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First Take 8 SCENE SETTERS: Deadline takes a close look at the hot button topics affecting the global television business.

- Turkey Turns Up the Volume - Australia Sees Ups and Downs - Writer’s Block for Scripted Formats - AI Setting Off Industry Alarms 16 GEORGE KAY: British writer returns to life of crime with The Long Shadow.

20 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE: Netflix feels the heat as Korean content draws new suitors.

24 SWIMMING UPSTREAM: MBC’s Christina Wayne gives Saudi women a powerful voice.

Cover Story 28 NICOLAS WINDING REFN & MATTHEW READ: The long-time collaborators put a modern spin on Enid Blyton’s much-loved, and sometimes controversial, novel series The Famous Five.

Features 34 A YEAR TO FORGET: How the international TV business was hit hard by U.S. woes.

40 WAKE-UP CALL: European commercial networks finally embrace streaming, but is it too little too late?

46 THE NEW FRONTIER: Global streamers target Africa, but can they complete with locals?

Hot Ones

P H OTO BY SARAH STE N F EL DT EXCLU S I V E LY FO R D EA D L I N E

52 HOT ONES: Deadline profiles some of the buzziest titles on the sales block at this year’s Mipcom.

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EDITORS’ LETTER IT HAS BEEN QUITE THE YEAR. As we sit up and take a breath following a tricky 12 months of strife, strikes and, lest we forget, some pretty damn good shows, it is hard to get away from the fact that the TV industry feels more in flux than ever.

Luckily, we’re here to break things down for you. When we came together to start planning Deadline’s second ever Mipcom edition, we had to consider the shifting tectonic plates above all else.

The first dual writers-actors strikes in more than 50 years had just been called and global economic shocks were wreaking havoc all over the world and denting local industries in a plethora of ways. Streamers scrambled as shareholders began demanding clear routes to profitability. We set about providing as extensive a guide as possible to the state of play today. At the time this magazine went to press, the WGA had tentatively struck a deal with the AMPTP but the actors remained on the picket lines.

Our lead feature (on page 34) focuses on how an awful year in the U.S.—dual labor action, streamer subscriber shocks and layoffs at the legacy studios—had trickled down to the international television community. We ponder how globalization has taken hold over the sector, leading to a scenario whereby the U.S. sneezes and the world catches a cold. But to what extent?

But it was also important for us to celebrate the wins this year, particularly in parts of the world that are on the up. We sat down with Don Kang (page 20), Netflix’s man charged with overseeing a colossal $2.5 billion Korean content pot and finding the

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ON THE COVER Nicolas Winding Refn photographed exclusively by Sarah Stendfeld

next Squid Game . Elsewhere, we spoke to some of the biggest players in the African content sector (page 46) for an update after a strong year in which the streamers laid down markers for growth in the continent.

Amongst the strife, public service broadcasters have ploughed on, with their modus operandi feeling even more important in a world of misinformation, social media wars and over-saturation. It therefore felt apt that our cover star, Nicolas Winding Refn, is making his highly anticipated Famous Five adaptation not for a streamer but for British and German public broadcasters—BBC Studios and ZDF, respectively. Check out page 28 for our exclusive sitdown with the Drive auteur and his producer Matthew Read. Nicolas is one of two creatives we tempted away from their busy schedules for a chat, and you can check out our sit-down with Lupin and Hijack writer George Kay on Page 16.

We also have a fascinating analysis of Europe’s commercial broadcasting sector, coming a few short months after the death of media mogul Silvio Berlusconi and as the continent’s networks finally appear to have embraced streaming services.

This is not forgetting our dazzling array of Deadline’s Hot Ones at the back of this issue. We hope you come away from reading this year’s magazine feeling ready to enter Mipcom 2023 with confidence. See you on the Croisette.

MAX GOLDBART & JESSE WHITTOCK International TV Co-Editors, Deadline

10/3/23 5:22 PM

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M I PCO M

TURKISH TENACITY

By Diana Lodderhose

Turkey has long been one of the world’s biggest exporters of TV, with markets like Latin America, South America, the Middle East and Balkan countries historically being some of the biggest consumers of series from the nation.

But when a devastating earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 struck southern and central Turkey and northern and western Syria in February, the widespread damage affected nearly 14 million people, with tens of thousands of fatalities.

The television and film communities quickly rallied, and many were involved in the rescue efforts, which saw them lend equipment such as lighting and caravans, proving to be enormously helpful.

“It impacted us profoundly,” says Selin Arat, Director of International Operations at Tims & B Productions. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a time where TV series or films weren’t shown for almost a month on television. Nobody had the motivation or the wish to broadcast something fictional.”

The TV sector was one of the few industries that was able to pick up and get back to work after the devastating tragedy, with many back in production three or four weeks later.

Since then, Turkish content has continued to show its muscle with product that attracts its usual international buyers but now is even piquing the interest of U.S. audiences in a way that hasn’t been seen before.

According to Parrot Analytics data, as of June 6, total demand for Turkish series was 24% higher than it was a year ago. In the last half of 2022, there was a huge demand for Turkish content, leaving many to wonder if Turkey will mirror Korea’s success on the international stage and offer up the next generation of global breakouts.

It’s a trend that is especially interesting considering the length of Turkish TV episodes (which are often sold internationally in smaller segments), which can be up to two and a half hours. These long episodes work well in their home market as state broadcasting mandates that there are seven minutes of commercials included for every 20 minutes of content.

But it’s a format that the biggest buyers of Turkish content, such as Latin America, are very much used to. For more than a decade, Latin and South Americans have been attracted to Turkey’s sweeping epics, also “We share a similar outlook on life, relationships and family,” says Arat of the Latin and South American buying sprees. “The only thing that is different is our religion. But our cultures are very similar in that we have passion, we are temperamental and perhaps sometimes not too rational, and our shows cater to that.”

Arat, who will be at Mipcom selling Tims & B’s latest production Another Love, which premiered on Fox Turkey on September 11, says that while Turkey is recovering there are still financial issues challenging the business. Inflation has rocketed, bringing the costs of production up to record highs.

“The biggest challenges are financial,” says Arat of the current climate.

“The costs of production is rising and licensing fees are not rising at the same level so it’s becoming difficult to finance projects, especially when you have big stars attached.” ★

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From top; A resident in the rubble in Hatay after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and Syria in February; from left, Burak Deniz and Hande Erçel in Another Love.

YAS I N AKG U L / AF P VI A G E TTY I M AG E S / DAN I E L AS H E R S M I TH / PARA MO U N T +

known as “dizis”.

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AUSTRALIA’S TOPSY-TURVY YEAR

Then in June, Sam Esmail’s TV series remake of Fritz Lang classic

By Jesse Whittock

Metropolis became one of the biggest casualties of the WGA strike. The

Australian TV production has had an erratic 12 months. On the one hand,

project was due to bring in nearly 4,000 jobs to the state of Victoria but

Netflix and Disney+ have been ramping up their presence Down Under,

was ultimately axed amid rising production costs and uncertainty over

but on the other hand the business has been struck by the U.S. labor

the strikes. Other U.S.-backed projects were impacted when Hollywood’s

strikes, with shows like Apple TV+’s mega-budget Metropolis scrapped.

actors joined the writers on the picket lines in July, with production

Content quota plans have spooked streamers, while screen funds, which

of Peacock’s Apples Never Fall and Mortal Kombat 2 both going on hia-

have been a big driver for inward investment, are under threat.

tus. Local sources stress that the overall effect has been minimal and

Largely fuelled by the global streamers and the country’s fast handling of the pandemic, the country has been experiencing a major production

restricted to a small number of projects — a small mercy.

The third major blow came last month, when the New South Wales

boom over the last few years. Shows such as Disney+’s The Artful Dodger

government, which administrates Sydney and surrounding areas,

and Paramount+’s Last King of the Cross are just two recent examples of

announced plans to put the lid on several key funding pots, including the

the types of projects the territory is able to house.

Made in NSW Fund. The fund has invested in projects including series

In the last two months, Netflix has started shooting neo-Western

The Artful Dodger and Hollywood films such as Thor: Love and Thunder.

drama series Desert King (working title), while Colin From Accounts, the

The country’s Labor government said the moves were necessary due to

edgy rom-com from streaming service Binge, was recently picked up by

a $A188 million ($120 million) hole from the Department of Enterprise,

Paramount+ in the U.S. after building steam globally since its LA Screen-

Investment and Trade’s budget.

ings launch last year.

Aussie production body Screen Producers Australia called the plan a

However, the issues facing the production sector have somewhat tem-

“disaster” that was “hard to comprehend,” and the industry breathed a

pered enthusiasm. The year began with Australia’s government unveiling

sigh of relief when it emerged NSW authorities had reversed the cuts -

plans to impose streaming quotas in 2024 as part of its “Revive” cultural

for now.

policy. The levels weren’t revealed but we hear that local and international streamers are likely to pull back on spend if levies are enforced.

What is clear is that both locally and globally, Australian TV is at a crossroads. Watch this space. ★

Clockwise from left; Lincoln Younes, left, and Tim Roth in Last King of the Cross; Thomas Brodie-Sangster in The Artful Dodger; and from left, Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer in Colin From Accounts.

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M I PCO M

SCRIPTED FORMATS ON THE RISE

this point, finding that scripted formats offer a “faster and more cost-

By Max Goldbart

effective development process since the proof of concept already exists.”

Scripted formats are having quite the moment, and given the turbulent landscape in the television sector, it’s no wonder.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, K7’s study found that the top format originators of the last few years are the UK, Israel and South Korea. Israel’s

The industry is going through rocky times. Local broadcasters are

Your Honor, produced by Yes Studios, is the most successful, with seven

struggling to fund expensive scripted content, distributors can only act

remakes including that all-important U.S. version for Showtime, which

as financiers to a certain degree and the streamers have started rowing

starred Bryan Cranston.

back on spending.

Richard O’Meara, Head of Drama and Insight at K7, says scripted

And then there is the ever-growing desire to land hits almost immedi-

formats are “massively in demand” in rapidly growing markets such

ately in this world of tentpoles, franchises and IP, a desire many believe

as India, Turkey and the Middle East, where audiences are becoming

can be fulfilled if a show has already performed well in its original terri-

accustomed to “Western-style short-run drama,” while even traditionally

tory or territories.

tricky-to-translate comedy shows are starting to perform well.

Enter scripted formats, which have come into play in a big way in the

While many top scripted formats such as Your Honor and the UK’s

last few years. According to analysis firm K7’s “Tracking the Scripted

Liar (which spawned six remakes) originated with local broadcasters, the

Giants” report, it described the market as being in a “healthy state,” with

streamers have also contributed to the boom. Take Netflix’s high-profile

the number of scripted formats in the industry rising by 51% between

remake of Spanish language smash Money Heist in South Korea, or Ama-

2020 and 2022, from 51 to 77.

zon Prime Video’s various versions of Modern Love. In the case of big-

Unlike almost all other areas of TV production, K7 notes that the global pandemic benefitted the scripted format business, citing the availability

budget Amazon tentpole Citadel, the streamer started forging Indian and Italian versions before the U.S. series had even landed on the platform.

of pre-existing titles providing broadcasters with quality proven scripts,

With the strikes having negatively impacted the scripted world and big

which eliminate the need for years-long development periods. MassMe-

players seeking to keep costs down and speed up development, it feels as

dia International President Tyler Massey, a specialist in the field, echoes

though scripted formats’ moment is not over yet. ★

N E T F LI X / A N D R EW C OO P E R / S H OWT I M E

Bryan Cranston in Your Honor.

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New Scripted Series / Comedy Drama 8 x 30’

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M I PCO M

ALL ABOUT AI

and voice, and indeed are already doing so,” he says. “We’ve seen it with

By Jesse Whittock

James Earl Jones and I predict that model will become the standard for

AI has emerged as one of the big sticking points in the WGA and SAG-

any above-the-line actor.”

AFTRA strike negotiations across the last few months, with writers fear-

He adds that no “serious Hollywood studio or production company

ful of technology stealing their jobs and actors worried that cloning will

would ever take the legal risk of including a likeness of an actor that had

take over background acting roles and, eventually, character roles. With

been synthetically replicated without directly clearing it and paying for

deepfake videos awash on the internet and shows such as Black Mirror

it, merely based on a release form supposedly signed years before a, say,

fictionalizing the potential nightmare of future face swaps and identity

furniture commercial—even if it did contain an apparently complete and

theft, it’s easy to see why many are alarmed.

comprehensive buyout.”

Open AI’s ChatGPT can be commanded to write the first draft of a

However, voice synthesis poses more of a direct risk, Connock says.

script in record time, but anyone who has casually played with the text

“Here actors are right to worry. There have already been concerns of

input engines will know the results are not going to have Russell T.

voice synthesis use without explicit permission. That would be a hill I

Davies or Shonda Rhimes quaking in their boots just yet.

would be prepared to die on, in negotiation point terms.”

However, the WGA is deeply concerned, with Being John Malkov-

Taking SAG-AFTRA and the WGA’s lead, unions around the world are

ich writer Charlie Kaufman summing up the feelings of many scriptwrit-

attempting to add AI provisions to contracts. In the UK, ITV and actors

ers at the recent Sarajevo Film Festival when he said: “Once you give that

union Equity are progressing on a deal that would potentially pre-

up and allow the studios to use AI to write their screenplay, there’s no

vent performers’ faces from being cloned in soaps such as Coronation

going back.”

Street and Emmerdale, and these provisions will act as a blueprint for

Whatever the future holds, it is clear generative engines are going to

Equity’s broader negotiations with the BBC and producer body Pact.

change the way TV and film is developed, made and marketed (and yes,

TV execs admit that AI can help with efficiencies in many ways, such as

maybe written) in the future, but it doesn’t have to be a disaster for the

speeding up the development process with edits and assisting with mar-

industry, experts say.

keting materials. Few expect technology to substitute for real creativity.

Former Endemol Shine North boss Alex Connock, now Senior Fellow

One international co-production exec says: “Someone will eventually

at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, says that actors can future-

commission an AI-generated show as a gimmick, but that’s all it will

proof now. “Famous actors and their estates can monetize their likeness

be—a gimmick.” ★

Annie Murphy in Black Mirror.

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Just like Nelson’s character in Hijack—“He gets brought in, by big companies…when it all kicks off,” Nelson’s wife explains to a police officer in the show—Kay’s the man you bring in when you want to deliver a characterled thriller that will keep viewers hooked over several episodes.

As well as holding a plane hostage for Apple, he is the co-creator of Lupin, Netflix’s smash-hit French heist drama, which returned for its third season on October 5. Ten days earlier, ITV premiered Kay’s limited series The Long Shadow, examining the fallout from the crimes of the so-called “Yorkshire Ripper,” Peter Sutcliffe.

Kay fully supported the strikes but is a champion of the flourishing scene of writers in the UK and Europe, pointing out that The Long Shadow would not have been impacted by industrial action. “The WGA are wonderful, but

THE GEORGE KAY EFFECT

that’s an American union, it’s not the whole world,” he says.

It’s the reason why he was happy to sit down with Deadline for this interview. That and Kay has managed to surface for air after a manic period of writing. “I was doing those three series at the same time,” he says. “That’s working full throttle for probably about two years, so I’ve been grateful for a bit of calm.”

British crime writer George Kay’s star is on the rise after a turbulent time for screenwriters. The Lupin, Criminal and Hijack scribe tells Deadline about his support for the U.S. labor action, new UK series The Long Shadow and when it’s too early to pen fact-based drama

Kay started out in documentaries as a development specialist. A self-proclaimed ideas man, he is credited with co-creating The Choir, the BAFTA-winning BBC television show in which presenter Gareth Malone transforms a group of novice singers into a lifeaffirming choral group.

“The ultimate development person can tell you, moment by moment,

By Jake Kanter

how a TV show might go…and let other people make it,” he says. His taste for constructing the drama in documentaries also manifested itself in sidehustle writing projects, which later became a full-time endeavor.

George Kay looks conflicted. Speaking to Deadline before the resolution of the writers strike, the British WGA member had put down his pen on an Amazon Studios movie project and ducked a U.S. publicity round for his Apple TV+ series Hijack. But it’s fair to say that the strikes coincided with Kay having a serious moment.

Kay’s early credits include an episode of The Hour, the BBC’s beloved Cold War-era drama about a British news show, and Sky’s adaptation of The Tunnel, starring Clémence Poésy. In 2016, he created the BBC’s bachelorparty-gone-wrong series Stag with his Hijack wing-man Jim Field Smith, before moving on to the first season of Killing Eve, on which he collaborated with Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Kay and Field Smith, who met at college, also created Criminal, the Netflix anthology drama in which detectives interrogate suspects within the confines of a police interview suite. In a nod to his unscripted days, Kay jokes Criminal is not dissimilar to Total Wipeout, the anarchic physical gameshow. “It’s a format where you build a set and then invite different

Not unlike the protagonist in Hijack, Idris Elba’s brooding professional

territories to come and make their own version of the show,” he says. The

negotiator Sam Nelson, Kay has spent years manoeuvring his way between

series was remade in Spain, France and Germany.

all to launch within four months of each other.

16

Kay’s credits suggest a preoccupation with crime—an observation he embraces because it means writing about “ordinary people doing I TV

three complex projects for Apple, Netflix and ITV/Sundance—only for them

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extraordinary things,” for good or evil. Reflecting on why TV is obsessed with true crime stories, he says: “They tend to revolve around dynamics that the audience can relate to. They happen in precincts audiences recognize.”

He was drawn to the story of Sutcliffe, not because of the killer himself, but because of how his actions had a profound impact on a community in the north of England. Convicted of murdering 13 women, Sutcliffe’s crimes were beyond barbaric, but in The Long Shadow, he does not appear on screen until the final episode and his acts of brutality are never depicted.

The closest the audience comes is a single-hander scene in which an emergency services operator, played by Years and Years’ Ruth Madeley, takes a call from Marcella Claxton ( Jasmine Lee-Jones), who has just been attacked

by Sutcliffe.

It feels like the antithesis of Netflix’s Dahmer, which was criticized for closely framing the killer and obsessing over the gruesome details of his crimes. “There is a risk that we glamorize these people,” Kay says when presented with the Dahmer contrast. “I was conscious of not wanting to glamorize Sutcliffe in any way… I wouldn’t want to make a serial killer my protagonist because I don’t necessarily empathize or understand their thinking.”

The Long Shadow, produced by New Pictures in association with All3Media International, has an ensemble cast spotlighting the police who hunted down Sutcliffe and the women who were his victims. Emily Jackson, a

I TV

mother who turned to sex work when her family faced financial strife, was

Top: Toby Jones; bottom Katherine Kelly, both in The Long Shadow

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From top, Idris Elba in Hijack; Daniel Mays in The Long Shadow.

Kay’s route into the seven-part series. “In another drama, you’d start with the discovery of Emily Jackson’s body, but I spent the whole episode getting to know her,” Kay says. “That shows the ambition in terms of the pacing and the size of it.”

Jackson is played by Happy Valley star Katherine Kelly, who is compelling in what is a small role for an established British TV star. Even though many of the cast only appear in one or two episodes, each actor was given the full seven scripts to understand their place in the series. “This is the long shadow of these crimes,” Kay says. “It goes into the capillaries of society.

If it wasn’t so glib, we’d refer to it as a ‘Yorkshire Ripple.’ It’s such a silly phrase, but that’s exactly what it was. It was part of the north of England and affected everyone’s lives.”

Having grown up in Berkshire, an English county west of London, Kay saw Britain’s north/south cultural divide as an obstacle he had to overcome in writing the series. He visited the community in Chapeltown, Leeds, on several occasions to interview people. New Pictures received some “gentle pushback” about the series from family members of the victims, the writer adds, some of whom were wary of being associated with Sutcliffe’s crimes.

Kay remembers one interaction with Richard McCann, the son of victim Wilma McCann. Richard took issue with the show’s original working title, The Yorkshire Ripper, saying those linked to the murders were not comfortable with the Sutcliffe moniker. “We don’t like that verb,” he told Kay, saying it had become a “dark brand name” for the killer.

“We said he was completely right,” Kay says. “We needed to change that, react, learn, and grow in our creative process. So, we changed it within a month of announcing. I want to be really open about how writers and TV makers need to change and not claim to have everything perfectly in order.

If you’re researching properly, you’re learning.” just happened. Asked about recent political series in the UK, including Sky’s

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I TV

Kay says there are dangers in factual dramas capturing events that have

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Above: Omar Cy in Lupin; Cara Theobold in The Long Shadow, below: Katherine Kelly in The Long Shadow.

Boris Johnson drama This England and Banijay’s plans to examine Liz Truss’

however, given he is under contract with Netflix. He signed up for Season

tenure as Prime Minister, he believes these events don’t yet have their full

1 of Hijack and The Long Shadow before agreeing to his deal with Netflix,

historical context. “I think there’s a real thing about going too quickly,” he

which allows him to range across different projects in Europe. “I don’t think

says, adding that he needs “perspective” in his work, or it can lead to “odd

it’s healthy, necessarily, for a single commissioner to be trapped with one

blind spots.”

writer because you want to have more flexibility than that,” he says of his

Kay is a morning writer, usually getting to his desk for 6 a.m. when he enjoys a productive “golden hour” before his house wakes up. He contin-

overall deal.

After a frenetic spell of writing three projects, Kay is grateful for a quieter

ues writing throughout the morning, leaving afternoons for read-throughs

period of development work. But not unlike many writers, he will welcome

and meetings. He was writing The Long Shadow and Hijack in parallel, only

a more fulsome return to the keyboard now that the strike is resolved. “We

separating the time he spent on each script with a sandwich or a swim. Kay

all want to get started again on something else sooner or later,” he says. “So

enjoyed switching into a “completely different gear” on Hijack, which is a

yeah, I’m itching to do the next thing.”

fictional series with a “muscular” script, involving action scene descriptions in the tight confines of a plane.

His recent purple patch suggests that crime fans will be waiting and eagerly watching. ★

Kay says he was “Idris aware” as he wrote the first episode after Jay Hunt, Apple TV+’s Creative Director in Europe, floated Elba for the lead role. He pared back his script when it came to filming because Elba was able to capture Sam Nelson plotting his way out of the hijack in a single expression.

“You don’t want everyone chatting too much [on the plane], because obviously you will reduce the fear,” he says.

All the signs are that Hijack performed well for Apple, which may have been helped by the show’s weekly release strategy. Kay says having to wait for fresh episodes is a “forgotten treat” in television and is something writers can embrace if they are given notice by streaming services.

“Provided you know in advance how you’re going to be put out, I think that’s really helpful for writers,” he explains. “We knew that we were not going to go out in one blob for Hijack, so I was able to factor that into how it was written. You know that you’re going to have a bit of a break, so you lean into a cliff-hanger a bit more here and there.”

I TV

Hijack was a limited series, but Kay says there is the potential for the drama to return for a second season. It is unlikely he will be involved,

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SURFING THE KOREAN WAVE Netflix Korea Chief Don Kang on where the company is spending that $2.5 billion & Korean industry controversy

By Liz Shackleton

“One of the main reasons I decided to join Netflix was because I believed

Korean content across the next four years, on top of the more than $1 billion

it was a platform that could bring Korean content to the world, especially

already spent since 2016, it made the world sit up and take notice.

with its localization abilities of dubbing and subbing in more than 30 lan-

In many ways, spending heavily in Korea is a no-brainer. Netflix has already had a global breakout Korean hit with Squid Game, followed by a slew of shows

guages,” says Kang, who joined the streamer from local studio CJ ENM in 2018 and now holds the role of Vice President of Content for Korea.

that may not have reached the same dizzy heights but are still international

“I knew that Netflix’s marketing and publicity muscle was powerful

hits such as period zombie drama Kingdom, supernatural thriller Hellbound,

and would enable global audiences to enjoy Korean content. At the same

Extraordinary Attorney Woo, about a female lawyer on the autism spectrum,

time, content doesn’t usually resonate globally if it’s not loved by its

revenge saga The Glory, and survival game show Physical: 100.

local audience, and Korean content is being very heavily consumed by

Of course, Netflix is not the only global streamer in the Korean content game, but it was arguably the first to spot its international potential. On a

Korean audiences.”

That international reach puts the $2.5 billion spend into context as Netflix’s

recent trip to Seoul, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said that 60% of its global

K-content is unlikely to generate big profits from the Korean market alone.

members have sampled Korean content and that Korean series and films

Netflix has not reported Korean subscriber numbers since saying it had 5

have reached the Netflix Top 10 in more than 90 countries.

million members at the end of 2021, but local legislator Byun Jae-il recently

Speaking from Netflix’s offices in Seoul during a wide-ranging exclusive

pegged its annual Korean earnings at $580 million (KRW773.3BN) in 2022.

interview, Netflix’s Korean chief Don Kang says Korean dramas have long

Korea appears to be Netflix’s biggest single territory spend within

been loved by other Asian countries, but it wasn’t until Netflix entered the

Asia. The streamer is also focused on Indian content, through a separate

game that they found a large audience beyond the region.

team headed by Monika Shergill; Japan, where content is headed by Kaata

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N E T F LI X

When Netflix announced in April that it’s planning to spend $2.5 billion on

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Sakamoto; Southeast Asia, in particular Thailand and Indonesia; and it is currently figuring out next moves in Chinese-language content out of Taiwan. But none of these territories appear to be getting the same budget as Korea.

Kang says that when it comes to deciding what to commission in Korea, greenlighting power resides with him and Minyoung Kim, who heads up Netflix’s Asia Pacific content outside of India: “Ted [Sarandos] and his team are there to provide great support, for which we’re always grateful, but we decide what to commission and who to work with,” adds Kang.

But what exactly are those billions being spent on? While Kang won’t be drawn on how spend breaks down between different content categories, he does say this sum is not just for production, but also covers training initiatives and operations. “Investment can stretch across anything from technology to actual manpower skills and expanding the talent pool,” Kang says.

In terms of volume, he adds Netflix is currently producing around 15-20 Korean drama series a year, five or six movies, and is in the early stages of building out an unscripted slate. Then there’s also the content that is acquired rather than produced.

It’s a diverse slate. Netflix can claim with some authority that it greenlights content that local studios may not have taken a flier on—and has managed to find a wide audience for that content overseas. Before Netflix entered the market, it was mostly just Korea’s romantic dramas that travelled, especially among female audiences in the rest of Asia. But Squid Game, a high-concept survival drama, changed the perception of what form K-drama could take and now many different kinds of shows are travelling.

Kang points to The Glory, about a woman taking bloody revenge on the classmates who bullied her in high school, and Mask Girl, about an office worker who is insecure about her looks and becomes a masked internet personality by night, as recent examples of female-skewing shows that don’t fit the mould of traditional romance. “It’s not that shows like this never existed before, but because everything was provided through linear TV, there were structural limitations, which meant that creators weren’t able to fully unleash their creativity and their vision,” Kang says.

On the horizon are the hugely

Opposite page: Believer 2.

Top right, Don Kang; below Squid Game.

anticipated second season of Squid Game, again starring Lee Jung-jae and executive produced by Hwang Dong-hyuk; a second season of monster show Sweet Home; thriller Gyeongseong Creature and a slew of romantic dramas, including Castaway Diva, starring Extraordinary Attorney Woo’s Park Eun-bin.

Inevitably however, this kind of success, volume and industry dominance has also drawn controversy.

As Netflix has risen in Korea, the territory’s local broadcasters and streaming platforms, including TVing and Wavve, have struggled to compete, and the local industry has chafed at other ways in which the streamer has upended the domestic content ecosystem.

N E T F LI X

Producers grumble privately that all the hot talent is busy making shows for Netflix and the streamer’s

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heavy spend has driven up costs.

Meanwhile, Netflix’s business model of retaining global IP and not paying residuals to creators has become a hot topic in Korea. While Netflix may not be the only culprit on nonpayment of residuals, it’s definitely the most high-profile since Hwang spoke out about his lack of back-end compensation on Squid Game.

While most companies continue to take the money and work as producers for hire, at least one of Netflix’s Korean production partners is pushing back against the ‘cost plus commission’ business model. Kang will not be drawn on whether there will be a second season of Extraordinary Attorney Woo, but then Netflix only owns the show outside Korea.

Following its experiences with the streamer on Kingdom, Lee Sangbaek’s AStory, the production company behind Extraordinary Attorney Woo, decided to hang on to the show’s IP and licence it to Netflix for international.

Meanwhile, mirroring labor action in the U.S., several Korean guilds and unions are currently campaigning on the residuals issue, along with other industry working practices they claim are exploitative. Among recent developments, the Directors Guild of Korea (DGK) held a press conference to lobby the country’s legislature to revise the Copyright Act to make payment of residuals a legal obligation.

On the issue of residuals, Kang follows the standard Netflix line that it pays its creators well: “We’re working very hard to reward our creators fairly and at the most competitive level possible. We pay upfront sums that reflect what could be calculated as residuals, which in most cases lead to compensation at a higher level than if residuals were paid.” He adds that payment of residuals is an industry wide issue, encompassing both local studios and other global streamers, “so I’m not sure it’s the best way forward for Netflix to act unilaterally and try to negotiate with certain groups.”

It doesn’t help that Netflix doesn’t face the same level of competition from other global streamers in Korea that it does in some other Asian territories.

Disney+ has just scored its first major Korean hit with superhero series

From top; Ballerina; and The Glory.

Moving, but the streamer is estimated to have only 10 percent of the volume of Korean subscribers as Netflix. Prime Video got to Korea late, after initially focusing on Japan and India, so now mostly acquires content for distribution

Further afield, there has been speculation that Korean shows are being

outside Korea. Apple TV+ has so far made one Korean show, Kim Jee-woon’s

lined up to fill the gap left in North American viewing schedules by the WGA

Dr. Brain, and Paramount+ is working with local streamer TVing on shows

and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Before the strikes started, Sarandos said he hoped

including A Bloody Lucky Day, Queen Woo and Bargain (see Hot Ones). But

it wouldn’t come to that—but that Netflix’s global production meant that

nobody has anywhere close to Netflix’s volume of Korean content.

members would not be without options. “We have a large base of upcoming shows and films from around the world,” Sarandos said.

consequence of “rewarding creators fairly,” but that the issue is misunder-

It could be argued that, just because 60% of Netflix subscribers have sam-

stood. He explains that Netflix is not inflating per-episode cost but ensures

pled Korean shows, it doesn’t mean the whole world is going to switch from

that its production partners on a 6-10 episode series are compensated in

English to Korean content. K-drama may be popular but is still an acquired

line with what they would expect under the traditional ad-driven model of a

taste. However, where it is filling a gap is in other parts of Asia—a recent

20-episode show.

report from Media Partners Asia found that Korean content accounted for

“Having said that, we do need to increase certain costs, for example

50% of SVoD viewership across the continent in the first half of 2023. It’s

investing more in pre-production and post-production,” Kang says. “That

probably not the U.S. that needs to worry about being overrun by Netflix’s

investment is crucial for effective storytelling and for bringing Korean con-

Korean output.”

tent to a global audience.”

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Addressing the issue of driving up costs, Kang says it’s an inevitable

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Physical 100

FILMS AND UNSCRIPTED PUSH So far, it’s only Netflix’s Korean drama series that

includes zombie reality show Zombieverse, released

upcoming film projects include historical drama

are dominating in terms of international reach and

in August; mind game survival show The Devil’s Plan,

War and Revolt, which is being co-scripted by Park

volume. There are other arenas in which Netflix still

which launched September 26; and a third season

Chan-wook and set to star Gang Dong-won and

has room for growth—but Kang says he is working

of Single’s Inferno, due before the end of the year.

Park Jeong-min.

on that.

Presumably, some of these formats can also be

globally as series so far, a phenomenon common to

content and films. Netflix has already tasted inter-

although Kang says he’s currently more excited by

most territories, Kang says they are still reaching a

national success for reality shows with Physical:

unscripted spin-offs of drama series, such as the UK-

much wider audience than they would through tra-

100, a competition survival series that topped the

produced Squid Game: The Challenge, which debuts

ditional theatrical release. “Korean film has a strong

streamer’s Global Non-English chart for two weeks,

in November. “If it’s fun, we can definitely do more of

reputation on the global stage, and Netflix is now one

and dating show Single’s Inferno, which became the

those,” he says.

of the ways audiences are accessing and enjoying

first Korean unscripted show to debut on the Global

Film is another area that Kang sees as a potential

films. Our marketing and publicity teams have a truly

area for expansion: “We see a lot of opportunity

global reach, but we also see festivals as an impor-

with film and we’re ramping up our slate, with

tant way to celebrate these stories and build buzz

forts, it was unusual for Korean unscripted shows

around five or six original films per year, and then

around them.”

to travel—although Korean formats such as King of

even more through licensing.”

Non-English Top 10.

Kang says that prior to Netflix’s localization ef-

Mask Singer (aka The Masked Singer) have obviously

N E T F LI X

Although films haven’t achieved the same traction

remade in other territories in different languages,

Two of the biggest pushes will come in unscripted

Netflix launched thriller Kill Boksoon, starring

Meanwhile, the drama series pipeline is still pumping. Viewers will have to wait until next year for Squid

sold well. “We wanted to take on the challenge of

Jeon Do-yeon, at this year’s Berlin Film Festival

Game Season 2, but will get the likes of Sweet Home

unscripted because Korea makes great shows and

and has three films premiering at Busan—thrillers

Season 2 and and K-pop romcom Doona! in 2023.

we see it as fulfilling that desire for something more

Believer 2 and Ballerina, and documentary Yellow

With its deep pockets and first mover advantage, the

light-hearted, which sitcoms once had,” he says.

Door: ‘90s Lo-fi Film Club, about the search for

K-wave as driven by Netflix is unlikely to slow down

Bong Joon-ho’s unreleased first short film. Other

any time soon. ★

The streamer’s current Korean unscripted slate

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WAYNE ENTERPRISES MBC Studios Chief Christina Wayne on amplifying female voices, altering long-held perceptions & entering the “growth & maturation phase”

are bringing us fabulous stories,” she says. “There are book series here with

By Jesse Whittock

‘sportswashing’ claims, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has spear-

fanbases that are young and female, and they are surprisingly interested in fantasy and sci-fi.”

Despite being criticized for a litany of human rights abuses and headed opportunities and greater freedoms for women in Saudi Arabia since 2017 when major reforms began taking place as part of his Vision 2030 sought to position itself as a major regional TV and film hub with the burgeoning Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah and the much-publicized location hot spots of Neom and Film AlUla. Indeed, Hollywood bigwigs have become increasingly intrigued by what the nation has to offer in terms of talent, locations and that generous 40% tax rebate.

Women have since taken active creative and executive roles in a territory that, until very recently, would not let them drive or file for divorce. Western involvement is becoming more prevalent, and the country’s filmmakers are

In her first major interview since replacing Peter Smith in February, Ameri-

beginning to be recognized on the international stage.

can producer Wayne, who shepherded Mad Men and Breaking Bad for AMC

Katie Holmes is mentoring three female filmmakers through a Film AlUla

Networks, tells Deadline how the Riyadh-based media giant is encouraging

Creates program, which was unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival this year.

work from “across all genders” but lasering in on new female talent.

“We have lots of amazing female writers and directors in the region who

24

Wayne doesn’t directly address the role LGBTQIA+ stories can play in a nation where homosexual activity remains illegal but instead says the focus

M BC/O P E N ROA D FI LM S/ MBC ST U D I OS

In a country where women’s freedoms have historically been marginalized (a nationwide ban on female drivers was only lifted five years ago), new MBC Studios boss Christina Wayne is determined to seek out the strongest female creative voices Saudi Arabia has to offer.

agenda. That year, the country lifted its 35-year ban on cinema and has since

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From left; Gerard Butler in Kandahar; and Anthony Mackie and Aiysha Hart in Desert Warrior.

is on “telling stories that are culturally relevant to the area, and that are

operation. He focused on setting up the structure for the business, leading to

going to resonate with the audience.”

the likes of big-budget fantasy series Rise of the Witches, The Devil’s Promise

“We are looking at diverse points of view in all the ways we tell our stories. Our teams look at books, formats, IP and everything that is out there in the world, just like any other studio, and then bring ideas to our buyers [the MBC networks and streaming service Shahid].”

Taking MBC to the next level

rer Desert Warrior, which filmed in Neom.

Notably, MBC moved its headquarters from Dubai to the Saudi capital of Riyadh last year as the latest step in its multimillion-dollar strategy, a move signaling that huge investment in high-end production was here to stay.

MBC had originally launched in London as a dongle satellite channel and

Wayne’s role is intriguing. She’s the head of a major studio organization

today runs more than 20 linear channels, production operations and a train-

attached to the Gulf region’s biggest television network, MBC, in a country

ing facility that’s educated more than 18,000 people.

desiring to be the region’s content powerhouse after decades spent refusing M BC/O P E N ROA D FI LM S/ MBC ST U D I OS

from British producer Tony Jordan and mega-budget Anthony Mackie-star-

to play the game.

Just over five years ago, MBC Studios was launched as bin Salman’s

Now, MBC Studios is an established player regionally and is the beating content-creation heart of MBC’s linear networks and Shahid, which is available across the region and in countries such as the U.S., UK and Australia.

reforms got underway. Led by the new Crown Prince (who is now also Prime

As a result, it presents a new and unique challenge for Wayne, a Hollywood

Minister), embracing entertainment seemed a sure-fire way to change the

seasoned industry exec who played a significant role in developing big hits

image of the country and attract investment, so MBC made a leap into the

while at AMC Networks.

high-end TV and film world.

Having begun her career under the tutelage of Chinatown scriptwriter

The group, led by long-serving Brit CEO Sam Barnett, hired ex-NBCUni-

Robert Evans, Wayne wrote and directed films in the U.S. and later joined

versal International and Antenna Group content chief Peter Smith—who was

AMC, where she produced the ratings-spinning miniseries Broken Trail and

Wayne’s boss at Cineflix Studios during the 2010s—to head up a new studio

developed several of its most popular titles. She later ran Cineflix Studios,

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F E AT U R E

which made BBC America drama Copper and then moved into indie produc-

summer pitch to us in the past few weeks,” though she declines to reveal

tion at Assembly Entertainment, which made the likes of Showtime’s under-

their identity.

rated LA stand-up drama I’m Dying Up Here.

Indeed, U.S. stars, directors and studios have flocked to shoot in the coun-

More recently, she had a spell as Amazon Studios Head of Canadian

try as more and more investment has rolled in, drawing comparisons with

and Australian Originals but left last year after helming a local remake of

the sport sector, which has had a similar boost. Just this year at the Cannes

unscripted format LOL and dramas such as Three Pines, starring Alfred

Film Festival came the announcement of a pair of state-backed film funds

Molina. She has now relocated from North America to Riyadh and is learning

worth a total of $180 million that are aimed at local talent and attracting

a new culture on the job—albeit most things still feel somewhat familiar.

more international projects.

“Saudi was a territory I’d done some work in while at Amazon, so it piqued my interest when MBC reached out to me,” she recalls. “Pete had set up

Neom, the northern Saudi area being built to be an industrial powerhouse and futuristic urban metropolis, has attracted numerous projects

all the different departments, developed a strong slate and launched some

such as the Gerard Butler-starring Kandahar, Tomb Raider director Simon

shows. That was the start-up phase and now it’s really the growth and matu-

West’s upcoming epic film Antara and Shah Ruhk Khan’s Bollywood fea-

ration phase.”

ture Dunki.

Though she’s still broadly overseeing Smith’s slate while new ideas are

Still, MBC Studios has rules of engagement. “The stuff we get involved

drummed up, Wayne says operationally her new company “works pretty

with has to have an authentic local lead voice and that does limit some of the

much like any studio I’ve worked at—the relationship between MBC and

things we can we do, but people are open-minded and welcoming of Arab

MBC Studios is the same as the relationship of Prime Video and Amazon Stu-

lead characters and storytelling,” says Wayne. “Then we can get writers and

dios. They tell us their mandate, the genres they want and the demographics

directors who can make that authentic, so it’s not a Western writer or direc-

they have and we look to fulfil that.”

tor who is telling that story.”

This manifests in stories designed specifically for the Saudi audience and others that attract viewers from the wider Middle East and North Africa region. Most production is in Arabic, though there is a small focus on Eng-

Wayne says that to the U.S. labor strikes had an impact on a “smaller number of global projects in English that have WGA deals.”

“We couldn’t work on them,” she says. “Most of our projects are set within

lish-language projects that “are still told from the region through authentic

the region so are not affected as they use local writers and directors, but

points of view.”

even when you tried to work with people from overseas, say in the UK, they

International business and co-productions are ramping up. Wayne says she had an “A-list, top-tier producer who had a big blockbuster hit this

Desert Warrior

26

were reluctant to work, even if they’re not WGA. When we worked on a WGA project, we adhered to the strike.”

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From top; Gerard Butler and Navid Negahban in Kandahar; Butler and Negahban.

Next steps It’s early days but what is clear is that Saudi Arabia needs to mature its production business to achieve its lofty goals. With this, the talent base and skillset requires time and investment. Encouragingly, more Saudi talent is emerging thanks to the MBC Academy, which is training local writers, directors and other below-the-line talent. Each student works across MBC productions as they learn, creating strong CVs and providing hands-on experience for their future careers.

“It will continue to grow here and be like other developed areas,” Wayne says. “There will always be an interest in coming to the region, because of what it can offer in terms of location. The weather’s great for most of the year, but one of the fun things I’ve learned since being here is the number of different climates in the Middle East. In the mountains, it snows. Some of [the region] can look like foggy England to me.”

Relaying the opportunities to the wider international community and changing long-held perceptions of the Gulf region will be one of Wayne’s key O P E N ROAD F IL MS/ MBC ST U D I OS

challenges going forwards.

“There’s a lot of education to be had about the reality of what it is to live and work in the Middle East,” she says. “It defies a lot of the preconceived notions that people are misinformed about. I probably work with the most diverse group of people I’ve ever worked with—I have women leading all the departments under me, which I’ve never had before. These are super-strong, independent and talented women with diversity from every country in the Middle East, and from beyond.” ★

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Nicolas Winding Refn is adapting Enid Blyton’s beloved series The Famous Five for TV alongside long-time collaborator Matthew Read. Max Goldbart learns more…

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Nicolas Winding Refn

SAR AH ST E N F E L DT FO R D E A D L IN E /JA MES PA RD O N

Matthew Read

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SAR AH ST E N F E L DT FO R D E A D L IN E /JA MES PA RD O N

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here is a little-discussed Hollywood rumor, explains Nicolas Winding Refn and his long-time collaborator Matthew Read, that Scooby Doo only came to be because Warners failed to land the rights to adapt The Famous Five.

And when you look at the two properties and their uncanny similarities, this argument does begin to hold some weight. Both have daring female characters from a bygone era, ridiculous story-of-the-week capers that always end neatly, and, of course, those lovable pooches—in the former case Scooby and in the latter, Timmy.

If the rumor is true, Winding Refn is thankful for how things played out, as he credits both generation-traversing works with influencing his career and driving his love for the screen. Now, more than 50 years on from when Warner Bros. allegedly failed to land the rights, the Denmark-born director has become the latest to take on best-selling English children’s writer Enid Blyton’s iconic novel series, pairing with The Pursuit of Love producer Read.

Speaking exclusively to Deadline as BBC Studios readies to launch sales on the BBC/ZDF series at Mipcom, Winding Refn, who is creator and executive producer on the project, casts his mind back to his moving to the U.S. as a scared, dyslexic child who spoke little English.

“I didn’t read until I was 13 so TV was a big thing for me as an eight-year-old coming to the States,” explains the Drive and Bronson director. “Scooby Doo had something that just magically transported me into this adventure land, so this feels like a very full circle that’s coming to completion. And I’m finally making something that my kids would actually watch.”

Through watching Scooby Doo, which has spawned more than 300 episodes that continue to air as well as movies and specials, Winding Refn says he was “visually and literally very much indoctrinated by a Famous Five iconography.”

Blyton’s 21 novels from the series are perhaps her best-loved work, although not uncontroversial (more on that later). Today, millions of kids continue to read the children’s adventure books, proving they are standing the test of time.

Kicking off with 1942’s Five on a Treasure Island, they follow Julian, Dick, Anne, George and, of course, Timmy, who get caught up in an adventure each time they come together—experiences that often involve criminals or a lost treasure.

They are pure escapist classics and have been adapted for the big and small screens multiple times—most recently airing on the BBC in 1995, an adaptation penned by Brit scribes Richard Carpenter, Helen Cresswell and Alan Seymour.

“I’ve always liked the concept of not really wanting to be an adult; staying in ‘adventure land’ forever,” Winding Refn says. “The Famous Five feels like one of the very few things that you literally hand down the generations.”

Forging a TV version has been at the back of Winding Refn’s mind throughout a two-decades-long career. Last year, Read picked up the rights for the book series via his BBC Studios-backed Pursuit of Love producer Moonage Pictures, eventually bringing on board Winding Refn’s outfit byNWR. For Read, who worked with Winding Refn on Only God Forgives, Pusher and Valhalla Rising, and who even named one of his children after the director, there was only ever one person for the gig.

“To bring these stories to the screen and make them relevant for a modern audience, I was very aware you needed someone with real vision,” says Read, who is a co-creator, EP and wrote the first episode of The Famous Five.

“I knew from my friendship with Nicolas that there was an opportunity to do something in this space and create something for a broad audience that retains the ‘fantastique,’ the adventure, the uniqueness of the vision that’s in his work. It was always in the back of my mind, but I didn’t want to talk about it until we had the rights.”

Having aired a fun-for-all-the-family version of Oliver Twist last year titled Dodger, the BBC is keen on stories like The Famous Five and landing a greenlight for three feature-length episodes was relatively straightforward, with ZDF also boarding and France’s TF1 pre-buying. Deadline understands that more deals are in the offing.

Several times during our chat, Winding Refn and Read, who previously bonded over their love of British filmmakers like Hitchcock and Pressburger, stress the element of “fantastique” they wanted to imbue on their version.

That “fantastique” has been present in some form in many of Winding Refn’s works throughout the years. He has nurtured a reputation for a dark,

underground, highly stylized approach that has spawned the likes of Ryan Gosling-starring Cannes breakout Drive, opinion-splitter Only God Forgives and, more recently, TV shows such as Netflix’s Copenhagen Cowboy. But Winding Refn shrugs off the notion that his Famous Five will be overly stylized, stressing a commitment to making the show “exciting, entertaining, thoughtful and inspiring.”

Read notes that “scholars [of Winding Refn] will enjoy spotting the thematic connections.”

Winding Refn and Read say they balanced the need for authenticity with a desire to retool works published as long ago as the 1940s for a modern audience. “We were asking ourselves how we take something that has obviously been duplicated multiple times and refresh it while retaining the DNA,” Winding Refn says.

“Kids are so much more assaulted with stuff nowadays, so growing up has become much more complex and challenging than when the books were published.”

The pair sought inspiration from surprising places, including The Who’s iconic mod movie Quadrophenia, which became, for them, the inspiration for heroine George Kirrin’s “countercultural standpoints.” She is the de-facto leader of the gang, a tomboyish adventurer with a fiery temper. Winding Refn brands her “the anchor for the narrative, the foundation for The Famous Five.”

“The UK has such a countercultural significance,” he says. “At that time [when Quadrophenia was released], touching upon gender, class structure and all those things gave us a lot of material that today you can really develop into a clearer direction. Maybe further in the past this was more hidden in the shadows but here there was a lot of material to go with.”

Recently, the so-called culture wars have led to alterations made to books from the past and The Famous Five has not been immune to that trend.

While it was Roald Dahl reworks that really dominated headlines, recent editions of The Famous Five have been stripped of words such as “gay” and “queer,” and phrases including “don’t be an ass” and “shut up.”

From left: Diaana Babnicova, Flora Jacoby Richardson, Kit Rakusen, Elliott Rose and Kip (the dog) in The Famous Five.

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SAR AH ST E N D E LDT FO R D E A D LI N E / B ROAD G R E E N

Did Winding Refn and Read much pay attention to the chatter?

“Most things related to the alternation of past culture unfortunately come down to financial gain for the institutions monetizing them,” says Winding Refn. “You can’t run from what history was and is—nor should we like it or agree with it—but we can’t deny its existence. Every generation rebels against its past definitions. There’s nothing new here.”

Read, intriguingly, tells us the “expression of our attitudes towards the controversies that have arisen from Blyton’s work in the past is in [our] adaptation.”

He took a more hands-on approach than Winding Refn during filming of the Tim Kirkby-directed series, attending most of the shoot in the southwest of England, while the Danish director remained in his home country (he speaks to Deadline from his mother’s house). “Sometimes you need to give people the freedom to interpret and run with what you give them rather than breathing down their necks,” Winding Refn says.

Casting was integral and the team were rigorous.

Winding Refn describes finding the four main characters as “a puzzle.”

“It all had to match,” he says. “You find something you fall in love with but then that doesn’t equate with something else, and then you have to redesign the entire thing. It can be a tedious process.”

They settled on relative newcomer Diaana Babnicova in the “anchor” role of George, alongside Elliot Rose as Julian, Kit Rakusen as Dick and Flora Jacoby Richardson as Anne. For the adults, Ted Lasso star James Lance was cast as George’s scientist father Quentin, while the creators were keen to throw some fresh antagonists into the mix. Jack Gleeson, best known as Game of Thrones’ Joffrey Baratheon, is a major draw as Wentworth, a Moriarty-esque figure who will act as a foil in multiple episodes and, hopefully, for many seasons down the years, if the BBC and ZDF choose to hit the recommission button.

Winding Refn hasn’t made a show for a public broadcaster since directing an episode of ITV’s Marple 15 years ago and his last two projects have been for streamers: Copenhagen Cowboy for Netflix and Prime Video’s Too Old to Die Young.

Last month, he had some choice words for the global streaming behemoths, blasting them during a Venice Film Festival Masterclass as being “overfunded and rotten with money and cocaine,” according to reports.

Qualifying these comments, Winding Refn—who has also previously forecast the death of cinema—stresses that he would be happy to work with the SVoDs in the future but “was confirming something that we are all struggling with in our media landscape.”

“We are maybe speaking less about why we are making content rather than just making content,” he elaborates. “So much money is rolling into something that essentially is becoming more click-based. The global debate is around why people are tuning out so quickly rather than tuning in, and I believe that has a lot to do with what we are producing.”

Winding Refn believes a conversation around the “oversaturated” content market needs to take place between streamers, broadcasters, producers and distributors alike, facing up to the question of why “people

32

Every generation rebels against its past definitions

are spending more time figuring out what not to watch [than what to watch].”

“Failing to see the emperor’s new clothes is obviously a big mistake,” he says.

As this magazine goes to press, however, the dual labor strikes have slowed Hollywood production to a standstill. (WGA has settled its strike, but SAGAFTRA is still in negotiations with AMPTP.) Winding Refn, who has been working in America and with Americans for years, describes the unions’ actions as yet “another representation of the enormous inequality that our modern world is heading towards.”

“I believe that’s a great catastrophe,” he says. “So, it’s time for us to unite because the world is a lot happier when we share, rather than fight, over resources.

We need to be a bit more [It’s a Wonderful Life character] George Bailey.”

Citing a famed underdog character like Bailey is apt when we come back to the project that Winding Refn and Read have come together to promote. It is precisely that romanticism—the dream of a simpler time when families could gather Famous Five-style to take on the world’s ills—that is driving them forwards.

“We both grew up with analog television and this idea of a certain time and a certain day when everyone gathered round an event,” Winding Refn says. “That doesn’t exist anymore, and so we throw things back to a romanticized ideology, where television was a collective experience.” ★

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F E AT U R E

AMERICA’S ANNUS HORRIBILIS How a year to forget in the U.S. hit the international TV sector and what the world did in response

Deadline has spoken to around a dozen creatives, producers, sellers and analysts from around the world—some of whom preferred to remain anonymous—to piece together how a year to forget for the U.S. has

By Max Goldbart

impacted the international TV biz. At the same time, a global economic downturn has deepened its grip. Major European players such as Viaplay and ProSiebenSat.1 have been forced to shed hundreds of staff members which has run concurrently with the strikes, buttressing an across-theboard commissioning slowdown.

Sources vary in their position on the doom-and-gloom spectrum but they leave Deadline in no doubt that the ripple effects from the U.S. have, at times, felt like tidal waves.

Midway through 2022, the industry was rocked by an unanticipated Netflix

“The year the bubble burst”

subscriber slide that sent shockwaves through Wall Street. Since then, there

“This was the year the bubble burst,” says Frank Spotnitz, The X Files exec

have been a series of struggles for virtually all legacy studios and streamers,

who has been based in Europe for more than a decade, running an indie and

thousands and thousands of layoffs across the sector and dual labor strikes

training writers. “These huge American corporations suddenly realized they

for the first time since a young Ronald Reagan was helming the actors’

were in a money-losing business. They realized they had to change tack and

union.

at the same time the strikes hit, so it’s really been a perfect storm—a tough

When it rains, it pours, as they say, but what did this all mean for the

year for everyone.”

industry outside the States? As globalization has taken hold, the interna-

Spotnitz’s summary is reflective of the view of almost every Deadline

tional business has become more intrinsically linked with the U.S. and is

source interviewed for this piece. All acknowledge that these once-in-a-

also largely driven by the streaming revolution.

generation tectonic shifts have hit them in some way.

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G E T T Y IM AG ES

Queen Elizabeth II may have popularized the phrase “annus horribilis” decades ago, but the Latin term feels more relevant than ever when thinking about the state of the U.S. TV sector in the last year.

and cull hours and hours of shows in response to economic turmoil,

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From left: SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher; studio executives Tony Vinciquerra, Ted Sarandos, Bob Iger, David Zaslav and Donna Langley.

The majority identify the Netflix subscriber dip as a never-to-be-forgot-

phrase ‘local for global,’ (or, rather sickeningly, ‘glocal’), which echoed

and streaming services, plenty of which fell outside the States. The streamer

round Covid-era confab halls and Zoom calls throughout Europe in 2021.

formerly known as HBO Max (now Max), for example, rolled out numer-

The virtues of non-English language hits such as Squid Game, Lupin and

ous European commissioners at Series Mania 2022 with a “We are open for

Money Heist were extolled at many a trade show, while newer players such

business” message, before Warner Bros. Discovery pulled the plug on origi-

as Paramount+ committed big to spending outside their home nation.

nals in a number of these nations just a few months later. Sources flag this cautionary tale as setting the pace for things to come.

“But then we suddenly felt these guys shift away from what had been a very aggressive [local] commissioning stance,” says the boss of an interna-

“What has been painful this year on this side of the pond is seeing

tionally facing indie that makes shows in a number of territories. “It’s not as

streaming platforms, which were augmenting our local markets signifi-

dire as in the U.S., but there is now this general uncertainty and reticence

cantly, pulling back or freezing entirely,” adds Spotnitz, who also cites Sky

for the streamers to move forward or commit to anything interesting. The

Deutschland’s recent shift away from originals. “HBO, in particular, was

scale at which producers thought we could operate at is no longer the case

nurturing so much local talent in places like Central and Eastern Europe

and we are having to readjust, which is shitty.”

and that has really been curtailed.”

The Hebrew saying “far from the eye, far from the heart” springs to mind

G E T T Y IM AG ES

growth in local commissioning that preceded the downturn, birthing the

ten catalyst, leading to major strategic rethinks across the legacy studios

The streamers, for what it’s worth, have consistently sought to downplay these local pullbacks, with the likes of Disney+ confirming at the Edinburgh

when Danna Stern, who used to run Fauda and Shtisel outfit Yes Studios,

TV Festival that it has “pretty much” hit its target of creating 50 original

ponders the approach of the big U.S. giants during the subsequent period.

international titles, although this came just a few days prior to Deadline

“It’s easier to target people on the ground in other countries and terri-

revealing the high-profile canning of UK live-action series Nautilus and a

tories, who are far away from those sitting down the hall from the decision

few weeks after German drama Sultan City was axed. Netflix has simulta-

makers,” she says. “There is less money, less commissioning, fewer execu-

neously continued to greenlight series from its various local hubs and has

tives and less risk-taking all round, and that filters its way through to other

committed big to territories such as Korea (see our Don Kang Interview on

markets. When the U.S. does badly, we all do badly.”

page 20), while a small number of projects have been quietly put to bed.

The sentiment Stern raises feels ever more pronounced due to the sharp

But chatter abounds about shows that have been taken out of early-stage

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From top: Money Heist; and Squid Game; right, Abbott Elementary.

development across the streamers, who were seeking to protect their coffers by culling projects before they got too far down the road. Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival in August, Ian Katz, Chief Content Officer at Channel 4, declared grandiosely that the industry could be “heading towards a reset that sees lower levels of production globally” due to Wall Street’s lost confidence in the streaming behemoths. (A number of streamers declined interviews for this article.)

For Tom Harrington, Head of Television at media analysis firm Enders Analysis, the international community should have been more cognizant of the slowdown when the sun was shining in the pre-Covid era. He isolates the troubles as beginning not after the Netflix subs drop but rather when the likes of Netflix and Prime Video began taking “their foot off the pedal,” bringing an end to a ‘blank cheque’ culture.

“We wrote a report years ago saying this was coming and people at the time disagreed, and then it happened,” he says. “In a mature market, the streamers worked out how much they needed. First, they cut budget and then they cut volume.”

While Squid Game, Lupin and Money Heist no doubt hit global popularity heights unimaginable for an international show of yesteryear, replicating that success has been much harder than some would have believed at the time they were breaking records around the world. “Squid Game is a huge international show, but I don’t think many viewers can name another one This realization has led the streamers to retrench and focus on hero titles, according to Kantar Media Global Consumer Insight Director

good reception, but then the days when consumers signed up to streamers for an overall programing solution are behind us,” he adds.

A senior exec at an international drama indie concurs with Sunnebo.

Dominic Sunnebo. He flags Amazon’s big bet on the likes of Lord of the

After conversations with local SVoD execs, they conclude that the “in

Rings and Citadel as an exemplar here and ponders the subsequent effect

between” has been taken out of the international streaming market. “It feels

on local content.

like the streamers only want the really low budget stuff or the stuff that

“It’s a fairly dangerous strategy given that these shows might not get a

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works globally,” they say.

N E T FL IX/ABC

from Korea,” adds Harrington.

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Dual strikes These shifts have been further compounded by the dual writer-actor strikes, which led to a virtual Hollywood shutdown in a case of rather poor— or, some may argue, fortunate—timing for the studios and streamers.

While Harrington spotlights several intriguing licensing tie-ups such as Channel 4’s deal with Disney for shows including The X Files and Abbott

As Deadline went to press, the WGA had finally secured a deal with

Elementary, he says his research has only found “a bit of an uptick in licens-

the studios and writers went back to work, but the effect was yet another

ing, but not a massive one.” That’s a notion echoed by several in the inter-

example of the interconnectedness of the global industry. Sources are

national distribution community.

torn as to the extent of the damage outside the U.S., while being united in

On the other side of the coin, U.S. buyers are only just beginning to

agreement that the current strikes are more impactful than the previous

splash out on content from around the world to fill those all-important

labor action, which took place 15 years ago.

schedules. “The likes of ITV may have said that they will license a bit more

The 2007-2008 strikes saw the unscripted sector boom in lieu of scripted, and content licensing flourished. Not this time, sources say, with our international producer source citing the “perfect storm between the

but that doesn’t mean ABC is suddenly going to put [long-running ITV drama] Vera on at 9 p.m.,” Harrington says.

Budget cuts and a desire to buy ‘fewer, bigger, better’ “ratings chasers” have

strikes and streamer re-examination” leading to a commissioning slow-

combined to keep the international distribution market fairly quiet, accord-

down across all genres.

ing to Jonathan Ford, whose Abacus Media Rights outfit shops the likes of Dan

“Because this is such a foundational dispute about really huge matters,

N E T FL IX/ABC

The landscape for licensing and distribution has therefore been complicated to say the least.

Reed’s Leaving Neverland and buzzy upcoming Australian drama Scrublands.

you are seeing unscripted people show solidarity [with scripted],” says the

“When the market is buoyant, U.S. buyers are more interested in interna-

boss of a well-known unscripted indie. “Things might change when net-

tional programming, but when it is not, they want stuff that hits the spot for

works look at their schedules and say, ‘We have a gap.’ I’m respectful of the

U.S. audiences,” adds Ford. “This creates a catch-22 when we try and sell to

strikes and wouldn’t want to do anything to undermine that.”

the U.S. during a strike.”

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Canaries in the coal mine

sectors, while many have used their experience of Covid-19 slowdowns to

For what it’s worth, Ford is confident the market will broadly “pick up from

good effect.

Mipcom onwards,” but local territories are nevertheless feeling the pinch.

In the UK, the strikes have thrown into focus the success that the British acting and writing community has had in Hollywood. Conversely, this has

“[UK broadcasting union] Bectu has cautioned against an over-reliance on the U.S., and this is a good reminder to make sure our local industry is in the best shape possible,” says Boden.

been one of the factors that has led to a slump for the local sector, as high-

He has also observed big U.S. players on some productions “holding on

profile projects such as Disney+’s Andor and Apple TV+’s Silo were forced

to [international] crew,” which he says is no bad thing. He cites examples

to a halt. A petition pleading for the UK government to forge an Income

of productions in English-speaking nations that are keeping their teams

Replacement Scheme to help freelancers with lost earnings had amassed

employed during the strikes, sometimes by extending pre-production. In

tens of thousands of signatures by the time of press.

countries such as Germany and the Netherlands, local crew bases are “far less

“The canary in the coalmine will be the impact on crew bases,” considers a UK drama exec who has been closely surveying the scene. “Suddenly,

reliant on U.S. studios, and are protected by their local language,” he adds.

Marcus Ammon, managing director of content for Das Boot indie Bavaria

the next 12 months look quite bleak. Only time will tell how much of that is

Fiction and former Sky Deutschland content chief, backs Boden when he

down to the strikes and how much is down to the streamers not playing the

says, “the less reliant a platform or broadcaster is on American product, the

game as much as they used to.”

smaller the impact of the loss.”

Alex Boden, the former chair of the Production Guild of Great Britain and a producer on HBO’s Tokyo Vice, which filmed mainly in Japan, has had a

He adds that the “demand for local productions over the past years has established a TV industry in Europe that is less dependent on U.S. product.”

360-degree view of the labor conflict’s global impact. He worries that diver-

Furthermore, a rise in co-productions has been another positive out-

sity gains made in the past few years since the Black Lives Matter protests

come, with U.S. buyers showing more interest in putting smaller amounts of

will be hit hard by the loss of work, a sentiment shared by Spotnitz, which

funding towards larger projects to secure some domestic rights.

the latter describes as “tragic.”

“In Europe specifically there is a lot of this going on,” says Stern, who is

Boden strikes an optimistic note when considering the short-to-

consulting on a number of such projects. “Local broadcasters and interna-

medium term impacts of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA shutdowns and says

tional players are being really creative on windowing, understanding that

he’s observed some crew returning to the local TV or independent movie

rights need to be given up and that they can also access public funding.”

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From top: Actors walk the picket line in New York; a still from Tokyo Vice.

One indie boss says that three of his recent greenlights were only possible due to the strikes pushing U.S. players to seek out co-productions.

He believes the consequences of the co-pro boom will be U.S. players reconsidering the premiums they pay for domestic content once the strikes are done and dusted.

“The two-tier price system that has developed between the U.S. and rest of the world will be equalized hugely by all this,” adds the source, who has worked on some of the biggest UK shows of the past two decades. “In the U.S. you pay ten times more for a script and that just isn’t sustainable.”

The nature of the U.S. strikers’ demands could also have been a boon for working conditions around the world. UK actors’ union Equity has very similar demands to SAG-AFTRA in its upcoming negotiations with producer trade body Pact and is pushing hard in areas like AI provisions, while the Korean actors union has based its own talks with Netflix on SAG-AFTRA’s

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desired residuals structure.

Many sources indicate that the international industry will slowly correct itself amidst the doom and gloom and that a reduction in commissioning may be just want the sector needs.

“While painful in the short term, the bursting of the bubble could be good in the long term,” Spotnitz says. “There is way too much TV. A lot of programs shouldn’t have got made and a lot of good stuff got lost in the churn.

We will find a more rational business model to proceed with that will be better for all of us.” ★

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COMMERCIAL INSTINCTS How Europe’s leading commercial networks finally woke up to streaming… but was it too late?

By Jesse Whittock

When ITV switched on its new streaming service ITVX in December 2022, the initial promise was to deliver 10,000 hours of free content, including originals such as Damian Lewis drama A Spy Among Friends, which the commercial broadcaster hope would establish the platform as “the UK’s freshest streaming service.”

global streamers in their local market. They even trailed public broadcaster services such as Britain’s BBC iPlayer and Italy’s RaiPlay by a distance, according to many analysts and market watchers.

“My view is broadcasters initially underestimated the impact of the streamers and there’s been a hesitation to shift to digital, which has put them at a disadvantage,” says Neil Anderson, senior analyst at Ampere Analysis.

Francois Godard, senior media and telecoms analyst at Enders Analysis, puts it another way: “European TV had it too good for too long.”

However, ITVX’s startling numbers in the 10 months that followed its

It certainly marked a big step up from its previous streaming incarnation,

launch may prove to be a turning point in the story. In August, ITV trum-

ITV Hub, which mainly served as a catch-up TV service rather than a con-

peted 2 billion views and was named Best On-Demand Service at the Edin-

tent destination. But still, industry onlookers were sceptical.

burgh TV Awards. ITV’s best total for a full year prior was 1.9 billion for 12

In Europe, the wider narrative has been that the continent’s big com-

months in 2022. The metrics were up significantly. Monthly active users

mercial beasts have focused far too many resources on retaining their aging

grew 29%, while 93% more ‘light’ users—a lucrative group for advertisers—

linear audiences and, as a result, had left it too late to catch up with the

had used ITVX in the first six months of 2023.

I TV ST U D I OS / M G M / RTL / F R E M AN T LE

Damian Lewis in A Spy Among Friends.

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Left: RTL CEO Thomas Rabe; below: Fremantle’s The Hand of God.

“The numbers don’t lie, and they are really good in all metrics,” Radcliffe says. “TV is on the one hand very complicated and the other it is not: we want people to watch longer.”

Similar stories have been playing out across Europe. Amid a brutal advertising downturn that’s whacked turnover and earnings at all major media companies, RTL’s streaming revenue was up 17% and ProSiebenSat.1 has placed streamer Joyn at the center of its operation as part of a massive restructuring of its business. This isn’t to paint an overly positive picture—virtually every major European commercial TV operation’s share price is considerably down on pre-Covid trading—but there’s a sense companies are coming to grips with the issues, and specifically how streaming will dictate their futures.

“We’ve seen a change of pace recently with ITVX and RTL+ in Germany,” Enders’ Godard. says “ITVX is releasing more content online before the linear channel. It is conceived as a destination rather than ITV Hub, which was catch up.”

The question now is really whether Europe’s big dogs took too long to respond. Huge falls in revenues have led to redundancies at many companies, with ProSieben shedding 400 staff in one instance. Meanwhile, many of the global streamers are still investing into their European markets to consolidate their subscriptions, despite their well-documented struggles of the past 12 months.

When probed about the step-change in digital approaches, senior network execs provide myriad reasons—some necessity, others future-looking—but Henrik Pabst, Chairman of Seven.One Entertainment Group and CEO of Seven.One Studios, puts its more simply: “We used to be frightened of cannibalizing our content, now we are not.”

For ITV, that has meant guaranteeing long, exclusive debut windows and brand extensions on ITVX for many shows, while ProSiebenSat.1 has focused on developing formats that are “optimized” for both streaming and

ad solutions that build revenues at digital services, while still focusing on

feed for its upcoming Big Brother reboot, while episodes of The Voice launch

the large, though dwindling, audiences on the flagship linear channels.

behind the paywall on ProSieben’s Joyn seven days before their linear I TV ST U D I OS / M G M / RTL / F R E M AN T LE

The challenge then becomes one of balance—investing in addressable TV

linear, according to Pabst. For example, ITVX will run a continuous live

“No doubt, there are long-term structural shifts in video viewing,” says

launch, which still garner millions of overnight views, and then join catch-

RTL CEO Thomas Rabe, who is also Chairman and CEO of the Luxembourg-

up services for free.

based broadcaster’s parent, Bertelesmann. “The share of linear TV viewing

“The answer for us is to really concentrate on catching broad audiences

is still significantly higher in our key European countries compared to the

who like our program brands, which are extended into digital,” Pabst says.

U.S., but we face similar trends: decreasing usage of linear TV and increas-

“This interplay hasn’t been seen at streamers.”

ing usage of streaming and online video.”

The goal is to differentiate the product from current global streaming

RTL’s answer is to consolidate its huge reach in countries such as Ger-

models by using AVOD services to reach broader audiences and ultimately

many and the Netherlands and invest in new advertising and data tools to

attract advertisers, while also offering subscription options for those who

better monetize.

want earlier access. “Broadcasters do have a chance to capitalize on subscription fatigue,” says Ampere’s Anderson.

However, there isn’t a unified approach to the future amongst Europe’s commercial players. Many see local dominance through domestic

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From top: Sonja Zietlow on Die Verräter (The Traitors); the cast of Echte Meisjes In De Jungle (Real Girls in the Jungle).

consolidation as paramount, while the likes of MediaForEurope, which

Italy and Spain and is the biggest shareholder in ProSiebenSat.1. With

owns Mediaset and a 28.7%% stake in ProSiebenSat.1, call for more cross-

the passing of company founder Silvio Berlusconi this year, there are

border collaboration.

unknowns around how his children, Piers Silvio and Marina, will pro-

Encouragingly, older viewers are finally beginning to move to streaming

ceed after taking control of the media empire. Rumors of a company

platforms, perhaps encouraged to experiment by the boredom of lockdowns

sale have been rubbished, while MediaForEurope recently took the

during Covid. Ofcom’s Media Nations 2023 report revealed that for the first

shares it didn’t already own in Mediaset España, a near €800 million

time a “significant” decline in daily linear TV viewing among Britain’s over-

($850 million) transaction.

Others have been much more focused at local level. RTL’s businesses

proportion of the demo using streaming services grew across the board.

remain hyper-focused on local consolidation but have found progress

“That’s a big opportunity,” says ITV’s Radcliffe.

tough. Attempts to merge the company’s French network M6 with commer-

The bigger picture

cial market leader TF1 and RTL Nederland with Talpa Network in the Netherlands were stopped on anti-competition grounds by watchdogs.

As Europe’s commercial networks come to grips with streaming, they are

“In both countries, the competition authorities blocked the transactions

also wrestling with shape of their wider businesses. Analysts expect consoli-

because they did not take into account the speed and extent of the changes

dation of one form or the other to follow over the coming decades, as scale

in European media,” says RTL’s Rabe. “I still see these as missed opportuni-

becomes ever more decisive. Enders’ Godard says it’s a “trial-and-error

ties—for us, but also the European media industry as a whole.”

environment” right now but adds he would be “reassured” if the thinking was “more collective.”

For example, Mediaset owner MediaForEurope has broadly favored cross-border consolidation—it owns leading broadcast channels in

42

Analysts broadly agree. “In the case with TF1-M6, regulators have seen it through a narrow prism of the TV advertising market, which doesn’t reflect the wider scale of the challenges on commercial broadcasters,” Ampere’s Anderson. says “The regulators have been tested in their ability to

RT L/ RE D A RROW STU D I OS I N TE R N ATI O N A L / S B S

65s, down 8% year-on-year and 6%on pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, the

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German series The Voice.

understand market dynamics, and they need to make their minds up how they want to support broadcasters,” he says.

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Broadly, regulators have been far more comfortable with pan-European

Line of Duty maker World Productions and Gomorrah producer Cattleya.

“For ITV, Studios has been a really big strategic advantage,” says Ampere’s Anderson.

consolidation. Comcast-owned Sky and France’s Canal+ have both built

RTL owns Fremantle and has set its production subsidiary the lofty tar-

European pay-TV businesses and MediaForEurope now has two seats on

get of €3 billion ($3.14 billion) in revenues by 2025—one Rabe himself calls

the ProSieben board and has begun to collaborate more closely with the

“ambitious.” It posted a turnover of €2.3 billion ($2.4 billion) in 2022, up 22%,

German company on advertising and tech over recent months. Its stake

and has spent heavily on companies such as The Elon Musk Show maker 72

in ProSieben is now very close to the 30% that would automatically trig-

Films, Normal People producer Element Pictures and Devils prodco Lux Vide

ger a mandatory takeover bid. The Warner Bros.-Discovery deal was waved

during a sustained acquisitions spree that we estimated earlier in the year

through by the EU at the end of 2021.

hit €250 million ($262 million).

Content is key

broadcasting and streaming.” He adds that the company spends more than

As ITV, RTL and co reshape their futures, the role of content remains be cen-

€2 billion ($2.1 billion) each year on content above and beyond Fremantle

tral to their futures. ITV has invested heavily in ITV Studios. The production

productions—it ordered the German version of The Traitors, known as Die

and program sales division recently posted half-year earnings of £1 billion

Verräter from All3Media’s Tower Productions, for example.

($1.2 billion) that outperformed the group’s Media & Entertainment division, which houses its linear networks, for the first time.

The Julian Bellamy-led division makes the network’s hit UK soaps, most of its local versions of Love Island and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, and has a burgeoning global scripted arm that houses the likes of

“Content is the lifeblood of RTL Group,” Rabe says. “It drives audiences in

In France, TF1 Group has followed a similar strategy. Its subsidiary, Newen Studios, has more than 50 labels, most of which are in France but are also based in the UK, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands and the Middle East.

Meanwhile, ProSieben has taken a different approach. It sold its U.S. production assets to former Fox boss Peter Chernin, who used the

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From top: ITV’s Love Island; NFL Live studio moderator Jana Wosnitza.

Should Amazon channels, for example, become the dominant ‘EPG’ [elec-

cused on its local production teams. The Red Arrow Studios moniker was

tronic program guide] of the future, incumbent networks will “lose scale

dropped and in came Seven.One Studios, which now houses eight German

and risk being marginalized. I’m not sure they completely realize that,”

production companies, sales arm Red Arrow Studios International, and

Godard says.

producers in Israel, Denmark and UK (including Married at First Sight UK firm CPL Productions).

Europe’s commercial network chiefs argue they’re more than aware of the challenges ahead.

“We tried to be a true global production house but when ProSieben

“The media industry is amid a fundamental transformation,” says RTL’s

wanted to become the local market champion we had to be honest,” Pabst

Rabe. “This comes with significant challenges‚ but also huge opportunities.

says. The rationale was that while its U.S. producers were making shows

I encourage our teams to embrace creativity and entrepreneurship, and to

such as Love is Blind and Life After Death with Tyler Henry, their content

take decisive action. We have the investment capacity to future-proof our

didn’t fit on ProSieben services—and didn’t fit the business model.

business and seize opportunities in streaming, content production and

He says the slimmed down group “has experts in every genre,” adding: “I’m confident that the group delivers what we need.”

advertising technology.”

ITV’s Radcliffe says: “We can’t influence the broader macro-economic

If the post-Covid era marks the beginning of a truly digital-first future

picture, but we can continue to be a fantastic platform for advertisers. What

for Europe’s commercial networks, the next debate is who has made the

marketeers and ad people want is to shift their business through advertising

right moves. Innovative TV advertising partnerships, investment in free-

and ITV remains an incredibly effective platform. Our digital transforma-

streaming propositions and M&A will all play their part, but Enders’ Godard

tion has brought a lot of new business in—we attracted 400 new advertisers

says there is another existential question to answer: how they will remain

digitally in 2022.”

prominent in a digital era.

“If you go into a digital world where everyone is one their own, you run the

Radcliffe contends that it boils down to staying “relentlessly focused” on the streaming strategy and listening to what your advertisers have to say. “In

risk as ending up as an app like many others,” he says. “The European chan-

an economic downturn, when marketing budgets are discretionary, being

nels set the rules of the TV advertising market of today more or less, but they

the biggest place in town with the scaled commercial audience becomes

could lose control over this and end up on a Google or Amazon platform.”

even more important.” ★

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E R I C M C CAN DL E SS / ABC / Q U E L LE N AN G AB E U N D B E AC H T U N G D ER U N T ER / I T V

acquisition as a propeller to form The North Road Company and refo-

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ALL EYES ON AFRICA Global streamers are hoping Africa is the next frontier of growth but can they compete with local players?

According to a report from Digital TV Research, Africa is expected to reach 18 million SVoD subscriptions by 2029, up from 8 million in 2023, bucking the U.S. trend. These are encouraging figures for global players who are

By Diana Lodderhose

already well established in Western and European countries.

While there are of course challenges (more on that later), what has become clear is that in order to harness even a portion of Africa’s 1.2 bil-

46

lion population, you have to give the audience what it wants: local content.

And that’s what the major streamers in the market have been rolling up their sleeves to do. In the last few years both Netflix and Prime Video have been keen to establish themselves in the market and have been making homegrown series and films across the continent in the hopes of competing with local players.

“Growth in Africa has been a priority since we opened in the market in 2016,” says Ben Amadasun, Director of Content for Netflix in the Middle East and Africa, which launched its first African original Queen Sono in 2020.

“We’ve been investing in great local stories and creatives in the market in the last four years and even from the time we started Queen Sono, we have really seen the impact of African storytelling in the continent as well as beyond.’

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Africa is one of the fastest growing continents on the planet so it’s no wonder that global streamers have viewed the vast territory as the last frontier of growth in recent years. A young population coupled with a growing middle class and increasing internet connectivity (albeit the latter very slowly) has seen companies like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Canal+ battle it out with more established local players such as MultiChoice’s SVoD platform Showmax.

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Far left: Donkerbos; Left: Prime Video Africa Director Gideon Khobane.

In 2022, Prime Video signed its first African content deal with Nigerian production outfit Inkblot Studios in a move that it hopes will expand its

than 20 African languages and other projects include The Real Housewives of

footprint on the continent. It also signed a three-year deal with Sugar

Lagos, drama Adulting, true-crime series Rosemary’s Hitlist and Devilsdorp.

Rush and Isoken creator Jáde Osiberu, which includes original scripted

Last year, seven out of the 10 most-watched shows on the service in South

dramas and feature films from her Greoh Studios This year, the global

Africa were local shows while in Ghana, nine out of 10 were local hits while

streamer launched its first African original movie Gangs of Lagos before

Kenya and Nigeria each saw eight.

it brought aboard former Multichoice Group exec Gideon Khobane as

Showmax also has a strong sports presence and recently obtained rights

director for Prime Video Africa. The seasoned industry boss is overseeing

to the English Premier League soccer games. Last year, Comcast’s NBCU-

what Prime Video describes as “continued, long-term investment in sub-

niversal and Sky stuck a deal with MultiChoice for a content partnership,

Saharan Africa.”

seeing NBCU take a 30% stake in the company for a new Showmax group,

“Amazon sees that Africa is a great opportunity for growth, just like any

which is revamping and preparing for launch in March 2024. These kind

other territory such as southeast Asia, Latin America as well,” Khobane says.

of offerings plus third-party content from HBO, Warner Bros International

But these players are not coming into an underserved market: African

and Sony, say Jury, have seen Showmax subscribers increase by 26% year-

pay-TV giant MultiChoice launched its streaming service Showmax eight

on-year for the last four years. Moving forward, the company’s key focus

years ago in South Africa and now operates in 50 countries in sub-Saharan

will be on South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya, it says.

Africa. It has offices in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana and is the

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Zulu brothers and the women they marry. Showmax has content in more

biggest producer of African content in the last three decades, creating 6,500

Territory targets

hours annually. Marc Jury, CEO for MultiChoice South Africa and interim

Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, however, are putting their efforts into

CEO for Showmax says that figure “will double in the next three years.”

growth in South Africa and Nigeria to start, mainly because production

“The number of Showmax originals we are producing is growing rapidly,” Jury says. “Series on Showmax were some of the biggest winners at the most recent AMVCAs in Nigeria, SAFTAs in South Africa and Kalasha Awards in Kenya—so we’re winning the local content game.”

infrastructure is strong in both. Amadasun says that Netflix is also licensing titles across countries such as Zimbabwe, Senegal and Zambia.

“We’ve had some really interesting titles that have come from those markets, which have travelled such as Can You See Us? which we launched

The streamer’s most popular series to date is The Wife, which has been

recently about a person living with albinism and it was very impactful in

viewed more than 50 million hours. The project follows criminal family the

terms of our members,” he says. “It was consumed in its local country in

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Thoko Ntshinga in Donkerbos.

Zambia but also all across the region in countries like Nigeria, Kenya and

thriller Blood Sisters also was a strong series for African audiences

South Africa so we’re very encouraged by that. We’ve been very happy with

on the streamer.

Vivendi-owned media group Canal+ (which has just over a 30%

Netflix recently released new young adult series Miseducation from Burnt

stake in MultiChoice) has taken a different approach, focusing its

Onion Productions (How To Ruin Christmas) and is set to release Season 3 of

efforts on the 29 French-speaking countries on the African con-

pan-African reality series Young, Famous & African.

tinent as well as some non-francophone countries such as Sierra

For Prime Video, Nigeria and South Africa are the key targets for now.

Leone, Nigeria, Ghana and Cape Verde. It’s been showing its muscle

“We are looking at the broader continent but those analyses will be made

by trying to grow subscribers to its satellite platform Canal+

at a later date,” Khobane says. “Nigeria is a vibrant filmmaking industry so

Afrique. In 2019, it acquired production, content distribution and

we license a lot of those movies straight from theatrical releases, but we are

channel assets of iRoko Partners. (Canal+ declined to contribute to

also creating our own local content.”

this article).

He points to crime drama Gangs of Lagos, as a show that did “particularly

But there’s a difference between what’s going on in the English-

well” as well as recently launched series She Must Be Obeyed and upcoming

speaking countries versus the French-speaking countries, says Simon

South African original LOL: Last One Laughing, an unscripted comedy series

Murray, principal analyst at Digital TV Research. He points to Canal+’s

hosted by Trevor Noah.

recent decision to offer its SVoD service for free to existing satellite TV

As ever, the hope is that local content will travel, such as Netflix’s Blood & Water, which the streamer says fared “very well” in South Africa

subscribers as an interesting sign of how some streamers are viewing growth potential.

and then traveled broadly within the rest of sub-Saharan Africa and

“Canal+ gave up the idea of making any money out of SVoD,” he

beyond to big territories like the U.S., UK and France. Nigerian crime

says. “Meanwhile, U.S.-based platforms are being questioned by the

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the growth we’ve seen in key markets.”

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Above: Mark Jury; right: Ben Amadasun.

financial analysts about how much money they’re making from new services

drought from 2015 and 2018 was followed by the Covid-19 pandemic, an

so the currency—which used to be subscribers—isn’t the same.”

electricity crisis and 10 consecutive interest rate hikes.

As for other international entrants to the market, Disney+ expanded into several African markets in 2022, such as Egypt, Algeria and South

that Africa is “not a simple place to do business.”

Africa. The streamer made its 10-part anthologies series Kizazi Moto:

“You can’t take for granted things like credit card or internet access or

Generation Fire, a pan-African animation. “But Disney+ has yet to really

reliable power,” he says. “MultiChoice has learnt those lessons over the last

show it’s hand,” says Murray. “And I think it’s going to be limited to South

three decades. Showmax was built with these realities in mind and was the

Africa and Nigeria.”

first streaming service in Africa to make mobile downloads possible for

The challenges Africa is booming but “from a very low base,” Murray says.

SH OW M AX

“We’ve had to really innovate to sustain our growth,” says Jury, adding

offline viewing and the first to launch a mobile-only plan. Showmax also introduced the lowest data streaming option on the continent and accepts payments in most local currencies and payment platforms.”

“There are quite a few obstacles to overcome before we get toward pene-

The issue of broadband connectivity in Africa is a huge challenge. Kho-

tration,” he says, pointing to issues of poverty and a lack of fixed broadband.

bane says that household broadband is much less compared to the U.S. or

“People have to be more pragmatic about how they approach it and realize

Western Europe and most streaming happens on a mobile phone.

that there’s not going to be loads of money coming very quickly. You have to

“Africa has one of the highest levels of mobile penetration in the world so

take a long-term view and you have to establish a presence there if you want

young people are online in many countries and there are more people with

to make any money.”

mobile accounts than the people in the population, which tells you that our

Jury notes that it’s been “a tough time for our South African audience” across the last few years. The market was hit badly after Cape Town’s

role really is to work with telcos across the continent to say it’s in our interest to help digitize Africa,” Khobane says.

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LOL: Last One Laughing

“Because when we digitize Africa, all kinds of commercial transactions

Furthermore, the advertising market in Africa is a small one which con-

can take place. And that’s what young people are looking for so our efforts in

trasts to other markets such as India, where platforms are cheaper because

the sphere is to really work with telco operators.”

of the advertising model. And budgets are not as high as in other continents.

“Budgets remain a challenge in Africa, but we are increasingly co-producing

operators in Africa, as well as Vodacom in South Africa and Khobane says

with international partners, which is allowing us to work at higher budgets

that the company is “working with many others across the continent to

than ever before,” Jury says.

make sure that we can create bespoke partnerships that can offer trials to our customers at a subsidized rate.

He adds: “We recognize that we can’t wait for the infrastructure challenges

What is clear is that Africa has a wealth of content and new stories but there is a long road ahead and entrants into the market need to be there for the long-game.

of fiber into the home because that will take forever but we understand that

“We don’t want to rush the process,” Khobane says. “We want rich,

Africans are all on their mobiles and mobile penetration is very high so that’s

multidimensional stories and we will invest in stories with young pro-

why it’s in our interest to make sure that we partner with the telcos in Africa.”

ducers, emerging producers and seasoned producers to make sure we

There’s also the issue of scaling up the sector’s talent pool. According to

are actually able to create stories that are authentic and that will delight

Amadasun, “the biggest areas we face challenges in are mainly in that production skills area. But we are continuing to invest in guiding and growing and nurturing the talent pipeline.”

our customers.”

Jury adds: “The content that resonates the strongest with our audiences isn’t always the biggest budget content—it’s the content that feels the most

Netflix recently partnered with UNESCO for a short film competition

authentic. We have great relationships with our local filmmakers because

called African Folktales Reimagined, to promote African cultures by retell-

we’re empowering them to make content for their communities, in their

ing folktales for modern and global audiences while supporting young talent

local languages, without the need to overexplain or dilute anything. And

in the business.

there’s something incredibly exciting and freeing about that.” ★

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IN SIG H T P RO D U CT I O N CO.

Prime Video has worked with MTN in Nigeria, one of the biggest telecom

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Welcome to Deadline’s The Hot Ones, our guide to some of the best television being sold at Mipcom this year. Our editorial team has done extensive research in the run-up to the 2023 market and has handpicked what we think are sure to be the shows that will be big talking points at this year’s event in Cannes. In between meetings and cocktail parties, you’re sure to hear whispers about the next potential global hit and The Hot Ones is here to guide you. Across the next few pages, you can read our pick of the standout shows across scripted, documentaries and entertainment, which feature some of the biggest names in television from the top distribution players.

SCRIPTED Bargain Paramount Global Content Distribution Length: 6x35’ Producers: SLL, Climax Studio Bargain’s star has been ascending all year, following the Korean drama’s Best Screenplay win at Canneseries in April and the Critics’ Choice gong at Germany’s Seriencamp in Cologne a few months later. “This show is one of the best things I’ve seen in a long time,” says Dan Cohen, Chief Content Licensing Officer at Paramount Global Content Distribution. “For my team, it’s really exciting given the popularity of Korean content.”

Estonia

The series was born out of a wide-ranging strategic deal

Bargain has an extreme premise.

Paramount struck with South Korean

Noh Hyung Soo (Jin Seon-kyu) pays

While Korean content has been

maritime accidents of all time, and so

powerhouse CJ ENM for film and

Park Joo Young (Jeon Jong-seo) for

booming, it can still be a gamble for a

forging a limited series out of a tragedy

television, one element of which

a sexual service, only to find she’s in

U.S. studio. Cohen says his “biggest

that killed 850 people was bound to be

would see Paramount co-finance

cahoots with an illegal human organ

concern” when striking the CJ deal

a challenge.

and licence CJ shows for its global

trafficking auction house and he has

was whether audiences would actually

Estonia is an eight-part series

steaming service Paramount+.

been tricked. As people fight over the

locate it. “I’m 100% certain if people

created for a number of Scandinavian

“Part of the appeal for us

price of his body parts, an earthquake

can find it they will watch it,” he says.

and German networks that looks set

on Bargain and the CJ deal was

hits and collapses the building. Hyung

considered one of the greatest

because we really feel Korean content

When Paramount+ execs

to dominate scripted sales chatter

Soo and a group of survivors have

showcased the first show from the

at Mipcom this year, following the

has cut through,” says Cohen. “We’ve

to make their way through a never-

pact, sci-fi drama Yonder, on the

success of Beta-distributed series The

not done other deals like this.”

ending road to safety.

streamer’s homepage, it performed

Swarm in 2022.

As such, Bargain launches on

Cohen points to director and

Paramount+ services in numerous

co-creator Woo Sung-jeon’s stunning

Cohen hopes will be the same for

credits include Chernobyl and Snabba

territories, including the U.S.,

long takes, often running for more

Bargain. —Jesse Whittock

Cash, describes the ship’s sinking

UK and Germany. Cohen says

than 10 minutes. “It is wild to watch

the reason for showcasing the

as the camera just moves with the

Estonia

that needed to be approached with

series at Mipcom now is because

action,” he says. “It almost feels like

Beta Film

the utmost sensibility, given that

there are “plenty of markets that

you’re watching in real time.”

Length: 8x60’

authorities are still investigating the

Producers: Fisher King, Panache

case 30 years on.

are unspoken for.” He adds that BE TA FI LM

way. This just works.”

Cohen notes that while the drama

strongly for the platform, something

Director Mans Månsson, whose

in 1994 as “a total national trauma”

his team will be entertaining

is eye-catching, the award-winning

Productions & La Compagnie

second window enquiries in the

script should not be overlooked. “The

Cinematographique Amrion

involved with wars so rarely have loss

Paramount+ territories.

plot twists will make you think, ‘What

Production and Kärnlm AB

of life on this scale,” says Månsson.

am I watching?’ but in a really cool

The sinking of the MS Estonia is

Based on a 2015 short film,

“We Scandinavians tend not to be

With a budget estimated at around

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production could access the country’s generous 30% tax rebate.

“As we get Season one lined up, we are trying to bring together partners in a way that gives everyone a piece of the IP,” Barth says.

Bluemhuber of Swiss TV financier and producer Silver Reel struck a deal to make a series based on the novels, which have sold more than 10 million copies to date, before bringing in Eccho parent Night Train Media for development. The characters have been aged up and Eccho, which was sold to Night Train in 2022, is heading to Mipcom to do deals for Season One and find “one or two key partners who can help us get season two up and running.”

Despite the supernatural elements, Barth says Fallen is “a love story at its core, and though there is fantasy, it is incredibly grounded.”

He adds: “It’s for buyers who want Machine

something a little different, fresh and exciting—the type of thing a studio

€15 billion ($16.4 billion), Estonia charts

with multiple producers and networks,

to unscripted, indies pounced on

would make internally and premiere on

what happened after midnight

which helped ease the burden on one

the opportunity to make headway

their service and nobody would ever

on September 28, 1994, when a

specific territory while also boosting

in the genre,” says Adam Barth,”

get a chance to buy it.” —JW

catastrophic storm off the coast of

the budget.

Eccho’s Director of Co-Productions,

Beta will now be pitching to a

enormous ship—one of the worst

multitude of territories and is hopeful a

The show, which is based on Lauren

tragedies to befall such a vessel since

U.S. buyer will swoop. “The shipwreck

Kate’s YA popular book series, follows

Length: 6x52’

the Titanic.

is almost an eternal genre, so I think

play 20-year-old Luce, a girl who is

Producer: White Lion Films

we have a lot to say for every kind of

sent to a cult-like reform facility called

International interest in French drama

audience,” adds Månsson.

Sword & Cross for a horrific crime she

has been steadily picking up thanks to

can’t remember committing. Armed

shows such as Call My Agent!, Haven

happen? Was it human or technical

And while acknowledging that

Mediawan Rights

failure? And who can be held

the dual writer/actor strikes are an

officers guard the building and nobody

of Grace and HIP and Mediawan Rights

accountable? The investigation

“important issue and we are not trying to

inside has any recollection of who they

is hoping that its upcoming six-part

committee, including acclaimed marine

compete with the U.S.,” Oikonnen hopes

are. She soon develops a connection

limited series Machine will be following

engineer, yet novice inquirer, Henri

that the upside of this means there could

with enigmatic inmate Daniel (Gijs

their lead.

Peltonen, is subsequently determined

be “some room for European shows

Blom), as Siddig, who looks on as the

to unveil the cause of the disaster.

in the U.S. or other English-speaking

sinister chief doctor. “From the first

Mediawan-owned White Lion Films

markets.” —Max Goldbart

minute in the facility, it’s clear there’s

and for Arte France, follows Margot

something off,” Barth says.

Bancilhon as a former French special

“I remember hearing of the accident when visiting my family,”

The upcoming series, which is from

says showrunner Miikko Oikkonen.

Fallen

“We heard the ferry had sunk and my

Eccho Rights

powers and she realizes that she is

avoid her former military intelligence

father’s response was ‘No way, this

Length: 8x60’

a key protagonist in a supernatural

unit colleagues, who wrongly blame

is not possible.’ Those words have

Producers: Silver Reel, Night Train

conflict that begins to intrude on the

her for a disastrous overseas mission

burned in my mind.”

Media, Globoplay (Co-producer)

human world. Siddig, Sarah Niles,

failure. She takes a menial job at a

It soon emerges Luce has strange

ops soldier hiding in a small town to

In a similar vein to Chernobyl, the

New crime drama Fallen is targeting

Jessica Alexander, Blom and Timothy

Korean-owned factory but soon finds

team took a highly ethical approach to

what distributor Eccho Rights calls the

Innes star, with Rachel Paterson and

herself caught up in a dispute between

the series, avoiding pitfalls that have

“new adult” market — slightly older

Roland Moore writing and co-exec

the workers and their paymasters,

beset previous shows about disasters

than young adults but broadly still

producing alongside exec producers

despite her lack of interest and desire

by ignoring the mountain of conspiracy

in their 20s and 30s. The show has

Claudia Bluemhuber and Hastings, who

to keep a low profile. Pursued by

theories that exist about the tragedy.

pedigree too with co-showrunner Matt

is also director.

her ex-colleagues, she is drawn into

They instead focused on precincts

Hastings, who has worked on projects

Fallen was made using an indie

such as the police and investigating

such as The Originals and The Vampire

financing model more akin to the

The project is created by Fred

committee, while also embracing

Diaries for The CW, aboard the project.

film industry. Shooting took place

Grivois and Thomas Bidegain and is

collaboration and tackling the story

“After the U.S. network pivoted

on location in Hungary, meaning the

a heady mix of genres, which should

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conflict on two fronts.

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As the tragedy unfolds, pressing questions surface: How could this

Acquisitions and Development.

Machine

Finland caused the sinking of the

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project finally coming together.

Based on the bestselling novel of

mid-sized city in Spain, this is the kind

the same name by Pérez Gellida, the

of story you would never expect to

thriller follows detective inspector

happen in this place.”

Ramiro Sancho who one Sunday

Memento Mori

comes from. “Because Valladolid is a

She adds that music will be a

morning is called to a murder scene.

big draw to people: “There’s a lot of

His worst nightmare has just begun.

contemporary music and international

The victim, a young Ecuadorian woman

songs that people will recognize.”

whose eyelids had been mutilated, has

Newen is showing a promo to

been found next to threatening verses.

buyers in Mipcom this year and Connell

But she was only the first. As the

says that she’s sure buyers will find it

murders mount up, Sancho involves

“quite cinematic.”

Armand Lopategui, an expert on serial

“We feel very optimistic that we’ve

killer behaviour. These two men form

got something very exciting on our

stand out as an unusual but attention-

shows that are exportable and less

a complex emotional triangle with the

hands and we feel it should appeal

grabbing Mipcom title.

Franco-French. If it has international

killer, Augusto, a narcissistic sociopath.

to not only platforms and pay-TV

“We love straightforward

flavor, you can export it and potentially

It stars Yon González (Beguinas,

channels internationally but also

crime shows and thrillers that are

get more money for production.” —JW

Gran Hotel), Francisco Ortiz (Garcia!),

sublinear broadcasters who will look

Juan Echanove (Desaparecidos), Olivia

at these kind of high-concept, intense thrillers.” —Diana Lodderhose

easy to pitch but every once in a while, broadcasters and streamers

Memento Mori

Baglivi (Dancing on Glass), Manuela

need something outside of the

Newen Connect

Vellés (Cites) and is directed by Marco

box and Machine has all of those

Length: 6x45’

A. Castillo (The Legend of El Cid).

elements,” says Randal Broman, Head

Producer: Zebra Producciones

of International Sales, scripted at

Upcoming high concept crime thriller

has all the ingredients to work

Length: 12x52’

Mediawan. “It’s not a comedy but there

Memento Mori has been in the works

internationally as it’s based on a novel

Producer: Curiosa Films

are light moments—that’s what you get

for a while and now, nearly eight years

that many are familiar with, so that IP is

International financial crime thriller Of

mixing unions and kung-fu. It’s in some

since Spanish production outfit iZen

a big draw.

Money and Blood arrives at Mipcom

ways a light thriller.”

optioned the bestseller by leading

“We generally love a high concept

Spanish crime writer César Pérez

crime thriller,” says Newen Connect’s

the Venice Film Festival. The French-

play on words as France’s John and Jane

Gellida, it has finally come to fruition.

Leona Connell. “So, when the

language 12-parter marks the first

Does are often called Machine, which

The series, which is produced

opportunity came for us to work on

series for cinema writer-director Xavier

doubles as the show’s description for

by iZen’s Zebra Producciones, was

this, we jumped at it.”

Giannoli. It’s produced by Giannoli’s

Bancilhon’s special forces-trained lead

first optioned in 2015 and after a

She adds, “It follows this cat and

long-time producer Olivier Delbosc

character. “She’s not your ordinary

number of financing models didn’t

mouse game between the sociopath/

at Paris-production company Curiosa

woman,” says Broman.

lift off, iZen, which recently sold a

psychopath and the obsessive

Films and stars Cannes Best Actor-

majority stake of its business to

policeman and that’s always fun to

winning star Vincent Lindon.

won the Best Actress award at Series

TF1 subsidiary Newen, saw its new

watch and means that you have a

Mania earlier this year for her turn in

partner step in. Newen licenced the

certain pace attached to it. And it’s

period adaptation Lost Illusions and

family crime drama Haven of Grace,

project to Prime Video in Spain and

character driven.”

contemporary miracle mystery The

which is also an Arte drama that

Newen Connect boarded as the

Fernández notes that the location

Apparition, while Delbosc’s plus-100

Mediawan Rights sells internationally.

project’s international distributor.

is one of the things “that makes this

productions span early François Ozon

story very special.” It was shot in the

films 8 Women and Swimming Pool,

city of Valladolid, where Pérez Gellida

and recent titles such as Making

The show’s title is even a French

Bancilhon herself is a draw, having

“She is so good in both shows,” Broman says.

“I think the timing was just perfect, says iZen’s Sara Fernández of the

Newen is confident the series

Of Money and Blood Studiocanal

after a glitzy red-carpet launch at

Giannoli’s previous credits include

He describes the action scenes W H IT E L IO N F IL MS/ Z E BR A P RO D U CC I O N ES/ST U D IO CAN AL

as closer to “real fights” than “Jackie Chan-style action,” and adds another notable point is there is no central romance, “which is key to the story.”

Paris-based Mediawan will be heading to Cannes with two almost finished episodes. Filming has completed so buyers will effectively be looking at a straight tape deal and it’s unlikely to launch before Series Mania 2024, which only features shows that haven’t been broadcasted.

“The French have come a long way in terms of writing and producing shows,” says Broman. “There are more

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Of Money and Blood

10/3/23 6:16 PM

Of Money and Blood is liberally

that have done what we’ve done.”

which is the centerpiece of the John

wants to understand the beginnings

Canal+ financed 50% of the

Wick film universe. The show will be

of the universe.”

adapted from investigative journalist

development costs, bringing in

seen through the eyes of a young

Fabrice Arfi’s 2018 book about a real-

writer Jean-Baptiste Delafon (Baron

Winston Scott as he’s dragged into

includes Colin Woodell, Mishel Prada,

life carbon tax scam that robbed the

Noir, Promises) to co-write alongside

the hellscape of 1970s New York City

Hubert Point-Du Jour, and Nhung

French treasury of billions of euros in

Giannoli, and buying the rights to

to face a past he thought he’d left

Kate. Writer Ken Kristensen wrote

2009 and was later dubbed the “fraud

Arfi’s book. Development was under

behind. Logline reads: “Winston charts

episodes alongside Coolidge, Ward,

of the century.”

the watch of former Canal+ Head of

a deadly course through the hotel’s

and Simmons. Executive producers are

Lindon, who previously starred in

Fiction Fabrice de la Patellière, with

mysterious underworld in a harrowing

Thunder Road Pictures’ Basil Iwanyk

Giannoli’s The Apparition, plays Simon

production overseen by his successor

attempt to seize the hotel where he will

and Erica Lee, Albert Hughes, Kirk

Weynachter, a magistrate with an

Olivier Bibas, who arrived in January

eventually take his future throne.”

Ward, Greg Coolidge, Chad Stahelski,

obsessional streak who sets up an

2022. Budgeted at €30 million ($28

off-the-grid unit to investigate the

million), the show shot on and off over

Wick universe with fresh eyes and a

Simmons, Paul Wernick, Rhett Reese

fraud. Popular French actor Ramzy

the course of a year.

new cast that includes Mel Gibson,

and Marshall Persinger. —Zac Ntim

While the show takes on the John

Alongside Gibson, the cast

Derek Kolstad, David Leitch, Shawn

Bedia plays a small-time crook who

Of Money and Blood launches

Kapouranis says that the series

joins forces with a high-finance trader,

first in France this October on Canal+,

“embraces the originality that Chad

The Doll Factory

played by Niels Schneider (recently

which is also distributing in Poland,

Stahelski created with his films.”

Cineflix Rights

seen in Woody Allen’s Coup de

Africa and the Asian territories of

Chance), to set up the fraud across

Myanmar and Vietnam.

“We never strayed from the core

Length: 6x52’

mythology. So it feels, behaves, and

Producer: Buccaneer Media

Studiocanal will be looking to

acts like John Wick, except it›s set in

A stylish high-end proposition for

systems. Weynachter and his agents

sell to European territories, the

1970s New York City, and there›s a

buyers this market, The Doll Factory is

follow an international paper trail,

U.S. and Canada at Mipcom, where

little bit of London,” Kapouranis says.

an adaptation of Elizabeth

taking them to Asia, the U.S., the

the presence of Franco-Canadian

The show will debut over three

Middle East and back to Europe.

actor Schneider is a draw. —Melanie

nights in the U.S. on Peacock. Episodes

Commissioned by Paramount+

Goodfellow

1 and 3 are directed by Albert Hughes,

in the U.K. and pre-selling to SBS in

multiple countries and banking

Delbosc partnered with French pay-TV giant Canal+ on the production,

Macneal’s bestselling period thriller.

while Charlotte Brandstrom helmed

Australia and NZTV in New Zealand, this

Episode 2. Amazon Prime Video will

story of dark obsession has a host of

Création Originale team. While the

The Continental: From the World of John Wick

take the show international from

territories on offer via Cineflix Rights.

team has produced a number of

Lionsgate

September 22. Lionsgate will be

The Doll Factory is set in 1850

French dramas involving directors

Length: 3x90’

shopping second window rights at

London where Iris (Esme Creed-Rose)

better known for cinema—such as

Producer: Thunder Road Pictures

Mipcom Cannes, for when the Amazon

paints dolls for a living alongside her

Zaid Doueiri’s Baron Noir, Rebecca

“John Wick has become one of the

window runs down.

twin sister, Rose (Mirren Mack), and

Zlotowski’s Savages and Thomas

biggest parts of the cultural zeitgeist, so

“It›s going to be a day-and-date

dreams of becoming an artist; she

Liltl’s Hippocrate—Delbosc suggests

it was a no-brainer for us to develop the

premiere, so it will debut over three

secretly paints self-portrait nudes

that Of Money and Blood breaks fresh

IP for television,” Lionsgate President

nights in every territory for Amazon the

at night. Silas (Eanna Hardwicke) is

ground in terms of international scope

of International Television and Digital

same way it will premiere on Peacock,”

an ambitious taxidermist and Louis

and ambition.

Distribution Agapy Kapouranis says of

Kapouranis explains.

(George Webster) is a painter and

working closely with the Canal+

“We wanted to appeal to the whole world, both in the spectacular way its shot and in terms of the countries

spinoff The Continental: From the World of John Wick.

Developed, written, and executive

“The thing about John Wick is that

member of the Pre-Raphaelite

it’s got a global fan base. With every

Brotherhood searching for his next

movie, it kept growing, unlike most

muse. When Iris meets Silas, and then

that we visit,” he says. “The financial

produced by Greg Coolidge, Kirk

franchises, which usually shrink. John

Louis, she is offered an opportunity to

scam involves several countries and

Ward and Shawn Simmons, the

Wick just kept getting bigger. And

escape and start a new life. To do so,

governments. In the history of French

three-part series explores the origins

that›s where The Continental fits in

she must abandon her sister, sacrifice

series, I don’t think there are others

behind the hotel-for-assassins,

for this fanbase, which is thirsty and

her reputation, and launch herself

The Continental: From the World of John Wick

56

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Of and The Taste of Things.

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Marcella, Crime and Whistable

of intelligentsia. The team wanted

alongside Idit Avrahami (H2: The

North London pub, he seems like

Occupation Lab), and the show for

the kindred spirit she has been

public broadcaster Kan 11 stars rising

searching for. She has no idea he is

star Mor Dimri as lead, opposite

a killer, but as his artistic, anti-

established Israeli names.

establishment persona gives way to

Emmanuelle Guilbart, joint-CEO &

a darker side, he becomes violent

founder of Wolf outfit APC, says The

and finally confesses to murdering

Truth “delves deep into a high-

his former girlfriend. Sweeney is

stakes investigation.”

arrested, but then released on bail

“Israeli series are known to be bold

after a catastrophic failure by the

and excellent in characterization,” she

court to recognise how dangerous

adds. “The Truth is a real illustration of

he really is, leaving him free to

that, weaving a tapestry of intriguing

subject Delia to a near-fatal attack,

characters and a complex narrative

and what follows is gruesome.

The ITV Studios-distributed show

themes such as teenage angst, crime

will be a flagship for the seller at

sensationalism, family woes and

Mipcom and the team has been on the

local corruption.”

road shopping it in the week’s leading

to create that kind of atmosphere of

Guilbart will be targeting North

Pearl indie Buccaneer Media

exciting young people breaking out

America and key European territories

Louisa Forsyth, the outfit’s VP

produced the drama, which will

and breaking away from that Victorian

when the show launches at Mipcom.

Global Content for Scripted, describes

join the lineup of Paramount+

shackle.” —Nancy Tartaglione

She says Israeli shows have

the show penned by Pembrokeshire

Originals available on the streaming

up to the confab.

benefitted “from a reputation for being

Murders’ Nick Stevens as a “blueprint for success in the true crime genre.”

service for audiences in the U.K. and

The Truth

high quality” and is hoping to strike

Ireland in late fall.

About Premium Content

multiple deals across broadcast and

Length: 8x52’

streaming. But, more broadly, she

and World felt had to be told,” she

for Cineflix, says he expects the six-

Producer: Endemol Shine Israel,

predicts Israeli commissioning may

says. “What I like about it is knowing

part series to sell on a territory

Elvie Production and Place du

soon start suffering from the local

that they have hit it again with

or regional basis during Mipcom.

Marché Productions

European streamer quotas, which are

portraying the truth around someone,

“With the market changing as quickly

French boutique distributor About

leading the major players to order more

Delia, who is absolutely incredible.

as it is, global deals are less frequent

Premium Content (APC) is hoping that

from the continent—and therefore less

This is a fascinating insight from

and less desirable. I’m not sure they

it has unearthed the next big Israeli

from developed nations such as Israel–

the perspective of a woman who

have the impact financially and

hit in this true-to-life detective series

in order to meet these requirements.

survived attempted murder where

creatively that they did three years ago

created by Euphoria’s Daphna Levin.

APC is also shopping Obituary at

or so. I feel The Doll Factory is one that

No Mipcom market would be

Mipcom, an Irish crime drama about a

is probably more likely to go territory-

complete without a plethora of

small-town obituarist who resorts to

Stevens spent “hours and hours”

by-territory, barring anything that

breakout hits from the Middle

murder when work dries up. —MG

with Balmer in order to make her feel

Paramount+ does.”

Eastern nation that has punched

James Durie, Head of Scripted

“Delia’s story was something Nick

others didn’t.”

To that end, Forsyth explains how

comfortable with how the show would

The dark and somewhat gothic

above its weight for decades and The

Until I Kill You

be written and gain her trust. “They

series boasts a young female creative

Truth looks set to be no exception.

ITV Studios

have kept it very close to the real story

team including writer/creator

Length: 4x60’

and checked with her down to the

Charley Miles, director Sacha Polak

parter starts on the day the most

Producer: World Productions

title of the show to make sure she was

and producer Suzanne McAuley.

controversial murder case in Israel

ITV’s latest true crime offering

comfortable,” Forsyth says.

Macneal was also heavily involved

is to be given a highly anticipated

tackles one of the biggest U.K.

with the creative team.

final verdict. But 10 years on, another

miscarriages of justice of the

show to “all the usual suspects,”

identical murder takes place. With only

past generation. From indie

Forsyth adds, with BritBox a key

of the MeToo movement, and Durie

two weeks for the police to present

World Productions (Line of Duty),

target along with buyers in the likes

says that although this is a period

their findings to the judges while the

which has made some of the

of Australia, Canada, the U.S. and

piece, “we really wanted to wrap some

first verdict is on hold, young Detective

network’s biggest series of the

Western Europe.

of these modern themes and modern

Racheli Zabatani must revisit the

past decade, Until I Kill You tells

Along with “story and subject

ideas into that.”

past, the events that changed her

the harrowing story of how Delia

matter,” the cast will be a big draw,

He continues, “We know Victorian

life and the old case her own father

Balmer, played by Anna Maxwell

she adds, comparing Line of Duty star

London as this sort of Sherlock Holmes

investigated. She has many questions

Martin, survived a series of violent

Maxwell Martin’s recognizability with

gothic era but this was when lots of art

to consider, including whether this is

attacks at the hands of a man who

the way in which Pembrokeshire

and artists were filtering in and London

a copycat killer or whether it was a hit

should never have been free to commit

Murders star LU.K.e Evans was a key

had a bit of a renaissance period

ordered by the man convicted for the

his heinous crimes.

driver for sales of that top-rated series.

when the drinking dens and those sort

first case.

The novel was penned at the height

LI O N SG AT E /ABO UT P RE M IU M CO N T E N T

Sweeney (Shaun Evans) in a local

while not shying away from serious

The Truth

into the unknown.

File duo Aurit Zamir and Dror Misha’ani,

of places were becoming hotbeds

1016 - Hot Ones.indd 57

Inspired by true events, the eight-

When Delia meets John

ITV Studios will be shopping the

—MG

Levin is creator with The Missing

10/3/23 6:16 PM

Joining Dormer are Brendon

White Lies

Daniels (Trackers), Langley Kirkwood

Fremantle

(Warrior), Morgan Santo (Raised by

Length: 6x30’

Wolves), Daniel Schultz (Upon the

Producer: Quizzical Pictures

Edge), Jane de Wet (The Girl from St.

Following 2021’s Reyka, Fremantle has

Agnes), Katlego Lebogang (Wounds),

returned to South Africa and reteamed

Robert Hobbs (District 9) and

with local producer Quizzical Pictures

Athenkosi Mfamela (Knuckle City).

and Mnet for White Lies, a six-part

Richter adds: “This is a rollercoaster

drama series starring Natalie Dormer

of a series that is well-crafted,

(Game of Thrones).

beautifully shot and features great

Set in the wealthy neighborhood of Bishopscourt, Cape Town, the series follows investigative journalist Edie Hansen (Dormer), who gets caught

performances from Dormer and Daniels.” —ZN

FORMATS

up in the city’s ugly underbelly, which ultimately drags her to a turbulent

Hot Yachts

past life. Her estranged brother has

Fifth Season

been murdered in his luxury home,

Length: 6x60’

While the Men Are Away

Own, which he says “give that modern

and his teenage children are the prime

Producer: Curve Media

Red Arrow Studios International

twist on period drama.”

suspects. As Edie investigates, she

The modern viewer is of course

Length: 8x30’

He stresses that it is “very much

finds herself at loggerheads with

partial to a binge watch and there

Producer: Arcadia

for SBS,” however, which made “bold

veteran detective Forty Bell while

is something about watching elite

“Love is a battlefield!,” cries the

choices” throughout production via

grappling with the crumbling local

sellers of niche products go about their

logline of Australian World War

local indie Arcadia.

police force, a corrupt political system,

business that really gets people going.

II dramedy While the Men Are

“It’s a personal favorite of mine,”

and the secretive world of extreme Cape wealth.

Fifth Season has identified

Away. Australian network SBS’ eight-

Ibarguengoytia says of the show. “We

exactly this penchant with recent

part series, which is helming Red

were intrigued by the concept from the

“White Lies is a riveting and

additions to its unscripted catalog

Arrow Studios International’s (RASI)

outset and were tracking it from the

unpredictable murder mystery with

including Hot Yachts, Paramount+

scripted slate at Mipcom Cannes, flips

early stages.”

a shocking conclusion that explores

U.K.’s latest big entertainment bet

layers of race and privilege, inequality

that sees the streamer take a deep

the traditional World War II romance

Ibarguengoytia was amazed by the

on its head by focusing on the women

topicality of the series and the way in

and identity,” says Jens Richter,

dive into the center of the luxury

left behind.

which it “resonates with lots of modern

Fremantle CEO of commercial and

boating world in South Florida.

concerns around equality, identity and

international. “The audience joins

Phoebe Grainer, Max McKenna, Jana

Starring Michela De Rossi,

tolerance” while simultaneously sticking

Edie on a quest for the truth, which

between them, Miami and Fort

Zvedeniuk., Matt Testro, Benedict

to an “irreverent, subversive tone.”

takes her on a journey into the ugly

Lauderdale are home to the largest

Hardie and Shaka Cook, While the

“From the very opening it is

underbelly that lies beneath the

yacht brokerage in the world and the

Men Are Away takes a witty approach

not afraid to poke fun at the social

beautiful city of Cape Town.”

biggest number of luxury yachts in

to telling the stories of those who

dynamics of the time,” he adds.

The series is produced by

Many wouldn’t know this but,

the world. In Hot Yachts, which

suddenly found themselves running

The show skews even more

Harriet Gavshon and Nimrod Geva

launched in August, an elite group

the show when their significant others

female behind the camera as it does

for Quizzical Pictures, with Dormer

of super-competitive, good looking,

headed to the battlefield. Frankie is

in front and Ibarguengoytia hails the

and Bristow-Bovey also serving as

party-loving, yacht brokers compete

forced to step up and take charge of

producers’ choice of creative team,

executive producers. The series’

ruthlessly to sell everything from

her struggling farm when her husband

which he says adds to the richness of

lead director is John Trengove,

$1 million motor launches to $100

is sent to war. She enlists Gwen and

the series.

whose latest film Manodrome,

million super yachts. Viewers

Ester, two freshly joined city-recruits of

Red Arrow is yet to reveal any

with Jesse Eisenberg and Adrien

are given a sneak peak into this

the Women’s Land Army to join herself,

territory deals for the eight-parter but

Brody, debuted at Berlin. Directing

glamorous, exclusive and gated world

local indigenous farmhand Kathleen,

will be shopping it mainly to English-

alongside Trengove are Thati Pele

amidst the high-volume lifestyle

and certified coward Robert.

language buyers at Mipcom, with some

(Lerato), Catharine Cooke (Reyka), and

show, which features big characters,

The series was created by

non-English speaking territories in mind.

Christiaan Olwagen (Poppie Nongena).

huge deals and a taste of the

Alexandra Burke, Kim Wilson and

Ibarguengoytia feels it would work

Julie Hodge is executive producing

Instagram lifestyle.

Monica Zanetti and penned by a team

better as a bingeable series than on

on behalf of Fremantle, who is also

Liz Tang, Fifth Season’s

of female writers.

linear and his Mipcom conversations

distributing the series internationally.

Executive Director, Acquisitions,

Richter says White Lies “presents

is shopping Hot Yachts outside

RASI’s VP of Scripted Acquisitions and

Rodrigo Herrera Ibarguengoytia,

will very much include global platforms, which could take rights in

themes in a unique way,” which should

the U.K. and brands the “personal

Co-Oroductions, compares the show’s

several territories.

“translate globally.”

favorite” a cross between Netflix

tone to recent streamer hits such as

RASI is also shopping Icelandic

“Even the city itself becomes a

smash hit Selling Sunsets and

Apple TV+’s Dickinson and Amazon

family drama Descendants at Mipcom

character in this fascinating thriller,”

Bravo’s Below Deck, both of

Prime Video’s A League of Their

this year. —MG

he says.

which have dominated streamer

58

F RE M AN T L E / F E RN AN D O M ARR E RO/C BS/ BAN I JAY RIG H TS

White Lies

D E A D L I N E .CO M

1016 - Hot Ones.indd 58

10/3/23 6:16 PM

Levan says the series is the first time a dual-language gameshow

temple, where time seems to be

has aired on U.S. primetime and

standing still, the series features

CBS has secured a top presenter to

a celebrity cast who immerse

deliver on the historic moment. Jane

themselves in an intense training

the Virgin star Jaime Camil is

program under the guidance of two

both hosting and exec producing,

Shaolin masters.

bringing a “theatrical spectacle” to

Lotería Loca

“By surrendering to the ancient

proceedings,” according to Levan.

and respected traditions of the

“For diversity, equity and

legendary Shaolin Warrior Monks,

inclusion this is so important,” he

the celebrities will find unexplored

says. “It serves an underserved

facets of themselves they never

American TV audience and does so

knew existed,” James Townley, Chief

in a way that is celebratory.”

Content Officer, Development at

Levan’s team is selling both format and finished tape but is

Banijay, says of the series.

Townley hails Shaolin’s “unique

unscripted charts over the past

Lotería Loca

prioritizing the former. While some

concept with high-production values”

few years and take a somewhat

Warner Bros. International

territories, both Spanish and English

that will “educate, inspire, and

‘upstairs- downstairs’ approach to

Television Production

language, may embrace the original

inform audiences” about the ancient

reality. Last year Fifth Season’s Hot

Length: 12x30

iteration, Levan imagines buyers will

practices of the masters, which could

One was Blowing LA, which similarly

Producer: Warner Bros. Unscripted

ponder the ways in which they can

generate big audiences.

dove deep into the cut-throat world

Television in association with

adapt the idea to fit their culture.

of celebrity hairdressing.

Warner Horizon and Apploff

“At the end of the day this show

“There are, of course, multiple layers to this format with great

Entertainment

is about celebrating your country

talent participating in the challenges,

get enough of high-volume upmarket

Those in the Spanish-speaking world

and culture so a British version, for

to test them both physically and

reality and therefore Fifth Season

will be familiar with the uber-popular

example, might want to celebrate

intellectually,” Townley says. “The

identified Hot Yachts, which is

card game Lotería, and those in the

Buckingham Palace or Beefeaters,”

experience was life-changing for

produced by U.K. indie Curve Media,

English-speaking world are about to

he says.

the celebrities, as they truly learned

from early on in its development.

discover it.

Tang says viewers simply cannot

about the Shaolin culture and how

“most scalable show” he’s ever

these practices can influence life

dual-language gameshow to play

been involved with, and budgets can

positively. It will be a journey for

world,” she says. “It’s that blue-sky

on primetime U.S. TV and Warner

therefore be brought up and down

viewers as they learn more about the

long-running reality that we know

Bros. International TV Production

with ease in line with how much any

celebrities, and even reflect on their

buyers are looking for right now.

(WBITVP) is tasked with selling it at

given territory is willing to spend.

own life.” He adds Shaolin Heroes

Even though it’s not relatable in the

Mipcom Cannes.

Plans are afoot to build a European

“perfectly captures our strategy to

production hub, from which multiple

create innovative TV that is unique,

versions could be made. —MG

bold, offers new perspectives, and

sense that most of us don’t own $100

CBS’ Lotería Loca is the first ever

Levan says Lotería Loca is the

premium and reveals a mysterious

“This is so on brand because it’s

Lotería is the Latin game of

million yachts, this is a concept that

Chance. In each episode of the

people remain aware of.”

gameshow, two players go head-

entertains.”

to-head and take turns picking

Shaolin Heroes

of the show several times and says the

cards to get four-in-a-row, which is

Banijay Rights

Programmes at Metronome, and

trend has continued well beyond the

Lotería. Each time a card appears

Length: 8x60’

Peter Hansen, Chief Creative Officer

pandemic, when viewers demanded

on their unique Bingo-style card,

Producer: Metronome

at Banijay Nordic, created the original

this manner of blue-sky fare to forgot

they bank big money. Landing on

Banijay is hitting the Croisette

format, which draws directly from the

about their everyday woes.

one of the Loca Cards creates a

this year with Shaolin Heroes, an

history of Shaolin monasteries and

twist in the game and gives players

unscripted adventure series from

East Asian culture.

in Canada and a number of finished

the opportunity to bank even more

Danish label Metronome.

tape deals are incoming for the series,

cash by competing in interactive

with Tang revealing format rights are

challenges, and the player who gets

also up for grabs and that Curve would

the most Loterías moves on to the

produce all local versions.

dramatic final round for a chance to

Tang stresses the “escapist” nature

Paramount+ has also taken rights F RE M AN T L E / F E RN AN D O M ARR E RO/C BS/ BAN I JAY RIG H TS

Set within a 1,000-year-old

She also believes Hot Yachts can work as a bingeable streamer show

Authenticity was therefore key,

win the prize.

“Go into any Mexican family’s

or on linear. “It’s nice to have the

house and they will have a Lotería

binge option but there is enough

set,” says Ed Levan, WBITVP’s VP

drama in each episode to keep you

of Creative, Format, Development

coming back,” Tang says.

& Production. “And bingo is played

Now, we wait with bated breath

all over the world. So, what you have

for which new world Fifth Season will

within this show is a universal game

ask us to dive into next year. —MG

turned into crazy bingo.”

1016 - Hot Ones.indd 59

Henrik Rasmussen, Head of

Shaolin Heroes

10/3/23 6:16 PM

kept certain things, why they were

International is launching

important and who they would like to

in Cannes. The U.K. series,

have them once they are gone.”

commissioned for youth channel

The psychologist is key to setting

(or Alan in this case) into a reality

who sees it standing out in the

show winner.

streamer factual entertainment

The concept, developed in the U.K.

sphere. “It’s life-affirming, positive

under the working title Alan Must

and informative about both the

Win, sees The Underdog placed

organizational side of things as well

in a Big Brother-style reality TV

as the psychology of our relationships

house with a group of contestants

with people, memories and object,”

you’d much more readily associate

she adds.

with the genre—think whitened teeth,

Although Gentle Art airs

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning

E4, sets out to turn an Average Joe

the show apart, adds Langenberg,

models and thousands of social

on a global steamer, the

media followers—who all believe they

majority of territories are up

are on a show called The Favourite.

for grabs, while Langenberg’s

What none of them, including

NBCUniversal compatriots are also

Alan, know is directly next door

shopping the finished tape.

a group of veteran reality show

Townley says “With a show of this

Swedish Death Cleaning, which

She talks up the scalability and

nature, it is extremely important it is

provided the perfect platform for

relatively low budget of the format,

stars are pulling the strings, manipulating the games and votes

respectfully created and produced,

the U.S. streamer to make a fact-

which could travel well “especially

every step of the way to try to

and great care has been taken

entertainment show with heart about

in European territories such as

make the normal guy the winner.

to ensure the Shaolin culture is

the practicalities and philosophies

France, Germany and the Nordics

authentically represented.”

behind de-cluttering.

that have lots of primetime fact-

chasm from the first minute

entertainment slots and are keen to

minute the Underdog goes in,”

buy these formats.”

says Primal Media managing

“There is a gaping

Of the show’s sellability, Townley

The show follows the genuine pra

says the format has “all the makings

ctice of Swedish death cleaning, as an

of a traveling success” due to

organizer, designer and psychologist

NBCUniversal is also selling

director Adam Wood. “They are

“responsible story making at its

help individuals at a crossroads to

Peacock reality format Queen’s

not the type of person who would

heart, relatable celebrities, and

declutter their homes and minds,

Court and CTV Drama Transplant at

usually get a look in and thrive

authentic representation of the

thinking about how best to enjoy

Mipcom. —MG

in that environment. The job

Shaolin community, paired with

life in the here and now. Narrated

stunning visual effects and the

by Amy Poehler, each episode

The Underdog

this person have a presence

production know-how of our teams.”

takes on a different and difficult

All3Media International

in the house.”

challenge, delving deeper into

Length: 10x60’

TV2 on the project. Metronome

themes of transformation and growth

Producers: Primal Media, Motion

Show element,” adds Primal founder

is behind Banijay’s dating format,

as people’s lives are reordered.

Content Group

Mat Steiner. “In a sense, Alan is their

Banijay partnered with Denmark’s

Alone Together, as well as

Gentle Art follows in a recent

of the celebrities is to make

“There is a slight Truman

Since the success of The

baby. The celebrities feel responsible

relationship series, Fabulous Dads.

tradition of cleaning and hoarding

Traitors, there’s been a spate

and that makes them incredibly

The Danish outfit also produces

hits such as Netflix’s Tidying Up with

of reality formats that put

emotionally invested.”

a range of long-running non-

Marie Kondo and the BBC’s Sort

subterfuge, trickery and

scripted series including The Island,

Your Life Out, but Ana Langenberg,

deduction at their core. None,

acting as the voice of the producer

MasterChef, Taskmaster, The Block

who is tasked with selling the format

though, have taken the approach

in the game’s ‘diary room’ (known

and Ex on the Beach. —ZN

for NBCUniversal Format Rights,

of The Underdog, which All3Media

as The Snug), entering the house

This manifests in the celebrities

says it stands out from the crowd

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning

with real purpose.

NBC Universal Formats

she had had these conversations with

Length: 8x60’

her father before he passed away.

“The reason I like it so much

Scout Productions, Universal

is because it’s based on such an

Television Alternative Studio

interesting, different approach,”

Shows about cleaning, clutter and

she says. “We are so used to just

hoarding have been all the rave in the

gathering stuff and then thinking,

recent past and Peacock wanted to

‘Well someone will just have to deal

take this a step further.

with it when I’m gone.’ Having done

This is where Swedish writer

that with my dad’s stuff I know how

Margareta Magnusson’s

difficult it is when you haven’t had

bestselling book The Gentle Art of

those conversations about why they

60

The Underdog

P E ACO C K/ P RI MA L M E D I A/A MOS P ICT U RES

Producer: Paper Kite Productions,

The show made Langenberg wish

D E A D L I N E .CO M

1016 - Hot Ones.indd 60

10/3/23 6:16 PM

hilarity, as they take over the store’s

DOCUMENTARIES

operations and manage the inventory,

of disco records was blown up on the field in between a doubleheader

dining area for local residents to

Disco: Soundtrack Of A Revolution

peruse, eat and socialize.

BBC Studios Distribution

the Detroit Tigers, which led to a riot,

while overseeing the kitchen and

But never content with being

between the Chicago White Sox and

Length: 3x60’

the cancellation of the second game

too local, CJ ENM has pivoted

Producer: BBC Studios Productions

and effectively the end of disco era.

Stateside for Season 3. The latest

Documentary Unit

run has been renamed Unexpected

This landmark doc series for BBC

PBS providing editorial guidance

Business in California and sees the

Two and PBS exists to remind people

during development and production.

celebrated Korean pair relocate to

of how disco became a cultural

The series is a strong pick for

California to successfully run a U.S.

phenomenon around the world,

any network or streamer looking

grocery store.

while only actually existing as a

to attract music doc fans, but Leith

The BBC led on production, with

Cha and Jo therefore become

sub-culture for a decade from circa

points to another, less expected

temporary owners of a local Asian

1970-79. “Disco burned brightly and

benefit. “I have an excellent Spotify

Market shop in San Francisco,

then burned out,” says BBC Studios’

disco playlist now,” he says.

close to a large and diverse Korean

Alexander Leith, Executive Producer

BBC Studios will shop the series

in disguise and occasionally

immigrant community. As hosts, they

on Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution.

in Cannes, along with big ticket blue-

as themselves, and also sending

engage with diverse local customers,

The three-part series sets out to

chip factual such as Mammals and

other celebrities into the house

listening to their captivating

tell the colorful story the music genre

to shape the outcome of tasks

“American Dream” stories and

that has influenced the world ever

and challenges.

forming connections with them.

since New York DJ David Mancuso

(In) Famous: The True Story of Andrew Tate

However, the other contestants

“We believe the immigrants can

several new dramas. —JW

began throwing rooftop parties in the

(In)Famous: The True Story of Andrew Tate

early seventies.

Abacus Media Rights

aren’t shown in a bad light and

resonate with the stories that the

instead have been picked for their

guests will share with the hosts

likeability and popularity. They

during the show,” says Sebastian Kim,

form of EDM owes something to

Producer: Amos Pictures

believe they’re competing for

CJ ENM’s Director of Content Sales.

disco,” notes Leith.

Just a few days before Andrew

£10,000 ($12,500) but if Alan is

“With the current boom of K-content

crowned the champion the prize

and K-pop, we are strongly positive

tunes, dance moves and flamboyant

suspicion of human trafficking, rape

money increases ten-fold so that

that this show will sell worldwide.

fashion, Disco will chart how the

and forming an organized crime

every contestant takes home that

But, most importantly, we believe the

genre pioneered a social movement

group, he was chatting to Dan Reed

amount, regardless of when they

title will resonate with U.S. audiences,

and provided what Leith calls “a safe

about a documentary profile.

were voted off.

as the background of the title is set

space on the dance floor” for many

The shape of Reed’s doc—

in the U.S. and the cast is popular

marginalized groups, such as black

(In)Famous: The True Story

throughout Asia.”

and Hispanic people, the LGBTIA+

of Andrew Tate—changed the day

community and women.

the news broke about the highly

“We are massively excited about this show,” Steiner says. “You aspire to move a genre on from time to

Unexpected Business follows the

“[U.S. DJ]David Morales said every

Besides revelling in the thumping

Length: 1x47’/1x80’

Tate was detained in Bucharest on

time, and this does that.” He says

“humanist reality” format that has

“We think of disco as music

controversial influencer in late 2022

that the show straddles the line

been so successful for the Korean

but it’s much more than that—it

and Leaving Neverland creator Reed

between reality and entertainment

producer-seller in the past, says Kim,

was a cultural phenomenon,” Leith

has pushed on with the definitive

and is in the “mid-range” price

who flags the “chemistry of the two

says. “Marginalized communities,

tale of one of the world’s most

point, making it an option for many

hosts” as one of its key selling points.

particularly in New York at the time,

well-known internet personalities,

networks. —JW

With Unexpected Business, CJ is

were having a rough time of it, being

speaking to supporters, family

focusing on finished tape sales rather

persecuted in different ways, and

members and detractors alike.

Unexpected Business In California

than format and Kim reveals multi-

were looking for a means of self-

That doc is now being sold at

territory deals in SEA, Europe and the

expression.” Many of the issues are

Mipcom Cannes by Abacus Media

CJ ENM

U.S. are in the offing.

still relevant and live today: Black Lives

Rights as it prepares to air on the

CJ will be taking a nine-strong

Matter, LGBTIA+ identity and female

U.K.’s Channel 4, with a string of pre-

Producer: CJ ENM

team to Mipcom Cannes and will

empowerment are three examples.

buys set to be unveiled soon.

Korean media giant CJ ENM is taking

giving a big push to Unexpected

The series will chart how

its Unexpected Business franchise

Business and other formats

disco spread to Europe and gave

and asked his team to make a film

for streamer tVn to the States and

including similar offering Bro &

rise to megastars such as ABBA,

about him and, prior to his being

is hoping to make a noise about it at

Marble in Dubai and couple survival

Grace Jones and Boney M before

detained, Dan had already made clear

Mipcom Cannes.

program Wedding Fighters.

mainstream music took hold of disco

that it wouldn’t be a puff piece but

Length: Unspecified

P E ACO C K/ P RI MA L M E D I A/A MOS P ICT U RES

Park in Chicago in 1979, when a crate

“Andrew Tate approached Dan

Unexpected Business follows

The company is also bringing a

and saturated the global market

would only show the truth,” says

two Korean stars, Cha Tae-hyun (My

representative from its FAST/

with the sound, leading to a hate-

Abacus Managing Director Jonathan

Sassy Girl) and Jo In-sung (It’s Okay,

AVoD team, and will be speaking to

fuelled backlash that quickly killed

Ford, who has sold numerous Reed

That’s Love), who unexpectedly

clients extensively about expansion

off the genre commercially. The

shows including Four Hours at the

become the bosses of a countryside

in this space. —MG

culmination is a recollection of the

Capitol and Escape from Kabul. “The

Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey

full exposure of Andrew’s life needs to

grocery store for 10 days. Cue

1016 - Hot Ones.indd 61

10/3/23 6:16 PM

The Playboy Bunny Murders

be out there in one go so people can

with CEE, which has become

Lynne Weedon had led him to

how as the cases are unsolved, they

make the right decisions about him.”

more familiar with Tate due to his

conduct his own research and audio

needed to work closely with ITV

Romanian detention.

interviews with many involved and

lawyers and editorial compliance

affected by the events.

team. They also note duty of care to

obtained worldwide fame—especially

“Pre-buyers know with Dan

among younger people—with

that this will be a balanced but

hyper-misogynist rants that handed

cautionary story,” Ford says. “There

Playboy Club in Mayfair, which for a

paramount. “We never forgot about

him instant name recognition and

is a huge influence here that needs

time was the golden goose of Hugh

the people involved,” Farrar says.

a swelling following on platforms

to be explained.”

Hefner’s empire. “The time period

For ITV, the series is the sort

was fascinating—a sexual revolution,

of noisy true-crime doc series its

like TikTok prior to his arrest. He

As with Reed’s previous fare, Ford

The murders centered around the

the victim’s friends and families was

is currently awaiting trial and was

believes the doc will work better

feminism and it all centered around

streaming service ITVX needs to

recently released from house arrest

on linear as part of an event-driven

the club,” Farrar says.

draw people in and present them with

by Romanian authorities.

schedule. —MG

Reed has set out to answer

The series will see Theroux

a wider archive of programs. Lamarra

travelling around London’s W1

describes it as part cinematic journey

questions around where Tate

The Playboy Bunny Murders

postcode and beyond to track

back into the West End’s past and

really came from. The fast-car-

Blue Ant International

down police files, examine new

another part unfolding investigation.

driving, cigar-smoking hyper-male

Length: 2x60’

breakthroughs and find key figures

appears to have been in the public

Producers: Soho Studios,

linked to the case.

consciousness for a very long time

Future Studios

Theroux had told Ian Lamarra,

it to buyers, with Global Head of

but where did he in fact spring from,

The Playboy Bunny Murders is a story

founder of Soho Studios and former

Acquisitions and Partnerships Lilla

and how did he engineer such a

so pressing that its presenter Marcel

co-chief at Alaska TV, about the

Hurst saying it will equally be a

meteoric rise? (In)Famous will also

Theroux was “going to do it whether

story some time back and together

“package driver” for networks and

cover the life of his brother, Tristan,

there was a TV commission or not,”

they went about developing the

global streamers.

who has also been arrested.

says Executive Producer John Farrar

project before drafting in Farrar’s

“This is at the intersection of

of the ITVX two-parter.

Future Studios as co-producer. “It

where crime and glamour meet.

was great that he knew the story

British crime can be challenging

As the world prepares for potential trial, Ford says the doc has

Theroux, older brother of recent

At MipcomCannes, Canada’s Blue Ant International will be presenting

a “commercial proposition as it is

MacTaggart lecture giver Louis

inside-out, but the story is forwards-

at times to sell, but the setting

topical and relevant but is also an

Theroux, had been following the

looking,” Lamarra says. “He finds new

and precinct of this immediately

important story to get out there so

story of disturbing murders of three

evidence, but he treats the audience

eradicated that.”

people are aware what is going on.”

young women in London the 1970s.

with respect. At no point is he telling

Tate’s influence is broad and

The journalist, author and filmmaker’s

you the answers. Marcel is a great

Lamarra. “We’ve spent months

Abacus will be pitching into key

long-time obsession with the killings

talent—already quite well known but

investigating. It’s not just a run-of-

territories including North America

of Playboy Bunny Eve Stratford,

he could be a new talent for ITV.”

the-mill factual show.” —JW

and major European nations along

croupier Lynda Farrow and schoolgirl

62

Lamarra and Farrar both note

“This is a premium story,” says SO H O ST U D IOS

Tate is an ex-kickboxer who

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