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Asia TV Forum Edition
WWW.WORLDSCREEN.COM
THE MAGAZINE OF INTERNATIONAL MEDIA • DECEMBER 2017
Catherine Zeta-Jones /Jo Frost / Blue Ant’s Ward Platt / TV5MONDE’s Yves Bigot
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CONTENTS
DECEMBER 2017/ASIA TV FORUM EDITION DEPARTMENTS WORLD VIEW By Mansha Daswani.
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Publisher Ricardo Seguin Guise Group Editorial Director Anna Carugati
UPFRONTS 12 New content on the market.
Editor Mansha Daswani
IN THE NEWS 28 Blue Ant Media’s Ward Platt. GLOBAL NETS TV5MONDE’s Yves Bigot.
Executive Editor Kristin Brzoznowski
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Managing Editor Joanna Padovano Tong Associate Editor Sara Alessi
CASE STUDY 32 Spotlighting the Turkish hit Woman. SCORECARD Ratings for U.S. broadcast network shows.
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WORLD’S END In the stars.
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26 CATHERINE ZETA-JONES
JO FROST
CONTENT TRENDSETTERS
24 WHAT DO BUYERS WANT? World Screen Trendsetter Awards were presented to RTÉ’s Dermot Horan, SBS Broadcasting’s Rozan Hamaker, Global Series Network’s Jason Thorp and AMC Networks’ Aurelie de Troyer at MIPCOM.
Editor, Spanish-Language Publications Elizabeth Bowen-Tombari Associate Editor, Spanish-Language Publications Rafael Blanco Editorial Assistant, Spanish-Language Publications Jessica Ávila Contributing Editor Elizabeth Guider Production & Design Director Victor L. Cuevas Online Director Simon Weaver
PANEL
34 POWER SHIFTS
Art Director Phyllis Q. Busell
Endemol Shine’s Cathy Payne, ITV Studios’ Maria Kyriacou, A+E Networks’ Patrick Vien and Beta Film’s Moritz von Kruedener discuss the shifting dynamics in the international drama business.
Senior Sales & Marketing Manager Dana Mattison Sales & Marketing Assistant Nathalia Lopez Business Affairs Manager Andrea Moreno
TV Asia appears both inside World Screen and as a separate publication.
FEATURES
64 JUST FOR KIDS Leading distributors weigh in on the major trends reshaping the fast-moving kids’ content sector.
Contributing Writers Steve Clarke Andy Fry Jane Marlow Joanna Stephens Jay Stuart David Wood Copy Editor Marina Chao
72 DRAMATIC SHIFTS A look at the rising demand for Asian drama, both from across the region and around the world.
78 SUITED TO ASIA Formats remain in demand across Asia as broadcasters and platforms look to up their local content output. WORLD SCREEN is published ten times per year: January, February, March, April, May, June/July, September, October, November and December. Annual subscription price: Inside the U.S.: $90.00 Outside the U.S.: $160.00 Send checks, company information and address corrections to: WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, Suite 1207 New York, NY 10010, U.S.A. For a free subscription to our newsletters, please visit www.subscriptions.ws.
INTERVIEWS
82 MCI’S HONG TAT CHEE The senior minister of state for Singapore’s Ministry of Communications and Information shares his perspectives on what the future holds for local content producers.
84 IMDA’S ANGELINE POH IMDA’s assistant chief executive talks about some of the organization’s key activities. 8 WORLD SCREEN 12/17
Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development WORLD SCREEN is a registered trademark of WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, Suite 1207 New York, NY 10010, U.S.A. Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website: www.worldscreen.com ©2017 WSN INC. Printed by Fry Communications No part of this publication can be used, reprinted, copied or stored in any medium without the publisher’s authorization.
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WORLD VIEW
BY MANSHA DASWANI
Breaking the Algorithm I’m frequently baffled by the shows that are recommended to me on the various streaming services I subscribe to. What was it, exactly, that I viewed that would make you think I’d want to watch that? And I thought you knew me, Netflix. The technology of recommendation algorithms is well beyond my understanding, but what I do know, for sure, is that they are failing me. I think about my favorite show of the moment, Queen Sugar, and I’m pretty sure there isn’t an algorithm on the planet that would have suggested that series to me. I’m not partial to tear-jerking family dramas. (Indeed, I’m the only person I know who hasn’t watched This Is Us, and I can’t say I have any plans to, even though I’ve heard it’s fantastic.) I’ve never watched anything on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, nor do I pay much attention to the selections of Oprah’s Book Club. (To be honest, I hardly even watched her blockbuster talk show when it was dominating daytime television.) And I wasn’t deeply familiar with much of the work of acclaimed director and writer Ava DuVernay. It was seeing Queen Sugar—created by DuVernay and exec-produced by Winfrey for OWN—trend on Twitter a few months ago that piqued my interest. I wanted to know why it had so many passionate fans rejoicing its return to the schedule. So I sought out season one, found it on Hulu and rapidly binged my way through it. And then I binged on episodes of season two on OWN On Demand—so quickly I was able to catch up to the live broadcasts of new episodes. I fell in love with the Bordelon siblings, struggling to run their father’s sugarcane business in Louisiana after his sudden death. I was swept away by the stunning visuals, bowled over by the performances, utterly captivated by the music (which I can listen to over and over again thanks to a brilliant Spotify playlist). And when I learned that DuVernay was only hiring women directors, I was beyond sold. What took me so long? I’m pretty certain I wouldn’t have started watching this show if it weren’t for Twitter. My TV (and book) tastes lean dark and murder-y—as in the girl in a ditch, serial killer on the loose type stories—with the occasional political saga, a fair bit of sci-fi and fantasy, anything related to Shonda Rhimes and, every once in a while, a good procedural. Those are the things I watch and generally are recommended to me. I’m in a culture bubble of my own making, apparently, and I’m over it. Feedback loops are all around us, so how on earth are you ever supposed to discover something that will surprise you? I’ve heard a lot of media executives lately talk about “de-siloing” organizations, reorganizing businesses so
As viewers retreat more
into their niches, there’s a whole world of content
that they’re missing out on.
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that people are collaborating more across disparate divisions. I almost feel like my media habits need to be de-siloed. Perhaps I need to surf over to Fox News or RT once in a while instead of sticking with my daily rotation of CNN-MSNBC-BBC World News. Maybe I need to start ignoring what Barnes & Noble tells me to buy based on what I just read. Maybe I should scroll right past Netflix’s “Top Picks for Mansha.” But how do you choose something to watch from the row after row of posters? I’m fortunate enough to cover this business, so I know a fair bit about a lot of shows, and even I’m flummoxed most of the time on what to start next. My brother has been on an Israeli thriller binge, watching Fauda and then Hostages. He asked me what he should watch next, rather than relying on Netflix to suggest something to him. False Flag was all I had for him. I’m not saying recommendation algorithms are broken. They do work, but they’re missing something that I’m craving in my media diet: curation. Not a suggestion based on what I might like, but a suggestion from someone who knows really good content about what I need to see. Who would have known that I’d love a family drama set in a world I know nothing about on a network I never watch. Queen Sugar surprised me, and I love that. And that, for me, is the case for not cutting the cord, not going à la carte. If I only choose to receive the ten channels I always watch, what happens if there’s something great on one of the hundreds I just cut? Choice is a wonderful thing; it’s unfortunate that as the landscape becomes more fragmented and viewers retreat more into their niches, there’s a whole world of content that they’re missing out on. Jason Thorp, the CEO of Global Series Network, which operates the Walter Presents platform, made a strong case for curation over algorithms in a panel at MIPCOM this year. That platform’s niche is high-quality foreign-language content, regardless of genre or country of origin. Curation is also the mantra for AMC Networks’ streaming services Sundance Now and Shudder, as Aurelie de Troyer told delegates during that same panel. Those programmers sat alongside RTÉ’s Dermot Horan and SBS Broadcasting’s Rozan Hamaker, who have very different priorities as big free-TV broadcasters, programming to the mainstream rather than niches. A recap of that session, moderated by World Screen’s Anna Carugati, is featured in this edition of World Screen. You’ll also find Q&As with Catherine Zeta-Jones on playing against type in Lifetime’s Cocaine Godmother, Blue Ant’s Ward Platt on positioning branded destinations in a cluttered, fragmented market, TV5MONDE’s Yves Bigot on catering to Francophiles across the globe, and much more.
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UPFRONTS
ABS-CBN Corporation La Luna Sangre / The Good Son / Wildflower The romance fantasy drama La Luna Sangre marks the third installment of the Moonstone trilogy, following on from the International Emmy-nominated She Wolf: The Last Sentinel (Lobo) and its sequel, Imortal. “La Luna Sangre is topbilled by the Philippines’ sought-after actors Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, who last worked on the global hit drama La Promesa,” says Maria Cecilia Imperial, the head of integrated program acquisitions and international sales and distribution at ABS-CBN Corporation. Further highlights from the company’s slate include the dramas The Good Son and Wildflower. “The revenge drama series Wildflower continues to surprise us, as it reached a new ratings high following a major plot reveal in its second season,” Imperial says.
La Luna Sangre
“For ATF, not only are we looking to forge new partnerships but we’ll also be on the lookout for possible projects outside of licensing and syndication.” —Maria Cecilia Imperial
all3media international
Liar
The Miniaturist / Liar / The Truth About Stress Laura and Andrew’s date unravels into a complex web of deceit that neither could foresee in the psychological thriller Liar from all3media international. The period thriller The Miniaturist, set in 17th-century Amsterdam, tells the story of a house where forbidden passions and dangerous secrets lie beneath lavish beauty and privilege. The company is also presenting the hour-long program The Truth About Stress at ATF. The show uses chest-mounted body-monitoring equipment to gain a better understanding of stress. “Prime-time entertainment, studio formats are still in high demand in the region and mark a key moment in the channel’s schedule,” notes Sabrina Duguet, all3media international’s executive VP for the Asia Pacific, about current trends. “However, there is now space for non-studio entertainment and factual entertainment.”
“all3media international has invested heavily in scripted drama over the past two years.” —Sabrina Duguet
Atresmedia Televisión The Incident / The Secret of Old Bridge / Special Observer When an unexpectedly severe storm hits, the daily lives of the inhabitants of a small village are turned upside down and they begin to behave strangely in The Incident. In The Secret of Old Bridge, a midwife named Pepa crosses paths with Francisca, the landowner and stepmother of her former lover, who is also the father of her son. Pepa eventually finds love in the arms of Tristan, a married man. In addition to showcasing fiction series, Diana Borbón Cuchí, sales manager at Atresmedia Televisión, says the company is “focused on promoting our new catalog of documentaries.” This includes Special Observer, in which journalist Jalis de la Serna travels the globe to observe the way we live and to help us become aware of a world that is in the process of changing.
The Secret of Old Bridge
“Some of our titles have already been shown in Japan, China and Vietnam, and our goal at this market is to make contact with potential clients to find new audiences for our series.” —Diana Borbón Cuchí 12 WORLD SCREEN 12/17
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CalinosEntertainment Our Story / Woman / The Girl Named Feriha The dramas Our Story and Woman have been two of the most-talked-about and best-rated TV series in Turkey this season, and Calinos Entertainment is taking them out to buyers at ATF. “One of Nippon TV’s most successful formats, Woman tells the story of Bahar, a young widow who has to endure all the hardships life puts before her alone, with only her two children by her side,” says Asli Serim Guliyev, the company’s international sales director. “On the other hand, Our Story, starring Hazal Kaya, depicts a story that everyone can relate to. We have sold The Girl Named Feriha, which also stars Kaya, to nearly 80 countries so far. Thus, we believe that each of our series will be greatly appreciated in the Asian market.” Calinos has been attending ATF since 2009 and is looking to shore up some new partnerships after participating in this year’s event.
Woman
“The Asian market is very important for us.” —Asli Serim Guliyev
CJ E&M Prison Playbook / Bad Guys: Vile City / A Korean Odyssey A former baseball superstar finds himself in prison after an unfortunate incident in the tvN series Prison Playbook. “The mood won’t be that dark, but easy for families to watch,” says Jangho Seo, the general manager of the global content business division at CJ E&M. Another highlight is Bad Guys: Vile City, the second chapter of OCN’s original crime thriller Bad Guys. The tvN series A Korean Odyssey, meanwhile, is a modern reinterpretation of the classic novel A Chinese Odyssey. The TV series “adapts the fantasy elements from the novel, and retells the story about the monkey king and the monk searching for light in the dark world where evil spirits have prevailed,” says Seo. “A Korean Odyssey will resonate with broadcasters because of the story, which Asia hasn’t seen much on television before.”
“Throughout Asia, we have a strong fan base for K-dramas, thanks to the Korean Wave and their love for [the dramatic] storylines and for the actors and actresses.”
Bad Guys: Vile City
—Jangho Seo
Dori Media Group Blind Date China / 5 Stars / The Best of All Originally produced in Argentina, Blind Date (Ciega a Citas) has been sold into more than 40 territories, with eight remakes. Dori Media Group is presenting the Chinese adaptation at ATF. “Blind Date China is the first locally produced Asian version of this successful global format,” says Pauline Ick, the VP of sales at Dori Media Distribution. “The format achieved excellent results in China on both national TV and online.” The company is also presenting the romantic comedy 5 Stars (Las Estrellas) as a finished tape and format. In the show, five sisters born of three different mothers must put their lives on hold to run a boutique hotel after the death of their father. The shiny-floor game show The Best of All, meanwhile, puts the “wisdom of the crowd” theory to the test.
5 Stars
“We are excited to present a very strong and diverse slate of both scripted and non-scripted formats.” —Pauline Ick 14 WORLD SCREEN 12/17
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Eccho Rights Cennet / Phi / Trotsky From Süreç Film, the drama Cennet is currently airing on ATV in Turkey, and Eccho Rights is presenting the show to buyers at ATF. Another highlight from Turkey is Phi, produced by Ay Yapim for the digital platform Puhu TV. “The series has won over millions of viewers in Turkey, and we recently started working on a dubbed version for Korea, which is set to become the first Turkish drama ever in the country,” says Nixon Yau Lim, the head of Asia Pacific at Eccho Rights. “We are really excited to see that opening the doors to the potentially huge market in Korea for Turkish series.” From Russia, Trotsky made its premiere at MIPCOM. “We have already received many inquiries from buyers looking for high-quality period drama who have been really impressed by the high production values seen in the first episode,” says Yau Lim.
Cennet
“We have a fantastic range of products once more for this market, with a very strong showing from Turkey as usual, but also titles from across Europe.”
—Nixon Yau Lim
Escapade Media
Steve Backshall & the Vertical Mile
Walking Points / Steve Backshall & the Vertical Mile / Animal Clinic The ability of dogs to detect cancer is the focus of Walking Points, a new film on offer from Escapade Media. “Walking Points provides a never-before-seen approach to the cure for cancer, which affects [people] all the world over,” says Natalie Lawley, the company’s managing director. “Viewers will learn all about this new detection process, which is already being used across the U.S., and the amazing results by following three personal stories.” Another highlight is Steve Backshall & the Vertical Mile, a BBC commission that looks on as the titular naturalist summits the north face of the Eiger. “This vertical mile of crumbling rock and ice is the biggest challenge Steve has ever faced,” says Lawley. There is also Animal Clinic, an observational docuseries set in the largest animal charity in Ireland.
“We are looking forward to speaking with channels seeking 4K content and discussing the titles we have available in this format.” —Natalie Lawley
FremantleMedia International American Idol / Hard Sun / The Golden Brain American Idol is coming back in 2018, and FremantleMedia International (FMI) is eager to talk to buyers at ATF about the show’s return. “American Idol is a hugely anticipated returning franchise, particularly in Asia, where the show is still the benchmark for entertainment reality programming,” says Ganesh Rajaram, the company’s general manager and executive VP of sales for Asia. “Ever since we announced American Idol is coming back, we’ve received a lot of positive feedback from clients. The brand-new judging panel of Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, with returning host Ryan Seacrest, will ensure a spectacular new season.” FMI is also highlighting Hard Sun, a pre-apocalyptic crime drama from Neil Cross starring Jim Sturgess and Agyness Deyn, and The Golden Brain, a format that sees famous duos compete in a battle of wits.
“This year FMI will have a bigger presence at [ATF], where we will reinforce the message that we are a one-stop shop for all our clients’ content needs.” —Ganesh Rajaram
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Hard Sun Patrimonio mundial - Herencia de la humanidad
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A Woman Scorned
GMA Worldwide Angela / My Korean Jagiya / A Woman Scorned Sanya Lopez (Encantadia), Thea Tolentino (The Half Sisters) and Rocco Nacino (Encantadia) star in Angela, a drama following two half-sisters with superpowers—one can heal, while the other can cause pain. GMA Worldwide’s lineup also includes My Korean Jagiya, a romantic dramedy centered on a young woman who dreams of meeting her favorite actor, and A Woman Scorned, about a wife whose husband leaves her for someone else. “GMA Worldwide aims to strengthen its existing partnerships with the different content buyers in the Asian region and develop new ones by attending markets such as ATF,” says Manuel Paolo Laurena, the company’s senior sales manager. “Our dramas continue to enliven the TV landscape in the region because of [their] cutting-edge storylines meant to keep the viewer awed, entertained and inspired.”
“We are dedicated to continuously providing content that Asian viewers will love and relate to.” —Manuel Paolo Laurena
Inter Medya
Endless Love
Endless Love / Hayat / Money Monster Inter Medya is presenting ATF buyers with a mix of entertainment formats and Turkish scripted series. Alongside the drama Endless Love and the dramedy Hayat, the company is showcasing the new Avşar Film production Mrs. Fazilet and Her Daughters. The show is “already attracting the attention of buyers across the globe, and we hope to close some deals at ATF,” says Can Okan, the founder and CEO of Inter Medya. “As for our formats, we launched both Money Monster and 1 vs. 10 at MIPCOM. Money Monster is a new quiz show in which the contestant gets the opportunity to win as much cash as he or she can count correctly in 60 seconds after each correct answer.” He adds, “Another crowd favorite is Join Instant, which includes a second-screen technology that we developed in partnership with Bas Bros. Media.”
“Throughout the past three years, the interest in Turkish content from Asian buyers has increased tremendously and will continue to rise.” —Can Okan
One Life Studios
Dropout Pvt. Ltd Patrimonio mundial - Herencia de la humanidad
Porus / Dropout Pvt. Ltd / TVF Bachelors One Life Studios has seen success in Asia with a number of its productions, among them Mahabharata, “and we’ve definitely raised the bar with our newest epic series Porus,” says Siddharth Kumar Tewary, the company’s founder and chief creative. “This show has great historical resonance to the region, as it covers Alexander the Great’s journey from Macedonia into Persia and through the Silk Route to India. Moreover, in terms of production quality, it is everything an epic series of this magnitude should be.” Further highlights include the reality competition format Dropout Pvt. Ltd and a second season of the comedy series TVF Bachelors. “Our main goal for ATF is to showcase the quality of our creative, production values and product catalog, and to continue to build longstanding relationships with our partners in the region,” says Tewary.
“Epic historical pieces, gritty formats and scripted comedies are all genres that have wide appeal to viewers across Asia.” —Siddharth Kumar Tewary 18 WORLD SCREEN 12/17
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SPI International Gametoon HD / FightBox HD / FunBox UHD An interactive eSports channel, Gametoon HD is part of the bouquet that SPI International has delivered in Asia. The company also has in the region FightBox HD, which features live MMA events, and FunBox UHD, showcasing native Ultra HD programming. “In addition to these, our lineup for Asia includes Fast&FunBox UHD, for extreme and adrenaline sports; DocuBox HD, with documentary films and TV programming covering nature, wildlife, travel, history and human civilization; and FilmBox Art House, dedicated to world cinema classics and independent films,” says Murat Muratoglu, a regional head of distribution for SPI International. The company inked a deal with MEASAT involving six channels from its portfolio that will “allow us to expand our distribution all over the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia,” Muratoglu says.
TV Azteca International
Mission Exploration: Nomad’s Land on DocuBox HD
Two Lakes
Bad Maids / Two Lakes / El César The protagonist in TV Azteca International’s melodrama Bad Maids is a journalist named Laura, who lost her mother at a very young age. She uncovers evidence that leads her to believe that her biological mother was actually a maid working in her childhood home, linked to an agency with a dangerous reputation. TV Azteca International also has in its catalog the drama Two Lakes, which tells the story of three families living in the same house at different periods in time—all of them are haunted by the spirit of a girl who died there under strange circumstances. Additionally, the company presents the biographical drama El César, a dramatization of the life of Mexican boxing legend Julio César Chavez. The series chronicles his rise and fall—dealing with addiction and power struggles—and his return to the top.
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Academy Award-winning actor Catherine Zeta-Jones began honing her craft as a child on theater stages and went on to work in TV and film. She earned an Oscar for her performance in Chicago, starred in Traffic, Ocean’s Twelve and The Legend of Zorro, among many other films, and recently as Olivia de Havilland in the TV series Feud. The vast majority of the roles she has played have been beautiful, glamorous women, until Cocaine Godmother, which will air next year on Lifetime. Zeta-Jones plays the powerful and ruthless Griselda Blanco, a real-life cocaine trafficker in the ’70s and ’80s, who would stop at nothing, not even murder, to further her busiBy Anna Carugati ness. Zeta-Jones talks about the appeal and challenges of the role. WS: What intrigued you about the role of Griselda? ZETA-JONES: Griselda fascinated me because she was a woman who came from nowhere, the slums of Medellín, Colombia, who built up the biggest empire in the drug world. She was the most powerful, most revered and most feared gang leader of the drug trade in Miami in the ’70s— the height of the drug business—and she was a woman. How did she live so long in that world? How did she get so much success in that world? That, as an actress, is something you want to play. And for me, to get under the skin of such a woman was something I became kind of obsessed with. And I’m so happy that I got the chance to do it the way that I wanted to do it, in a medium, television, where I know a lot of people are going to see it, not just in America. And I’m always fascinated by great stories, and great stories about women are something that I, of course, gravitate to. WS: She’s so different from you in so many ways, physically as well. Did that take a toll? ZETA-JONES: Yes, physically I wanted to put on some weight. I worked on my body language, my posture, even my Latino way of speaking and working and moving. She was a woman who could take a punch and not really fall over, someone who could take pain. I threw my back out literally a week after I finished and that was from sitting and working and reaching [differently from how I move in real life]. It was physical, but I wasn’t doing any stunts. It was mentally [challenging] and physical in a way that I’ve never been allowed to [play]. In a lot of the [roles] I’ve been cast in, the character’s name and description were preceded by beautiful, sexy, glamorous, and it’s just boring as an actor. For many years I got a little disheartened by that. Playing Griselda reminded me why I love acting. It reminded me why at 9 years old I was in the theater in London, why I wanted to be in this world, and it was to immerse myself in a story of a character that’s not me, or playing somebody who’s not me. I think a lot of actors—I don’t speak for everybody—but there’s an inherent quality within us all of wanting to be in different situations and pushing our emotions to where we’ve had to hide them before. That’s what turns us on, that’s what we want to do this job for, and you don’t necessarily get the opportunity. So Cocaine Godmother was a real treat, it was a gift for me.
WS: Was it desperation that led her to become as evil as she became? Were you able to psychoanalyze her enough to understand her motivation? ZETA-JONES: I tried, yes. I’m big on psychoanalyzing, not just characters I play but human beings at large! [Laughs] Griselda came from the slums of Medellín—it’s shocking and a dangerous world that she was living in. No shoes, but she had a gun. She was abused. Any child who is abused carries that with them for the rest of their lives. And [either] they’re able to work through the process or, like cancer, it forms into something else—whether they become abusers themselves or whether they have serious mental issues related to that abuse. That said, there are many women, many men, who came from Medellín from that very same situation who didn’t become Griselda Blanco. Yes, it was circumstance; yes, there was greed; yes, there was wild ambition. Yes, she was able to justify her behavior because she never wanted that to happen to her kids, but she wasn’t as humble as that. Her life was about greed, danger; it was about terrorizing others just as she was terrorized herself. So it’s a very complex character to play. Her emotions were always hidden, but deep. And at certain points in the movie, I dig down into those emotions and try and show them. When she starts to crack, you see fragile parts of her character, which she was never allowed to show. I think women today are always frightened to show that beautiful quality called vulnerability; we have to hide it because it makes us look weak or it’s a sign of being able to be abused or that I can be talked down to or trampled on or beaten. It’s a very hard lesson to teach my daughter—the beauty of being vulnerable, the beauty of a childhood innocence that, as an actress, I’ve never lost, because I can live in fantasy worlds, I can dip my feet into worlds that are so different from my existence. People who are beautiful and glamorous in a world that one would think would be perfect but, in fact, is not. Or to the dark, black side, the sad, abusive, physically violent side of Griselda. The beauty of vulnerability should never be lost in women, and I’m trying to teach my 14-year-old daughter that. We have to learn and we have to be re-programmed to understand that not everyone thinks that vulnerability is a beautiful quality.
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From left: Anna Carugati, Rozan Hamaker, Dermot Horan, Jason Thorp, Aurelie de Troyer and Laurine Garaude.
By Mansha Daswani
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TÉ’s Dermot Horan, SBS Broadcasting’s Rozan Hamaker, Global Series Network’s Jason Thorp and AMC Networks’ Aurelie de Troyer discussed acquisition and programming trends with World Screen’s Anna Carugati at MIPCOM before each receiving a World Screen Trendsetter Award. The “Acquisition Superpanel—What Do Programmers Want?” session was moderated by Carugati, the group editorial director of World Screen, and covered a broad range of topics, including wish lists and the rising importance of prebuys and co-productions. The four executives represent a cross-section of the media landscape, with Horan serving the needs of a public broadcaster in Ireland, Hamaker delivering content for a commercial broadcasting group in the Netherlands, Thorp overseeing the highly curated Walter Presents platform and de Troyer buying for AMC Networks’ streaming services Sundance Now and Shudder. Horan, director of acquisitions and co-productions at RTÉ, noted that the Irish pubcaster is at the forefront of digital technology as it evolves with media consumption habits. “You need to be relevant, you need be local and national. And in Ireland, where you can receive hundreds of U.K. channels, how do you remain different from the U.K.? One of the things [you need] is a well of resources, and a forward-thinking public broadcaster that can offer the Irish content that Irish viewers want, on whatever platform they want to watch on.” Hamaker serves as head of acquisitions at SBS Broadcasting, which operates four services: SBS6, which is family-oriented with a diverse mix of local content; Net5, which is more female-skewing with feel-good movies and series; Veronica,
which is more male-targeted with European football and blockbuster movies; and SBS9, the niche channel with “little gems we’ve found, purely acquisition-driven.” Thorp is CEO of Global Series Network, which operates the Walter Presents on-demand service, delivering scripted programming from outside of the U.S. and the U.K. The service launched two years ago in the U.K. as a free-to-air ad-supported on-demand service within Channel 4’s All4 platform. This year it launched as an SVOD platform in the U.S., and it has expanded to Australia via a partnership with Foxtel. At AMC Networks, de Troyer, VP of global acquisitions and co-productions, works on two subscription streaming services, Sundance Now and Shudder. Asked about their programming needs, RTÉ’s Horan noted that local programming tends to resonate most with Irish audiences, so formats are a key focus for the broadcaster’s acquisitions team. Hits have included Strictly Come Dancing and First Dates, as well as Who Do You Think You Are? “We’ve just commissioned a new season of the genealogy show,” Horan said. Finished-tape acquisitions should complement the local lineup. “We can’t afford to produce the volume of drama that [we] would like to, it’s very expensive. So we’re trying to fill those slots where the audience, particularly between 9 and 11 p.m., when they put the kids to bed, want to have something challenging. That’s one key area. There’s still an audience for strong library feature films that are familiar to people. So if you’re running a major sports event, after it a James Bond movie or a Braveheart or Gladiator [works well]. Sometimes those library movies are better performing than newer movies.”
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Horan also oversees co-productions. “We are increasingly looking to co-fund programming with like-minded partners.” Last year, for example, RTÉ did a deal with ARTE for arts and cultural documentaries. At SBS, Hamaker has her eye out for movies that can be marketed well. “We have franchises on Mondays—The Fast & the Furious, Harry Potter, Jason Bourne. With the older movies, we package them. When we buy something we always need to think about how we can package it so it’s fresh and new, and not put it randomly in the schedule.” Formats “that give us relevance” are also important, but they should be fun as well. She cited Rich House, Poor House and Around the World with 80 Year Olds as successful examples. Hamaker noted that U.S. dramas are less important for her channels these days, with sports, live events, news and big entertainment shows being the main audience drivers. Thorp said that Walter Presents has licensed about 1,200 hours of content since launch. “We have a huge appetite. Northern European crime drama is our stock in trade, but it’s not about the algorithm, it’s about what we love. We cut across all different genres. We’re looking for great stories, at any stage
shows weren’t screened because they had been presold to Netflix. “We’re cohabiting with Netflix and somewhat the sleeping giant Amazon. That’s why creative partnerships are so important.” Hamaker said, “Netflix is huge in the Netherlands, and comparatively we have a tiny budget and we cannot compete with them, so we need to be creative. We try to close deals in different ways—shorter period of time, one run. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn’t.” “Shows have gone before we could even look at them,” Thorp said. “That is frustrating. Shows do tend to disappear into the ether with Netflix. We often describe ourselves as a cute little deli sat next to the market that is Netflix. Those two models can coexist.” “We have been winning bids successfully,” de Troyer said on the competition with Netflix, “based on marketing planning, how much we’re trying to showcase the shows, etc.” On episode counts, Hamaker said six-parters are problematic for marketing reasons. Horan, meanwhile, said six- or even fourepisode series are easier to launch. “They are very powerful.” Topperforming acquisitions, he noted, include the British series Doctor Foster and Happy Valley, as well as the shorter-run U.S.
in the process. It’s about those filters we apply in terms of quality, execution and storytelling.” The majority of the members of Sundance Now and Shudder have one, sometimes two, other streaming services they subscribe to, de Troyer noted. “We’re trying to do something very specific very well. It’s genre for Shudder—thrillers, mysteries, suspense, sci-fi, horror—and high-end [drama] for Sundance Now. It’s taste-driven, it’s what we react to.” She later added that Sundance Now is in need of 10 to 20 titles for next year and Shudder 25 to 30. Carugati asked the panelists about the importance of prebuys, especially in this competitive environment. “You take a risk in doing that because sometimes a great script isn’t realized well,” Horan said. “But it’s worth the while. If you wait too long, other people will get in. Sometimes getting in early is really important for a producer. It’s not just the money you pay, it’s the advocacy.” Thorp said that Walter Presents also likes being involved early. “We’re reading scripts way in advance. We’re still relatively small in terms of our scale in the economics, but we’re prepared to be flexible around financing and working with multiple partners. Importantly, unlike Netflix, dare I say it, there’s a real appetite for us to get involved at script stage and contribute to the process. There are other things we can bring, including a shop window on Channel 4.” It’s a similar situation for de Troyer. “The Q4 slate on Sundance Now in the U.S., out of five shows, two are co-productions and we’re planning to ramp up next year.” The panelists also discussed the impact of Netflix in their markets. Horan noted that at the L.A. Screenings this year, some
import The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. The shorter-run series also provide marketability as they generally star bigger-name talent. “A 22-parter is more of a challenge. We’re finding a combination of 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, max 13, is suiting us best.” On multiplatform exploitation, Hamaker said catch-up rights are more and more important. Thorp said Walter Presents aims to distribute as widely as possible, with the first episode of shows often airing on linear on Channel 4 before the entire run is made available on-demand. Horan said that RTÉ Player is relaunching as more of a VOD platform than catch-up. He says RTÉ has seen tremendous gains in live streaming. “The conundrum for us is that our government hasn’t gotten around to creating a media charge,” so those who don’t own a TV set are not paying the public license fee but are still accessing RTÉ services online. “That needs to be addressed. The number of homes not buying a telly is increasing.” Carugati wrapped the discussion by asking the panelists about the major issues facing the markets they operate in. Hamaker identified a “decline in viewing time. And it’s massive. We hope it will stabilize. The decline is especially in linear, but people are in general spending less time with screens of all kinds,” she said. “That’s happening worldwide,” Horan added. “Particularly with linear. That being said, if you have big entertainment shows, big sports, big documentary stories, you can get very large audiences. What you’re not getting is that audience watching from 6 o’clock to 11 o’clock. They’re coming and going.” Brexit is also a major concern for Horan. “We’ve seen a significant challenge in advertising. There’s a huge potential economic problem.”
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Parenting expert Jo Frost is perhaps best known to audiences from the reality-TV hit Supernanny, which originally launched in the U.K. in the early 2000s. She has gone on to front several other successful reality shows, including in the U.S. and the Netherlands, and pen a number of books, all of which focus on parental and familial issues. Her latest endeavor is Jo Frost on Killer Kids, a documentary series that follows Frost on a journey to find out why children commit murder. Produced for Crime + Investigation in the U.K. by true-crime specialists Woodcut Media, with co-producer Krempelwood Entertainment and Frost (Nanny Jo Productions) executive producing, the series is By Kristin Brzoznowski being taken out to the global market by Keshet International. WS: How did Jo Frost on Killer Kids come about? FROST: I had been sitting with this idea in my mind for over eight years. I was curious [about the topic of children who commit murder], and I wanted to explore it and ask questions. I toyed with the idea, sat it down and left it for another year before picking it back up again. The idea kept nagging at me, to the point that I knew I needed to do this. The idea was to be able to answer that question that we’ve all spoken about, that always creates controversial conversations: do children who kill come from a space of nature or nurture? When we think about children, we think of playgrounds and innocence, and everything that’s marshmallowy and gooey. Fundamentally, children and family are such a huge part of my life. In addition to what people know me for [with my previous TV shows], which is being a parental expert and helping families, I study human behavior—I look at how we as human beings interact on a social level. [The idea of] children who kill just didn’t sit well with me; I wanted to go a lot deeper and be able to understand and explore it. With Woodcut Media and Nanny Jo Productions producing the show, we were able to realize that vision to bring some riveting, compelling and insightful information [to viewers], yet at the same time give [the topic] what it deserves, which is the humanity of being able to speak to those families and to always have compassion and authenticity. WS: Do viewers get to see a different side of you in this series than what they have come to know from Supernanny? FROST: Viewers are surprised that I’m exploring this topic. Most people are used to watching me help families fix their dilemmas and issues. This is not about fixing anything. This is about exploring and understanding. It is an extension of what I do but is something a lot of people haven’t seen [from me]. WS: What was it like to sit down with families in a situation where you’re not able to offer a solution or “fix” their issues?
FROST: I am there to give them a voice. I’m there to ask questions that I believe the audience would ask too. From my perspective as a producer, as somebody who is a sister and a daughter, it’s about being able to ask those questions to another human being who is in such a position that you can’t even fathom what that must have been like for them. You want to try to understand [their experience] and be able to give them a voice to express what their take may be, what they felt or to ask questions that lead to provoking thoughts in some way or another. It most definitely was challenging. You’re talking about their loved ones that they’ve lost, and that’s incredibly sensitive. As a very compassionate, empathetic and sympathetic person, those conversations weren’t easy to have. You have to put to the side the part of you that wants to burst into tears when you’re hearing a story about a moment in their life even though you feel absolutely dreadful for them. At the same time, you have to carry on professionally and be able to ask [the right] questions so that you can hear their side. WS: What was the most surprising thing you learned from doing this series? FROST: It was interesting for me to be able to crack open the importance of understanding more about justice reform. Are we giving these children who commit murder the help that they need should they come out at an age that is still so young? Are we going to be safe as a society from these children? Are they going to get the medical help that they require? In every part, it was a moment of learning, from talking to reporters and journalists working on cases to talking to professional criminologists and neuroscientists to learn about how the brain develops and what possibly could have gone wrong in those circumstances. I also learned a lot from talking to families about the importance of nurture and how the early years have such a detrimental impact on a child if there isn’t fundamentally the nurture that they need and instead there’s neglect and childhood trauma. It was very insightful for me to have had those conversations.
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IN THE NEWS
With its acquisition of David Haslingden’s RACAT Group in May of this year, Canada’s Blue Ant Media dramatically expanded its presence in the Asia Pacific. The deal brought to the company New Zealand’s NHNZ and Singapore’s Beach House Pictures, among other production companies, as well as the ZooMoo educational preschool channel. The venture then expanded its portfolio further with the purchase of the RTL CBS channels in Asia. Blue Ant enlisted Fox and National Geographic channels veteran Ward Platt to run its new global networks and kids’ business as CEO. Platt talks to World Screen about the challenges and opportunities in rolling out the group’s video destinations across the globe. WS: Tell us about the new global networks and kids’ business at Blue Ant Media. PLATT: We bought RACAT, which included the production companies NHNZ, Beach House Pictures and Northern Pictures, as well as the ZooMoo channel business and the Runaway Play mobile-games business. So now Blue Ant has six production companies, a bunch of channels—a lot in Canada, two in New Zealand and global networks such as ZooMoo and Love Nature 4K—a YouTube channel network, Omnia Media, and Runaway Play. I’m focused on the global networks piece, which is really about building out ZooMoo and Love Nature 4K as brands and video destinations. Also, because Smithsonian Networks is our joint-venture partner in Love Nature, we’ve now begun to distribute the Smithsonian Channel internationally. We’ve been doing that in parts of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and also helping them out in parts of Asia. They’re keen to grow their channel outside of the U.S. and see us as the logical partner to do that. WS: How are you positioning ZooMoo? PLATT: ZooMoo is targeting 2- to 7-year-old kids. It’s nature and animal-based programming, principally using puppets but also some animation and some live action. We launched in Latin America and then expanded to Asia, and now we’re moving into Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and also into North America in a more substantial way. There’s a lot of content out there for 2- to 7-yearolds, but most of it is animation, and a lot of it is ad-supported. We’re a commercial-free destination, very engaging programming, using nature and wildlife as the basis for the content.
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It’s certainly more educational than the other preschool offerings out there. It was always a little bit hard being a channel by ourselves with ZooMoo, just as Love Nature found it’s hard to be doing it all by themselves, or even Smithsonian finds it’s hard doing it all by itself. Now that we’ve brought those three brands together, and in Asia we also have RTL CBS Entertainment and RTL CBS Extreme [recently rebranded as Blue Ant Entertainment and Blue Ant Extreme], our team there is operating four channels and helping with a fifth one. That scale is pretty exciting because it makes it easier to build the business and have meaningful and productive conversations with all sorts of platforms. For both ZooMoo and Love Nature 4K, we own all the rights to the content, so we have the flexibility to go OTT, AVOD, SVOD, free to air, pay TV. We can be flexible in terms of how we present the brand to consumers. We first launched an SVOD business for Love Nature, which is now in 60 countries, and then we rolled out a linear channel into Singapore and Canada, and now we have deals where we’re rolling out Love Nature 4K as a linear channel in more markets. We’re putting a branded section on an SVOD platform, we’re putting a linear channel inside a telco service, we’re putting a 4K channel onto a pay-TV service or we’re putting a branded block on a free-to-air station. It’s a lot of different approaches. WS: Given your background at Fox and Nat Geo, what are the major differences for you operating in today’s crowded and fragmented landscape of channel brands? PLATT: We were fortunate to have quite a bit of success when we built the Fox and National Geographic international channel businesses. We had good people and the timing was right. We’ve assembled some really good people here at Blue Ant to try to do the same. But you can’t just press replay or rewind and start over, because the landscape is different. But it hasn’t changed dramatically. You need to know your consumers better than ever. In the past it was just a wholesale relationship, you built relationships with platforms, they owned the relationship with the consumer, you didn’t worry too much about data other than some people meter data. Now the platforms we’re dealing with have all sorts of data. We need to be better at analyzing that data and creating content that will help drive viewing, which is not easy to do. [The landscape is] certainly different, but at the end of the day, we need to have good brands, we need to have great content behind those brands, we need to present the brands and content in a compelling way to the audience. What’s nice about having a little scale now is you can hire better programming people, better marketing people, better salespeople, and we can make our product better. Over time we want to make even higher quality shows, we want to raise the volume of the shows we make. That will take 18 to 24 months to start to show returns on the investment. That’s OK. In the meantime, we have great content but we maybe haven’t used it as well as we could have, so we’re going to go out there and make sure we present the content we have, the great storytelling we have, as effectively as possible to as many people as possible.
One of the great things about ZooMoo is we have a partnership with CCTV for a show called ZooMoo Animal Friends, which is now in the second half of the second season, so we have 104 episodes produced. It’s a mixture of a show we had produced in New Zealand [combined with] animation that CCTV created. It’s performed incredibly well, reaching over 400 million unduplicated [viewers] in China. It qualifies as local content and airs at 9 p.m. on CCTV-14. That is where we’d like to get to in a lot of countries. We’re exploring similar ideas with partners in places like the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America to localize. We’re using animation, we’re using puppets. If you do it at a high-quality level, it can look and feel like a local product. That’s our goal. It’s not just creating a onesize-fits-all product for the rest of the world. We want to do a certain degree of localization so the characters are more relevant to the consumer and don’t just feel like characters from America. WS: What are your goals for the business as we head into 2018 and beyond? PLATT: We’re at an early stage. We want to build the brands. We want to get ZooMoo onto many more platforms and make people understand what the brand stands for, what the key franchises are that define that brand. Same for Love Nature. Blue Ant Entertainment and Blue Ant Extreme are a little different in that we’re rebranding the channels, but not in a significant way; it’s a small rebrand—the look and feel will be the same. And then lastly nurturing the relationship with Smithsonian Networks further since they are our joint-venture partner and we’ve happily worked together on an ad-hoc basis to help them expand their international distribution. It’s really about getting the brands out there and getting more distribution in the short run. And we work very well alongside the content-sales organization. We’ve traditionally sold a lot of the content to other broadcasters. We’re being a little more selective about that. But we’re not stopping that. With ZooMoo, Love Nature, Smithsonian, Blue Ant Entertainment and Blue Ant Extreme, we’re not trying to conquer the world with these brands. There are some obvious places in the world where we think these brands resonate and where there’s still room to bring them to market. There are other markets where it’s pretty tough. And if we have a good content-sales business going in those markets, we’re probably just going to play to the strength of our hand. If down the road things change because we built the brand well and there’s suddenly more interest in the brand, then we could change our strategy. But given that we have six production companies, co-production partners, presale partners, people who buy our content all the time, that’s an ongoing, really important part of our business; it’s probably the heart and soul of Blue Ant. That is not going to change. We’re not trying to build a giant channel business that is going to bully everyone around the world. At the end of the day, we want to have a balanced environment, nurturing our own production businesses and the content they are creating and the partnerships we have to fund those and, at the same time, opportunistically bringing our brands to market in a way that doesn’t upset the overall dynamic. 12/17 WORLD SCREEN 29
By Mansha Daswani
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GLOBAL NETS
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For Francophones and Francophiles around the globe, Frenchlanguage content and culture are available 24/7 thanks to TV5MONDE. The pay-TV channel, distributed in Europe, the U.S., Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, offers news, feature films, lifestyle, documentary, animation and sports programming provided by a group of public-broadcast partners: France Télévisions, France Médias Monde, ARTE France, RTBF, RTS, RadioCanada, Télé-Québec and TV5 Québec Canada. TV5MONDE CEO Yves Bigot has overseen the channel’s growth in several regions. In the U.S., the one general-entertainment service that launched in 1998 has expanded to four additional thematic channels: cinema, children’s, news and lifestyle; and the whole bouquet is available on Sling. By riding the growth of pay-TV markets in emerging countries, along with developments in IPTV and smartphone penetration, TV5MONDE sees opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region. And in Latin America, the company plans to participate in the new linear and nonlinear offerings from telcos. Bigot talks to World Screen about the channel’s popularity around the globe. WS: How has TV5MONDE’s news been received? BIGOT: TV5MONDE is not just a French channel, it is subsidized by Belgium, Switzerland and the province of Quebec in Canada. We always give a French-speaking-world perspective but not from just from one country. Our news programs are most watched in Africa and it’s very important that in Africa we are not just French or just Belgian because we offer viewers a worldview that is different from the one offered by national TV networks. Unfortunately, in a certain number of countries in Africa, TV is [controlled by the] state, and it’s the official news. For example, when there was the electoral crisis in Gabon less than a year ago, we were the only international channel that had reporters in Libreville and other cities. The whole population was watching our news to know what was actually happening in their country because the national television was telling them that there had been killings and other unrest. We have a very important role for that reason, especially since Frenchspeaking African people just love politics. Particularly in this era of fake news, it is very important that our journalists offer to the world news that has been vetted and verified. WS: TV5MONDE also has a good presence in Asia. BIGOT: Yes, just to give you an example, the country in the world where we have the most households connected to one of our channels is India—60 million households in India. Obviously, most of them don’t speak French, but they watch our programs through our English subtitles. All our programs are in French but they are subtitled in 14 different languages. WS: TV5MONDE recently broadcast a 25-hour live event, Le Tour du Monde de la Francophonie. How did that come about? BIGOT: About 18 months ago, I had lunch with [Annick Girardin, state secretary of development for the Francophonie] and during the whole lunch she kept saying we have to work on something that gives a high profile to Francophonie. In the cab ride back to the office, I had the idea of doing something that I had already done when I was the head of the French public broadcaster France 2. Do you remember Y2K in the year 2000? On that occasion, we did a world tour beginning with the Tonga islands in the Pacific and moving west. WS: To show that there had been computer-related calamities and that life continued. BIGOT: Exactly. It was fun and I thought we should do that again, but this time not to show that planet Earth had survived but to showcase the fact that the French language and Frenchspeaking cultures are, along with the English-language cultures,
the only ones that are spread out across the 24 times zones. We also wanted to show the diversity of the French-speaking cultures, which are very different whether they are in Brussels or New Orleans or Montreal or Beijing or Kinshasa or Abidjan or Beirut. I added a 25th hour because I wanted to end in the same time zone where we started, which includes the biggest Frenchspeaking city in the world, Paris, in the biggest French-speaking country in the world, France, as well as the city and country where we are the most watched, which is Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The country has 80 million French-speaking people. They also speak their own languages, Lingala or Swahili, but they all speak and understand French. That’s why there was the 25th hour. We decided to do all that live, and because it’s expensive, we could only do that with the public-service channels that are part of TV5MONDE: France Télévisions, Radio-Canada, RTBF Belgium and RTS Switzerland. We also had partnerships with channels like RTI in Abidjan in the Ivory Coast, CCTV in Beijing and TV stations in Kinshasa, Beirut and Madagascar. And in the countries where we had no TV partnerships, like New Zealand or Korea or India, I sent my presenters and they worked with production companies there. That was a big event. Le Tour du Monde de la Francophonie was incredibly well received, and it was interesting to see the diversity of French culture. We started out in Paris with French writers and philosophers and then we went to Abidjan in the Ivory Coast and they had university professors and teachers talking about how they created their own kind of slang stemming from the French. In New Orleans, you have Cajun music and Creole cooking as well as the cinema industry. Obviously, Beijing and Mumbai are totally different, so there weren’t two programs that were alike. WS: What does it take for a linear channel to continue to be relevant in today’s multiscreen world? BIGOT: The same thing as always: you have to be unique and you have to be attractive. We are unique because we are Frenchspeaking, we are cultural and we’re not just about France. Then we have to keep on being attractive. For example, in the U.S. we are attractive because we have very recent French or Canadian or Belgian movies, and because we have a lot of lifestyle programs whether they are fashion or cooking. For French expats, we have French football. It’s important to have from time to time huge events like the one we just did because it shows what television can still do that nobody else can do. WS: Because you have a global view, is there more that unites us or divides us? BIGOT: Both, of course. But the thing with television is that when there is a huge event like football, or sports generally, you can bring people together. We broadcast the Rio Summer Olympics in Africa last year. That was a huge success, mostly because every African country was showing the Olympic Games on its national channel, but their commentators weren’t familiar with many sports disciplines. So everybody was watching our broadcast. We had journalists with the expertise to provide commentary for football games, cycling, track and field and all the other disciplines. There are still a lot of TV occasions that bring people and families together even in this digital era when everyone is on a different screen. When nothing happens everyone is on a smartphone but, when something happens, all of a sudden you watch TV wherever you watch it and sometimes you watch it communally because you want to share the passion or emotion of football games or political shows or music or the Olympic Games. You want to share the experience; you don’t want to just be on your own because the event is bigger than you.
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By Anna Carugati
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CASE STUDY
Calinos Entertainment’s Woman.
Executives from Nippon TV and MEDYAPIM offer up insight into turning Japanese scripted successes into Turkish drama hits. By Mansha Daswani n 2010, Nippon TV in Japan aired an 11-part drama about an elementary school teacher who takes it upon herself to rescue a student who is being abused at home. Mother was a hit domestically and notched up a number of broadcast slots within the region, but a global rollout eluded it at the time. Now, the Turkish version of the series has landed placements on broadcasters worldwide—in addition to driving ratings for Star TV domestically. After collaborating on Mother—which is sold by Global Agency—format holder Nippon TV clinched a second deal with prolific Turkish production houses MF Yapim and MEDYAPIM. An adaptation has been made of Woman—My Life for My Children, which ran on Nippon TV in 2013. The award-winning show focuses on a woman who struggles to make a life for herself and her two young children after the sudden death of her husband. It hails from the same team as Mother, including producer Hisashi Tsugiya, who says he wanted to tackle the issue of women in poverty in Japan. “I wanted to feature that theme through my drama because at that time in Japan no shows were focusing on that subject,” says Tsugiya. The Turkish version of Woman is being sold worldwide by Calinos Entertainment. “The story in Woman is really great; it’s one of the best I’ve ever seen,” says Fatih Aksoy of MEDYAPIM. Adjustments, however, were needed. For example, in the original, the main character, Koharu, after the death of her husband, finds herself in dire financial straits with two young children to support and estranged from her own mother. Aksoy wanted to understand from Tsugiya why Koharu wouldn’t seek out help from her family. “We are trying to find a real reason not to go ask for the mother’s help,” Aksoy says. “Whatever happened in the past, [if you’re in trouble] you would go to your mother.”
I
“It’s not that she’s not asking for help,” Tsugiya says. “It seems that she cannot. That’s why people can relate to her. She was deserted by her real mother. She raised herself. So when she faces poverty, she still does not want to reach out to her mother. I wanted viewers to ask, Why doesn’t she ask her mother for help? Her real mother was not a mother to her. She doesn’t want that impure essence in her pure life. And then she finds out that her mother has another daughter. And she also feels like she doesn’t want to destroy this new family, this new life the mother has now.” Aksoy notes that the nature of Turkish drama—with 35 to 40 two-hour episodes in a season—adds a further complication to the adaptation process and requires that the producers provide more explanation about a character’s choices and motivations than would be necessary for a shorter-run show. “In 11 45-minute episodes [the duration of the Japanese original] you can’t go deep into every detail,” Aksoy explains. “In a Turkish episode, we have 120 minutes. [The Japanese version] had 30 minutes of [the character experiencing] poverty. In our case, we have to show 100 minutes of poverty, which is a lot! After 100 minutes of poverty, people will think, she has a mother, why doesn’t she go there? This is one difficulty we have to face.” Aksoy notes that the producers were able to address similar challenges when adapting Mother. In its 20th episode, for example, the storyline jumps forward by a year and a half and introduces a new character not in the original—a baby sister for Melek, the child rescued by the show’s lead character, Zeynep. “We have to create new stories,” Aksoy explains. As the writers and producers of the Turkish version of Woman devise new storylines and new characters, Aksoy is eager to continue the dialog with Tsugiya and the team at Nippon TV. “It is very helpful” to talk to the original producer, he says. “So we know what the weaknesses are, where the problems are, in advance.”
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From left: Anna Carugati, Cathy Payne, Maria Kyriacou, Moritz von Kruedener and Patrick Vien.
By Mansha Daswani
ndemol Shine’s Cathy Payne, ITV Studios’ Maria Kyriacou, Beta Film’s Moritz von Kruedener and A+E Networks’ Patrick Vien took part in a panel discussion at MIPCOM, moderated by World Screen’s Anna Carugati, about the shifting dynamics in the international drama business. The panel, titled “Power Shifts: Who Will Take the Throne of Drama?” looked at the rising success of non-U.S. original dramas on the global market. “Even 10, 15 years ago, the vast majority of what was being sold in the scripted realm was English-language, and a lot of it American,” said Carugati, group editorial director of World Screen, in opening the panel discussion. “We all know how much that has changed in the last ten years.” The discussion began with a look at how the volume of drama in the market has impacted the panelists’ strategies. “In the last ten years, the most commercially successful trend has been in the sales of our British content, which reaches a much more global audience,” said Payne, the CEO of Endemol Shine International, who also noted that there are far more buyers for the company’s scripted product today. “We are attempting to become more of a global business,” noted Kyriacou, the president of international at ITV Studios, referencing the creation of an indie studio in the U.S., the expansion into non-English-speaking shows and investments in creative talent around the world. Vien, executive managing director of international at A+E Networks, said the company is excited to be a “meaningful player in the premium space of scripted television for the global market.” He added that the TV industry had “staged a successful coup on the motion-picture business.” He went on to note that “even though consumers may feel sometimes overwhelmed” by the volume on air, he suspects the number of
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scripted commissions will keep rising. “There might be some shifts in how capital gets shared so that risk can be a bit more managed. I think the volume of scripted is here to stay. It is so rich in terms of the offering.” Endemol Shine’s Payne highlighted the role of streaming services in broadening the audience for non-English content. ITV Studios’ Kyriacou noted that “superfans” will find a show, and “where that show is based and the language they’re speaking matters so much less than the quality of it.” This new interest in non-English-language content has been a boon for Beta Film, which has focused on European scripted, von Kruedener, the company’s managing director, said. A+E Networks’ Vien added that Europeans are producing more for Europe, while U.S. shows have a smaller role in prime-time schedules. “I think you’ll see Americans potentially co-producing with Europeans for those European audiences,” Vien said. “Everyone is going to have to find a way to mitigate that financial risk.” Carugati asked the panelists about finding the appropriate platforms for their shows and helping their clients market series to drive audiences. “It is important to find the right home for those projects,” Payne said. “We’ve had shows where we may have gone for what might have been the best deal at the time, but not always the best deal for success. So it’s thinking about longterm success.” ITV Studios’ Kyriacou added, “We’re not there just to sell a show and walk away. We try and help the broadcasters or platforms get the essence of the show across.” The discussion then moved to OTT platforms. “Netflix and Amazon and Hulu can be fantastic partners,” Vien said. “Now you see Apple is here and YouTube and Facebook. All that influx of capital is a great thing. We’re all part of one ecosystem, and there’s plenty of room to collaborate.”
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TVASIA
WWW.TVASIA.WS DECEMBER 2017
ASIA TV FORUM EDITION
Focus on Kids / Asian Drama / Format Trends MCI’s Hong Tat Chee & IMDA’s Angeline Poh
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CONTENTS FEATURES
Reality Check It’s easy to get dazzled by numbers sometimes. It happened to Rupert Murdoch in the 1990s with his full-court press on China—1.3 billion people! Untapped potential! We all know what happened there. Ricardo Seguin Guise Publisher Anna Carugati Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani Editor Kristin Brzoznowski Executive Editor Joanna Padovano Tong Managing Editor Sara Alessi Associate Editor Victor L. Cuevas Production & Design Director Phyllis Q. Busell Art Director Simon Weaver Online Director Dana Mattison Senior Sales & Marketing Manager Nathalia Lopez Sales & Marketing Assistant Andrea Moreno Business Affairs Manager
Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development TV Asia © 2017 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website: www.tvasia.ws
Speaking at the APOStech conference in Hong Kong this summer, Harit Nagpal, the managing director and CEO of Indian DTH platform Tata Sky, had some frank words for media executives chasing the numbers. “From the outside you see a 1.3 billion population, you see 265 million, 270 million homes, and say, Wow, it’s a great big market,” Nagpal said. However, once you break up that 270 million into segments, based on income, you start to see the obstacles to making money in Indian pay TV. “The top 5 million customer homes are the ones who are willing to pay up to $10 a month for content—100,000 of these would buy it at any price. The next slot is about 25 million homes who would be willing to pay anywhere from $5 to $10 a month for content. The bottom 100 million don’t have a television at home.” That leaves a significant opportunity for low-priced OTT platforms, many of which are aligning with telco operators to make it easier for potential customers to sign up. And yet, while OTT services are gaining traction in the Asia Pacific, take-up is still low, Media Partners Asia (MPA) found in its latest consumer study earlier this year. “Premium-content providers with ad-supported and freemium online video services have much to do if they want to cater to mass audiences,” said Aravind Venugopal, MPA’s VP. “While reach has substantially grown for some OTT platforms through wholesale telco partnerships, usage is low, although there is positive momentum in markets like Indonesia.” Indonesia takes center stage at ATF this year as the market’s first Country of Focus. It’s a territory where free TV still dominates, but as broadband penetration improves, Indonesia’s vast network of islands is finally becoming addressable, providing opportunities for platforms that can deliver the right content mix to the right devices at the right price. Indonesia is among the markets in the region with the biggest appetite for formats, but demand is brisk across Asia. This edition of TV Asia includes a special report on trends in the local format business, as well as a piece on the demand for kids’ programming. We also explore the Asian drama sector, which is in fine form these days with sales to new markets and a healthy interest in local scripts. —Mansha Daswani
GET DAILY NEWS ON THE ASIAN REGION
30 JUST FOR KIDS Leading distributors weigh in on the major trends at play in the region’s kids’ content sector.
38 DRAMATIC SHIFTS Drama series from Korea, Japan, the Philippines and India are finding avid audiences around the region and across the globe.
38 44 SUITED TO ASIA The format trade in Asia is faring well as broadcasters bet big on new concepts across many genres.
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INTERVIEWS
48 MCI’s
Hong Tat Chee
50 IMDA’s
Angeline Poh
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9 Story Distribution International Luo Bao Bei / 3 Amigonauts / Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood
Daniel Tiger ’s Neighbourhood
A co-production between China and Wales, Luo Bao Bei is a new animated series that is being presented at ATF. “We are extremely excited about our new property Luo Bao Bei, as the character has been a household name in China for many years,” says Federico Vargas, the senior director of distribution at 9 Story Distribution International. “As a Chinese/U.K. co-production, it stays true to its Chinese heritage while at the same time featuring universal themes and storylines. As a result, we feel it will have a strong appeal to the sensibilities of the region.” 9 Story is also offering up the animated series 3 Amigonauts, about “three bumbling buddies attending the solar system’s most prestigious space academy,” and Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood, “which teaches important socialemotional lessons to preschoolers,” according to Vargas.
“Asia is a strong market for children’s content right now across all subgenres, and animation, in particular, has good traction.”
—Federico Vargas
Bomanbridge Media
The Snack World
Gamerz / The Snack World / Donal’s Asian Baking Adventure Amateur eSports talents live together and improve upon their gaming abilities in Gamerz, a format in the Bomanbridge Media catalog. “Asia represents the majority of gaming participation and revenue, which makes this a great opportunity for channels and platforms [looking] to explore an entertainment program that allows a more accessible mainstream approach,” says Sonia Fleck, the company’s CEO. Another highlight is The Snack World, a kids’ series set in a fantasy universe featuring princesses, dragons, genies, smartphones and convenience stores. There is also Donal’s Asian Baking Adventure, a food travelogue led by chef, TV presenter and YouTube star Donal Skehan. “The show gives a great feel of the region, balancing authentic Asian food perspectives with a Western chef breaking ground in popularity in the Asia Pacific,” says Fleck.
“Bomanbridge is, as always, carefully curating [our] content offering to capture the local Asian tastes.”
—Sonia Fleck
Caracol Internacional One Way Out, Between Heaven and Hell / The Goddess / Surviving Escobar, Alias JJ Set in the Bronx, One Way Out, Between Heaven and Hell tells parallel stories of people whose lives intersect in a dangerous neighborhood. Caracol Internacional is also showcasing The Goddess, about a woman who was able to conquer a world of men with her musical talent and love. In Surviving Escobar, Alias JJ, Pablo Escobar’s right-hand man is put in the spotlight. He faces enemies in prison after turning himself in, while continuing his reign of terror as a drug trafficker. “ATF is one of the most important events we attend in the region,” says Maria Estrella, international sales executive for Asia. “Here we have the chance to meet with current and prospective clients. For us, it is vital to nurture relationships. Longterm partnerships grow from trust and good customer service; therefore, face-to-face interaction is essential.”
“The Asian region is demanding high-quality productions with universal stories.” —Maria Estrella
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The Goddess
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Cyber Group Studios The Pirates Next Door / Mini Ninjas / Leo, The Wildlife Ranger A message of tolerance is featured in The Pirates Next Door, an animated show from Cyber Group Studios’ portfolio. “Living with others who are different is simply fun, and this is a universal message that has a lot of appeal in Asia,” says Raphaelle Mathieu, the company’s VP of sales, acquisitions and new media. Cyber Group is also highlighting the second season of Mini Ninjas, an animated action/comedy based on a popular video game. “The brand is known worldwide and the series…is a good balance between Western and Asian cultures according to our Asian clients [who watched] the brand-new trailer during MIPCOM,” says Mathieu. Then there is Leo, The Wildlife Ranger, a preschool show that Mathieu describes as “a very good fit for the Asian market, which has already been very responsive.”
“ATF is always a major [opportunity] to meet our Asian buyers that do not necessarily travel to other markets.”
—Raphaelle Mathieu
FUN Union BabyRiki / PinCode / Krash and Hehe Series that are non-violent, visually appealing and educational make up FUN Union’s ATF slate. Among the highlights is BabyRiki, which was developed alongside child psychologists and early development specialists. “Each episode has ageappropriate stories in familiar surroundings to develop both social-emotional skills (communication, cooperation, creativity and critical thinking) as well as cognitive skills (early literacy and math), which are reinforced through a song for kinesthetic learning,” says Christine Brendle, the company’s CEO. FUN Union is also offering up PinCode, as well as Krash and Hehe, a collaboration with CCTV Animation and Riki Group. “We’re very proud to be a part of the first-ever co-production between China and Russia,” says Brendle. “The Krash and Hehe pilot is in production and the series will launch in 2019.”
BabyRiki
“We’re very keen to continue our expansion across the Asia Pacific, building and strengthening our three brands and striking new partnerships.” —Christine Brendle
Global Agency Open Call / In and Out / Queens The new shiny-floor format Open Call puts a fresh spin on the classic singing competition. “Each hopeful singer will first upload a 60-second homemade video selfie to the show’s website or app, where users will vote for their favorite ones,” explains Isil Turksen, sales director for Asia at Global Agency. “The most popular videos are then chosen to take part in the competition, but there is a catch: only the audience in the studio decides if they wish to see more of this performance.” Also on offer is the game show In and Out, which sees contestants try to earn money while avoiding the bankruptcy card. On the scripted side is Queens, a drama series chronicling the struggles between Elizabeth I of England and Mary Stuart of Scotland in a world of men.
Queens
“Queens is inspired directly by Winston Churchill’s texts and the extraordinary biography of Mary Stuart written by John Guy.” —Isil Turksen 54 WORLD SCREEN 12/17
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HARI International Grizzy & the Lemmings / Pipas & Douglas Two seasons of the animated show Grizzy & the Lemmings are part of HARI International’s slate at ATF. “During MIPCOM we announced a partnership with Mango TV to launch the series in China,” says Adeline Tormo, the company’s head of sales. “We are very excited about this new collaboration, and we hope that this enthusiasm for the series will spread throughout Asia.” She adds: “We look forward to having Grizzy & the Lemmings on free TV in all Asian territories. We are developing a long-term brand, and we know that Asia is key for that kind of development.” HARI is also showcasing Pipas & Douglas, a nonverbal comedy about two atypical performing artists—a spider and a larva—who will do anything to be a hit at the Music Hall.
Pipas & Douglas
“HARI has earned a reputation for developing original character-driven creations with a distinct comedy trademark for family audiences.” —Adeline Tormo
Infocomm Media Development Authority Silver Wolf International / Robot Playground Media / BananaMana Films Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is leading a delegation of companies from Singapore, with highlights across many genres. A noteworthy locally-made program is Oddbods from One Animation. “In addition to winning the hearts of fans across markets like the U.S., Germany and Japan, this series earned an International Emmy Kids Award nomination,” says Angeline Poh, IMDA’s assistant chief executive (industry development). She adds, “With a rapidly evolving media ecosystem, Asian storytellers are constantly innovating and reinventing, utilizing technology as a springboard to propel their stories to a wider global audience. Singapore and IMDA stand at the forefront of these developments, paving the way for new content formats and technologies, such as virtual reality, to redefine the way we tell and experience stories.”
Oddbods
“It is an exciting time to be in Asia today, with some of the fastest-growing economies and richest stories in the world coming from this region.” —Angeline Poh
Keshet International
BOOM! Patrimonio mundial - Herencia de la humanidad
Masters of Dance / Domination / BOOM! Four dance masters risk their reputations in Masters of Dance, a competition format that seeks to crown a country’s best dancer. “It’s cost-effective for a shiny-floor show, with amazing energy and nonstop action,” says Gary Pudney, Keshet International’s (KI) head of Asia. KI is also highlighting Domination, which Pudney believes “delivers the ‘wow factor’ and promises prime-time, dramatic and entertaining family viewing.” BOOM!, meanwhile, “fuses the drama, thrill and intensity of an action movie with the high-octane fun of a video game, creating one literally explosive trivia challenge,” Pudney adds. “BOOM! is one of KI’s most successful formats ever, with over 1,000 episodes of the series commissioned worldwide to date. That includes Cambodia and Thailand, with two additional Asian deals to be announced in the near future.”
“In April of this year, we grounded ourselves firmly within the Asian market with the opening of a new office based in India.” —Gary Pudney 56 WORLD SCREEN 12/17
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MarVista Entertainment Eruption LA / 12 Feet Deep / Love Strikes Twice MarVista Entertainment is putting the spotlight on a range of movies, including Eruption LA, 12 Feet Deep and Love Strikes Twice, at ATF. Jennifer Kim, a worldwide distribution executive at the company, notes that “some of our most popular content across the board has been action-disasters, wellexecuted thrillers and heartwarming holiday romance movies for the entire family.” In Eruption LA, a screenwriter finds himself the star of his own disaster movie when super volcanoes begin erupting all over Los Angeles. 12 Feet Deep is inspired by true events, telling the story of two sisters trapped beneath the fiberglass cover of an Olympic-sized public pool. Love Strikes Twice is about a couple on the brink of divorce whose marriage may be saved when amnesia gives them the chance to forget their past mistakes and fall in love again.
Love Strikes Twice
“We will continue to offer buyers throughout the region great-quality storytelling, particularly with an eye on delivering strong female-driven characters and storylines.” —Jennifer Kim
Newen Distribution Filthy Rich / Dirty Laundry / Out of Control Money, power and family are at the forefront of the drama series Filthy Rich, which is among Newen Distribution’s ATF highlights. Dirty Laundry, meanwhile, is about a suburban mother who is arrested for money laundering. Both dramas are produced for TVNZ. “We have struck a few strong partnerships in the kids’ space in Asia over the last couple of years, and we are especially proud of our recent partnership with Discovery Kids in Asia on our animated edutainment series Loopdidoo,” says Sophie Eap, Newen Distribution’s international sales manager. “We are now confident that our new drama slate from New Zealand will also spark strong interest among our Asian buyers.” Another highlight is Out of Control, which “enables viewers to experience and relive certain events that shook the whole world,” Eap says.
Filthy Rich
“I have no doubt that our charming characters from Dirty Laundry and all the glamour along with the intensity of Filthy Rich’s storyline will seduce Asian buyers.”
—Sophie Eap
Next AnimationStudio
Patrimonio mundial - Herencia de la humanidad
Out of This Word / nxBEATS / Mad Box Zombies Max and Moon learn and use popular idioms such as “sleep tight” and “put a sock in it” in the series Out of This Word. It is Next Animation Studio’s “first edutainment series, which explores English idioms and phrases and their origins,” says Indra Suharjono, the company’s CEO. “We’ve received positive feedback from parents who thought it was an interesting way for their kids to learn new words.” nxBEATS, meanwhile, is a collection of modern renditions of classic children’s songs such as “BINGO.” Suharjono says that “nxBEATS offers a completely new kind of sound that appeals to not just toddlers but also older kids, thanks to its upbeat and hiphop elements.” There is also Mad Box Zombies, which Suharjono notes has “gained tremendous growth in viewership in the past year,” including from Southeast Asia.
Out of This Word
“We have seen significant growth in the Asia-Pacific region and anticipate that it will become an even more important area for our business going forward.”
—Indra Suharjono
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YES MAN Discovers the World
Nippon TV Witness the Fitness / YES MAN Discovers the World / Block Out Among the formats being presented by Nippon TV is Witness the Fitness, in which individuals who are blessed with superior body parts use them to reach the pinnacle of their professions and face off in original battles. “With Japanese physical game shows gaining popularity in both the West and East, Witness the Fitness is sure to bring fun and laughter as well as nail-biting intensity to viewers of all ages,” says Shigeko “Cindy” Chino, the company’s senior director of international business development. Nippon TV is also showcasing YES MAN Discovers the World, a game-style docu-reality show, and Block Out, which was co-developed with Red Arrow Entertainment Group. “The big attraction for this physical game show is its scale of studio setting and simplicity for viewers of any age to enjoy,” Chino says of Block Out.
“YES MAN travels having to say nothing but ‘yes,’ leading to unexpected surprises and twists.” —Shigeko “Cindy” Chino
Passion Distribution
Robot Wars
Robot Wars / Japandemonium / Emogenius In the series Robot Wars, amateur robot designers build mechanical creations that fight to the death in an arena. The entertainment series and format appeal to a broad range of audiences, “including as a family show, with a major point of difference being that it brings together budding engineers, scientists, students and technology enthusiasts in a spectacular, frenetic competition to find the greatest robots in the land,” says Nick Tanner, the head of sales at Passion Distribution. Another company highlight is Japandemonium, which showcases comedic clips from Japan’s iconic game shows. “Family viewing doesn’t get any more enjoyable than watching this mind-boggling collection of Japanese game shows,” Tanner says. There is also the comedic game show Emogenius, which taps into the popularity of emojis and text messaging.
“Robot Wars is a combination of engineering, innovation, competition and ferocious battles.” —Nick Tanner
Rainbow
Patrimonio mundial - Herencia de la humanidad
44 Cats / Regal Academy The gender-neutral preschool series 44 Cats is a lead offering for Rainbow. “44 Cats is a great physical, characterdriven comedy with strong storylines based on very powerful musical assets,” says Andrea Graciotti, the company’s head of TV sales. “It is about how cats see the world and is very easy for young kids, both boys and girls, to relate to. Key themes are friendship and altruism, and the stories promote tolerance and diversity and offer important life lessons.” There are also 26 new episodes of Regal Academy, which follows the fairy-tale adventures of Rose Cinderella and her schoolmates. The animated series, which targets kids 4 to 8, has already been on air with Nickelodeon in Southeast Asia and worldwide, along with other broadcasters in Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia.
Regal Academy
“Rainbow will showcase a raft of new series that will appeal to wider audiences than ever.” —Andrea Graciotti 60 WORLD SCREEN 12/17
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Helen’s Little School
Superights Emmy & Gooroo / Helen’s Little School / Story Time! A Chinese-Spanish co-production, Emmy & Gooroo follows the daily life of a 5-year-old girl and her furry best friend. Helen’s Little School watches as a young girl plays teacher in an imaginary classroom, where the students are actually her own toys. Story Time! is a collection of 26 tales, taking viewers on a journey across continents. “We feel these three high-quality programs stand out in the international marketplace because they cover all genres a buyer could look for to complete its preschool slots: edutainment and social development with Helen’s Little School, magic and fantasy with Emmy & Gooroo and classic tales with Story Time!” says Safaa Benazzouz, sales manager at Superights. She adds that the plans for ATF are to “find broadcasting partners for our highlights and also to sell the free-TV window for our biggest sales hit, Pat the Dog.”
“Our business has been doing great in AsiaPac, with agreements with both payand free-TV partners.”
—Safaa Benazzouz
Turner Asia Pacific
Deception on Warner TV
Warner TV / Oh!K Turner Asia Pacific operates a number of channels in AsiaPac, including Warner TV and Oh!K. New to the Warner TV slate this year is Young Sheldon, which will be joined in early 2018 by the new Superman-inspired Krypton and crime drama Deception. There are also shows such as Impractical Jokers and Search Party. “We’re able to increasingly pull from a portfolio of original content and use [the programming] on our general-entertainment channels Warner TV and truTV,” says Marianne Lee, the VP of content, general entertainment, at Turner Asia Pacific. Oh!K is Turner’s Korean entertainment channel for Southeast Asia and is currently the number one Korean prime-time channel in Singapore, according to Lee. New highlights on that service include Two Cops, which costars Hyeri from the popular K-pop group Girl’s Day.
“Warner TV has never hosted as many dayand-date series as right now.”
—Marianne Lee
ZDF Enterprises
Ku’damm 59 Patrimonio mundial - Herencia de la humanidad
Ku’damm 59 / Bron/Broen / Maltese The Ku’damm franchise continues with Ku’damm 59, which ZDF Enterprises believes will drum up interest with buyers at ATF. For the market, the company is also highlighting from its ZDFE.drama catalog the fourth season of Bron/Broen, which brings the hit series to its conclusion, and the thriller Maltese. “We’re seeing a growing demand for top-quality content [across the Asia Pacific], and ZDFE.drama is able to provide the required production value and quality storytelling to gain a lot of traction here,” says Robert Franke, VP of ZDFE.drama at ZDF Enterprises. “Our goal is to continue to promote not only high-value European drama content but also to look for interesting products from AsiaPac that we can include in our growing lineup of projects from outside Europe.”
“ZDFE.drama has recently ramped up its operations in the AsiaPac area, and we are going full steam now to sell our products across all territories.”
—Robert Franke
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9 Story’s Luo Bao Bei.
Leading distributors weigh in on the trends in Asia’s fast-moving kids’ content sector. By Mansha Daswani t was standing-room-only for the keynote presentation by Netflix’s Andy Yeatman at MIPJunior last month. Producers from every genre are undoubtedly eager to be in business with the streaming giant, and the kids’ TV segment is no different. Significantly for Asian content creators, the two new global kids’ originals unveiled by Yeatman at the market both hail from the region: YooHoo & Friends was created by Korea’s Aurora World, based on the company’s hit toy brand, and Mighty Little Bheem comes from India’s Green Gold Animation. The other big piece of news out of Asia this MIPJunior came from China, where Zoland Animation revealed it is launching Zokast Kids.TV, a subscription VOD platform for children in partnership with France’s M.E.I. Group. Both developments illustrate the transformations in the fast-changing kids’ programming industry in Asia, with new platforms creating a wealth of opportunities for both homegrown outfits and international players. “Everyone has understood that Asia is going to be the next big thing,” observes Rajiv Chilaka, founder and CEO of Green Gold, which is a partner in the inaugural ATF Animation Pitch. “We want to find talent—students, artists, studios. We’ll help [the winning entry] produce a pilot and if it works, make it happen.”
I
Green Gold is not the only producer-distributor keen to help take Asian concepts globally. That has been a fruitful initiative for France’s Cyber Group Studios, which has taken on titles from production houses in South Korea, China, Hong Kong, India and, most recently, Singapore, where it worked with Omens Studios on Leo, The Wildlife Ranger. At ATF this year, 9 Story Distribution International will be showcasing Luo Bao Bei, co-produced by Magic Mall Entertainment in Beijing and Cloth Cat Animation in the U.K. “It is a unique property based on a famous and well-established Chinese character,” says Federico Vargas, senior director of distribution at the company.
ASIAN INSPIRATION A number of companies are also looking to up their coproduction initiatives across Asia. FUN Union, for example, is working with CCTV Animation in China and the Riki Group on a new show for primary-school-aged kids, Krash and Hehe. China has also been a critical co-pro territory for ZDF Enterprises, according to Peter Lang, the VP of ZDFE.junior. “China is one of the most important partners in the region in terms of co-productions,” Lang notes. “We are always open to evaluating new projects that have strong storytelling and reputable partners.”
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emerging markets where data is becoming more accessible for downloads and streaming more reliable. Traditional linear services will continue to be home for brand building. And while new digital players will always need a volume offering for their subscribers, we will see more first-run content on select platforms.” Martin Krieger, head of global distribution at Studio 100 Media, has observed the “impressive” rate of growth at emerging platforms. However, “TV still is our main focus with regards to the first window,” he explains. “In terms of establishing a high awareness level for a property, it is still the most important medium, especially for our merchandising and licensing partners.”
The Pirates Next Door is one of Cyber Group’s lead titles this ATF.
Meanwhile, digital platforms in China are giving international distributors new pathways into the country. FUN YOUNG ONES Union, for example, took BabyRiki into China with the main For Krieger, preschool is a strong seller in Asia, particularly local digital platforms. “It launched July 8, and by the end of content “with at least a light curriculum [combined with] August we had 145 million views,” says Christine Brendle, fun and comedy elements. It is important for us as a studio the CEO of FUN Union. to package educational elements suitably without lecturing At MIPCOM, France’s HARI International clinched a deal the kids, so the shows are perceived as fun rather than pure with China’s Mango TV for Grizzy & the Lemmings. “It will learning. We think this approach is also appealing to kids give visibility to the program in the territory, and hopefully and buyers across Asia.” that will have a domino effect in the region,” notes Adeline Preschool also features prominently for Superights, Tormo, the head of sales at HARI International. which is bringing to ATF Helen’s Little School—a show that The proliferation of online platforms has been a boon to dispromotes “edutainment and social development,” says Safaa tributors working in the region over the last year. “We have Benazzouz, sales manager at the company—as well as established strong connections with pan-regional platforms as Emmy & Gooroo and Story Time! well as local platforms—Amazon in India, tonton in Malaysia It’s a similar view at FUN Union, which is rolling out and Doonee in Thailand,” reports Raphaelle Mathieu, VP of BabyRiki, KikoRiki and PinCode to Asian buyers this ATF. sales, acquisitions and new media at Cyber Group. “Digital “The beauty of the three brands is you attract the child and platforms are very dynamic in the region and are always on the lookout for new business opportunities, which makes it very refreshing to work with them. While their needs can be quite close to free- and pay-TV operators, they are more flexible regarding the production date of a program and remain quite open-minded on acquiring 2D animation, which allows some of our programs to have a second life. On the other hand, as digital platforms are big players in the industry, when a title catches their attention and fits their needs, they are ready to invest more to get the first run and exclusivity.” Vargas at 9 Story expresses a similar view. “I believe there is a real potential for explosive growth in the digital sector still to come, in traditional territories across the region as well as Superights is tapping into the demand for preschool content with Emmy & Gooroo. 66 WORLD SCREEN 12/17
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Rainbow is looking to build on its strong presence in Asia with a brand-new gender-neutral preschool comedy, 44 Cats. Andrea Graciotti, head of TV sales, describes the show as a “great physical, character-driven comedy with strong storylines based on powerful musical assets. It is about how cats see the world and is very easy for young kids to relate to, both boys and girls. Key themes are friendship and altruism, and the stories will promote tolerance and diversity and offer important life lessons.” The company will also be touting new episodes of Regal Academy, which has rolled out to platforms in Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia, in addition to its slot on Nickelodeon. Cyber Group’s success in Asia stems from the diversity of its catalog, Mathieu explains. “Traditional kids’ buyers need more and more brands and properties that already have [awareness],” she says, referencing top sellers like Zou and Zorro the Chronicles. “In the preschool and tween markets, the main trend is that buyers are looking for entertaining kids’ productions that also transmit good values to children,” she adds. “All of our productions have in common the transmission to future citizens of important values such as solidarity, respect for wildlife and curiosity about other cultures. On the other hand, for some other broadcasters, the goal is to provide fun and entertaining programs, where comedy and creativity are the key selling points. From one country to another, or one broadcaster to another, each player has very different editorial requirements.”
TARGETED APPROACH Commissioned by CBeebies and Universal Kids, School of Roars is being presented by ZDF Enterprises.
Indeed, 9 Story’s Vargas says that a key evolution for the company in the region has been moving from a “panregional approach to a more territory-specific strategy. Asia contains so many diverse markets and each market has its own unique sensibility and demands. We tend to look at the Indian subcontinent, China, Southeast Asia, Korea, Japan and Australia as the separate areas of focus. Each market is quite different from the others and cannot be catered to with a generic, one-size-fits-all approach.” Nonetheless, there have been some standout titles across multiple markets for 9 Story, among them its PBS Kids slate— Peg + Cat, Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood, Wild Kratts and
the family. If you catch them with BabyRiki, the parents trust you, the children love you, and it’s a natural transition from there to KikoRiki and PinCode,” says Brendle. “The children recognize the difference in the animation, but at the same time, there’s a familiarity. That works well for us.” On BabyRiki in particular, Brendle says the show was “developed with a huge amount of input from early learning specialists and children’s psychologists. It hones in on the core skills that are usually recognized as the foundation of any good education—communication, cooperation, creativity and critical thinking. Each of the episodes features some aspect of this learning, and at the same time some cognitive skills learning. And the look and feel are unique, with the combination of CGI with live video. The big musical component, plus the foundation learning, makes for a really lovely recipe.” At HARI, Tormo sees interest in dialogue-free comedies, such as the company’s own Grizzy & the Lemmings. “Non-verbal shows targeting all ages are very well adapted to the new consumption modes of programs on smartphones and tablets. With a large number of smartphones and the high development of internet networks in the region, Asia is a favorable ground for the consumption of those kinds of programs.” FUN Union’s PinCode, aimed at primary-school-aged children, teaches science concepts. 68 WORLD SCREEN 12/17
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9 Story plans to continue its “tailored” approach to the region, Vargas says. “Asia is a huge and complex market that cannot be well served by a generic strategy. It’s important for us to understand the nuances of each territory within Asia Pacific to offer content that will resonate with its diverse fan base.” China, Southeast Asia and India are among Vargas’s key markets and while the company has built up a strong presence in the region, “there is always room for improvement,” he says. “We’d like to increase our penetration across smaller territories and stay focused on the digital space across all markets as it has the potential for dynamic growth.”
FUTURE FORECAST
HARI International licensed Grizzy & the Lemmings to China’s Mango TV.
Nature Cat. “Series with an educational curriculum tend to perform well within the territory,” Vargas says. “Live-action series are also performing well. Animated comedies with an element of slapstick humor have also been popular across the territory. We see strong demand across all age categories, from preschool right through to tween.” For ZDF Enterprises, a particularly strong area has been its portfolio of tween dramas, among them Mako Mermaids— which is airing on HBO in Southeast Asia, MCOT in Thailand, GMA in the Philippines and on Netflix—and Wolfblood. “Preschool programs are also working well in the region,” Lang adds. “Our new School of Roars, produced for CBeebies in the U.K. and Universal Kids (Sprout) in the U.S., had a tremendous response in Cannes during MIPCOM, and we are eager to introduce the property to buyers in Asia at ATF.” For kids’ distributors heading to ATF, the mood is upbeat about the prospects for new deals at the market and into 2018. At HARI, Tormo is focused on free-TV and VOD deals for Grizzy & the Lemmings, “especially since we now have two seasons to sell. Pay TV has been secured for both seasons with Turner worldwide. We are very excited about our new collaboration with Mango TV in China and we hope that this enthusiasm for the series will spread throughout Asia. The idea is to cover the main territories in all the regions to ensure the best exposure,” paving the way for an L&M rollout. FUN Union is taking a similar path for its portfolio of shows. “In China, once the popularity was there we got a huge amount of attention. We will announce before the end of the year a large toy licensing agreement, we have signed a book publishing agreement and we have [apparel] for children and a whole bunch of accessories lined up.” Mathieu from Cyber Group has been encouraged by the arrival of players like Canal+ in Myanmar and is seeing territories such as Mongolia open up to the company. While China and India remain Cyber Group’s strongest markets in the region, Southeast Asia has been developing quickly and Mathieu is eager to ramp up business in South Korea and Japan. “As both countries have strong local animation production, there is little space for foreign acquisitions,” she says. “Therefore, we are trying to build strong business relationships with key players to really understand their needs and try to find a match.” 70 WORLD SCREEN 12/17
Like others surveyed here, ZDFE.junior’s Lang highlights China, both for co-pros and finished content sales, as a major hub for the company’s business in Asia. The pact with HBO Asia for live-action series has also been a significant driver. “The Philippines is also very successful for us, where H20: Just Add Water, Mako Mermaids and Wolfblood are performing very well. And we are looking at developing new partnerships in Indonesia, where we would like to do more over the next few years.” Benazzouz says that Superights has clinched deals across the pay- and free-TV landscapes with such partners as Disney, Animax and TVB. “Our ATF plans are to find broadcasting partners for our highlights and also to sell the free-TV window of our biggest sales hit, Pat the Dog, after Turner’s first pay-TV window,” she says. “We will also be looking for new IP to distribute.” On the road ahead for the kids’ sector in Asia, Lang notes, “We still believe that the market will remain strong over the next few years as new digital platforms and OTT channels are launched on a regular basis. We also expect a rapid shift towards mobile consumption, something that we have already seen over the past years, and which is even more acute with kids.”
Rainbow is bringing its new preschool comedy 44 Cats to ATF.
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Mansha Daswani looks at the demand for Asian drama both from within the region and across the globe.
T
he competition for the hottest new dramas out of Korea has reached fever pitch across Asia, as pay- and free-TV players, as well as OTT platforms, clamor for the latest ratings hit from the country’s prolific production sector. The Korean Wave shows no signs of abating; indeed, thanks to platforms like Netflix and DramaFever, Korean dramas are finding eager fans outside of the region, too. Though Korea certainly doesn’t have a monopoly on the Asian drama export scene. As the scripted content business booms everywhere, shows from Japan, India and the Philippines are also finding new audiences worldwide, from Turkey to Colombia, Albania to Nigeria. “We believe that Asian drama is very strong and on par with Western drama,” observes Nixon Yau Lim, the head of the Asia Pacific at Eccho Rights, which has added Korean and Indian series to its extensive slate of European properties. “Asian stories can travel and will resonate with audiences around the world. There is already a huge cult following for Korean drama all across the U.S. Best of all, Asian dramas can be remade elsewhere in the world.”
SELLING THE SCRIPT The Asian scripted-format business is undoubtedly heating up, boosted recently by the massive success of ABC’s version of the Korean hit The Good Doctor. Turkey, a prolific drama-export market in its own right, has produced a wave of Asian formats of late, among them Mother and Woman, both based on shows from Japan’s Nippon TV. “Localized in Turkey by the amazing drama production company MF Yapim and MEDYAPIM, Mother reached the number one viewership rating position and a 25-percent share, leading to distribution in more than 12 other territories thus far,” says Shigeko “Cindy” Chino, the senior director of international business development at Nippon TV. “The adaptation of Woman in Turkey is now also obtaining wide recognition and stellar viewership.” Chino says that Turkish and Japanese cultures share many common values, easing the adaptation process. “We are confident that the themes and values depicted in our dramas can be appreciated in other territories as well, and our fine drama team is always cooperative in making the international version a hit.”
Yau Lim at Eccho Rights confirms that interest in Asian formats is rising in Turkey, particularly for Korean series. “In the last couple of years we have seen an increasing number of adaptations as drama continues to boom in the country and the producers are constantly on the lookout for fresh inspiration,” he says. “As we all know, Turkish series are long while Asian series are a lot shorter. The challenge lies in how to adapt a relatively short series to a somewhat long series. Although in the hands of a very capable writer and producer, we believe the challenge can be overcome.” Korea’s CJ E&M recently did a Turkish deal on its show Tears of Heaven, with Eccho Rights distributing the adaptation, Cennet. “We also have scripted option deals in the U.S. and Europe,” reports Jangho Seo, the general manager of the global content business division at the Korean heavyweight. “Currently we are working hard to prepare for scripted-format sales, making sales material and trailers.”
LATIN EXPANSION GMA Worldwide from the Philippines is also looking to drive its scripted-format business. Working with Latin Media Corporation, GMA Worldwide has sold the remake rights to seven of its dramas to Latin American production companies, according to Roxanne J. Barcelona, VP. “We are optimistic that in 2018 we can sustain and further grow the distribution of scripted formats, not only in Latin America but the Middle East as well,” Barcelona adds. Japanese broadcaster and distributor TV Asahi is similarly keen to license its scripts. “We are finding that stories with strong characters tackling a universal social issue attract much interest,” says Motoko Nakai, director of the international business department at TV Asahi. “Our storytelling techniques not only do justice to serious issues but also incorporate comedic, cynical or sometimes farcical depictions that shed light on the human condition.” TV Asahi has licensed A Family Goes Job Hunting into China, and Nakai says there’s been interest from other Asian markets in Hello, I Love You and Winter, Grasping Love. Asia has also been the dominant territory for TV Asahi’s finished drama sales, notably Korea, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and Malaysia, Nakai says. “We are also increasing our focus on Thailand and India.” For Nakai, the popularity of Japanese dramas outside of national borders is partly due to their narrative style, 12/17 WORLD SCREEN 73
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Our recently created Sunday evening drama slot was our proactive effort to reach out to men who can only enjoy dramas at that time of the week. As a result, Nippon TV has dramas appealing to every demographic and can provide a wide selection to our overseas audience.” Contemporary series focused on women are the top sellers for Nippon TV, Chino adds.
SURFING THE WAVE
Eccho Rights has been expanding its slate of Asian scripted formats, recently taking on the Korean drama Kill Me Heal Me.
featuring “a quick unfolding of the stories. All of the characters are well developed, which also adds to the overall richness of the story. Since the storyline of each story is very clear, it is easy for viewers of any nationality to follow and understand what is being depicted.” Medical and detective dramas dominate for TV Asahi, Nakai says, particularly procedurals, which are in high demand globally. “Also, as both medical and detective stories are not affected much by [the passage of] time, there is a strong demand for our archive series.” Nippon TV will be at ATF with new offerings such as Caution, Hazardous Wife and Kiss That Kills, targeting buyers in its core markets of Taiwan, Korea and China. On why Nippon TV’s slate has been able to resonate in multiple markets, Chino explains, “We strategically produce drama series targeting different demographics, according to who is available on which day of the week. Wednesday prime-time dramas reach out to working women and mothers. Saturday evenings are family time, so the themes cater to children and adults alike.
“Asia is our foremost market for finished content,” says Seo at CJ E&M. “Throughout Asia, we have a strong fan base thanks to the Korean Wave and their love for Korean drama stories and stars. New markets to open are definitely territories such as the Middle East and Central Asia. We believe that we have a high chance of success due to our similar cultures and values.” According to Seo, CJ E&M’s best sellers traditionally have been love stories, but fantasy elements have been striking a chord with viewers recently. The company is touting a diverse portfolio this ATF, including Prison Playbook, from the same team behind the hit Reply trilogy. There’s also a crime thriller in the mix, with Bad Guys: Vile City; the romantic fantasy A Korean Odyssey; and the black comedy-drama Avengers’ Social Club. Filipino content has largely been faring well in neighboring Southeast Asian markets, as well as in Africa and North America, reports GMA Worldwide’s Barcelona. “We would like to see GMA dramas being broadcast in China and Eastern European countries,” Barcelona says. “Our dramas are appealing as they focus on universal themes that the audience can easily relate to,” says
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Nippon TV will showcase Caution, Hazardous Wife to Asian buyers at ATF.
Barcelona on what’s driving interest in GMA’s slate, which at ATF will include the fantasy drama Angela and the romantic comedy My Korean Jagiya. “Stories about family and romance always work well with the audience. In addition, some of GMA’s stars are already recognized and have fans in countries like Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia. Most of the dramas they appear in are in demand in those countries.” Sunita Uchil, chief business officer for international ad sales, global syndication and production at Zee Entertainment Enterprises, expresses a similar sentiment about Indian serials. “Compelling storylines, glamour, costumes, songs and dances are all key factors that viewers prefer. For instance, in Indonesia, Indian TV stars are as popular as Bollywood movie stars.” She adds, “Family and romance dramas with complex and intriguing storylines continue to be our best sellers.”
the local language. However, payand free-TV rights are still the main source of revenue for our business.” But the landscape is changing, and distributors are keen to make sure they’re well positioned for the shifts still to come. “In the past few years, viewership on PCs and mobile devices has shown a dramatic increase in Asian countries,” says TV Asahi’s Nakai. “Especially in China, it has superseded TV and has become the main means of distribution. Thus, it has become more and more important for us to have the rights for digital platform distribution. In China, there is no interest in series that cannot be distributed digitally. The distribution fee also differs between content with or without digital rights. We recognize that it is crucial for us to gain those rights from the onset of production.” Nippon TV’s Chino stresses the importance of drama to the leading Japanese broadcaster’s “multiplatform convergence strategy,” encompassing its linear feeds, on-demand and Hulu Japan. “For example, we can broadcast the first episode on the Nippon TV linear channel, and the following episodes can be streamed immediately on Hulu. This was the successful case in our remake of Red Arrow International’s original hit drama series The Last Cop, capturing attention on linear and new subscribers on Hulu.” Chino adds that Nippon TV has been able to expand further globally because of its OTT deals. “We have expanded in areas such as China, Korea and Taiwan as a result of new business with digital platforms.”
NEW HORIZONS Asia and Africa have been the primary markets for dramas from ABS-CBN Corporation, according to Maria Cecilia Imperial, the head of integrated program acquisitions and international sales and distribution at the company. “We would like to open up Latin America and Eastern Europe,” she says, adding that Filipino dramas travel well as they have qualities similar to both telenovelas and Korean serials. Ramping up deals with OTT providers is one of Imperial’s key priorities for next year. GMA is also seeing greater interest from digital platforms. “We have received inquiries from buyers who only require digital rights,” Barcelona says. “Sales to these platforms are equally important, especially if the content is dubbed or subtitled in
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Formats remain in strong demand across the region as channels and platforms look to up their local content slates. By Mansha Daswani
T
he Asia TV Forum last December featured its first-ever Formats Pitch. Backed by all3media international, the competition sought out innovative concepts from the region that could be exported across the globe. Less than a year later, all3media international announced it had clinched its first commission on the winning entry, XTREME Media’s Hit It, which is set to premiere in Singapore next year. The Formats Pitch will return to ATF this year, with all3media keen to tap into the new opportunities emerging in the formats business across the region. “That covers the opportunity in terms of platforms, transmission slots and indeed genres that the market is open to,” says Sabrina Duguet, executive VP for the Asia Pacific at the company. “This is in part due to the growing number of platforms that are now also looking at original content, the increased budgets for local productions, which in turn has led to more slots for such programming, and finally, the channels are willing to take more risks, to try new ideas and content” as they look to drive viewership and revenues.
NEW HOMES Haryaty Rahman, the senior VP of sales and distribution for Asia at FremantleMedia International, agrees, noting, “We’re seeing a lot more opportunities in terms of how we can place our formats in the region, be it in the form of a widening pool of format buyers that cuts across a multitude of platforms (free to air, pay TV, OTT), as well as groups that are willing to invest in our formats (agencies, brands, etc.).” Another new development in the last few years, Rahman says, has been a stronger appetite for pan-regional versions of formats on big pay-TV channels like AXN, which is in season two of Asia’s Got Talent. Isil Turksen, sales director for Asia at Global Agency, has witnessed a “shift in demand towards different genres— buyers are now more open to try and produce new types of formats, even if they haven’t been tested.” Gary Pudney, the head of Asia at Keshet International (KI), says the most significant transformations for his formats business in the region have come from India and China. “The ongoing challenge of doing business in China and the
rise of the Indian market have been the biggest changes in the last 12 months,” Pudney explains. “China’s restrictions continue to grow and present ever greater challenges, however India is really taking off and presents hugely exciting opportunities, not only for domestic activities but internationally too as there are some fantastic creatives based there waiting to be exposed on the international stage.” Those two markets are major priorities for Inter Medya, which has expanded beyond drama distribution with a format slate that includes the game shows Money Monster, 1 vs. 10 and The Box Challenge. “The Asian market is quite new for us and we are happy and excited to work with any territory on the continent,” says Can Okan, founder and CEO of Inter Medya, “but India and China, in particular, are countries where we would like to deepen our existing connections and begin new business relationships.” Bomanbridge Media has radically altered its format strategy over the last year, according to CEO Sonia Fleck. “This year, the decision was made to cut back and discontinue distribution efforts on format themes that simply do not work well,” Fleck says. “Formats require a lot of time, energy and creative collaboration. We want those efforts to be efficient and focused. Observational reality series, for example, frankly have a low resell value in Asia. Other genres such as dance competitions are not strong in the list of successful themes to localize. The company is, therefore, tightening our focus to carry formats that are suitable for Asian tastes. We are now focusing almost entirely on game-show studio-based formats, beauty and ‘inspirational’ competition as well as a curated selection of other talent-based competitions.”
IN THE MIX Global Agency’s Turksen identifies singing competitions and game shows as key genres for the region. Recent deals for the company in Asia include Amazon Prime Video India taking The Remix, a music reality show. In addition, Pick’n Run is rolling out in Vietnam next year, as is My Wife Rules, which is also headed to India. When asked what kinds of properties are doing well for KI in Asia, Pudney says it’s a “mixed bag. We are selling all genres in the region.” The talent competition Masters of Dance has landed in Vietnam, Rising Star is going into its 12/17 WORLD SCREEN 79
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second season in India and the game show BOOM! is present in Thailand and Cambodia. At FremantleMedia International, Rahman reports sustained interest in its “big-brand talent shows such as Got Talent, Idol and X Factor, which continue to be highly successful in the territories that have taken them on and hence we see renewals on a year-on-year basis.” She also references solid traction with game-show and comedy formats. “We’ve recently completed deals for Thank God You’re Here and My Mom Cooks Better Than Yours in Thailand, Family Feud in Mongolia and Man O Man in Vietnam.” “The prime-time entertainment studio formats are still in high demand in the region and mark a key moment in a channel’s schedule,” reports all3media’s Duguet. “However, there is now space for non-studio entertainment and factual entertainment.” Among the all3media shows adapted in the region are Sexy Beasts, Are You Normal?, Cash Cab, Gogglebox and Undercover Boss. “A great range of shows are being licensed with a variety of budgets,” Duguet says. Bomanbridge’s Fleck notes that the shows most in demand are those that can give channels “bang for their buck, allow them to recoup their production costs and garner ratings,” and those tend to be game shows, entertainment, singing competitions and scripted drama.
LOCAL DRAMA
From the top, Inter Medya’s 1 vs. 10, Bomanbridge’s Gamerz and Global Agency’s The Remix are being shopped at ATF, and all3media international’s Cash Cab has been adapted across Asia.
Scripted formats is an area mentioned by many distributors as one that’s growing as the drama business booms worldwide. “Scripted formats are a new and solid way to introduce our content in the region given the international success of Turkish dramas,” says Global Agency’s Turksen. “Fiction products are the most demanded in the whole world, and Asia is a pioneer in drama productions. In addition, given Global Agency’s dynamic and innovative content, we believe there will be new productions in the region in 2018.” Pudney says that he’s seen rising interest in KI’s scripted formats, among them Loaded, Traffic Light, False Flag and The A Word. “We also hope to announce further deals (in addition to India) for Prisoners of War very soon.” Duguet says that all3media international has invested heavily in scripted drama over the past two years, “doubling our investment in the genre—and this has resulted in our strongest year to date in the genre. This has created a great response in terms of scripted format adaptations. This will definitely be more of a focus for us next year.” Looking ahead, Duguet says that she’s keen to see Japan open up more to formats on the heels of all3media licensing Undercover Boss there. “In terms of where we would like to do more, I would say the Philippines and Malaysia,” with a new lineup that she believes will be well suited to those territories. “We would like to further deepen our relations in Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore,” says Turksen. For Fleck at Bomanbridge, a priority growth area is formats with a “strong digital angle. Whether it be linear channels or nonlinear platforms, a smart digital angle can provide a beautiful opening to additional revenues for our clients.” And broadcasters having more money to spend bodes well for the future of the format business in the region.
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and talent from around the region and develop content that will not just do well in Singapore, but also in the region and maybe even around the world. TV ASIA: Tell us about the steps being taken to develop skills locally and attract regional talent. CHEE: It requires a whole ecosystem to make this work. You start with the schools—you have to have a pipeline of students who are exposed to the latest skill sets required by the industry. We have to work closely with the industry when we design our courses for technical education, polytechnics and universities. So the students, when they are still in school, are exposed to the skill sets companies will be looking for. The second thing that is critical is that, because this is a fastmoving industry with new technologies, ideas and types of formats, there’s a need to always be well connected with the movers and shakers. Some, I hope, will come from Singapore, our locally grown capabilities and companies, and some will come from international companies. That’s why part of our strategy is to get as many of these companies as possible to be based out of Singapore, not just to do work in Singapore but do work for the region. So Singapore then becomes like a gateway to Asia, it becomes a regional headquarters. TV ASIA: Do you see certain trends in the business at present that make it a good time for Asian content to be in the spotlight? CHEE: There is huge potential for growth in Asia, for various reasons. We have a very large population enjoying rapid increases in their quality of life and purchasing power—a
By Mansha Daswani
The Singaporean government is betting big on its communications and media sector, recently issuing an “Industry Transformation Map” for the business to drive revenues and job creation. The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is at the heart of that roadmap. The IMDA led a large delegation of companies to MIPCOM this year, allowing Singaporean producers to showcase their wares on a global stage and network with potential partners. The delegation was joined by Hong Tat Chee, the senior minister of state for Singapore’s Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI). He tells TV Asiaabout his perspectives on what the future holds for Singaporean content producers. TV ASIA: What gains have you seen in terms of the presence of Singaporean content on the global landscape? CHEE: Our companies are making good progress. Very often they are working in new areas, either on their own or with other companies. At MIPCOM, we were very happy to see the MOU signing between three companies, Tiny Island Productions from Singapore, Shellhut Entertainment from Thailand and WingsMedia from China [for the co-production of ten animated feature films]. This is an example of the kind of partnership that we hope to see more of in the future. Beyond animation, we’re also trying to see if we can encourage similar kinds of partnerships in other areas within the media sector. So one thing IMDA will continue to do is try to see how we can build up stronger capabilities within Singapore. And not just indigenous capabilities, but how we can bring resources, ideas 82 WORLD SCREEN 12/17
rising middle class. This is seen in many parts of India, China, Southeast Asia. This will drive quite a bit of demand for entertainment. Asia also has a lot of untapped potential in terms of talent, storytelling and a rich heritage and culture with many folklores and many historical characters that are yet to be discovered. In the past, the market was not as well developed, the industry not as vibrant. Increasingly you see this critical mass being formed, talent coming out onto the global stage, being recognized for the top quality work they are able to produce. This is something audiences in more established markets in Europe and North America are also beginning to appreciate. So we’re seeing an increase in demand for not just global content, but a lot of local content, local stories, local characters, local heritage. We’re also seeing some interesting combinations in how people are taking international formats but localizing them, customizing them and making them even more relatable to local audiences. And the other way around, taking local content and being able to use digital platforms as a way to reach even more consumers at a relatively low cost. In the past, to go into new markets, the cost of entry was much higher. Now with the internet, the cost of reaching your end consumer has dropped significantly. This has led to a situation where you can see a lot more creative content and a lot more talent being discovered and having the opportunities to showcase their work.
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Singapore’s Tiny Island, producer of Dream Defenders, is collaborating with companies in Thailand and China to produce a series of animated feature films.
TV ASIA: You mentioned a three-company alliance earlier. Do you think that’s a good model for Asian producers and distributors as they look to deliver bigger projects? CHEE: I believe so. This industry is going to be fast-moving and we’re going to need good ideas, and no one can claim to have all the expertise, all the ideas, to do it singlehandedly. Partnerships make a lot of sense because they speed up your learning curve, allow you tap into strengths that, if they were to grow organically, would take too long. Partnerships speed up the whole process, and through collaboration and interaction you can spark off new innovative ideas. I think it will be a very powerful force. Singapore is one of the many players in this industry. We can’t be doing all parts of production. But you need a nerve center, you need a place where you can coordinate, integrate and pull things together. We hope that Singapore can play a role in Asia as that nerve center.
By Mansha Daswani As assistant chief executive (industry development) at IMDA, Angeline Poh is involved in a wide range of initiatives, among them talentdevelopment workshops such as Story Lab and wide-scale events like the Singapore Media Festival. Poh talks to TV Asia about some of the IMDA’s key activities as it works to make Singapore a hub for the Asian media business. TV ASIA: Singapore has always been very strong in animation. In what other areas are you seeing Singaporean companies gain a foothold? POH: We have a longstanding partnership with HBO Asia in drama. It was great for us to hear the news that the content HBO is producing in Asia is now going to be shown on the U.S. OTT platform as well. So we’re very encouraged by the fact that HBO Asia is able to do good-quality dramas, to tell stories from our region, that appeal not only to Asians but to a global audience. It encourages us to do more with them and other partners on the drama front. We’ve also seen our home-grown independent companies go from strength to strength. [IFA Media] was awarded a Netflix commission out of Asia earlier this year for a Chinese-language drama. That’s the direction we think we’ll see, where Singapore plays a part in creating those stories, but it will be an ensemble effort where you have talent from different parts of Asia, stories coming from elsewhere, but really us helping to make it possible and having a role to play in delivering the stories. TV ASIA: We’ve talked in the past about IMDA’s role in helping companies embrace digital content. Are you still involved in such initiatives? POH: We continue to look at working with different partners. We started with Maker Studios. We’re also looking at working with different OTT partners. While we strike up different partnerships on one level, we’re also looking at doubling down on our investment in storytelling.
Regardless of the platform and the medium through which the story is delivered, what really matters is having a great story told very well. A year and a half ago we created this initiative called Story Lab, and it’s really about identifying people in Singapore who have a knack for creating great concepts. We help them go through a workshop process to hone their craft and concepts. TV ASIA: Tell us about the Singapore Media Festival. POH: We see it as a platform for the discovery of talent and stories [from Asia]. Through our event partners we’ve created platforms like the ATF Formats Pitch with all3media international, the Southeast Asian Film Financing Project Market, and this year ATF has introduced an Animation Pitch. These are ways in which people who are less well known in the industry can come to the surface and their ideas might get a chance to be heard by commissioners and financiers. We have a Country of Focus for the first time, Indonesia. It’s one of the most populous countries in the world. And more than that, it’s a country that is really becoming addressable. The archipelago is so vast and it’s been hard to reach everyone, but today technology is changing that. For a lot of people in Indonesia, their first experience of the internet is going to be on a cellphone. That makes content providers rethink their model of how they are going to serve that market. There’s a lot of curiosity and interest in the market, and we’re trying to do our part to demystify it. We’re going to create an opportunity for people from the Indonesian industry, producers and broadcasters, to come and share what they’re looking for and match them with people who are curious to go into the market. That’s another attempt at being a bridge. You’ll see Indonesia pop up in all our pillar events. The other common thread across all the events is VR. That’s the new digital frontier. But more than just talking about technology, we really want to explore storytelling using VR. It’s just another medium, another tool, for storytelling. So it’s not so much about the geek bits of the tech, it’s about how you create a stronger emotional connection with the audience. VR has that potential. And we’re only at the start of learning and mastering the art of using this medium.
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NETWORK SCORECARD Source: The Nielsen Company, September 25, 2017, to November 5, 2017. A rating point represents one percent of the estimated 119.6 million TV households. Courtesy of ABC.
Rank Program
Network
Distributor
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90
CBS CBS ABC CBS NBC CBS CBS CBS CBS NBC NBC CBS ABC NBC CBS ABC CBS CBS CBS NBC NBC CBS CBS ABC CBS ABC CBS FOX CBS NBC NBC CBS CBS CBS NBC CBS ABC ABC ABC ABC NBC FOX FOX ABC FOX CBS NBC FOX ABC NBC ABC CBS ABC NBC FOX ABC ABC CBS ABC NBC NBC ABC FOX ABC FOX ABC FOX FOX ABC FOX FOX ABC FOX FOX CW CW FOX FOX CW ABC CW CW CW FOX CW CW CW CW CW CW
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Sony Pictures Television CBS Studios Intl. Twentieth Century Fox CBS Studios Intl. CBS Studios Intl. CBS Studios Intl. CBS Studios Intl. Talpa Global Talpa Global CBS Studios Intl. Disney Media Distribution NBCUniversal CBS Studios Intl. BBC Worldwide CBS Studios Intl. Warner Bros. CBS Studios Intl. NBCUniversal NBCUniversal Disney Media Distribution Sony Pictures Television Twentieth Century Fox CBS Studios Intl. Entertainment One Television CBS Studios Intl. Twentieth Century Fox Sony Pictures Television Sony Pictures Television NBCUniversal Twentieth Century Fox CBS Studios Intl. CBS Studios Intl. NBCUniversal CBS Studios Intl. Disney Media Distribution Warner Bros. Sony Pictures Television Disney Media Distribution NBCUniversal Warner Bros. Twentieth Century Fox Disney Media Distribution Twentieth Century Fox Warner Bros. NBCUniversal Twentieth Century Fox Disney Media Distribution NBCUniversal Sony Pictures Television CBS Studios Intl. Twentieth Century Fox NBCUniversal Warner Bros. Twentieth Century Fox Disney Media Distribution CBS Studios Intl. Disney Media Distribution Warner Bros. NBCUniversal Lionsgate Warner Bros. Disney Media Distribution Twentieth Century Fox Disney Media Distribution Twentieth Century Fox ITV Studios Global Ent. Disney Media Distribution Twentieth Century Fox Twentieth Century Fox Disney Media Distribution Twentieth Century Fox NBCUniversal Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Twentieth Century Fox Endemol Shine Warner Bros. Electus Intl. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Twentieth Century Fox CBS Studios Intl. Hat Trick Intl. CBS Studios Intl. CBS Studios Intl. Associated Television Intl. CBS Studios Intl.
Young Sheldon The Big Bang Theory The Good Doctor NCIS This Is Us Bull 60 Minutes Blue Bloods NCIS: New Orleans The Voice Monday The Voice Tuesday SEAL Team Grey’s Anatomy Will & Grace Hawaii Five-0 Dancing with the Stars NCIS: Los Angeles Mom Survivor Chicago Fire Chicago P.D. Criminal Minds S.W.A.T. Modern Family Wisdom of the Crowd Designated Survivor Madam Secretary Empire Kevin Can Wait The Blacklist Law & Order: SVU Life in Pieces Scorpion MacGyver The Brave 9JKL Scandal The Middle The Goldbergs American Housewife Law & Order: True Crime Lethal Weapon The Gifted How to Get Away with Murder Star Me, Myself & I Dateline The Orville black-ish The Good Place Shark Tank Superior Donuts Speechless Superstore Lucifer Fresh Off the Boat Kevin Saves the World 48 Hours America’s Funniest Home Videos Blindspot Great News Ten Days in the Valley Gotham The Mayor The Simpsons Marvel’s Inhumans Ghosted Hell’s Kitchen Once Upon a Time The Mick Family Guy 20/20 Bob’s Burgers Brooklyn Nine-Nine The Flash Riverdale The Last Man on Earth So You Think You Can Dance Supernatural The Toy Box Supergirl DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Arrow The Exorcist Valor Whose Line Is It Anyway? Dynasty Jane the Virgin Masters of Illusion Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Viewers 2+ (000) 19,213 18,799 17,515 16,739 16,586 13,934 13,295 12,629 12,559 12,513 11,513 11,508 11,345 11,103 11,006 10,796 10,589 10,307 10,210 10,162 10,002 9,921 9,891 9,299 9,189 9,164 8,716 8,656 8,492 8,489 8,478 8,337 8,130 8,125 8,039 7,773 7,477 7,244 7,104 6,912 6,767 6,697 6,472 6,412 6,088 6,052 6,035 5,894 5,809 5,660 5,595 5,520 5,476 5,390 5,045 4,946 4,885 4,871 4,816 4,692 4,472 4,470 4,407 4,248 4,187 4,028 4,000 3,902 3,721 3,705 3,640 3,486 3,423 2,992 2,981 2,964 2,949 2,673 2,352 2,258 2,175 2,049 2,037 1,949 1,417 1,312 1,292 1,069 957 739
P2–11
P12–17
M18–49
F18–49
M25–54
F25–54
M50+
F50+
1.7 1.3 1.2 0.7 1.2 0.6 0.8 0.6 0.5 1.3 1.2 0.7 1.1 0.8 0.6 0.9 0.5 0.6 0.9 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.9 0.5 0.5 0.4 1.3 0.5 0.4 0.6 0.7 0.4 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.8 1.0 0.9 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.5 1.0 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.7 0.5 0.6 0.3 0.7 0.5 0.3 0.6 0.3 0.3 1.0 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.5 0.8 0.4 0.6 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.6 0.3 0.6 0.3 0.7 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.1
2.1 1.6 1.8 0.7 1.3 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.5 1.3 1.1 0.7 1.4 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.6 1.1 0.9 0.7 0.7 0.8 1.3 0.5 0.6 0.3 1.3 0.7 0.4 0.6 0.6 0.8 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.5 1.0 1.1 0.9 0.5 0.6 0.8 0.4 1.1 0.6 0.3 0.5 0.9 0.7 0.6 0.4 0.8 0.6 0.5 0.7 0.5 0.3 0.8 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.5 0.6 0.8 0.4 0.6 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.7 0.2 0.7 0.4 1.2 2.1 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2
3.9 4.2 2.7 1.8 3.0 1.5 2.3 1.2 1.3 2.2 1.9 1.9 1.7 2.4 1.3 1.0 1.3 1.6 2.1 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.5 2.4 1.2 1.7 0.8 2.2 1.7 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.1 1.5 1.3 1.1 1.5 1.8 1.4 1.1 1.6 2.3 1.1 1.4 1.2 0.8 2.2 1.4 1.5 1.4 0.9 1.2 1.4 1.3 1.2 0.9 0.6 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.5 1.7 1.0 2.2 1.1 1.8 1.1 0.6 1.3 2.2 0.5 1.8 1.4 1.3 0.6 1.4 0.5 0.8 0.4 0.6 0.9 0.8 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2
4.7 5.0 5.2 2.4 7.1 2.2 1.7 1.7 1.9 3.7 3.3 2.0 5.3 4.5 1.7 2.4 1.6 2.3 2.6 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.0 3.6 1.4 2.0 1.2 4.0 2.1 1.7 2.8 2.0 1.7 1.2 1.9 1.8 3.1 2.3 2.4 2.7 2.4 1.8 2.1 2.9 2.7 1.4 1.4 1.4 2.2 2.3 1.5 1.1 1.9 1.9 1.5 1.7 1.5 0.9 1.1 1.1 1.5 0.9 1.2 1.5 1.5 1.1 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3 0.9 1.4 1.2 1.0 1.6 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.7 0.2 0.4
5.7 6.0 3.4 2.9 3.7 2.3 3.2 1.9 2.1 2.9 2.5 2.7 2.0 3.2 2.0 1.3 2.0 2.5 2.8 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.2 3.2 1.7 2.3 1.3 2.5 2.6 2.0 1.9 2.1 2.0 1.6 1.9 2.1 1.3 2.0 2.4 1.9 1.4 2.2 2.9 1.4 1.6 1.7 1.1 2.8 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.5 1.6 1.8 1.7 1.5 1.2 0.8 1.1 1.1 1.2 0.7 2.1 1.4 2.4 1.6 2.2 1.4 0.8 1.7 2.4 0.8 2.0 1.7 1.5 0.7 1.7 0.7 0.9 0.5 0.8 1.0 1.0 0.7 0.4 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2
6.5 6.9 6.4 3.7 8.6 3.4 2.6 2.7 2.9 4.8 4.3 2.9 6.0 5.9 2.7 3.2 2.4 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.4 3.6 3.0 4.6 2.1 2.8 1.9 4.6 3.1 2.4 3.5 3.0 2.5 1.9 2.5 2.7 3.8 3.1 3.1 3.6 3.0 2.3 2.6 3.4 3.2 2.2 2.1 1.8 2.9 2.8 2.0 1.7 2.6 2.4 2.0 2.3 2.1 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.9 1.4 1.5 2.0 1.6 1.4 1.6 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.1 1.3 1.1 1.2 1.1 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.8 0.9 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.7 0.3 0.4
10.3 9.9 6.8 10.8 5.0 8.6 9.3 7.7 7.9 5.2 4.8 7.5 2.9 3.9 6.5 3.9 6.6 5.9 4.9 4.5 4.9 4.8 5.7 3.4 5.6 4.9 5.3 2.4 4.7 5.1 3.5 4.5 4.7 4.9 4.5 4.4 2.1 2.9 2.7 2.4 2.4 3.7 2.9 1.7 1.6 3.3 2.4 3.7 2.0 2.0 2.5 3.4 2.0 2.1 2.6 1.8 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.5 1.8 1.9 2.3 1.6 1.5 2.1 1.7 1.4 1.3 1.6 1.1 1.5 1.0 1.1 1.0 0.6 1.3 0.9 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.7 0.4 0.2 0.5 0.2
12.0 11.4 13.5 13.4 11.3 11.3 9.0 10.7 10.3 8.7 8.3 7.9 7.7 6.9 8.7 10.1 8.3 7.3 6.6 7.7 7.2 7.3 7.2 5.0 7.2 6.5 7.4 4.4 5.5 6.0 5.9 5.6 5.7 6.2 5.4 5.4 5.6 4.6 3.8 4.0 5.1 3.8 2.9 4.5 3.3 4.0 5.2 2.3 3.2 3.1 3.5 3.8 3.2 3.0 2.8 2.8 3.4 4.4 3.1 3.2 3.1 4.1 1.7 2.4 0.9 2.1 1.2 2.2 2.3 1.4 0.6 2.7 0.6 0.9 0.7 0.8 0.8 1.8 1.0 1.6 0.8 0.6 0.7 1.0 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.4 0.5 0.3
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WORLD’S END
IN THE STARS Almost every national constitution forbids the establishment of an official state religion. But this secular bent doesn’t stop people from looking to the heavens for answers to life’s most troublesome questions: Will I succeed? Will I find love? Will I suffer a nip slip? Every day, papers, magazines and websites worldwide print horoscopes— projections for people born in a specific month, based on the positions of the stars and planets. While many
Sean Combs
Chrissy Teigen
LARRY DAVID
Global distinction: Hollywood leading man. Sign: Gemini (b. June 5, 1971) Significant date: October 20, 2017 Noteworthy activity: Ahead of an event with Cardinal
Global distinction: Curb Your Enthusiasm curmudgeon. Sign: Cancer (b. July 2, 1947) Significant date: November 4, 2017 Noteworthy activity: The TV funnyman is slammed on
Blase Cupich, the model/rapper turned actor and producer tells the Chicago Tribune that he hopes “that God is a movie fan and also forgiving,” saying he’s made “some poor choices” in the past. Wahlberg lists Boogie Nights—in which he plays porn star Dirk Diggler—when asked if he’s prayed for forgiveness for any of his movies. Horoscope: “Keep moving forward and don’t look back. Put the past behind you and plan your future based on knowledge, experience and desire.” (mercurynews.com)
social media for his Saturday Night Live monologue, which included jokes about the Holocaust that many viewers felt were insensitive. “I’ve always been obsessed with women, and I’ve often wondered if I’d grown up in Poland when Hitler came to power and was sent to a concentration camp, would I be checking women out in the camp? I think I would,” the Seinfeld co-creator said, before complaining that there are no “good opening lines” in a concentration camp. Horoscope: “The planets warn that if you say anything that others consider to be over-the-top or in poor taste it could cost you dear.” (theglobeandmail.com)
SEAN COMBS
weekly or monthly mes-
Global distinction: Entertainment mogul. Sign: Scorpio (b. November 4, 1969) Significant date: November 4, 2017 Noteworthy activity: The music artist—formerly known
lives, some readers skip over them entirely. The editors of WS recognize that these little pearls of random foresight occasionally prove pro phetic. But rather than poring over charts of the zodiac to pre-
as Diddy, Puffy and Puff Daddy, among other monikers— announces on his birthday via Twitter that he is changing his name, once again. “I’m just not who I am before, I’m something different,” he says in the video. “So my new name is ‘Love,’ a.k.a. ‘Brother Love.’” After sending the internet into a frenzy, he admits it was a joke. “I’ve come to the conclusion that you cannot play around with the internet,” the rap mogul later posts. Horoscope: “Make use of both Mars and Jupiter’s energy to find your true self before the latter moves into Scorpio—even if it means an unexpected and dramatic transformation.” (cosmopolitan.co.za)
dict world events, our staff prefers to use past horoscopes in an attempt to legitimize the science. As you can see here, had some of these media figures remembered to consult their horoscopes on significant dates, they could have avoided a few surprises.
Chris Sullivan
MARK WAHLBERG
people rely on these daily, sages for guidance in their
Larry David
CHRISSY TEIGEN Global distinction: Lip Sync Battle commentator. Sign: Sagittarius (b. November 30, 1985) Significant date: October 25, 2017 Noteworthy activity: The model/TV personality—who has an extremely active presence on social media—posts about her spray-tan process on Snapchat. After she publishes the three-second video, her followers quickly point out that the star accidentally had her breast fully exposed. Soon after, the snap is deleted and Teigen sarcastically apologizes for her nip slip. Horoscope: “Remember: You don’t have to share all your secrets. You can keep some things to yourself.” (broadly.vice.com) 90 WORLD SCREEN 12/17
MAYIM BIALIK Global distinction: On-screen nerd. Sign: Sagittarius (b. December 12, 1975) Significant date: October 13, 2017 Noteworthy activity: Following the onslaught of sexual harassment allegations against Hollywood big shots, the Big Bang Theory co-star pens a controversial New York Times op-ed, in which she says: “I still make choices every day as a 41-year-old actress that I think of as selfprotecting and wise. I have decided that my sexual self is best reserved for private situations with those I am most intimate with. I dress modestly. I don’t act flirtatiously with men.” Many readers take offense to Bialik’s message, which they feel contains “victim-blaming” undertones. Horoscope: “Share your thoughts…. Be honest—but also be empathetic and think before you speak.” (horoscope.com)
CHRIS SULLIVAN Global distinction: This Is Us co-star. Sign: Cancer (b. July 19, 1980) Significant date: October 24, 2017 Noteworthy activity: While appearing on Watch What Happens Live, the actor addresses how some This Is Us fans are angry that he wears a fat suit on the show. “We currently live in a culture where outrage is a bit of a hobby for some people,” he tells host Andy Cohen. Horoscope: “Someone has to get overly critical and crash the party…. Don’t let anyone bring you down.” (chastrology.com)
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