian media, Blue Ant Media Canadians have always loved British TV and the premium programming that’s produced in the UK. In recent years, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in the competition for UK content. Most of our competitors are seeking great programmes and concepts from all corners of the world, and given the track record for the UK in producing top-quality content that resonates with Canadians, it’s the perfect recipe and a hot commodity. We recognise the demand for UK content among our Canadian audiences and that’s why we recently extended our partnership with BBC Studios to launch BBC First in Canada. Richard Halliwell, CEO, NENT Studios UK In some cases, we saw a rush to re-license from broadcasters that were cognisant that their pipeline needed shoring up and they wanted to be certain they would continue to have access to those shows. One real positive that we’ve seen is that shows like Doc Martin and Don’t Tell the Bride saw a big uptick in re-licensing towards the start of the pandemic. And we’re now having conversations with those same buyers or their colleagues about remakes of shows that they previously only wanted to discuss as tape sales. Lars Erik Nielsen, acquisitions exec for drama, entertainment, music and comedy, TV2 (Denmark) The UK is our biggest source of drama. We do pick up US series, but not new series, and the era of output deals is long gone. So we’re looking to cherrypick and my main source is the UK. I buy a lot of drama, especially for TV2 Charlie. I also cover entertainment, big shiny-floor shows on the readymade side, and also comedy shows, standup and music concerts. We’ve always been fond of UK content, especially for our linear channels, because UK content resonates well with a Danish audience culturally.

THE C21 CONTENT BUSINESS TRENDS REPORT: Spring 2021

Channel21 International | Spring 2021

No need to fight over rights The combination of Covid-19 and the boom in streaming has led many buyers and sellers to think beyond exclusivity and embrace a new world of sharing programming.

he scarcity of new programming over the past year has led to changes in the kinds of licensing deals that distributors are forging with their clients. This isn’t just down to heightened demand due to production shutdowns, although that is playing a major part. The remarkable proliferation of new streaming platforms, both subscription and ad-supported, has had a much more significant impact and it reflects a more permanent change in the industry compared with any stopgap moves from channels hit by Covidrelated production issues. Add the fact that many of the industry’s biggest content suppliers – the US studios – have rethought their strategies regarding distribution to third-party platforms and channels, and last year’s talk of a content shortage for 2021 starts to feel real. Consequently, the industry is revising the once key notion of

The Simpsons

exclusivity. The traditional widowing system that has long ruled the licensing sector is built on the idea of programme licensees getting an exclusive period of exploitation before the show moves into the next window. But, judging by comments from both the buying and selling sides of the industry, this is changing. And for certain types of content, buyers are happy to share and share alike. BBC Studios inked a major nonexclusive deal with US cablenet Ovation TV last fall, for example, covering hits Luther and Death in Paradise, and Sky and Disney+ eventually sealed a co-exclusive deal allowing Fox hit The Simpsons to live on both platforms in the UK. This trend can even be seen in the world of US domestic SVoD. When the NBCUniversal-backed streamer Peacock licensed two dramas from ViacomCBS last year – Showtime hits Ray Donovan and The Affair – they

aired on both Showtime’s streamer and Peacock. The move is part of ViacomCBS’s strategy to keep licensing its content to third parties (even rivals) but on a co-exclusive basis so the studio can feed its own streamers as well. This marks ViacomCBS out from the other studios that are simply taking some of their biggest shows off the market to drive subscriptions to their own SVoD services. Elsewhere in the streaming sector, the acquisition of non-exclusive rights is a central plank to some of the new start-ups that have launched in recent months, such as Watch4 from European operator Video Solutions, YouLook.tv in the UK and Sooner in Germany. Even the bigger players like Stan and BritBox in Australia have embraced non-exclusive content. Buyers and sellers are finding that as the industry enters a new age of streaming, there are new rules.

THE C21 CONTENT BUSINESS TRENDS REPORT: Spring 2021

Channel21 International | Spring 2021

Bob Bakish, CEO, ViacomCBS We have moved to a co-exclusive or nonexclusive model to ensure Paramount+ also benefits from our product. You look at what is an acquisition driver versus what is an engagement driver. Library products are not acquisition drivers; we believe these will be our franchiselength originals and other originals. Library product, including some stuff from Comedy Central, is good for engagement so we want to have it for our own use, but we don’t think that detracts from subscriber acquisition for Paramount+. In terms of the content licensing business, we have a tremendous asset base in content. We can’t keep all that for ourselves; it doesn’t make sense. Ian McKee, founder and CEO, Vuulr Welcome to the new digital content economy and the evolution from ‘few big-ticket exclusive’ deals to ‘many non-exclusive.’ In this brave new world, with the explosion in the number of platforms and, correspondingly, content buyers, the number of deal opportunities has increased many-fold for sellers that can achieve reach for their distribution. Equally, these new buyers are choosing to optimise their budgets by buying on a non-exclusive basis and are moving away from an ‘all eggs in one basket’ approach where they would previously go allout for exclusive rights for a slate of expensive tentpole titles each year. Keren Shahar, chief operating officer and president of distribution, Keshet International Different territories and different clients reacted in different ways throughout the year and are dealing with the pandemic in a dynamic way, depending on how fast their ad market is bouncing back, how much content they had ready to go in their pipeline and how fast production resumed in their country. But yes, there was more leeway and flexibility in business terms, with more co-exclusivity, which we welcome. But, ultimately, it depends on the content being licensed. If it’s ‘must have’ content then clients still require

exclusivity, as in the past. If it’s ‘nice to have’ content then clients are now more flexible. Jens Richter, CEO, international, Fremantle We are now seeing two extremes: some platforms want to own and control a certain piece of IP absolutely exclusively in their territory, taking all rights for a long period of time; and at the other end of the spectrum are clients that are totally happy licensing non-exclusive rights, and we can have the show on several platforms at the same time. Sometimes that’s to do with the show and sometimes the territory. In Russia, for instance, you can have a defined set of platforms sharing the same drama at the same time. You can set up similar kinds of deals in China, where three or four platforms share the same show, non-exclusively. There are different models. For us, it’s about generating the widest reach for our shows and monetising them in the best ways. The multitude of licensing and business models is not limited anymore; it’s fun. Kate LlewellynJones, CEO, Beyond Rights There is an increasing amount of focus on the way we’re selling rights over a long period of time because there are more places to sell those rights. We are really seeing that change. There are second and third windows and certainly more opportunities for non-exclusive deals. So that has to remain a key focus without, at the same time, missing out on opportunities for global deals. That’s about working closely with our partners to understand. And we’re very focused on partnerships, knowing that every relationship is different and that we have to have a creative and innovative approach to investing in programming. It’s not one-size-fitsall, definitely not. So we’re going to have to be very nimble. Cate Slater, director of content, TVNZ We need to be able to distribute through our channels and through TVNZ OnDemand for a decent length of time because, particularly in the

scripted space, there is a long tail on that content. So we like to have a decent amount of exclusivity in this territory before it will drop to nonexclusivity. We look at taking an exclusive window and then dropping to a non-exclusive window to allow our streaming partners to have the global exposure. Ultimately, they monetise in different ways. TVNZ OnDemand is an ad-funded service. If you want to watch it without ads, you can go to the streamer and watch it, so we see that working quite well. Tim Mutimer, executive VP of sales and acquisitions for EMEA, Banijay Rights There’s a lot more shared exclusivity than there’s ever been before, because people are hungry for content and they find it in different places. Everyone is really keen to screen a brand new scripted show but, equally, library content that they know audiences love. If you look at what people are watching on Netflix, often it’s shows that have already aired elsewhere, that you assume a lot of the audience have already seen. You can put shows on different platforms and new audiences will find them. Ray Donovan

Dan Cohen, president, ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group I’ve been doing content licensing my whole career. In the early days, it was all about exclusivity. We don’t do much of that anymore. It’s much more about coexclusive licensing and sometimes non-exclusivity. With the possible exception of pay TV, I would say my clients are definitely moving in that direction. For example, we did a deal with Peacock for two recent Showtime shows: Ray Donovan and The Affair. The ground rules were that we would license them but not take them out of the Showtime ecosystem. When I started my career, I don’t know if that kind of conversation would have gone very far. At this point, Peacock understood it and was willing to do business on that basis. Now, arguably, it’s not as valuable to them as an exclusive licence, so they might not want to pay exactly the same amount, but we’re seeing more and more of that happening. Linear networks now understand they have an audience and it may be different to an on-demand audience, so a licence where they share with an on-demand service is something they’re willing to consider. There isn’t ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to content licensing anymore.

THE C21 CONTENT BUSINESS TRENDS REPORT: Spring 2021

he past couple of years have seen broadcasters putting more emphasis on coproduction as budgets soar in response to the global streamers entering the market. But over the past 12 months, as the number of studio-backed streamers multiplied, this collaboration trend seems to have increased further, according to the findings of the C21 Content Business Trends Report. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), for instance, launched its Drama Initiative last year, a coproduction drive between EBU members, headed by VRT exec Elly Vervloet. The move followed the launch of The Alliance, a copro pact set up by France Télévisions, Rai TV in Italy and ZDF of Germany in 2018, and Nordvision’s Nordic 12 partnership between Nordic pubcasters. And as the appetite and ambition for local content spreads into new markets and new platforms, the ranks of potential copro partners are growing fast. MultiChoice in Africa, for example, is launching Reyka, its first international copro with Fremantle, while US-based SVoD player Topic recently boarded Finnish drama Peacemaker. With the huge growth of local streaming services around the world, many backed by those linear broadcasters trying to plant their flags in the OTT space, this sense of collaboration has moved into the streaming sector too. Not only are local SVoD services becoming more interesting to distributors and local producers alike as they try to compete against the global players, they are also offering more copro opportunities. Distributors are playing a key role in stitching together those deals and also taking that finished product out around the globe. Raphael Corrêa Netto, head of international business, Globo We believe the way to achieve international expansion is through partnerships and making them market by market. We want to become preferred content partners with local streamers outside Brazil, such as Atresplayer and RTLNow. We truly believe there will be more collaboration between content producers and content

Iain Glen in Reyka

Channel21 International | Spring 2021

distributors to create an alternative to streaming giants, because there’s lots of very high-quality content that needs global distribution. The way we see ourselves is as a strategic content partner for channels, platforms and so forth. We’d bring our telenovelas but also the content that we produce for our cable networks in Brazil – kids’ content, sports, entertainment. In the past, one of the issues we had was language. English was necessary for something to travel. Nowadays, it’s not about the language, it’s about the story you tell. Ryan Chanatry, general manager, Topic We are thrilled with the [coproduction] model. It's vital to our long-term success to find likeminded creative partners who are able to bring territories to the table, whether that's distributors or partnering directly with channels or production companies. We are able to offer creative and production and financing assistance in exchange for knowing that we're going to launch what will hopefully be a global piece of IP. The Nordic broadcasters have been doing this tremendously for many years and we’re the home of [YLE drama coproduction] Peacemaker. We went in early enough on that one – that’s an example of a future model where there were five or six markets pre-committed to the project, which gets the thing done very quickly. We’re excited to now be in those conversations and we want to push that beyond Europe into Africa, Asia and Latin America. Dermot Horan, director of coproductions and acquisitions, RTÉ We’re probably going to see more collaboration among public broadcasters, particularly because scripted drama is getting more expensive to produce. Part of that is down to the SVoDs going into territories, buying up talent and paying higher prices to get that premium talent in their shows, putting pressure on the industry as a whole. So collaboration is a key thing internationally and particularly among Europeans.

TeamCoproduction, already a big trend in recent years, has been given a major boost as new deeppocketed global streamers push more local channels and platforms into collaborations to fight back.

Ivar Køhn, head of drama, NRK It's very important for us to keep our streaming platform relevant for our audience, and this means keeping our [original] dramas mostly exclusive. Having said that, everything is changing and we may find a new way of doing it. We have nothing against working with a streaming platform, but we haven't found a way that it works for us. [Collaboration] is clearly the future and I think everyone can see that. I hope broadcasters will cooperate more. How to do it is not solved yet, but that's very exciting. We need to cooperate more and we need to find out how to work with other broadcasters more. Jack Davison, executive VP, 3Vision With the free TV broadcasters in particular, which are now struggling from the [decline of] the advertising market, there will be more cooperation across European borders. The need to have more financial security

Channel21 International | Spring 2021

THE C21 CONTENT BUSINESS TRENDS REPORT: Spring 2021

Peacemaker

-building exercises and to have more leverage and more power, in terms of getting hold of the content they want, means there will be more compromise and cooperation between local broadcasters to get content. Yolisa Phahle, CEO of general entertainment and connected video, MultiChoice Group Coproduction is hugely exciting for us as a business. What we’ve seen over recent years is there’s growing international demand and appetite for global voices in drama. We believe the world is now hungry for and will be interested in stories that come from Africa. It’s not just MultiChoice that’s partnering up: if you look across the world, you see the BBC partnering with Netflix and all sorts of other broadcasters and studios coming together. Combining budgets means you are able to do a lot more. If we can make a brilliant show, share the cost of that show and broadcast it in different parts of the world, it actually makes sense. It’s just a wonderful way to be able to give your viewers increased production values and to tell stories that require multiple locations. Sameer Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment This pandemic is providing a real boost for content creation and for companies like us that are collaborating with people to create content. We’re already doing that, and have been acquiring rights to a variety of

international formats to adapt in India, such as Criminal Justice, Fauda and Luther. But over the past few months, we’ve learnt that this ability to work across borders remotely is going to create a fundamental change. Our big aim is to collaborate with people from everywhere around the world because if a global streamer can straddle the globe and tell stories from anywhere to everywhere, content creators can also straddle the globe in the same way. Christian Rank, drama director, DR (Denmark) Coming from a small country, we don’t have a lot of funds, so it’s about a strategy of walking on two legs, as we say here in Denmark. With a show like Borgen that has had such great international success, it really makes sense to have an international partner who can make the most of that international potential. You collaborate where it really makes sense, and this collaboration with Netflix does. The vast majority of shows we’re doing are almost primarily for the local market. Sometimes we’re lucky and they also travel, so I would also say that doing something like Borgen with Netflix allows us to keep our editorial profile on a lot of the other shows we do, as well as on a global level. Obviously, some of the new players are very strong so we have to restructure our way of thinking to be as strong, as well as be aware that they have gone into our local markets. But we need to find a way to collaborate locally to stay strong.

Noel Curran, director general, European Broadcasting Union The scale of investment going into drama from the streaming companies means there is a growing realisation that we need to work together. On a general level, [EBU members] share news and things like music concerts. During Covid, everyone stepped up, and that was a real sign of solidarity. We’ve set up a drama coproduction unit and we’ll have four series come through that [in 2020] and hopefully increase that [in 2021]. Coproduction is critical, funding around coproduction is critical and collaboration is absolutely critical. Elly Vervloet, coordinator, EBU Drama Initiative, and international drama exec, VRT The main priority to start with was to create the network, because we can only collaborate with one another if we get to know each other. It's a people business and it is unfortunate that, with Covid-19, we can't get to know each other face-toface. We call it a coproduction network, but it doesn't have to be coproduction; it's essentially a network of public service media, with EBU members getting to know each other and what they are making. So it can be co-development, it can be coproduction, it can be a pre-sale. By getting involved, it’s easier to get projects financed and content is made accessible to all public service media. If we all go straight to Netflix to get projects financed, that project may not be accessible to pubcasters for five to 10 years.

Current Highlights

Voltaire in Love

ANA. all in. Series / Crime + Suspense

6 x 48’

Series / Drama

New

4 x 52’ New

Ana Tramel is a brilliant criminal lawyer who has hit the lowest point in her life. Her behavior is self-destructive and instead of saving lives and delivering justice, she appeals traffic violations and other fines at her best friend Concha’s firm. But a call from her long-lost brother launches her back into action: Alejandro has been arrested, accused of murdering the manager of the Gran Castilla Casino. He needs her to defend him. Surrounded by a small but trusted team, Ana takes on the corrupt gambling corporation.

How did Voltaire become who he was? One of the world’s greatest thinkers, known for his wit. An advocate of freedom of speech and religion, whose writings shaped the course of the French Revolution. Voltaire in Love is a four-part drama series that explores Voltaire’s early life and evolution. It reveals aspects of the gifted philosopher’s life that have received less attention: Voltaire the adventurer, lover, man of justice who had an ambiguous relationship with royalty.

Produced by: RTVE in co-production with TORNASOL, DeAPLANETA and ZDF Enterprises. Supported by GOBIERNO DE NAVARRA Cast: Maribel Verdu, Natalia Verbeke, Israel Elejalde, Luis Bermejo, Unax Ugalade, Maria Zabala a. o.

Produced by: Siècle Productions in co-production with France Télévision Cast: Thomas Soliveres, Christa Theret, Eric Caravaca, Hippolyte Girardot a. o.

Huss

Before we die Series / Crime + Suspense

Series / Crime + Suspense

5 x 90’ / 10 x 45’ New

6 x 60’ Coming Soon

Katarina Huss is a new graduate of Sweden’s police academy. Young and ambitious, she is quickly drawn into a tangled web of corruption and betrayal. As she gets to know her colleagues and the local community, she soon realizes that the police squad in which she serves harbors a secret. There is also an underlying discontent with the leadership which begins to affect Katarina, whose mother, Irene Huss, is the deputy chief of police.

When her married lover and fellow police officer Sean Hardacre is reported missing under mysterious circumstances, Detective Hannah Laing launches an urgent manhunt. She manages to contact one of Sean’s confidential sources: ‘Issy’, and Hannah and her partner start investigating the Mimica family. The Croatian clan plans to smuggle a massive quantity of cocaine into the country, but when Hannah finds out the informant is her son, she finds herself in a conflict due to the investigation.

Produced by: Yellow Bird in co-production with Viaplay, Discovery, ZDF German Television Network and ZDF Enterprises Cast: Karin Franz Körlof, Anders Berg, Björn Elgerd, Filip Berg a. o.

Produced by: Eagle Eye Drama in association with Caviar Cast: Lesley Sharp, Patrick Gibson, Vincent Regan, Toni Gojanovic, Kazia Pelka, Peter Cvirn, Rebecca Scroggs, Issy Knopfler

.. 2 ..

Zoom — The White Dolphin Animation

104 x 12’

L&M

Pan Tau 6 — 10

Live Action

14 x 25’

Season 2: Brand New

10 + / Family Brand New

Yann (15) and his little sister Marina (7) live on the island of Maotou, a tiny corner of paradise lost in the Pacific Ocean. Yann has formed a bond of friendship with Zoom, a white dolphin of exceptional intelligence. In the new season, our heroes and their Polynesian friends are confronted with fresh dangers. Through Ramana, the custodian of local legends, Yann and his friends are also set on the trail of the mysteries that shroud the history and origins of the island.

Pan Tau — A fantastical series for the entire family! Elegant, silent and yet full of fantastic surprises — whenever a kid at Westpark School needs help, Pan Tau steps in and the adventure begins. No matter what the problem is, Pan Tau is there with a smile and his incredible magic, which will make you both wonder and laugh. He can make bathtubs fly or beam you into your favorite novel… but the real heroes are the girls and boys who are helped by the lovable magician.

Produced by: Media Valley, Marzipan Films

Produced by: Caligari Film, Traffix Entertainment, Caligari Entertainment, Caligari International

Space Nova

Hoodie

Animation

26 x 22’

6 — 10

Live Action

52 x 11’

10 + Brand New

Available Now

Space Nova — a blast of fun and adventure — with science at its core! When the Nova family find humanity’s first evidence of intelligent extra-terrestrial life — an abandoned alien craft — they think they’ve hit the scientific jackpot. But when the ship takes off before they can retrieve it, it starts them on an epic quest that will bring them face-to-face with strange life-forms, physics-defying phenomena and out-of-this-world planets beyond their wildest dreams.

Hoodie is a superhero story centered around a perfectly normal boy with an exceptional talent for parkour and a heart for justice. For two years now, Pieter has been trained in secret by Soufian — the best parkour athlete in Brussels — in secret, as his mother would never approve it. One evening, on his way back from training, he witnesses a theft and decides to use his skills to bring down the bad guy — right there the legend of “Hoodie” is created.

Produced by: SLR Productions

Produced by: VRT / Ketnet & Hotel Hungaria

.. 3 ..

History + Biographies

Construction Fails

10 x 50’

Science + Knowledge

New

8 x 50’ New

Myths. How much truth lies behind them? Each episode of this multi-part series Myths — The Greatest Mysteries of Humanity gets to the bottom of a different legendary myth. Archaeologists uncover ancient tombs and embark on underwater expeditions. The quest takes us to Ancient Egypt, to Attila, the King of the Huns, and to the heart of the infamous Bermuda Triangle. From historical figures to biblical stories and modern-day urban legends — it’s a trip across the globe and through the ages.

Construction Fails is a factual, fast-paced show featuring the biggest, strangest, and most jaw-dropping mishaps from the world of construction. Using a combination of footage that has been captured in the moment, along with original 2-D animation, this show goes beneath the surface to find out what went wrong. We explore and reveal the science behind these engineering blunders. Construction Fails is packed with take-home information that is delivered in a light-hearted and accessible manner.

Produced by: Story House Productions for ZDF.info and ZDF Enterprises

Produced by: yap films in association with Bell Media, ZDF Enterprises and Newsflare with the assistance of The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit Rogers Cable Network Fund

In Touch with a Giant Pacific Octopus

Crime Watch XY

Wildlife + Nature 4K / UHD

1 x 50’

Reality TV / Crime

90’

New

560 shows aired since 1967

Available

With nine brains and eight arms, the giant pacific octopus is the largest octopus on the planet. Florian Graner develops a close bond with the octopuses. At the same time, he accompanies the development of a young female in an aquarium, where Ellie solves increasingly complex problems. Giant octopuses are bizarre creatures with an high-speed life cycle: within 4 years, they can reach 10 meters in size; the ‘aliens’ are intelligent, inquisitive and look to interact with another species. Produced by: NDR Naturfilm / Doclights for NDR in association with Arte and ORF, distributed by ZDF Enterprises

Crime Watch XY is a manhunt series that is now a German TV classic and a successful tool in the fight against criminality. The program’s goal is to solve open cases with the help of the viewers. In each episode, 5 or 6 unsolved crimes are presented in the form of film reconstructions (film cases). Other cases are also treated in which suspects are being sought on the basis of superimposed photos and identikit shots (studio cases). In Germany, an average of about 40 % of the cases aired has been solved. Produced by: Securitel

Current Highlights

1.2021

Myths — The Greatest Mysteries of Humanity

AHEAD OF THE CURVE: Sustainable TV

s a result of one hour of TV production, around 9.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide are emitted into the atmosphere. It’s a shocking figure and one of many to have come out of Albert’s latest annual report into the industry’s impact on the environment from 2017 to 2019. Founded in 2011, UK-based Albert is part of the Bafta family and is the screen industry authority on environmental sustainability. It offers support to producers on how to tackle their environmental impact, as well as develop on-screen content that is compatible with a sustainable climate. Albert’s industry sustainability manager, Roser Canela-Mas, spoke recently at a Royal Television Society (RTS) virtual event on the topic of sustainable production and called for wider-reaching change. “Free, reusable water bottles are a good starting point, but we really need to look at how we operate as a business. In order to be more resilient in the future, we need to change every aspect of our business,” she said. While talking about the climate emergency and pledging to adopt eco-friendly methods are the first steps towards tackling the problem, what can be done to put them into practice? Speaking at the same event, Phil Holdgate, head of production sustainability at UK producer and distributor ITV Studios (ITVS), explained how a four-pronged approach, centred on “science-based targets,” was being put in place to boost the sustainability of productions. The four pillars of the strategy are energy, waste, sourcing and changing culture, according to Holdgate, who works to ingrain sustainability into productions such as long-running ITV soap Emmerdale. “With energy, we’re looking at things like powering our buildings with renewable energy and looking at emission we can directly control,” he explained. “In terms of waste, we’re looking at how we can eliminate it in the first place and then how we manage it on an ongoing basis.” “Our third strand is sourcing. Well over 90% of our emissions come from supply chains and so it is not in our direct control. There is a huge piece of work underway at the minute with some great support from our procurement Producers of Italy’s team and industry collaboration, X Factor came up because a lot of producers and with a novel green broadcasters share the same initiative. Right: supply chain. ITV’s Emmerdale “Changing culture is the fourth area. My stock phrase is, ‘Being sustainable isn’t my job, it’s everybody’s job.’ So how do we get to that position where everyone working on the production and everyone else in the business is working towards that common goal?” Holdgate said a shift in culture was well underway with “people genuinely keen to be green,” but acknowledged there was a “recurring need” for guidance and direction.

Channel21 International | Spring 2021

Green Is the TV industry making enough effort to implement sustainable practices and face up to the climate emergency, on- and off-screen? By Ruth Lawes “There has been a little bit of misinterpretation sometimes,” he said. “There was an interesting conversation around replacing some diesel cars with hybrids cars, and there was that typical situation where maybe the manufacturers had greenwashed [the hybrid cars] a little bit. What was deemed a hybrid car was actually no better than the diesel models they were looking to replace. There’s some guidance and direction needed around the solutions.” For Richard Watsham, director of commissioning at multi-channel operator UKTV, who joined CanelaMas and Holdgate on the online panel, a proactive measure to increase the transparency of production would be the introduction of a “DNA card.” This,

Watsham explained, would detail, among other things, the carbon credentials of the show and would travel with it when it is sold around the world. “What is really problematic is when we acquire content from other people [because we do not have information on the production process]. I would love to see a DNA card that has a detailed passing of information that is linked to that show wherever it goes,” he said. Watsham believes the UK could take a leading role in such a scheme. “This DNA card would rely on producers and broadcasters being prepared to share information and for the UK to lead in that respect, and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t,” he said. As part of a push towards raising awareness around the climate emergency, Watsham said UKTV has “embraced” Albert’s Planet Placement initiative. This looks at how film and TV content can introduce messages about sustainability. “We try to embed awareness references and reminders of the issues of climate change in all of our programmes, irrespective of genre,” Watsham explained. Natural history as a genre is “well positioned” to address the environment, he believes, but added that there are opportunities to promote eco-friendly living across all genres. As an example, he “actively encourages” drama and comedy writers to find ways of mentioning and referencing the climate emergency. “Do we currently have an eco-thriller on the books? No, we don’t. Would I rule that out in the

AHEAD OF THE CURVE: Sustainable TV

Channel21 International | Spring 2021

screens A Perfect Planet

future? Absolutely not. The value here is that all our shows having visual and verbal references [to the climate emergency]. The big one for me is having those messages embedded in all of our content,” he said. In addition to messaging across all genres, Watsham argued that creative messaging is key to tapping into audiences. “If we want to reach the periphery, we have got to be more imaginative in how we get our message across, and that is where the power of placement comes,” he said. “If you shout loudly in someone’s face, they might not want to listen.” Holdgate agreed and underlined the importance of programmes engaging with and using positive messaging about the environment. “Great action sometimes comes from optimism. That is maybe where TV can play a vital role as we have such a unique platform and we have the ability to reach out to people,” he said. This was a point also raised by Watsham, who said TV’s power to effect change extended beyond production to viewers. “It is clear that one of the biggest impacts the TV industry can have is influence. We can influence individuals, authorities and countries around the world. That is going to have a more significant impact on us than doing important work within our own industry to reduce our carbon footprint. So those two things need to go hand in hand,” he said. On that front, viewers of recent BBC Studios-distributed blue-chip natural history series A Perfect

Fremantle’s Jane Atkinson and Phil Holdgate of ITVS

Planet saw in the final episode what humans can do to restore our planet’s balance. Completing the RTS session’s line-up was Jane Atkinson, senior VP of global production at Fremantle, who said the biggest hurdle for sustainable productions across the global giant is the imbalance between different territories’ progress when it comes to sustainability. “We

“

We have got to be more imaginative in how we get our message across, and that is where the power of placement comes. If you shout loudly in someone’s face, they might not want to listen. Richard Watsham

UKTV

have a broad range of companies and some, such as the Scandinavians, are far ahead. They have access to renewable energy, while other countries won’t have access to that for a long time,” she said. A solution, Atkinson suggested, would be wider industry collaboration. “We need other companies to come on board in the territories that we are in, because we can’t operate in isolation,” she said. “We really need engagement with broadcasters as well. Already, we do have a couple of international broadcasters who are in alignment with Albert, which is a fantastic resource for everyone.” In terms of approaching the production process in an environmentally friendly way, Atkinson singled out staff working on the Italian version of The X Factor, from Fremantle Italy and Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment, for thinking outside of the box. “[The producers of] the Italian X Factor typically produce their audition shows in a huge circus tent. But they had noticed there was a building company in Rome that had been hired by the government to reduce its emissions. In order to do that, they had put an advertising billboard made from fabric on the exterior of the buildings and it absorbed pollution from the cars. X Factor approached the company and asked if they could make the tent out of the same material,” she said. It is clear the industry has woken up to the climate crisis, with events like the RTS session being held, discussions ongoing and action finally being taken. Hopefully, a carbon neutral future and sustainability will soon no longer need to be discussed because they will have become part and parcel of everyday life – including within the TV business.

NEXT BIG THINGS: 21 on 21

Channel21 International | Spring 2021

Pandemic picks Programming about the experience of black, trans and Aboriginal communities are among the highlights of the shows on offer at this year’s Digital MipTV. By Nico Franks

Hair Power: Me & My Afro (1x60’) Producer: Pulse Films Distributor: Fugitive They say: “From looking at the impact of afrotextured hair on popular culture, to beauty routines that are a rite of passage and source of empowerment for many, to feelings of otherness and rejection, this film cracks open a subject that too often has been off-limits.” We say: Led by academic and writer Emma Dabiri, this critically acclaimed, taboo-busting Channel 4 documentary tells the story of how hair shapes black experiences in modern Britain.

Ridley Road (4x60’) My Trans Journey (4x30’) Producer: Yap Films Distributor: Boat Rocker Studios They say: “Dr Carys Massarella’s patients work to overcome personal challenges and thrive in their transitions. Reaching a major turning point in their lives, their journeys culminate in big gatherings with their friends and families.” We say: This OutTV series from Canada was selected for last year’s Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival and celebrates four people as they become their true selves.

Stealing the Show (format) Producer: Florida Entertainment Distributor: Red Arrow Studios International They say: “Everything you know about quizshows is turned upside down in this extraordinary new format, in which contestants have the chance to literally steal the show.” We say: Originally produced for ProSieben in Germany, this entertainment series sees three celebrity contestants and a member of the public compete to play quizmaster and decide the rules of the show.

Producer: RED Production Company Distributor: StudioCanal They say: “Tells the story of a young Jewish woman who rejects her comfortable middle-class life in Manchester to join the fight against fascism in London.” We say: Written by award-winning Sarah Solemani (Barry) and directed by Lisa Mulcahy (Years & Years), this thriller is set against the backdrop of a swinging sixties London rarely depicted on screen, an East End world where the far right is on the ascendent.

NEXT BIG THINGS: 21 on 21

Channel21 International | Spring 2021

The Bowraville Murders (1x80’/1x52’) Producers: Mint Pictures, Jumping Dog Productions Distributor: TVF International They say: “Follow a 30-year court battle that has become a rallying cry for justice and equality for Aboriginal people everywhere.” We say: Through the lens of one of Australia’s worst unsolved murder cases, this powerful SBS doc critiques the treatment of Aboriginal people under a legal system marred by systemic racism and police misconduct.

Billy the Cowboy Hamster (52x11’) Producers: Dandelooo, Atmosphere Media Distributor: Dandelooo They say: “Growing up in the Wild West and raised on the exciting stories told by his father, Billy has a burning desire to hit the trail in his cowboy outfit.” We say: Based on the eponymous book series by Dutch author and illustrator Catharina Valckx, this quirky preschool show follows three friends, including a worm and a marten, as they embark on thrill-seeking adventures.

Janis & Lucy (1x90’) Producer: Keo Films Distributor: Hat Trick International They say: “The fascinating story of a chimpanzee raised as a human, and the woman who took on the near impossible task of helping to give her freedom.” We say: This Channel 4 documentary tells the story of the unbreakable cross-species friendship between Janis Carter and Lucy, a chimp raised as a human in the 1960s.

Angela Black (6x60’) Producer: Two Brothers Pictures Distributor: All3Media International They say: “A domestic violence victim is trapped in an abusive relationship by her husband. When a private investigator reveals her husband’s darkest secrets, she is faced with horrifying truths and must risk everything to fight back against her abuser.” We say: This Hitchcockian thriller for ITV comes from the producers of Liar and explores what lies beneath the façade of charmed domesticity.

Plague Island (1x52’)

In the Shadow of 9/11 (1x90’) Producer: AMOS Pictures Distributor: Abacus Media Rights They say: “Examines the moral panic that emerged from 9/11 as well as the FBI’s subsequent search to uncover the ‘enemy within.’” We say: From the director of Leaving Neverland, In the Shadow of 9/11 documents the tragic and bizarre story of the ‘Liberty City Seven’ – a group of young Black men accused of assisting Al Qaeda in a plot to blow up buildings within the US.

Producer: Gruppe 5 Filmproduktion Distributor: Autentic They say: “Come with us on a journey to the ‘Alcatraz for viruses’ just off the coast of Germany on the Baltic Sea.” We say: European broadcasters ZDF and Arte commissioned this one-off about the island of Riems, home to the oldest virus research centre in the world, where researchers work to combat the growing virus threat and prevent another pandemic.

Wildlife, Science, History. Download our brand new program catalogue! zdf-enterprises.de

NEXT BIG THINGS: 21 on 21

Channel21 International | Spring 2021

The Parker Andersons/ Amelia Parker (10x30’/10x30’) Producers: Marblemedia, Beachwood Canyon Productions Distributor: D360 They say: “With great authenticity, The Parker Andersons follows the comedic ups and downs of a diverse family as they build a new life together, while Amelia Parker follows a remarkably positive and hopeful kid as she starts to figure things out and take her next steps in life.” We say: Set in one storyworld but told from two points of view, these two interconnected Canadian family sitcoms were created by Frank van Keeken (The Next Step) with showrunner Anthony Q. Farrell (The Office) at the helm for broadcasters BYU and Super Channel.

Space Invaders (10x60’) Producer: WTFN Distributor: Fred Media They say: “Authentic, emotion-charged and always good humoured, Space Invaders helps those in greatest need and in the process inspires homeowners to improve their lives.” We say: With families across the globe battling a clutter crisis, declutter guru Peter Walsh is on hand to push families to take ownership of their stuff and turn chaos into calm.

Reyka (8x60’) Producers: Serena Cullen Prods, Quizzical Pictures Distributor: Fremantle They say: “Follows a flawed but brilliant criminal profiler, who, haunted by her past, investigates a string of brutal murders committed by a serial killer in the sugarcane fields of KwaZulu-Natal.” We say: Fremantle’s first ever South African drama, an eagerly anticipated coproduction with M-Net, stars South African-born Kim Engelbrecht and Game of Thrones’ Iain Glen.

Staged (14x22’) Producers: Infinity Hill, GCB Films Production Distributor: Rainmaker Content They say: “Follows the fictional cast of a play trying to rehearse virtually during lockdown.” We say: Filmed entirely throughout two of the UK lockdowns, this hit BBC show stars David Tennant and Michael Sheen playing fictionalised versions of themselves, with a host of guest star appearances from the likes of Whoopi Goldberg, Ewan McGregor and Dame Judi Dench.

Alva’s World (52x11’) Producer: Kavaleer Productions Distributor: WildBrain They say: “A fun, irreverent and forward-thinking 2D animated show for kids, which aims to create a new canon of fables for the digital age by placing internet safety at the heart of its inventive and whimsical storytelling.” We say: First pitched at Cartoon Forum in 2016 under the title Alva & the Trolls and commissioned by Ireland’s RTÉjr and Sky Kids in the UK, this series has grown in relevance over the years as children’s safety online becomes ever more important.

Harness the power of the world’s leading online programme market Visit C21Screenings.net to start screening now

NEXT BIG THINGS: 21 on 21

Channel21 International | Spring 2021

Decoys (6x15’) Vice President Kamala Harris: Chase the Dream (1x90’)

Producer: Counterfeit Pictures Distributor: Portfolio Entertainment They say: “Lifts the veil on the cut-throat, winner-take-all sub-culture of competitive wooden duck carving.” We say: The popularity of mockumentary-style series shows no sign of waning and this Canadian comedy for CBC Gem should draw in fans of cult hits like Best in Show with its eccentric cast.

Kathy Burke: All Money (2x60’)

Producer: Legacy Distributor: NENT Studios UK They say: “In this new biography, we shed light on the early life and career of the vice president and examine just what it was that propelled her to become the first woman – and the first African American and South Asian American – to hold America’s second most important office.” We say: This documentary brings to light the pivotal events in Harris’ life, which fuelled her journey to the highest office of any woman in US history.

Producer: Flicker Productions Distributor: Beyond Rights They say: “Is life all about money? Who has it? Who doesn’t? Who deserves it and who definitely doesn’t? And who has won, and lost it all?” We say: Award-winning British actress, writer and theatre director Kathy Burke explores why some people in the UK treat people differently based on how much money they have, or don’t have, in this two-parter for Channel 4.

Saving the Met (3x60’)

Starstruck (6x30’/format) Producer and distributor: Avalon They say: “Follow 20-something Jessie (Rose Matafeo), a millennial in London juggling two dead-end jobs and navigating the awkward morning-after-the-night-before when she discovers the complications of accidentally sleeping with a film star.” We say: Matafeo’s star has been rising for many years now and this BBC3 and HBO Max commission, already picked up by ABC and TVNZ down under, is the vehicle anyone who’s seen the Edinburgh Comedy Award winner’s live act has been crying out for.

Producer: Oxford Films Distributor: Drive They say: “For the first time in its history, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York closes its doors. Then comes another whirlwind: in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, there are urgent demands for social justice. Throughout this rollercoaster year, this series has unprecedented access from boardroom to basement.” We say: Produced for the BBC in the UK and PBS in the US, this observational documentary series begins as the largest art museum in the Americas prepares to celebrate its 150th birthday with a treasure trove of landmark exhibitions. But then Covid strikes.

Dodo (20x11’) Producer: Wildseed Studios Distributor: Cake They say: “A funny, relatable and heart-warming portrayal of everyday school life told through the heightened emotions of an 11-year-old.” We say: Based upon the multi-award-winning film and YouTube hit Not The End of The World by British creator and series director Jack Bennett, Dodo has been commissioned by Sky Kids in the UK and depicts the drama and awkward memories of school life.

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

PRESENT IMPERFECT FUTURE TENSE: Cally Beaton

Not laughing now D

id you hear the one about the comedian International TV who left their job as a TV executive exec-turnedjust before a global pandemic? You’re comedian Cally about to. MipTV’s gone digital and my comedic Beaton on the timing has never better than when I ditched bibenefits of side annual trips to Cannes just before champagne and yachts got traded in for Doritos and dodgy hustling in a gig economy broadband. during a pandemic. One of the many great things about ‘old’ MipTV (what were we thinking, complaining change management organisation recently, about lost luggage and delayed flights, as we my opening gambit was along the lines of jetted care- and mask-free to kiss everyone ‘change is your meat and potatoes.’ Only what and share cocktails?) was hanging out with I actually said was “change is your meat and A-list talent. Inspired most memorably by two veg.” I think we all learned something that spending one MipTV with Joan Rivers, I did day. The only thing we know for certain is that my first stand-up gig at the age of 45 (she was the future will be different. As you contemplate whether the gig economy 81 and suggested I crack on). Beer-stained open mic venues eventually gave way to BBC could be for you, it needn’t be all or nothing. It panel show bookings and I decided to ditch could be a question of radical reinvention, or the day job – hobby, turned side hustle, turned you could equally side hustle your way into a new working life via incremental change. Think main hustle. The gig economy is not just for those of us butterfly effect – a tiny butterfly flapping its doing actual gigs. Charles Handy was ahead of wings and causing a typhoon. Fair play to anyone who opts to downsize, the times when in 2001 he wrote The Elephant & the Flea, about how individuals (the fleas) but there’s the possibility to upsize too. It relate to multinational conglomerates (the doesn’t always feel like it, but you are not your job, let alone your job elephants). Back then, The gig economy title; only what you’ve learned most of us were only too happy to be all aboard the needn’t be all or doing the job is portable. I’ve brought everything to bear elephants, until it became nothing. It could be from my previous career – increasingly hard to ignore a question of radical mainly talking a good game the actual elephant in the and having nice teeth – to help room – namely the fact reinvention, or you me in the new. (I know I have that employees were free could equally side nice teeth because at one of to flee (and to flea). And to hustle your way into freelance. a new working life via my first gigs, someone came up after my set and said, “I Pre-Covid, there was incremental change. loved your…” Me: “Yes?” Her: already a complete re“...teeth.”) imagining of the workforce, There are many and varied ways to make a and this past year has stepped up the pace. More than a third (36%) of Americans now living, especially if you don’t expect everything engage in some sort of gig work. When to be perfect from the get-go. As a comedian, you think about gig workers, who do you you soon discover that you never learn as picture? Chances are, it’s Uber drivers, digital much from a good gig as you do from a bad marketeers, creatives – avocado-munching one. I turned 50 soon after I left Viacom, an millennials and Gen Z-ers. But everyone, at age at which society generally expects women to lightly pixelate then fade. I wrote a solo every level, is getting in on the game. Working from home has shown that each show, Invisible, to take to the Edinburgh Fringe of us has the real possibility of a career on- and never have I been more visible. Everyone deserves a chance to create their demand. It’s tempting to think of a Covid-19 ‘winner’ as anyone who’s held on to their job own gig and be visible. In the words of the – assuming what you’re into is nine-hour stints late, great British comedian Bob Monkhouse: on MS Teams, with toilet breaks, trousers and “Everybody laughed when I said I wanted to be team drinks all but a distant memory. Perhaps a comedian. Well they’re not laughing now.” the real winners are those who, for whatever Cally’s celebrity podcast Namaste reason, are having a career rethink. As a keynote and after-dinner speaker, I am Motherf*ckers, which looks at what happens often booked to talk about change. When I when the worlds of comedy, self-help and opened a virtual conference for a multinational business collide, launches in April.

“

Channel21 International | Spring 2021

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