TV Drama April Digital MIPTV 2021 Edition

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APRIL/DIGITAL MIPTV 2021 EDITION

Crime Drama / Bulletproof ’s Ashley Walters & Noel Clarke

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CONTENTS

A Great Reckoning?

CRIME WAVE Several leading distributors share their perspectives on what’s driving the always in-demand crime-drama genre.

Amid the Black Lives Matter protests last summer, as two high-profile true-crime shows were axed, I found myself wondering: what happens to all those police dramas that drive ratings in the U.S.?

Ricardo Seguin Guise Publisher Anna Carugati Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani Editor Kristin Brzoznowski Executive Editor Chelsea Regan Managing Editor David Diehl Production & Design Director Simon Weaver Online Director Dana Mattison Senior Sales & Marketing Manager Genovick Acevedo Sales & Marketing Coordinator Andrea Moreno Business Affairs Manager

Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development TV Drama ©2021 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website: www.tvdrama.ws

Well, watch this space, because the work has only just begun. The likes of The Rookie, Law & Order: SVU and Blue Bloods have attempted to address the issue of racial bias and policing in their storylines. The executive producers of S.W.A.T., Aaron Thomas and Shawn Ryan, issued a statement last summer pledging to do more to tackle the issue, stating, “We will continue to mine the truth about these issues in the writing of our upcoming season as we all work towards a fairer, better system.” More recently, Warner Bros.

Television Group inked a creative partnership and exclusive overall deal with Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff, a Yale University professor and the co-founder and CEO of the Center for Policing Equity. “This year, the world was reminded of the power stories have to define our lives,” Goff said. “That creates an unprecedented opportunity to direct that power towards uplifting vulnerable communities. Our goal will be to help storytellers un-tell the lies we tell about ourselves.”

—Mansha Daswani

GET DAILY NEWS ON TELEVISION DRAMA

MAKING BULLETPROOF Stars and co-creators Noel Clarke and Ashley Walters and Vertigo Films’ Allan Niblo talk season three of Bulletproof and the ongoing battle to see the U.K. television industry step up to ensure on- and off-screen diversity.

WORLDSCREENINGS An in-depth look at MISTCO’s new family drama The Innocents.

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Atresmedia TV Veneno / Debts / The Boarding School: Las Cumbres Based on the memoir Not A Whore, Not A Saint: The Memories of La Veneno by Valeria Vegas, the Atresmedia highlight Veneno brings to the screen the story of a transgender icon. “It is a tribute to the LGBT community through a real story that is captivating people around the world,” says Diana Borbón, sales manager.

Further titles on offer from the company include Debts, a sitcom about a long rivalry between two families, and The Boarding School: Las Cumbres, a reboot of the hit Boarding School series.

The Boarding School: Las Cumbres

“Atresmedia has managed to maintain the rhythm of original series production with the same quality guarantee that distinguishes its brand.”

—Diana Borbón

Maria and Mustafa

ATV For My Family / The Ottoman / Maria and Mustafa ATV has launched to the global market the family drama For My Family. “It attracts the audience with the sincere story of four orphans who never give up hope despite difficulties,” says Muge Akar, content sales deputy manager. The historical drama The Ottoman charts the formation of the Ottoman Empire and the challenges Osman Bey faces during this journey. ATV has 58 episodes of Maria and Mustafa to offer, featuring an international love story set in Turkey’s Cappadocia.

“Each of these titles has a distinctive story with high-quality production.”

—Muge Akar

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Last Summer

Inter Medya Ramo / Last Summer / Scorpion The Inter Medya highlight Ramo, inspired by a real person, tells a dramatic tale about the deep conflicts of family, justice, revenge, friendship and love. Last Summer, meanwhile, centers on an idealistic prosecutor who receives an offer from a mob boss that is too good to refuse, which leads to life-changing consequences for all involved. Scorpion is a family drama on Inter Medya’s MIPTV slate from 1441 Productions.

“We expanded our catalog with this season’s brand-new and phenomenal titles,” says Can Okan, the founder and CEO of Inter Medya.

“With a great start in Turkey, we believe that all of these new dramas have [strong] potential in the international market too.”

—Can Okan

Kanal D International Hekimoglu / Ruthless City / Love Trap Hekimoglu, a remake of the hit U.S. drama House starring Timuçin Esen, is among Kanal D International’s top series. Also in the catalog, Ruthless City follows the twisted lives and love stories of Karaçay and Yılmaz.

It has been on the air in Turkey for two seasons and 136 commercial episodes. The title has also been distributed in various countries in Europe and Asia. Love Trap, starring Burcu Özberk and Çağlar Ertuğrul, features the romance between poor girl Ayşe and rich boy Kerem.

Love Trap

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The Mediapro Studio Distribution Paraíso / The Boarding School: Las Cumbres / Paco’s Men Set in the ’90s, Paraíso leads off the new productions being presented by The Mediapro Studio Distribution. The series will premiere this year on Movistar+. The Boarding School: Las Cumbres, meanwhile, successfully debuted worldwide on Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 markets, and the new reboot of Paco’s Men brings the iconic series back to Antena 3. These series “talk about universal feelings in very different ways and genres, with plots that are interesting for audiences from around the world,” says Marta Ezpeleta, the company’s director.

Paraíso

“All of these series have something in common: their storytelling doesn’t belong to a particular place.”

—Marta Ezpeleta

ZDF Enterprises ANA. all in. / Voltaire in Love / Ku’damm 63 In ANA. all in., lawyer Ana Tramel seeks justice in a corrupt system for her brother, who has been accused of murder. The new French series Voltaire in Love is a historical action drama that explores the early life and evolution of the philosopher. Ku’damm 63 is set in post-war Berlin and follows a conservative matriarch and dance school owner and her daughters. “We have been busy the last year adding more genres and more quality drama from all over the world,” says Robert Franke, VP of ZDFE.drama.

ANA. all in.

“Buyers can expect high-quality drama series that we are extremely proud to represent.”

—Robert Franke

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ZDF Enterprises’ Before We Die.

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Crime Wave Mansha Daswani checks in with a range of distributors to hear about what’s driving the brisk business in crime dramas today.

W

hile conventional wisdom these days indicates that viewers (and, by extension, content buyers) are in the mood for light, uplifting stories to fill their downtime as the world struggles to emerge from life under Covid-19, the crime drama business is as busy as ever. Everyone loves a good whodunit, and the genre’s biggest selling point is perhaps that it can encompass multiple styles, from blue-sky procedurals to grisly, twisty-plot thrillers and everything in between.

“There is a trend towards lighter themed crime, but the classics are classics for a reason—narrative superiority always sells,” says Robert Franke, the VP of ZDFE.drama at ZDF Enterprises. “So even though the trend for new productions is lighter in tone and storytelling, it’s the mix of tones and styles that makes a good crime catalog. We offer something for all tastes and preferences.”

David Swetman, senior VP of scripted content at All3Media International, agrees, noting, “The great thing about the detective genre is that there is something for everyone.”

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All3Media International is launching Annika, a crime drama starring Nicola Walker.

Plus, as Tim Gerhartz, senior VP of global sales at Red Arrow Studios International, observes, “The rapid proliferation of options for content means there is now room for all types of shows. We’re seeing linear channels and platforms look to procedurals and series that are lighter in tone and easy to schedule. Whereas with pay-TV and VOD platforms, there is scope for more complex programming, which is maybe darker in tone and themes but keeps audiences gripped and returning episode after episode.”

One emerging trend is the “semi-procedural” crime drama, Franke says, with “case of the week-style shows with a strong story arc over a season. Also, the characters are becoming more balanced. There was a strong trend after Breaking Bad to similarly dark characters with almost no redeeming features. We see that this is changing and writers also show light within the dark, which is a good thing and helps make these shows more digestible.”

At All3Media, Swetman has observed increased interest in setting stories “in more diverse precincts, and within communities or locales that we’ve not seen before in crime television.”

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Hybrid storytelling, combining crime with fantasy, comedy, or historical settings, is also increasingly prevalent in the landscape, Gerhartz says.

“Hybrid stories that promote co-viewing seem to be hitting a strong note with audiences around the world,” agrees Paula McHarg, the head of Europe and North America at GoQuest Media. “Whereas in the past, straight, tough crime stories were an enduring pastime, audiences during the pandemic have taken to dramedies, crime-inspired family dramas, thrilling love stories and various other types of hybrids.”

Distributors are also seeing a continued need for volume.

ORF-Enterprise, for example, has fared well with its long-running series Soko Kitzbuehel and Fast Forward, which is heading into its seventh season. “Broadcasters and platforms from all over the world have been picking Austrian crime dramas for years and had great ratings and audience feedback,” reports Armin Luttenberger, head of content sales international at ORF-Enterprise.

At All3Media, meanwhile, the detective brand Midsomer Murders has been a strong seller for two decades. “The absolute Red Arrow’s Vienna Blood, a period crime drama, is now in its second season.

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ORF-Enterprise continues to find slots for the popular procedural Soko Kitzbuehel.

key is to keep a strong focus on the scripts so that stories remain compelling, exciting and innovative,” says Swetman on how to build a long-running show. “Detective shows also provide great opportunities to bring in well-loved actors for guest roles, which keeps the audience engaged.”

The key, distributors argue, is having a breadth of different formats and types of stories.

“We feature a wide variety of crime-themed shows from all European territories,” says ZDFE.drama’s Franke. “Most notably, of course, is our slate of Scandi noir classics like The Killing and The Bridge, but also newer shows like Before We Die or our upcoming highlight Agatha Christie’s Sven Hjerson for later this year. We also offer English-language crime shows like London Kills and the upcoming U.K. remake of Before We Die and our extensive catalog of best-selling German procedural crime.”

Swetman highlights the depth of the All3Media offering, ranging from “lighthearted adventure” in shows like Agatha Raisin and

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Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries to the “darker edge” of a Van Der Valk and Mystery Road.

Red Arrow is showcasing returning seasons of two successful shows: the period piece Vienna Blood and the Canadian conspiracy thriller Departure. It also has a stable of crime dramas based on literary IP, including Bosch for Amazon Prime Video—with production underway on the seventh and final season—and Stella Blómkvist, which is heading into season two on Síminn TV and Viaplay.

Gerhartz notes that the Red Arrow portfolio not only features diversity in storytelling modes, but in financial models too.

“We have a mix of both locally produced and international coproductions within our crime drama slate,” Gerhartz says. “For example, Bosch is a local production from Fabrik Entertainment, while Vienna Blood crosses borders within Europe and is produced by Endor Productions and MR Film in Austria for ORF and ZDF. Our series Dignity is a Chilean and German co-production.”

Co-productions are undoubtedly key to the financing of many new crime dramas on the market, especially as production costs rise due to Covid-19 safety measures and broadcasters look for smarter, financially sound ways to bring high-end stories to the screen. One of All3Media’s new launches is Dalgliesh, based on the beloved P.D. James’ detective, with Bertie Carvel in the lead and Channel 5 and Acorn TV on board as commissioning partners.

The company is also showcasing Annika, with Nicola Walker, set in Glasgow and made with UKTV and PBS Masterpiece.

All3Media International has a strong track record in negotiating financial and creative partnerships with U.S. outlets and is now looking to do the same in Europe, “building on ARD Degeto’s involvement in commissioning Van Der Valk with U.S. and U.K.

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partners,” Swetman says. “We are presently collaborating on a new show from Iceland called Black Sands and are discussing the show with other partners now.”

ZDFE.drama’s Franke observes that all markets have their own strong traditions in crime drama, “and every territory does it a little differently,” he says. “Local shows tend to be fully financed by either a GoQuest’s Rats is set in the world of drug trafficking. local channel or platform since they generally travel a bit less compared to these bigger types of event crime shows with more complex setups. The Bridge and The Team are good examples of shows that are perfect for co-productions. So it is important to understand the story and if it is strong enough to fly as a co-production.”

GoQuest’s McHarg agrees, adding, “The opportunities for cross-border co-productions continue to grow immensely, but as always, there must be a true and real connection between the locations.”

In an industry in flux as it deals with the fallout of the pandemic, business models for drama, in general, will continue to evolve, Gerhartz says. “We’re increasingly finding many platforms open to a greater degree of flexibility when it comes to windowing across all genres of drama content, including crime. We expect this to continue as the cost of producing drama remains high, and the trend for producing local content continues.”

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The Innocents

C

urrently among the highest-rated dramas on TRT this season, The Innocents is one of the latest offerings from MISTCO. Produced by OGM Pictures and broadcast on TRT 1, the series follows the life of Han, his family and his love story with İnci, who has her own complicated relationships with family and friends. Han is a very attractive man and a very successful businessman, but his private life is complicated. He lives with his father and three sisters, all of whom have obsessive-compulsive disorder as a result of a very traumatic childhood. The story begins with an accidental encounter between İnci and Han.

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The Innocents is inspired by the memoirs of Turkish psychiatrist Gülseren Budayıcıoğlu, as chronicled in the novel Inside the Medallion, and presents real experiences.

“Even with such a short period since its launch, we have seen a lot of interest in the series from our international partners,” says Ayşegül Tüzün, managing director of MISTCO. “It is based on real-life stories, which makes it easy for people to connect with the characters.”

“The message in The Innocents is that everyone has problems in their life, but you can change yourself.”

—Ayşegül Tüzün

With each episode, the series has been increasing its ratings and creating social media buzz. It has maintained its position as the highest-rated drama of the season among all dramas currently broadcasting in Turkey.

In this video interview, we hear from Tüzün about the international appeal of The Innocents, producer Onur Güvenatam gives a behind-the-scenes look at how the series came together and lead actors Farah Zeynep Abdullah, Birkan Sokullu, Merve Dizdar and Ezgi Mola discuss the characters they play in the drama.

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Bulletproof Stars and co-creators Noel Clarke and Ashley Walters and Vertigo Films’ Allan Niblo take TV Drama behind the scenes of Bulletproof. By Mansha Daswani

B

ulletproof was an immediate hit for Sky when it premiered in 2018 and has continued to build throughout its run, with a fourth season already in the works. But as star and producer Noel Clarke tells TV Drama, the show almost didn’t happen.

Long in the works, Bulletproof was conceived by Clarke and Top Boy star Ashley Walters at a coffee shop in London after a chance encounter at an awards show. “We just felt like we had been doing so well individually in our careers, we hadn’t crossed paths enough when it came to doing projects together,” Walters tells TV Drama. Clarke, who has his own production company, Unstoppable Film and Television, with fellow British actor and producer Jason Maza, began pitching the show far and wide. In the tradition of American movies like Bad Boys, a favorite of Clarke and Walters, it was to star the duo as detectives and best friends working to take down an assortment of dangerous

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criminals. “I was pounding the pavement,” Clarke says. “I sat in meetings where people would say to me, We’ll make it if it’s you and this person, and mention white actors. I would be like, No, this show is going to be Ashley and me, or it’s never going to get made.”

Clarke did finally find a receptive partner in Vertigo Films. The British indie had been well known for films like The Football Factory, Pusher and The Sweeney. “We were making a big move into TV and various broadcasters were courting us,” Allan Niblo, co-founder, tells TV Drama.

“If [Netflix] didn’t change the game the way it did, we would still be struggling for work.” —Noel Clarke “Allan called and said, ‘Remember that idea for you and Ashley?

Do you still have it?’” Clarke recalls. “I was like, ‘Yeah I still have it because no one will make it!’ He said, ‘If you come in with us, we can get this over the line.’ I spoke to Ashley, he said, let’s try them.”

Vertigo set out pitching the show to U.K. broadcasters and “Sky came back most enthusiastically,” Niblo says. “We had a deal within weeks and were off to the races.”

While seasons one and two encompassed eight episodes each, the third season had a run of three episodes—and sees the show take the action to South Africa. “We were plotting season three, but both of us had filming commitments,” Clarke says. “It was either

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wait for [Ashley’s show] to finish or squeeze in another shorter version. Thank god we didn’t decide to wait because corona hit.”

The pair knew they wanted the shortened season to film outside the U.K. “Ashley and I originally chose Hong Kong or Japan because we wanted a real fish-out-of-water thing, and then logistics didn’t make that happen. We went through the list of places, as you do. And we ended up in South Africa.”

The experience was enriching, personally and creatively, Walters says. “It was just a beautiful place, and we quickly realized

“My 4-year-old son said he wants to be Pike. He doesn’t want to be me; he wants to be Pike. For me, that’s job done!” —Ashley Walters it would become another character for this season. We had to come up with some good stories and put some effort into acting, but a lot of the work was done by just being there. We learned a lot from that experience as well; about each other, about not taking the good things that happen in your life for granted. And it did wonders for the show. We used our environment to tell a really good story.”

As for what makes the show work, the dynamic between Clarke’s Aaron Bishop and Walters’ Ronnie Pike Jr. is critical.

Whereas their characters have been friends for years, Clarke and Walters were only casual acquaintances before the show started production. “It was interesting to get to know each

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other and realize that we had a lot in common, contrary to even our popular beliefs,” Clarke says. “We had the same sort of humor, the same mentality and attitude toward certain things. I learn a lot from Ashley about how considered he is when he thinks about things. I think Ashley has learned from me when sometimes I’m more instinctual. Those elements are also in the characters. We barely row. We have this relationship where we can, like the characters, talk to each other.

I can call him and say, I love you, you know? As Black men,

“It’s a radically different environment—you can be as bold and cinematic and challenging as you want.” —Allan Niblo you’re conditioned to side-eye each other; you’re conditioned to battle. It’s crabs in a barrel. It’s like Highlander—‘there can be only one.’ And actually, with a lot of the stuff that we’ve done and the doors we’ve opened, we’ve broken that down.”

Walters adds, “If we weren’t able to have that closeness offcamera, I don’t think the show would be as good as it is. As Noel said, you don’t see the so-called ‘bromance’ or whatever you want to call it between two men too much on the screen, especially in the U.K. The ability to share, be humble, practice humility without feeling humiliated. That’s what Bishop and Pike do well.”

Read the full version of this story here.

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