World Screen April 2024

Distribution

Trends: Navigating Disruption

ProSiebenSat.1

Media’s

Bert Habets

Bell Media’s Sean Cohan

Bedrock’s Jonas Engwall

Haggard Daisy

Paterson Joseph, Jimmy Chin & E. Chai Vasarhelyi

APRIL/MIPTV 2024 EDITION

DE PARTMENTS

WORLD VIEW

By Mansha Daswani.

UPFRONTS

New content on the market.

SHOWCASE

GoQuest Media’s Jimmy George on what’s guiding the company’s co-production strategy.

TV LISTINGS

Program listings for several distributors attending MIPTV.

THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT!

The TV Formats Screenings Festival features a selection of proven brands and breakout new IP across game shows, dating, talent and more.

A WORLD OF DRAMA

The fourth edition of the TV Drama Screenings Festival spotlights some of the hottest new and returning scripted properties available today.

TRENDING ON

Trending clips on our video por tals.

MARKET TRENDS BELL MEDIA’S SEAN COHAN

Just a few months since joining the Canadian media company, its president shares his thoughts on building upon the strengths of its assets, which include leading broadcaster CTV and streamer Crave.

IN THE NEWS BEDROCK’S JONAS ENGWALL

The streaming solutions company’s CEO discusses its latest alliance with M6 to power the French broadcaster’s new AVOD platform.

SPECIAL REPORT CHANGING DIRECTIONS

As the content business undergoes a dramatic reset, leading IP owners weigh in on charting a course through the disruption.

ONE-ON-ONE PROSIEBENSAT.1’S BERT HABETS

The European media company’s CEO discusses restructuring to weather short- and long-term shifts in the media economy, rationalizing international content spend and betting big on local entertainment that will resonate with audiences and advertisers alike.

THESE TARGETED MAGAZINES APPEAR BOTH INSIDE WORLD SCREEN AND AS SEPARATE PUBLICATIONS:

TV KIDS

NOW WHAT?

GET SMART!

PBS KIDS’ SARA DEWITT

Publisher

Ricardo Seguin Guise

Editor-in-Chief

Mansha Daswani

Editor-at-Large

Anna Carugati

Executive Editor

Kristin Brzoznowski

Senior Associate Editor

Jamie Stalcup

Associate Editor

Alexa Alfano

Editor, Spanish-Language

Publications

Elizabeth Bowen-Tombari

Production & Design Director

David Diehl

Online Director

Simon Weaver

Sales & Marketing Director

Dana Mattison

Sales & Marketing Manager

Genovick Acevedo

Ricardo Seguin Guise

President

Anna Carugati

Executive VP

Mansha Daswani

Associate Publisher &

VP of Strategic Development

WORLD SCREEN

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E.

DAISY HAGGARD & PATERSON JOSEPH

E. CHAI VASARHELYI & JIMMY CHIN

BY MANSHA DASWANI

The Great Reset (Again)

It hasn’t been that long since it felt like everything was changing all at once. This has shades of those weird early days of Covid-19, all of us flocking to Zoom and other platforms to see each other again as we figured out how to keep businesses functioning amid a once-in-a-lifetime, life-changing event.

And while we were doing that, consumers everywhere were flocking to screens to find ways to entertain themselves, and that boom is part of how we ended up here, isn’t it? The mad rush to direct-to-consumer, of course, predates the pandemic. Still, the viewership surge had everyone doubling down on content spend, ramping up originals and, as we all know, wanting to own everything everywhere for as long as possible. The Hollywood majors shifting their outputs to their own services ended up benefiting a lot of independents internationally. Everything got bigger—but peak TV did have to peak eventually, inflation was bound to happen, and now everybody is course correcting, restructuring and recalibrating, trying to figure it all out again, with the added complications of AI and TikTok and whatever other technology-driven new game-changing service that will show up to disrupt the business again.

Preparing for what’s next is top of mind for all of the executives I spoke to in preparing this edition of World Screen. In Germany, Bert Habets, CEO of ProSiebenSat.1 Media, is strengthening the company’s local content output and scaling Joyn while still building its channel brands as it anticipates further viewing shifts and gains in the ad market. In Canada, Sean Cohan, the president of Bell Media, is keen to build the profile of Canadian content globally, drive multiplatform ad buys and boost Crave’s ranking domestically. Jonas Engwall, CEO of Bedrock, highlights the company’s streaming technology solutions as broadcasters invest in their AVOD platforms.

If anything can bring audiences to screens at any one time, it’s a great sporting moment.

got pulled for the sake of tax write-offs. One of the pleasures of my job is talking to the people who make the great art that entertains us. This edition features my chat with the delightful and funny Daisy Haggard and Paterson Joseph, stars of the BBC One and Amazon Freevee crime caper Boat Story. Jack and Harry Williams had written the roles with Haggard and Joseph in mind, and their passion for the show was palpable. A passion for capturing iconic images led Jimmy Chin and his wife and creative collaborator, E. Chai Vasarhelyi, to document several acclaimed photographers in National Geographic’s Photographer. They love what they do, and it comes across in every episode. I find it gut-wrenching that in this time of being able to watch pretty much anything from any era at any time, anywhere, great pieces of content that so many artists put their hearts and souls into will never see the light of day. I’m rooting for Coyote vs. Acme, although things weren’t looking great for that film at press time. Known IP helps—but it won’t always save you.

There will be much talk of known IP this year as broadcasters and platforms opt for safer bets. But that may not be the best way to lure new audiences. AVOD service Tubi recently teamed with The Harris Poll to release The Stream 2024: Streaming Insights for Marketers. It found that Gen Z and millennial audiences are seeking diverse, original content from independent creators, with 74 percent preferring originals to franchises. Plus, 71 percent want to see more TV shows and movies on streaming that are independent or from smaller creators.

The rise of AVOD came up in my distributors’ survey in this edition, with many executives excited about the continued expansion of connected TVs, especially internationally. FAST remains a vibrant opportunity, but the U.S. is well past maturity, with a market culling expected soon. License fees worldwide have been under pressure, but distributors are optimistic about a bump in acquisitions as broadcasters and platforms rethink their original content spend. Top line? It’s rough out there, but if you have good content, know how to monetize it effectively and are present across the value chain, you can weather the 2024 storm.

In all the news about tough decisions that need to be made as companies streamline and adapt, the headlines I find hardest to take are the ones about the content that

Meanwhile, as viewership trends, financing models and streaming strategies evolve, the markets were also bound to. The annual calendar is busier than ever and shifting; some events are growing, and others are getting smaller. No one knows the shape of MIPTV’s future in Cannes, but those of us convening in the south of France will be sharing intel on what’s reshaping the business and getting through what looks to be as unusual a year as 2020 was in so many different ways. At least this year, we have the Olympics. And the UEFA EURO 2024. And if anything can bring audiences to screens at any one time, it’s a great sporting moment. This year’s Super Bowl was the most-watched U.S. broadcast since the Moon landing. So, amid the chaos of this year, we’ll get to cheer around a TV screen; is there anything better?

Amuz Distribution

About Antoine / Larry / Valmont

Amuz Distribution is expanding its offering beyond pure comedy while keeping true to its tagline, “keeping the world feeling good.” The catalog includes the dramedy About Antoine , inspired by the true-life story of a polyhandicapped young man and the challenges his family faces. Alex Avon, VP of global distribution, calls it “an uplifting story of love and family triumphing over limitations,” carried out with “authenticity, sensitivity and humor.” The dramedy Larry centers on a former undercover police officer with a tarnished reputation who is now a security guard with an injured wife. There are five seasons of the mystery Valmont, about a woman who is a mother, the eldest of five sisters and the devoted heir to the family farm. Her world is turned upside down when her husband dies.

“We are promoting our growing portfolio of positive-minded programming and are open to meeting producers to acquire programs for representation.”

—Alex Avon

Atresmedia Televisión

Dreams of Freedom / Red Flags / Dressed in Blue

Dreams of Freedom ( Sueños de libertad ), on offer from Atresmedia Televisión, tells the story of Jesús, the controlling, unscrupulous heir of a beauty products company. When his brother Andrés returns to protect the company from him, Jesús begins to mistreat his wife, who slowly falls in love with Andrés. Red Flags delves into the drama of four teens who are close friends but have never met in person. “One of the most interesting characteristics of the series is the way it speaks the same language as young adults,” says José Antonio Salso, head of acquisitions and sales. Dressed in Blue ( Vestidas de azul ), a sequel to Veneno, takes place after Veneno’s death when journalist Valeria discovers a tape that recounts the experiences of six transgender women in early 1980s Spain.

Bavaria Media International

Port Poison / Souls Without Walls / Last X-Mas

Leading Bavaria Media International’s MIPTV slate, Port Poison follows a 25-year-old engineering student who puts his morals aside to sell drugs to raise money for his alcoholic mother’s treatment. His plan comes crashing down when he messes with the wrong people. It “offers an engaging and gripping storyline, family bonds and moral questions that are relevant all over the world,” says Helge Köhnen, head of content sales. Souls Without Walls, based on a true story, centers on figure skater Katarina Witt and her comeback for the 1994 Olympics for a unified Germany. In the Christmas movie Last X-Mas , protagonist Natalie faces a dilemma when her boyfriend dumps her on December 1, after her ailing grandfather already expressed that his dying wish was to meet her boyfriend on Christmas Eve.

“We are looking forward to welcoming buyers to our stand to present our new lineup and brimming catalog.”

—Helge Köhnen

“Our content is characterized by its strength, relevance and high quality.”

—José Antonio Salso

Souls Without Walls

Dreams of Freedom

About

Boat Rocker

American Rust: Broken Justice / How I Got Here / Olga da Polga

In American Rust: Broken Justice, a highlight from Boat Rocker’s catalog, a police detective attempts to infiltrate and bring down a corrupt ring of fellow officers and endangers himself and the people he cares about in the process. The crime drama “reworks the universally popular tale of good versus evil, as a flawed but empathetic hero challenges corruption and crime,” says Jon Rutherford, president of global rights, franchise and content strategy at Boat Rocker Studios. How I Got Here sees young adults travel with their immigrant parents back to their home countries to explore their heritage and reunite with family. The children’s show Olga da Polga, based on the best-selling books from Michael Bond, creator of Paddington Bear, follows the adventures of the titular guinea pig heroine and her animal friends.

Cineflix Rights

“These shows give a glimpse at the strength of our award-winning portfolio, which really does offer something for everyone.”

—Jon Rutherford

Ramses The Great: King of Ancient Egypt / Little Sapiens / In Memoriam

Ramses The Great: King of Ancient Egypt, a factual highlight from the Cineflix Rights slate, explores how the titular pharaoh’s dynasty transformed the Egyptian Empire into one of the most powerful in the ancient world. Also on the factual slate, Little Sapiens reveals how prehistoric children may have been the drivers of human evolution. The psychological drama In Memoriam sees the heirs of a businessman go through a series of ordeals in order to get their hands on his $84 million fortune. Other titles on offer from Cineflix Rights include the factual entertainment series Château DIY , Sue Perkins Into Alaska , Ainsley’s Taste of Malta and Amanda Owen’s Farming Lives , as well as the dramas So Long, Marianne and Last King of The Cross and the true-crime show Police 999: Clear and Present Danger.

CJ ENM

Couple Palace / King of Karaoke: VS / Lovely Runner

At MIPTV, CJ ENM is featuring two unscripted formats, Couple Palace and King of Karaoke: VS, alongside a scripted K-romance series, Lovely Runner Couple Palace brings together 100 singles in search of life partners based on their ideal marriage values, physical appearances and economic statuses. “This format captures the dynamic intricacies of modern relationships and the realities of the marriage market and is sure to captivate international viewers with its compelling portrayal,” says Sehee Jang, head of global marketing. King of Karaoke: VS combines the joy of musical experiences with the exhilaration of competitions. Meanwhile, the romance series Lovely Runner follows the journey of an A-list celebrity whose life takes a dramatic turn and a woman who embarks on a time-traveling mission to save him.

“We look forward to engaging with industry professionals and audiences alike at MIPTV.”

—Sehee Jang

Lovely Runner

American Rust: Broken Justice

Ramses The Great: King of Ancient Egypt

Dori Media Group

Lalola / Indal / Amia

Dori Media Group’s catalog features an adaptation of Lalola, in which a heartless man is turned into a woman so he will experience how women must navigate the complexities of a society entrenched in machismo. Indal sees a group of Ethiopian-Israeli youth kidnap the police officer who spoiled their childhood with abuse and murdered their best friend. Their personal revenge scheme turns into a national protest movement. “The series combines globally relevant issues of police violence and multiculturalism with the universal themes of survival, vengeance and redemption,” says Carolina Sabbag, VP of sales for Western Europe, the U.S. and Canada. In Amia, a Mossad agent whose sister was killed in a terrorist attack in Argentina teams up with a local journalist to find those responsible.

Eccho Rights

Winds of Love / Behind the Veil / I Am Mother

Leading the Eccho Rights slate, Winds of Love follows Halil, who is waiting for the right time to take revenge on the wealthy family who stole his past and ruined his poor family. His plan becomes more complicated when he falls in love with a woman from the rich clan. In Behind the Veil, Hançer marries Cihan, the sole heir of a wealthy family tasked with continuing his noble bloodline, in order to save her sick brother. I Am Mother, meanwhile, centers on Karsu, who is married to an abusive man. When she sends her 3-year-old son off to live with her mother, he disappears on the journey. She is reunited with him three years later, only to find that he does not recognize her and goes by a different name. There’s also Safe Harbor, an international thriller in production with an all-star cast, including Alfie Allen, Charlie Murphy and Jack Gleeson.

“Dori Media continues its promise to bring good stories to share with the world.”

—Carolina Sabbag

Electric Entertainment

The Librarians: The Next Chapter / Leverage: Redemption / The Ark

The Librarians: The Next Chapter, which counts among Electric Entertainment’s highlights for MIPTV, serves as a spin-off to The Librarians TV series, itself a spin-off of TNT’s film franchise of the same name, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Also on offer, season three of Leverage: Redemption continues to follow a highly skilled team of criminals as they use their expertise to take down powerful, corrupt villains. In addition, the Electric Entertainment slate includes a second season of The Ark, which is now in postproduction. The three titles’ “universal themes of teamwork, overcoming impossible odds and the triumph of good over evil strike a chord with viewers of all ages across the globe,” says Sonia Mehandjiyska, head of international distribution at Electric Entertainment.

“Electric Entertainment’s original, high-quality productions have an indisputable track record.”

—Sonia Mehandjiyska

The Librarians: The Next Chapter

Lalola

Winds of Love

For the Love of Pets

Escapade Media

Dancing Daggers / For the Love of Pets / Breakaway Femmes

Escapade Media is presenting a variety of titles at MIPTV, including the new fantasy crime drama Dancing Daggers. The ten-part series centers on a wizard detective and his halfling apprentice as they work to solve the murder of an elf princess. From the Burgos Brothers, “this series brings pure mystical escapism by an award-winning creative team,” says Natalie Lawley, managing director. The second season of For the Love of Pets continues to bring stories from the RSPCA in Queensland, Australia, to the screen. Breakaway Femmes, meanwhile, spotlights the challenges facing women’s sports, using the Tour de France Femmes as its driver. “It underpins the determination, sacrifice and sheer fight female athletes must harness to participate and ultimately win,” Lawley says. “This is a global story with a global impact.”

FilmRise

Forensic Files / Cheaters / Dr. G: Medical Examiner

The classic true-crime series Forensic Files features on FilmRise’s slate, offering viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the science involved in solving crimes through dramatic re- creations, interviews with experts and reviews of key evidence. “Forensic Files is a well-known global brand, and major broadcasters around the world find that the series enjoys a steady and loyal audience and continues to generate great ratings,” says Melissa Wohl, senior VP and head of content sales. The FilmRise catalog also includes Cheaters, in which people who think their significant other is cheating on them hire a hidden camera crew to investigate. In Dr. G: Medical Examiner, another true-crime series, coroner Jan “Dr. G.” Garavaglia provides explanations and theories for some of the morgue’s most puzzling cases.

“These projects highlight Escapade Media’s collaborative approach to projects to ensure they resonate with global audiences.”

—Natalie Lawley

FOX Entertainment Global

Animal Control / A Perfect Match / Next Level Chef

Among the titles FOX Entertainment Global is bringing to MIPTV, its Joel McHale-led comedy Animal Control has two full seasons available. A Perfect Match, starring Lena Klenke (Blackout) and Toby Sebastian (Game of Thrones), tells the true story of the journey that brought tennis stars Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi together. The cooking competition Next Level Chef , featuring Gordon Ramsay, takes place on a stage over three stories high, with each floor containing a different kitchen. “We continue to strategically expand FOX Entertainment Global’s slate with high-quality, globally appealing live-action and animated series, formats, documentaries and movies,” notes Simona Argenti, senior VP of content sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Forensic Files

“Each series has been identified as having universal and global appeal to a high-performing demographic.”

—Melissa Wohl

“Our roster of top content embodies our intent to provide international buyers with curated and deliberate options.”

—Simona Argenti

Next Level Chef

Global Screen

Curious Tobi and the Treasure Hunt to the Flying Rivers / Kidnapped—Facing the Darkness / She Says, He Says

Global Screen’s family entertainment feature Curious Tobi and the Treasure Hunt to the Flying Rivers involves solving the riddle of a treasure chest and finding the mysterious flying rivers. “ Curious Tobi was a smash hit when it was released in theaters domestically, so we are really proud to bring it to families across the world as well,” says Brianne Bonney, senior VP of international TV acquisitions and sales. Kidnapped—Facing the Darkness is a TV movie featuring a ransom handover and courtroom confrontation with the culprits. The TV movie She Says, He Says follows an accusation of rape being heard in a criminal trial at the Berlin District Court. It deals with timely topical issues and “comes to us from a highly acclaimed author and has a realism that will mesmerize audiences,” Bonney says.

GMA Network

Hands on the Dream / Black Rider / Beautiful Revenge

The GMA Network MIPTV lineup is led by Hands on the Dream, a well-loved medical drama from the Philippines and one of GMA’s longest-running series. It follows a young genius born from humble beginnings as she defies the odds to graduate from medical school at 19 and becomes the youngest surgical resident in a major hospital. In the action-drama Black Rider, a young man’s family falls victim to a ruthless syndicate, leaving him as the sole survivor and sparking an unyielding quest for justice. Beautiful Revenge is a tale of love, betrayal and redemption. “What sets these shows apart and gives them their international appeal is a combination of compelling storytelling, quality production and relatable themes,” says Rochella Ann Salvador, officer-in-charge and senior sales manager for GMA Network Worldwide Division.

GRB Media Ranch

Tupac: 187 / God & Country / Stealing Churchill

GRB Media Ranch’s Tupac: 187 (w.t.) follows the trial of the man accused of killing Tupac Shakur, occurring nearly 30 years after his long-unsolved murder. The docuseries asks the question: Was the right person caught? Also on offer, the documentary God & Country, from director Dan Partland and producer Rob Reiner, reveals the dangerous implications Christian nationalism has on the U.S., particularly with the hotly contested 2024 presidential election on the horizon. Stealing Churchill (w.t.) delves into the heist of the famous Winston Churchill portrait by Yousuf Karsh, stolen from Ottawa’s Château Laurier. The theft shocked the global art community. “GRB Media Ranch comes to MIPTV with an exciting lineup of bold new titles and a diverse portfolio of factual, fiction and formats,” notes Sophie Ferron, president.

“Kidnapped is an enticing thriller that has viewers so intrigued until the end that it’s hard to believe it’s based on a true story.”

—Brianne Bonney

“The production quality of these series is of utmost importance, ensuring that every aspect meets international standards.”

—Rochella Ann Salvador

Tupac: 187

“We’re eager to meet with producers and buyers, foster new partnerships and explore acquisition opportunities.”

—Sophie Ferron

Kidnapped—Facing the Darkness

Beautiful Revenge

Inter Medya

Love and Pride / Deception / Poison Ivy

Inter Medya’s MIPTV slate is headlined by Love and Pride, a title that follows a well-rooted family on the verge of losing everything they know. In this state of panic, Tolga, the heir to a wealthy legacy, enters their lives. If daughter Mercan marries Tolga, life can continue as it used to, but she rebels against the proposition. Deception explores the story of a woman whose entire seemingly prosperous and perfect life is revealed to be a lie. It centers on Güzide Yenersoy, a respectable family court judge living in Istanbul, and sees buried events from the past come to light. Poison Ivy, also on offer, sees Macide, the daughter of a poor family, fall in love with the successful and already-married businessman Kazim. While they guard their love, the question remains whether Kazim can protect Macide from the cruelty of the rich and powerful life he lives.

Kanal D International

Secret of Pearls / Three Sisters / That Girl

Kanal D International’s Secret of Pearls follows the story of Azem, a literature teacher with a dark secret who is wrongly imprisoned for his wife’s murder. After being released from prison, the father tries to reunite with his children but must navigate the consequences of becoming estranged from his family after time lost. He also soon finds himself in the middle of a complicated love triangle. “The series explores universal themes such as love, loss, redemption and family, making it relatable to audiences from different cultural backgrounds,” says Elif Tatoğlu, distribution strategy director. She adds that “these universal elements transcend geographical boundaries, contributing to the show’s international success.” The company is also promoting titles such as Three Sisters, That Girl and Farewell Letter.

Nicely Entertainment

“We’re looking forward to sharing our vision, ideas and future plans with clients at the market.”

—Elif Tatoğlu

Hunting Housewives / A Cowboy Christmas Romance / Designing Christmas with You

Hunting Housewives, which leads the Nicely Entertainment MIPTV slate, sees four women become stranded in the wilderness after a spa weekend goes awry. It features Denise Richards, Mark Ghanime, Kym Johnson-Herjavec and NeNe Leakes. “Hunting Housewives is a completely fresh take on the tried-and-tested female-driven thriller,” says Scott Kirkpatrick, executive VP of distribution and co-productions. A Cowboy Christmas Romance sends professional real estate closer Lexie Crenshaw to her hometown for a work project, forcing her to confront former family drama and an attractive ranch owner. The romance title Designing Christmas with You follows as a decorator must work with an unexpected partner to showcase a house for a Christmas gala.

“We’re excited to be bringing brand-new, original TV movies to the market throughout 2024.”

—Scott Kirkpatrick

Secret of Pearls

OGM UNIVERSE

Next Room / Lost in Love / Stickman

OGM UNIVERSE is presenting Next Room, about the unexpected marriage between TV presenter Sevgi Ersoy and businessman Fikret Alabey, bringing together two very different families. “The unexpected and dramatic premise of the story, combined with the challenges of combining two vastly different families, creates a unique and intriguing narrative that explores the complexities of relationships and family dynamics,” says Ekin Karaman Koyuncu, global distribution and partnership director. Lost in Love follows the intertwined lives of Mete and Naz, bound by a childhood promise and facing a roller coaster of emotions complicated further by the involvement of Naz’s loyal servant. Stickman charts the journey of Tamer and Peri, who overcome personal challenges and find strength in each other.

Onza Distribution

Heartless / Cacao / Golden Swan

Onza Distribution’s Heartless, a brand-new thriller, sees a series of mysterious disappearances startle Madrid’s high society. An unknown criminal is on the loose, slaughtering rich men in a twisted game. Cacao , a drama, follows a young girl from a Portuguese family who makes chocolates on a cocoa farm. The girl’s real father is revealed to be the owner of the farm, opening up doors for dreams she thought she could not afford to achieve. “This telenovela will captivate audiences worldwide,” says Béatrice Nouh, head of sales. The period drama Golden Swan opens in Prague during World War II. Following a series of accidents and mistakes, a cunning thief becomes a saleswoman in the fashion section of a luxury department store, and a new life opens up for her.

ORF-Enterprise

Kafka / Glambitious / The Real Jungle Book

ORF-Enterprise’s Kafka is lined up to premiere concurrently with the 100th anniversary of Franz Kafka’s passing. The miniseries explores the legendary author’s various love affairs and complex relationship with his tyrannical father, featuring commentary from Kafka biographer Reiner Stach. Glambitious, from the creators of Suburbia—Women on the Edge, is a recent addition to the company’s slate of originals. The dramedy follows four young girls with very different personalities who meet by coincidence. “Kafka and Glambitious couldn’t be more different, yet they will both inspire the audience and offer the highest entertainment in each segment,” says Armin Luttenberger, head of content sales international. The nature highlight The Real Jungle Book, filmed entirely in India, rounds out the company’s highlights.

“OGM UNIVERSE’s presence at MIPTV reflects its commitment to expanding the reach and impact of Turkish drama worldwide.”

—Ekin Karaman Koyuncu

“As the third season gears up for its premiere on Nova TV, we are proud to introduce Golden Swan to the international market for the first time.”

—Béatrice Nouh

“ORF-Enterprise has gone through a shift and massively expanded its fiction lineup.”

—Armin Luttenberger

Kafka

Lost

Golden Swan

SPI International

Arcadian / Marmalade / Four Letters of Love

A-list star Nicolas Cage leads SPI International’s Arcadian. The story follows a father and his twin teenage sons as they fight to survive in a postapocalyptic world that has been overrun by nocturnal creatures. “ Arcadian presents a gripping horror-thriller narrative, marking Nicolas Cage’s triumphant return to the forefront of cinema,” notes Hubert Ornass-Kubacki, head of content sales. Marmalade , starring Camila Morrone and Joe Keery, sees a criminal seek help from a fellow inmate to escape prison and reunite with the woman who stole his heart. Four Letters of Love, featuring Helena Bonham Carter and Pierce Brosnan, offers a modern twist on the Bonnie and Clyde tale. A pair is fated to be together, but the question is whether or not they will ever find out.

ZDF Studios

“We are continuously enhancing our portfolio by curating a diverse selection of evergreen titles.”

—Hubert Ornass-Kubacki

The Zweiflers / Time: A Journey Through Thousands of Years / Clan—Choose Your Destiny

The Zweiflers, a drama on offer from ZDF Studios, is about a dysfunctional extended Jewish family. Family patriarch and Holocaust survivor Symcha Zweifler wants to sell his delicatessen empire, but he is suddenly confronted by his past, and long-suppressed conflicts resurface. A tragicomic search for the meaning of life begins. Time: A Journey Through Thousands of Years explores the discovery of time as we know it, the history of its measurement and its effect on how we live our lives today. At its core, “this documentary is about how we can live happier lives, not just as individuals but perhaps as a species,” explains Dr. Markus Schäfer, president and CEO. Clan—Choose Your Destiny, based on a novel, is a coming-of-age story of love, friendship, hope, sports and redemption.

Zone·tv

Zone·ify

Zone·tv has “the most personalized user interface in the free streaming marketplace,” says CEO Jeff Weber, “ensuring that our viewers can seamlessly watch the content that is important to them.” It offers unique advertising and partnership opportunities “by working with our partners on creative opportunities that drive real value. In addition, Zone·tv can build a fully customized network of content for any audience using our deep library of programming assets. Combined, these features come together to create a free streaming service that can produce unmatched value for our advertising partners and an engaging experience for our viewers.” With Zone·ify, the company offers a breadth of content, including FAST channels, movies, series, short-form stories, interactive experiences and gaming.

Time: A Journey Through Thousands of Years

Zone·ify

“All three productions are excellent examples of the great quality that can be achieved when experts and talents join forces.”

—Dr. Markus Schäfer

“At Zone·tv, we are committed to using all of the tools at our disposal to make the viewing experience fantastic and the partner experience rewarding.”

—Jeff Weber

Photo: Brian Bowen Smith / FOX

Daisy Haggard

& Paterson Joseph

Penned by Jack and Harry Williams, Two Brothers Pic tures’ Boat Story arrived in March on Amazon Freevee. The twisty, darkly comedic thriller rolled out to critical acclaim in the U.K. on BBC One last November. Dis tributed by All3Media International, the series follows a pair of strangers—Janet, played by Daisy Haggard (Back to Life, Breeders), and Samuel, portrayed by Paterson Joseph (The Leftovers, Safe House)—as they find themselves in one precarious situation after the next following their discovery of a boatload of cocaine. World Screen caught up with Haggard and Joseph to discuss how they approached their roles, work ing with the Williams brothers again—the duo teamed with Haggard on Back to Life, while Joseph was among the cast of Rellik—and their takes on what’s happening in the global scripted business today. By Mansha Daswani

WS: Tell us about how Boat Story landed in your lap. What made you want to say yes?

HAGGARD: We were super lucky, weren’t we, Paterson? The brothers [Harry and Jack Williams] wrote the parts with us in their brains. So, it was one of those lovely things where it really did land in our laps, which doesn’t always happen when you do our job! And then I had the privilege of reading the script and couldn’t stop turning the pages. I was excited by the premise, the writing and the character. It felt like an absolute no-brainer.

JOSEPH: It was so convoluted and unusual. And then they mentioned Daisy was in it. I’ve admired Daisy from afar for a long time. I didn’t have to think about it too much. It’s also amazingly flattering when somebody says they’ve written this with you in mind. I was already in before I even received the scripts properly and went into rehearsals. It was one of those jobs where I thought, I know what this is, but then each day was a surprise. What they delivered was so extraordinary. I’m so glad there was no hesitation in me.

WS: How did you get into the headspace of these characters as they start making questionable decisions?

HAGGARD: Where Janet is in her life, it’s set up very clearly that everything is dreadful for her. She’s at complete rock bottom. In terms of getting into their heads, it wasn’t so much

that as it’s such an in-the-moment show, if that makes sense. The main thing is you feel like she feels, you feel how Samuel feels, and then the show is happening to them. I like that. I’m not a big thinker. I’m quite instinctive. Everything that happens in it, you’re on this ride, and you can’t get off it. It’s a lovely engine that happens to your performance. There’s this energy behind it that’s propelling and fun to play.

JOSEPH: And also terrifying. I do like to build an arc and say this is what my character is going to be, and he’s going to change into this by the end. But this was one of those where, around about episode two, I went, you’re going to have to let go because you don’t know what’s coming. That’s a great place to perform from. This is the scene, and this is who I am in this scene, this is this next, and this is who I am. When watching it back, it had a flow and a logic. Doing it, it felt like you were just doing one piece of the puzzle but not knowing what the whole picture was. I don’t know that I’d want to do it again; it was so nerve-wracking! But at the same time, the result is extraordinary.

HAGGARD: It means that you can’t plan ahead because you don’t know what’s going to happen. You’re living it like they would be living it. You’re just going on the journey with them, which means that you have to be relaxed, open and instinctive and play the scenes as they come. Thankfully, we have great writers. You can trust that you’re in good hands.

JOSEPH: Great writers and great performers as well. It’s not everybody’s bag. Some people would like to have things that have sure boundaries. These are the lines, and this is what you’ll do and this is where you’ll go. Everybody just went with it. Sometimes, they’re seeing what we’re doing on screen in the rushes, and they’ll add a little something to [a scene] the night before. So you go, this is a whole new thing. Of course, you moan as an actor. What do they call us collectively? A grumble of actors. Oh no, I’ve got this new scene to learn in only a few hours! And actually, in the end, it turns out to be more spontaneous than anything else.

WS: I’m wondering if the fact that these roles were written with you in mind altered how you prepared for the show.

HAGGARD: It can be a bit harder because you feel like, which parts of me did they want?

JOSEPH: Exactly! What did they see that they thought I was like that?

HAGGARD: You’re like, Oh God, am I going to get it wrong? Are they going to look at me and be like, Oh no, wrong woman. Let’s get someone else!

JOSEPH: The fact that they had us as performers in their heads, I don’t think they locked in any particular character that we’ve ever played. They just knew that we could go there, wherever they might send us. I approached it like Daisy did. How do I play this character? What part of me is this? Can you make it as real as possible, however absurd the character can be? Which part of me is like this person? In this case, it was a delight because you knew that you were being looked after, in a way, by people who respected the work that you can do.

WS: You’ve both been in Two Brothers Pictures projects before. Tell me about working with Jack and Harry.

HAGGARD: They did Back to Life with me. They don’t have massive egos, which really helps with the creative process. You can say things to them. It’s an open, lovely dialogue with them. Can I say it like this? Does it feel more natural? They’ll say no if not, yes if so. They know what they want. They know what they’re doing. They’re also open to listening, which is crucial when you’re making something. I love working with them. And they’re super creative. Some elements of the show happened later. Oh, there’s a voice- over? They’re always wanting to make things more interesting and better, constantly challenging themselves, and they don’t settle. They’re very exciting to work with.

JOSEPH: A lot of people, especially British filmmakers, TV makers in particular, have said it’s not a British show in many ways. I don’t know what they quite mean by that, but I do know that the spontaneity of it and unusual events that happen within it, the cul-de-sacs they send characters down and the trap doors that open for characters, are unusual in British drama. It was fun and terrifying at the same time to jump into that.

WS: The media business appears to be in a period of uncertainty. Commissions for new shows are down. I’m curious as to how you see what’s happening out there.

HAGGARD: I’ve just been locked away in a room trying to write a new show, so I try to ignore how hard it’s going to be to get that show made! [Laughs] Otherwise, I wouldn’t get up in the morning. I’m currently just in a very extreme state of denial! Just tune in to what you want to say. What the next show is, beyond Back to Life. I haven’t been out in the world in things since Boat Story and Breeders. I’m about to poke my head up and realize that it’s tough out there. So maybe I’ll just keep writing and hope for the best! [Laughs]

JOSEPH: I have no doubt that someone’s going to snap up whatever you write, Daisy.

HAGGARD: I don’t feel like that. This is a strange time, isn’t it? I choose to play loud music and go, No! Otherwise, I won’t write. But the industry is still very much going through something.

JOSEPH: We had a couple of big hits. One was the pandemic, which affected so many people in terrible ways. Our profession was no exception. That left a bottleneck of productions that couldn’t go in ’20 and even in ’21. There was a flurry in ’22, and maybe we’re now experiencing the backwash of that. We will always want drama, comedies and entertainment, so we’ll be OK. It may just be we’re in a slightly quiet period. I’ve run off to the circus. I’m doing theater at the moment, and I’ve written a novel. Like Daisy, I’m unaware of what’s happening out there.

HAGGARD: By all accounts, I am aware, but trying to just go, “La la la!” [Laughs]

All3Media International holds the worldwide rights to Two Brothers Pictures’ Boat Story , made for BBC One and Amazon Freevee.

Sean Cohan Bell Media

By Mansha Daswani

Bell Media notched up a record 249 nominations for this year’s Canadian Screen Awards, spread across the breadth of its assets, from marketleading broadcast outlet CTV and streamer Crave to specialty networks such as CTV Life Channel and CTV Sci- Fi Channel, sports network TSN, CTV News and Bell Media Studios. The quality and range of Bell Media’s original content investments were among the factors that enticed Sean Cohan to join the Canadian media company as president last November. A veteran of A+E Networks and Nielsen, Cohan is using his considerable international television experience to build on Bell Media’s strengths, spotlight its content creation and co-production prowess and meet audiences and clients wherever they are.

WS: When you joined Bell Media last year, what were the company’s strengths you wanted to build on? What can you tell us about the overarching strategy you’re implementing?

COHAN: I recognized globally unique assets, brands, content and people at the outset. It’s pretty rare when you get the opportunity to run a platinum set of platforms in a big market—Canada is 40 million-plus people, with 16 million TV households—with the leading broadcast network, CTV; the leading sports network, TSN [RDS in Québec]; the number one local streamer, fourth overall, in Crave; one of the biggest outdoor advertising players in Canada; one of the largest radio players; and then a range of valued specialty and payTV channels. We have strong knowledge of the audience, beloved brands, great content, partnerships with some of the best producers globally and a strong team. I’ve always thought Canada is underrated as a home and source of great content. That’s part of what I see as the opportunity.

We are leaning on our superior knowledge of the audience, growing that audience and monetizing that audience. There are a lot of challenges in global media. But we have an opportunity.

There are different ways to lean into these worldclass assets and content-making abilities. Crave is big but should be bigger. We’re making great, global and profitable content; we can lean in and be more aggressive. We can have more digital ubiquity with our content. And we’re utilizing that audience knowledge and the fact that we offer advertisers almost anything they want. We’re omnichannel—outdoor, digital, video, audio; we do all of it. We know the audience, not just because of Bell Media but because Bell Canada is their cell phone or internet provider. We can anonymously target the right audience an advertiser wants and then measure and report how successful it was.

WS: Let’s talk more about the advertising piece. It is a soft market. What are your projections for this year, and how do you see Bell navigating the downturn?

COHAN: The ad market everywhere is experiencing some challenges. I would call it uneven. Some of the biggest global digital players are growing. Some legacy folks are shrinking. Some are flat. Some say flat is the new up!

I expect a marginal recovery in legacy, but fragmentation is happening. Ad dollars are moving to the digital side at times. Some of the broad-reach vehicles are having a tougher time. We’re omnichannel, we’re digital and legacy. I think we’re positioned better than most. We’re certainly positioned better than legacy players. We’re the best of all worlds. I have seen some encouraging signs. We had great viewership for the Super Bowl. We averaged 10 million viewers out of a market of only 40 million-plus people. About 19 million people tuned in for some part of the Super Bowl. We sold out. Spot rates were higher than ever. It’s a show of the momentum.

We have invested in strong, future-facing capabilities that allow targetability and measurability. We can deliver linear addressable TV. That’s targetability. We have our own DSP, so we can sell programmatically

across our platform and other people’s. We built an optimizer that allows us to apply our first-party data to people’s buys.

WS: Tell us about the importance of your local content investments, and if you’re looking to pursue other alliances like the one you signed with FOX Entertainment Global late last year to fund Canadian content and monetize it globally.

COHAN: Canadian content is important to us. As you’d expect, it’s a big part of the mix of entertaining Canadians. We also have a big opportunity to entertain citizens of the world. We have a big original content slate; not including news, sports and daily live series, it’s more

than 1,000 hours annually. We’re commissioning series with the intent for them to be renewed. More of our series are being sold to the U.S. Look at our partners’ [shows on] The CW schedule! A lot of it shares with Bell Media. We have a deal with FOX. We have a deal with Lionsgate. I’m bullish on our slate.

We must make [content that is] great, global and prof itable. In service of great, we have to be creative, aggressive, flexible, open and experimental. We see our partners as being similarly oriented—flexible and practical. We also have to make sure we get our fair share. Sometimes, our contribution, creatively and financially, gets short shrift. We need ownership in the outcome. It’s not just about the success of Canadian content in Canada or the U.S. We have an expectation and right to be competitive in quality global content production.

WS: As you know, the sports sector is undergoing much change. Rights are moving from free-to-air to streaming, and the FOX-Disney-Warner Bros. Discovery joint venture has raised some eyebrows. How are you approaching that landscape?

COHAN: Sports is still appointment TV viewing. TSN, our number one sports property, is very important to what we do. We have platinum—F1, NFL, NBA, regional NHL, the Masters and tons more key properties. Sports rights costs have spiraled. We are fortunate enough to have cultivated these long-term partnerships. We’ve been leading for 40 years. We’re a broad-reach vehicle. For example, we simulcast the Super Bowl on CTV, TSN and various digital platforms. We had a record number of viewers for the Super Bowl and two weeks before in the penultimate playoff game because of the high drama of the contests and because we have this builtin reach. And we have the financial wherewithal to get these rights.

Sometimes, somebody else with smaller reach can show up with a bigger check, but they may not partner to cultivate a league’s emerging fan base or reach close to as many people. With smaller reach vehicles, in the short run, the sports rightsholder wins because they have the big check, but in the long run, both the rightsholder and the fan lose due to exposure.

Co-produced by New Metric Media and Bell Media Studios, the CTV sitcom Children Ruin Everything airs in the U.S. on The CW. 42 WORLD SCREEN 4/24

Local entertainment like the game show Battle of the Generations is key to the CTV schedule.

We have a great mix of rights and a competitive ability to keep and grow that great portfolio of rights, regardless of how big the storm is out there and what the other platforms are doing. It is a complicated market. There are plenty of interesting ways for “coopetition.” You see it with the three-headed U.S. monster. Broadcasters are getting together, and different platforms are getting together to deliver customers the best experience.

WS: Let’s shift gears to Crave. How are you positioning it, and how are you looking to scale it?

COHAN: It’s a broad offering, with the best of HBO, STARZ, legacy Showtime and other big global franchise offerings; great Canadian productions; mass appeal library hits like Friends and The Office ; Hollywood blockbusters; unscripted and comedies. It is the largest Canadian-owned streamer.

It’s number four behind three of the usual suspects that you would imagine. We think there’s tremendous

upside. Given the quality of the offering and the ubiquity of Bell servicing the Canadian consumer, it can and should be bigger. Bell Media’s monthly reach of 31 million doesn’t even include everyone BCE [Bell Canada Enterprises] reaches through all of its assets. We have great content people want to watch, an important role in daily Canadian life and the ability to market that platform.

WS: What’s the approach to pricing?

COHAN: There’s no free option today, but there is a lowercost ad-supported option. We introduced that in July 2023. We’ve learned lessons from some of the players in the U.S. to be successful. We also have the premium, ad-free tier. Both have a robust future.

WS: What message are you instilling in your teams about surviving what looks like a challenging year?

COHAN: Organizations will continue to evolve, and that’s painful. We’re going to come out the other side stronger, leaner and more focused. Along the way, we will produce compelling experiences and interact with the consumer in a way that hopefully delights them. There is no silver bullet.

As a leader, it’s important that there continues to be empathy, passion and stamina. It’s going to be a grind— it’s tough. But we’re doing what we love. And it’s servant leadership—reminding folks that they don’t work for me, I work for them; running interference, trying to get things done, unlocking people’s potential. And sometimes, it’s making tough decisions that people don’t like.

WS: I’m curious about your thoughts on the FAST space and what role Bell has to play there.

COHAN: FAST looks like what industry veterans are used to, but if you look closer, it’s actually back to the future. It has the advantage of a linear, lean-back curated experience and the targetability of the digital end of the video spectrum. It’s a part of the mix—we have to deliver content where consumers want it. You could expect us to be very active in FAST soon. Canada isn’t yet in the same place as the U.S. But it’s not far behind. We will be pretty active.

The Crave lineup of scripted originals includes the acclaimed Little Bird, made with APTN.

Shoresy is a spin-of f of the cult hit Letterkenny that is available on Crave.

Jonas Engwall Bedrock

WS: Tell us about the deal with M6 for M6+, its new AVOD platform.

ENGWALL: The launch of M6+ will be a significant upgrade for 6play users. We’re leveraging Bedrock’s technology with entirely new innovative features and upgrades that our other clients already use. This is a massive upgrade of the existing M6 platform, albeit not building an entirely new infrastructure.

If you look at the French market, historically and up until recently, it was very telco-heavy, with half the viewing happening through telco boxes, leading to sometimes unsynchronized experiences. For example, if you were watching on your mobile and came home to your telco box, “resume watching” would not be synchronized.

M6 used to be a paid service on smart TVs, accessible on Samsungs and LGs—all big screens—via 6play max. Now, M6+ is going fully direct-to-consumer in an AVOD model, allowing users to stream on any device with the same cutting-edge user experience. This enhanced user experience is just the beginning.

M6+ offers a free ad-supported tier alongside a premium option with more features. We’re also dramatically expanding the feature set around an enriched video experience, with a focus on interactivity and eng agement for sports (with UEFA EURO 2024) and entertainment shows. Stories integrating social features to attract younger audiences will also be at the forefront of those innovations. Innovations will go beyond video, as M6+ will feature a brand-new generati ve AI search engine you can talk to—for example, “Find a 20-minute show for my 8-year-old daughter”—and integrate hundreds of podcasts from M6’s popular radio division. This comprehensive upgrade positions M6+ as a top-tier direct-to-consumer streaming platform.

WS: How does your long-standing association with M6 speak to the ways in which Bedrock can cater to all of a broadcaster’s streaming solution needs?

ENGWALL: Even the biggest players in the U.S. understand the importance of scale. We at Bedrock recognized this back in 2019. As a European com pany, we knew competing with global giants on muscle alone wouldn’t be sustainable. We needed a smarter approach—pooling resources and building scale across borders with multiple clients. Scaling within one European country simply wouldn’t cut it in the tech world. That’s the core principle behind Bedrock: creating a platform with scale beyond any single nation.

By Mansha Daswani

Backed by RTL Group, Bedrock is positioning itself as a strategic streaming partner for broadcasters looking to maximize their revenues from the digital econ omy. Most recently, Bedrock worked with M6 to build its new AVOD platform, M6+, a service that is part of the French broadcasting group’s efforts to triple its streaming revenues by 2028. Jonas Engwall, the CEO of Bedrock, talks to World Screen about the upcoming new service, the company’s flexible technology solutions and broader trends in the streaming landscape.

When we showcase our solutions, there’s a common misconception that all platforms will look identical to others we’ve built. But that’s not our promise. We prioritize flexibility. Every partner wants a unique look and feel—that’s the starting point. We then work backward, finding numerous core functionalities that can be standardized into a “core approach” applicable to everyone. This central framework provides a solid foundation upon which we build customized user interfaces. Think of it like plumbing in a house— every one needs it, but the aesthetics and layout of the house itself are distinct.

This philosophy extends beyond aesthetics. We consider Bedrock as a strategic streaming partner, versus a

tech vendor. M6 exemplifies this approach. They can leverage our expertise to build features they couldn’t develop independently. For instance, M6 will be the first Bedrock partner to launch podcasts. As we develop this feature, it becomes part of our overall offering. We foster continuous engagement with partners through regular product advisory board meetings. Other partners can then learn from M6’s podcast experience, including performance metrics, user adoption rates and the impact on traffic to other assets, allowing for the seamless integration of this feature into their own platforms. This collaborative approach fosters knowledge-sharing and increases agility for all partners. Others could say that M6 has already tested and proven the effectiveness of podcasts and I can implement it in my market without the initial investment of time and resources. This approach allows for customization and efficiency, ultimately leading to a stronger streaming ecosystem for our clients.

WS: What role does FAST channel delivery play in your tech solutions? Is this something you’re seeing broadcasters lean into?

WS: We’ve seen many streamers evolve their revenue models. How has that shift to greater flexibility and more ad tiers affected your approach to potential clients?

ENGWALL: Our multiple-client angle with various business models allows for a powerful hybrid approach to streaming. M6 is a clear example of an AVOD platform. Meanwhile, the Netherlands’ Videoland leans heavily toward SVOD. Here’s the beauty of Bedrock: We can cater to both models.

Currently, all our clients utilize a hybrid approach. Take the Netherlands again; although predominantly SVOD, we give them the flexibility to operate in both worlds, incorporating an ad-supported content model to diversify their revenue streams.

This flexibility goes beyond platform type. Our tools empower partners to create different subscription tiers and experiment with what works best for their audience. This fosters valuable knowledge-sharing between partners. The French team at M6, with less experience in SVOD, can learn from the Dutch team at Videoland and vice versa. They’re not competitors but collaborators in a shared environment. The value of peer-to-peer learning in this context shouldn’t be underestimated. Free-to-air broadcasters, for instance, might be intrigued by SVOD as a novel revenue stream.

However, a complete shift to SVOD isn’t always practical. Here’s where the hybrid model shines—they can offer an SVOD component alongside their core AVOD platform.

The industry recognizes that while SVOD offers a fresh revenue stream, AVOD remains a powerful engine for generating income. A hybrid approach allows broadcasters to tap into the best of both worlds, ultimately strengthening their overall revenue structure.

ENGWALL: We currently provide FAST technology for M6, so this model is available to all our clients. For other strong streaming players, FAST makes perfect sense. FAST channels can be produced in a smarter way, essentially streamlining the production process without impacting the viewer experience. This approach allows broadcasters to deliver content efficiently, and I think more smart and personalized FAST channels will happen in the future.

WS: What are your priorities for Bedrock amid this challenging time in the media business?

ENGWALL: Bedrock was formed in 2020, but the expertise and streaming skills go back 15 years. We recognized early on the necessity of pooling resources and creating scale to compete in the global market. Back then, some had the luxury of getting large budgets from their boards for digital and technology. This led some to believe they could secure heavy funding independently. But the tide is turning. As budgets tighten and the streaming landscape becomes more competitive, Bedrock’s value proposition becomes i ncreasingly clear. Our focus is on these potential partnerships with major players (we have some big names lined up) as we prepare for significant growth. We’re witnessing a confluence of factors driving this shift. The industry is maturing, players are recognizing the complexities of streaming, and financial constraints are forcing a reevaluation. This is leading some big media companies to reconsider their approaches.

The future of streaming is a positive one for Bedrock. While the market seems challenging, I firmly believe local stories will continue to hold tremendous value. Global giants play a role, but they cannot replicate the depth and connection offered by local narratives. Local storytelling will increasingly move to streaming platforms.

Bedrock delivers streaming solutions for more than 60 ecosystems, including in-car entertainment.

Changing

Direction

ChangingDirection

As the content business undergoes a dramatic reset, leading IP owners weigh in on charting a course through the disruption.

By Mansha Daswani

“The distribution business is going through a transitional phase globally,” says Nadav Palti, president and CEO of Dori Media Group. “For a company like ours, it’s very important to be present and active in all phases of the industry triangle—creative, production and distribution. There are good opportunities in distribution, but it’s hard to get good content if you don’t create and produce your own. The triangle maintains its value even when the market is not as strong as the current state of the industry. So, it is imperative that we operate in all three phases, and that’s what we are doing at Dori Media.”

Tony Vassiliadis, executive VP of FOX Entertainment Global (FEG) and COO of MarVista Entertainment, notes, “Content consumption and audience composition are changing at such a pace that the importance of collaboration between buyer and seller couldn’t be more crucial. Essentially, distributors who determine how to best utilize their content to serve buyers’ audience needs will rise to the top.”

Béatrice Nouh, head of sales at Onza Distribution, sees the current landscape as being both filled with opportunity and increasingly complex, stating: “With the multiplication of windows, there is a bigger need for content. The public is now used to different languages throughout the world, so the opportunities are really international, but at the same time, between the frenzy for original content (which is partly resorbing itself now) and the fact that companies like Disney have gone back to licensing content, there may be less space for independent content than a few years back. In general, distribution is not dead at all, but you need to make your space and exist to make your content exist, too.”

s

s

Executives in the media business are no strangers to having to face disruption, but t he perfect storm that the industry has found itself in has left an overarching sense that the sky might be falling. The pandemicspurred demand for content has burst, consumers are tired of spending way too much money on streaming services, the economic malaise has hit the ad sector, AI is terrifying almost everyone, and the impact of the Hollywood strikes is still being felt. But for many distributors heading to MIPTV—a market that is also in the midst of an evolution—there are reasons to be optimistic that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

“After a challenging 2023 in many territories, distribution remains difficult in 2024 due to slow economic growth, high interest rates and geopol itical uncertainties as well as an oversupply of programs, combined with a slowdown in demand,” observes Dr. Markus Schäfer, president and CEO of ZDF Studios.

Scott Kirkpatrick, executive VP of distribution and co-productions at Nicely Entertainment, refers to the distribution market at present as being “a bit strange,” noting, “For some distributors, business has never been better, yet for others, the market has been relentlessly cruel. The SAG and WGA strikes caused a major standstill for major U.S. broadcasters and studios, which delayed their 2024 strategies; this has had ripple effects not only across the U.S. market but internationally as well. Interest rates remain high, which has disrupted cash flow patterns. Major mergers and acquisitions are taking place among industry giants (and mid-tier companies), and the cord-cutting trend has now officially taken hold in Europe. However, streaming numbers are going through the roof—and the demand for content is there—but the dollars that are required to produce fresh content remain scarce (or at below-market levels). These are all symptoms of a market in transition, which is probably the best word to describe 2024 as a whole. That said, I’m very bullish on AVOD and connected TV. Although I do expect 2024 to continue its rocky path, things will pan out for a very lucrative future for the companies that get their streaming strategies into shape.”

FREE FOR ALL

AVOD is certainly proving to be a bright spot for many companies amid SVOD fatigue. “If there is growth in the market, it can be found in AVOD,” says Schäfer.

Vassiliadis is particularly bullish on ad-supported media, an area the company knows well given its position within FOX Entertainment, boasting a broadcast network (FOX) and AVOD streamer (Tubi) as sister companies.

“In the past, we would look at a very traditional approach of an initial off-net sale of successful IP to a lone buyer,” he says. “Now, AVOD is giving distributors multiple opportunities to monetize their content more widely and allowing more audience engagement with it. There’s still a premium on exclusivity for new content. But longer term, we do not believe it’s cannibalistic for our customers to have non-exclusive library content because it allows more viewers to discover and engage with FOX content and get excited about the new exclusive programming we have in store for our buyers and audiences.”

AVOD is playing a greater role for Nicely Entertainment, but the producer and distributor has long been bullish on this sector, Kirkpatrick says. “Nicely has been progressively evolving its overall AVOD strategy,

and it’s been a priority for the company since it was founded. When I joined the company, one of my first priorities was to level up our streaming initiatives. We’ve seen major revenue coming in from AVOD, and I only see those numbers growing over the next decade. As a U.S.-based company, we’re well positioned to enjoy North America’s high CPMs coupled with its connected audience base. But we see that trend starting to grow in Europe, LatAm and Asia as well. AVOD outlets are where eyeballs are looking; this is especially telling when every major SVOD outlet has added an ad component to their platforms.”

Dori Media’s Palti says that AVOD revenues are “nice to have,” but they don’t currently play a huge role in the company’s overall operations. “We have a very large library of programming that we sell, but the revenues that we are seeing right now from AVOD are not significant,” he observes.

Similarly, at Onza, Nouh says the company has generally shied away from rev-share licensing models in AVOD “where in the end the distributor delivering materials loses time and money—they take all the risks and have no idea beforehand how worth it it will be. At the same time, there is a trend where some channels are now investing in their FVOD or AVOD platforms to offer content that probably would not be strong enough marketing-wise for TV broadcast, and it gives independent content visibility. So, we sometimes make exceptions when we think the best local option for our content is an AVOD platform. Also, we sometimes license to a client who has both TV and [a digital] platform, and we can include these rights if we feel this is key in the negotiation or that it will be to the benefit of the program.”

FAST channels have become key propositions for many AVOD platforms. How best to work in that space is evolving for distributors.

“FAST channels are fantastic verticals for superfans and can generate very strong revenue if managed well—but that doesn’t mean they’re for every distributor to get behind,” Nicely’s Kirkpatrick says. “The problem is there are so many FAST channels littered across the streaming landscape that platforms must prune their offerings (or enormous amounts of cash must be spent in order to make the channel rise to the surface). We’ve been successful focusing on one title at a time, making the effort to grow each one directly across each platform and not getting into the cycle of acquiring titles just to keep a FAST channel’s cycle rate high. Our library is growing, but it’s growing with films we know are completely on point for us.”

FAST & SLOW

After all the energy around FAST last year, FEG’s Vassiliadis says the sector is undergoing some “growing pains” at the moment. “Like many new entertainment-oriented products in the digital space, awareness and understanding are a slow build, and FAST is no exception. FAST is a viable business. But it’s experiencing understandable growing pains simply because of the sheer volume of platforms that are launching FAST channels. What will assist in the evolution and adoption of FAST will be the simplification of discovery and distinctive brands that stand out and establish crystal clear, easy-to-find lanes of programming that drive consumer engagement.”

At legacy broadcasters, meanwhile, the consensus is that there has been some pressure on licensing fees given the current market conditions and an “oversupply” of content, ZDF Stu dios’ Schäfer says. “However, good content remains able to achieve adequate and stable license fees.”

Kirkpatrick adds: “License fees have stagnated if you’re lucky, but many are dealing with

FOX Entertainment Global boasts a multigenre slate, including non-scripted from sister company TMZ like TMZ Presents: UFO Revolution

Female-driven thrillers are a key part of Nicely Entertainment’s offering , including Hunting Housewives

downgraded license fees. This is even more problematic as the costs associated with production have increased (and companies pay over longer periods, which only compounds interest in a negative direction). All of this erodes profit margins. Nicely’s growth in the digital realm has been an illuminating experience; we’ve seen AVOD numbers exceed traditional license fees (all while allowing our rights to remain non-exclusive to us without holdbacks). This has given us the incredible freedom to explore new opportunities in the digital space, allowing us to finance our new productions without the need for a prebuy necessarily.”

Asked for his take on licensing fees, FEG’s Vassiliadis notes: “Early windows matter more, so having the right IP that a partner can commit to as early as possible is more important than ever. That said, exclusivity on library content is not as important as it was when output deals

were the norm. Today’s licensing fees are reflective of distributors providing curated packages of content to platforms, enabling us to best leverage IP where and when it’s most valuable across the ecosystem.”

As for what buyers are looking for, risk mitigation appears to be the clearest answer. “Lowrisk content, ideally based on known, proven IP,” ZDF Studios’ Schäfer says.

SAFE BETS

Dori Media’s Palti reports: “Given the marketplace, many buyers are interested in taking fewer risks and greenlighting series they believe have the best chance at success. To reduce the risks, many are buying finished products or producing remakes of series that have already proven to be successful.”

“Everyone is looking for content that is going to differentiate themselves, and platforms are

focused on what audience segments aren’t engaging with their service and opportunities to draw them in,” Vassiliadis adds. “What is unique about FOX Entertainment content is it is broad and commercial in appeal, fundamentally designed for linear, but it also performs extremely well on streaming. We’re constantly thinking about viewer behavior and how we can best help platforms acquire and retain viewers. To do that, a complementary roster of original series and acquired IP will better prepare platforms for long-term growth and success. But, of course, it takes only one ‘noisy’ hit to make an impact with audiences and put a content provider on the map in a more meaningful way.”

Of course, with a sea of content out there, discoverability remains the biggest challenge, and distributors are increasingly finding themselves with a role to play on that front.

“Most distributors have had to pivot slightly, taking on D2C marketing efforts in addition to B2B,” Kirkpatrick says. “Some see this as a burden, but at Nicely, we see so much opportunity in taking on this D2C marketing role. As streaming continues to become the dominant mode of content viewership, we actually get to directly increase watch hours and improve our impression ratios. It’s incredible. I think a solid D2C strategy will be a filter between those companies that flourish over the next five to seven years compared to those that flounder. At Nicely, we’ve been diving headfirst into growing our D2C initiatives and have seen some incredible results thus far.”

Ultimately, Vassiliadis says, it comes down to simply having the best content. “Creative always wins, so, as IP owners, it’s incumbent on us to get our content to the right partners who understand their customers’ needs best. That way, everyone wins.”

Dori Media’s Israeli drama Shtisel streamed on Netflix in the U.S. and has been remade in Turkey.

Onza Distribution is looking to tap into the constant demand for crime thrillers with the Italian drama series Flowers Over the Inferno, now in its second season.

The Attention Economy

Anyone studying kids’ media habits will tell you that you absolutely must have a metaverse strategy for your piece of IP, but chances are most will not be able to tell you exactly how you make money out of that social media economy— outside of using it as a brand-building tool.

CONTENTS

FEATURES NOW WHAT?

From pioneering new financing models to embracing ubiquitous distribution strategies, a look at the techniques kids’ content executives are using to navigate the challenges of the market.

Ricardo Seguin Guise Publisher

Mansha Daswani Editor-in-Chief

Anna Carugati Editor-at-Large

Kristin Brzoznowski Executive Editor

Jamie Stalcup Senior Associate Editor

Alexa Alfano Associate Editor

David Diehl Production & Design Director

Simon Weaver Online Director

Dana Mattison Sales & Marketing Director

Genovick Acevedo Sales & Marketing Manager

It’s rough out there for everyone, but those making children’s content are not just contending with huge contractions at the streamers and a sluggish ad market; they’re competing with TikTok and Roblox and a sea of shows on YouTube made in some gamer’s garage that are outrating properties on major platforms.

“We often forget that we’re in the attention economy, not in the kids’ TV business,” Frank Falcone, president and executive creative director at Guru Studio, quipped during one of the sessions at our TV Kids Festival in February. “We’re chasing their attention. TV can only go so far with getting their attention—it has to be really beloved properties. Breaking new shows is increasingly challenging when you don’t have that immediate love and you have to build it up.”

As such, we’ll hear an awful lot about known IP until this latest round of market instability ends. But those with standout ideas shouldn’t be too disheartened; as our survey in this edition on how distributors are navigating the market indicates, there are still broadcasters and platforms willing to take bets on compelling characters and storylines, and many are increasingly open to new financing models.

GET SMART!

Producers and distributors reveal how to successfully incorporate STEAM curricula and social-emotional learning in ways that will resonate with young ones.

Ricardo Seguin Guise President

Anna Carugati Executive VP

Mansha Daswani

Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development

TV Kids

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Phone: (212) 924-7620

Website: www.tvkids.com

“If there’s something that people are really confident will work, they’re still willing to take it,” Lauren Marriott, senior VP of content partnerships and brand strategy at Paramount Global Content Distribution, said at the TV Kids Festival. “There’s also a real need for a robust set of rights from buyers. There’s a lot of concern about being able to compete with YouTube. There’s definitely a need for AVOD rights, catch-up, etc. And I think we’re seeing less demand for exclusivity in favor of more rights non-exclusively.”

INTERVIEW

Industry veteran Tom Ascheim, speaking at the TV Kids Festival, called on delegates to remember the big picture and be heartened that a recovery is on the horizon (even if it feels like it’s a long way away). “You need a moment like this to create a renaissance,” Ascheim said. “I think we are poised for a breakthrough in how we reach children.”

Mansha Daswani

Sara DeWitt PBS KIDS

Cyber Group Studios

Press Start! / Alex Player / The McFire Family

The comedy Press Start!, on offer from Cyber Group Studios, is based on a best-selling book series of the same name. The series follows Sunny Zaki and Rue on their adventure inside a video game with their favorite hero, Super Rabbit Boy. MIPTV will also see the first episodes of Alex Player being showcased. “The series combines 2D animation for the ‘life’ scenes and Unreal Engine for the video games parts, playing with all the video game codes that kids are familiar with,” says Michèle Massonnat, VP of sales and acquisitions. “We are eager to introduce the very first animated series about esports.” Cyber Group Studios is looking for presales for The McFire Family , following a family of firefighters. “The supercool abilities of these heroes will have 5- to 8-year-olds psyched,” says Massonnat.

NHK Enterprises

Darwin’s Amazing Animals

On offer from NHK Enterprises, Darwin’s Amazing Animals takes an up-close and personal look at some of nature’s most fascinating creatures from across Asia, Africa and the Americas. “The animated character Uncle Charlie guides the story so that kids can easily understand the secrets and wonders of nature,” notes Akiko Nakano, senior manager for the Americas, EMEA, Oceania and Asia, excluding China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Korea. Featured episodes include “A Prey on Birds—Praying Mantis, Japan,” which travels to a remote Japanese island to discover a type of bird-hunting praying mantis; “Walk then Run—Octopus Oliveri,” delving into a rare species of octopus that hides in the nooks and crannies off Japan’s coast; and “Snow Fairies—Shima-Enaga,” which heads to Hokkaido to discover the range of behaviors this unique species exhibits.

Alex Player

“All these shows include key ingredients that make them appealing internationally.”

—Michèle Massonnat

Powerkids Entertainment

Darwin’s Amazing Animals

“These new episodes will amaze and entertain kids globally.”

—Akiko Nakano

Adventures of Akira and Mowgli / Dragonero—The Tales of Paladins / Young Achievers Academy

Featuring a blend of characters from The Jungle Book and a brand-new protagonist, Adventures of Akira and Mowgli leads Powerkids Entertainment’s slate. It takes place in the Seonee jungle, where Mowgli, Baloo, Bagheera, Shere Khan and Kaa meet the fresh energy of Akira, a fearless girl from a nearby village. Dragonero—The Tales of Paladins, based on the Dragonero comics, features “a perfect mix of the irresistible dynamism of Japanese anime; the attention to detail, environments and character nuances of European animation; and the freshness of humor like American cartoon series,” says Manoj Mishra, CEO. Young Achievers Academy sees young talents trained in diverse fields, from aviation and skydiving to martial arts and underwater exploration, as they work for governments to tackle the global threat of a tech-savvy villain.

of Paladins

“We are excited to engage with fellow professionals, discuss potential collaborations and contribute to the dynamic landscape of the industry.”

—Manoj Mishra

APC Kids’ Walter ’s Christmas: Keeper of the Forest.

Now What?

Now What?

From pioneering new financing models to embracing ubiquitous distribution strategies, a look at the techniques kids’ content executives are using to navigate the challenges of the market. By Mansha Daswani

What’s the key to navigating a business in the midst of a dramatic reset? We heard some valuable advice from speakers at our own TV Kids Festival earlier this year. It boils down to getting creative; bracing for this disruption to last a little while; embracing a newfound willingness to rights-sharing, unique funding and distribution models and partnerships; always having a 360-degree strategy; arriving with known IP really helps, but don’t stop coming up with great new ideas that entertain and enrich young ones; and co-viewing very much still matters, perhaps more so than ever.

“Buckle up,” says Tom Ascheim, an industry veteran who has witnessed this industry’s peaks and troughs over his decades in the business. “This is not going to be an easy time for any of us. We always go through tumultuous times. Being great is your best strategy. Trying to find ways to make sure you’re digging deep to find the creative that inspires you and will inspire the audience is always your best strategy. It is less clear how we’re going to bring that forward. Therefore, the other thing to remember is that whatever got us here is probably not going to get us there. So, be great and forward-looking. Look at the audience, understand what they care about and ensure you’re anticipating, not just chasing.”

Last year was a tough one for everyone, observes Raphaëlle Mathieu, COO at Cyber Group Studios, referencing cutbacks at the streamers, budget restrictions and reduced commissions. “I expect it to be a very slow 2024.”

Alix Wiseman, senior VP of distribution and acquisitions at 9 Story Media Group, says that the industry has become more risk-averse when it comes to new commissions. “We’ve been leaning into our catalog. Our bestsellers, the shows that have performed for a long time, are the ones that are being relicensed and delivering across traditional platforms, AVOD and FAST.”

Wiseman expects it will take at least a year for the sector to return to anything that feels like “normal,” which is when she hopes to see a commissioning bounce-back. Until then, she predicts an interest in known brands will continue.

IN THE KNOW

Lionel Marty, managing director and founder at APC Kids, is also of the opinion that known IP is in high demand, especially with the streamers, but there are opportunities to introduce new brands via linear broadcasters. “There is still a chance to finance original IPs, although, in a fragmented media space, it’s easier for them to broadcast and introduce known properties. But there are more chances with linear broadcasters than with streamers.”

Richard Goldsmith, president of global distribution and consumer products at Atomic Cartoons and Thunderbird Entertainment, also finds that openness to new ideas depends on the market. “France, the U.K., Germany and Australia are much more open. The U.S. and global companies are focused on these big brands and have much more of a narrow focus. But across the board, we feel that people

are looking for the same things: co-viewing; well-known brands; preschool and bridge, which could be up to age 9; and a great 6-to-12 comedy.”

To get a new idea landed, partnerships and having a multiplatform skill set are crucial, observes Cecilia Persson, managing director at BBC Studios Kids & Family. “You need to be a partner that can bring several aspects to a property, particularly if you’re trying to get an original idea away. One of the things I see as a positive in these uncertain times is the fact that the rights are being asked for on a more non-exclusive basis, which is very helpful for an original idea. We have a content strategy team that spends time thinking about those things because it is needed—that additional push to make sure that you can get an original idea across the line.”

“The streamers know that they want to have awareness, and that means sometimes sharing exclusivity or having nonexclu sive rights with other broadcasters or platforms, AVOD, YouTube, because they know that it can bring some awareness for the shows they will market,” APC Kids’ Marty says.

“It has been a major shift in the dialogue that we’ve been having,” Goldsmith adds. “Streamers particularly, or worldwide linear companies that traditionally wanted all rights, are

now coming back and saying, Well, if you are getting some funding from a territory or two, we can share rights in those markets. We haven’t had that conversation in years. There are lots of discussions now about co-funding series. We’re doing deals now where we’re both putting up money and we’re sharing rights. The times of the windows are also being loosened up. That is one of the silver linings of the situation now.”

UBIQUITOUS DISTRIBUTION

That approach does bring some “complexity in dealmaking,” observes Frank Falcone, president and executive creative director at Guru Studio. “When you’re constructing deals with many potential windows and financiers, the recipe becomes complex. And sometimes deals lose momentum in this process. So, we really are reliant on our legal and business affairs teams to pull together tight, interesting deals quickly because, as you know, time kills all deals. We want to be quick about how we pull together our shows. Windows of opportunity can be missed if we’re not moving quickly.”

In order to be wherever kids are, Cyber Group Studios has been creating additional content for brands that are proving sticky with kids. “We can have content potentially available on AVOD in a certain mode,” Mathieu says. “We’ve made original songs and shorts. When the brand becomes bigger, you can have the licensing option growing with plush or theme parks.”

Lauren Marriott, senior VP of content partnerships and brand strategy at Paramount Global Content Distribution, also points to the importance of having content on YouTube and elsewhere ahead of a show launch. For the Dora reboot, for example, a short was placed with the PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie theatrical release. At the same time, Paramount rolled out a YouTube channel with old seasons and four new episodes. “We continue to drip feed that with original content to build it with that demographic,” she says.

BBC Studios Kids & Family’s Supertato is based on a bestselling book series.

9 Story Distribution International licensed the preschool series Dylan’s Playtime Adventures to CBeebies.

Jo Redfern, managing director of kids at Wind Sun Sky Entertainment, sees YouTube as its “primary” platform. “It’s gone from outlier to being a nonnegotiable part of that flywheel. It’s part of a bigger jigsaw puzzle as brand owners and brand builders. Even the streamers have woken up to that power, too. Netflix is using YouTube in a really interesting way in terms of bringing YouTube viewers through. They’re dropping premiere episodes on YouTube. Your content needs to be where kids are hanging out. YouTube is a vital part of that. The streamers know it; broadcasters use it. What’s interesting for me, and it’s relatively nascent, is we’re now seeing the rise of YouTube on connected TVs. So, this battle for the living room is not just the preserve of broadcasters and streamers anymore. It is parents and kids sitting down and going, What can we watch together?”

IN THE GAME

Given how much time young ones are also spending on gaming, platforms like Roblox are similarly factoring into brand-building strategies. “We’ve been exploring Roblox as an extension of some of our brands,” says 9 Story’s Wiseman. “We’re seeing how we can fit into that ecosystem and whether it makes sense for these brands.”

9 Story is also in the works on a show based on a Roblox game, Wiseman says. “How do you explore that deepness in an episodic series? These are all really interesting parts we’re looking at as we develop this show and try to elevate, iterate on and support the Roblox game and take it into further natural extensions.”

L&M partners are partial to shows that are exposed in multiple places, Thunderbird’s Goldsmith adds. “For the first time in my career, the people that we make substantial revenues from are indicating to us that they no longer really believe that being on a big streamer or big linear network is the best route. So, with Mittens & Pants , we’ve launched it everywhere. It’ll go on at least ten AVOD platforms in the U.S., YouTube, social media. That is a seismic shift. It’s great for building brands, great for monetizing brands, not so great for revenues up front that we’re now not getting from that big streamer or that big linear network.”

Paramount Global’s Marriott notes, “2023 was the year everyone realized that in order to make something successful, you have to be able to follow the consumer. You’ve got to satisfy your commissioning broadcaster or platform, so you can’t put everything on YouTube before it’s even gone to them. If we launch something in multiple nonexclusive places, is that actually going to fund the production of that show? That’s a puzzle that we all need to solve somehow. We’ve had to have a collaborative effort between production and distribution. We might create additional short-form content to put on YouTube to build up a property before we then have the long-form series that goes exclusively to the premiering partner. Maybe it’s about negotiating carve-outs to put a certain number of episodes on YouTube.”

AN END IN SIGHT?

From post-pandemic economic effects to the end of the streaming wars to further evolution in kids’ consumption trends, it has been a “perfect storm” when it comes to the unprecedented shifts in the market over the last 12 to 18 months, 9 Story’s Wiseman says. But she remains optimistic that a turnaround will happen.

“Kids are always going to need content,” she says. “The demand will come back for originals, just as much as known IP. The shape of the whole thing is changing—how it’s delivered, levels of exclusivity, the platforms. That opens possibilities to being creative and nimble, working differently, taking on a lot of new technologies, using those as tools. It will, of course, thrive and survive again. I think it’s just going to take a little bit of time.”

BBC Studios’ Persson agrees, adding, “I feel like this is going to open up opportunities for really interesting partnerships and combinations and ideas. Original ideas have to be truly original now and special to cut through. In hard times, you have to be much more inventive.”

“There’s still a huge demand for content and for great storytelling,” Thunderbird’s Goldsmith says. “With the streaming model being blown up and that huge amount of money that is now gone, there’s no doubt that it’s going to affect the industry. But those of us that make great content will continue to make great content.”

Cyber Group Studios’ library of animated series includes Nefertine on the Nile.

Summer Fest iva

The TV KIDS SUMMER FESTIVAL is a four-day must-attend virtual event taking place a week prior to Annecy/Mifa.

Set to be held from June 4 to 7, 2024, the fourth edition of the TV KIDS SUMMER

FESTIVAL will feature keynotes and panels with leading executives and creatives discussing the major trends in the children’s programming business. It will be streamed live and available on-demand for two months on TVKidsSummerFestival.com.

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Ricardo Guise at rguise@worldscreen.com or Dana Mattison at dmattison@worldscreen.com.

val

GET SMART!

Producers and distributors reveal how to successfully incorporate STEAM curricula and social-emotional learning in ways that will resonate with young ones. By Mansha Daswani

As parents struggle to limit screen time with this always-on generation, the need for content that will enrich young ones, educationally and emotionally, is surging. Whether it’s supplementing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) lessons outside of the classroom or fostering self-esteem and teaching conflict resolution skills, parents, caregivers and children themselves are seeking out a nutritious entertainment diet. And while a slew of digital platforms are working to fill that appetite, legacy pubcasters remain at the forefront of combining entertainment and education in ways that children will respond to.

“I have a firm belief in the role and value of public broadcasting systems because their goal is not to make money or a profit; their goal is to service and give food for thought for children to grow up, to understand things, to understand themselves, to understand their emotions,” says Emmanuèle Pétry-Sirvin, producer and head of international at Dandelooo. With intense competition, “now they have to reinvent themselves. But their role is huge.”

“For children whose families can’t afford Disney+, Netflix, you name it, they can always rely on the public broadcasters to enrich and educate their children,” adds Halle Stanford, the president of television at The Jim Henson Company. “Times have changed, but their intention hasn’t. It’s their superpower.”

Julien Borde, the president of Mediawan Kids & Family, is a veteran of public broadcasting, having spent a decade at France Télévisions. “We are lucky to have strong publicser vice channels and groups in Europe,” he says. “They are critical for us to produce quality premium content. They are increasingly into their own mission of educating and entertaining. I’m a big believer that they will continue to care about children in the future and that in a more commercial environment, they will be asked by local governments to do more.”

When working with pubcasters in particular, Stanford notes that it’s essential to keep an eye on what parents need now—and what they will need a few years from now.

“We can’t be chasing a curriculum that’s already working,” she says. “We have to think about what is needed. You have to demonstrate a need in the future and an exciting

ZDF Studios’ Space Nova

opportunity. Bring out your crystal ball. Think about the toolbox parents need and where the future is headed.”

FACING THE FUTURE

And when it comes to preparing young viewers for what’s ahead, STEM skills are crucial.

“As the world becomes more technologically advanced, there’s a growing need for children to develop skills in science, technology, engineering and math from an early age,” says Susan Scheiner, director of content at Sesame Workshop. “TV shows can complement formal education and encourage curiosity and positive attitudes toward STEM and STEAM subjects at a very early age.”

Oliver Grundel, Director Junior at ZDF Studios, agrees, pointing to the “growing recognition of the importance of these skills in the modern world. Fields like science, technology, engineering, math and arts are quite important because they are connected to the fastest-growing industries in the economy. Parents and educators alike understand that fostering an early interest in these areas can contribute to a child’s academic success and better future career opportunities. In addition to that, as technology becomes more integrated into everyday life, there’s a desire for content that aligns with educational goals while remaining engaging for young audiences.”

Tatiana Kober, the president of Bejuba! Entertainment, is of the perspective that broadcasters are also looking for balance on their slates. “To have that kind of programming that is still fun and interesting to watch broadens kids’ minds and can be a real hit for the broadcasters as they move forward.”

While still driven by linear pubcasters, Grundel says STEAM content is also appearing on streaming platforms. “I think VOD platforms are interested in having more educational content, and it has expanded opportunities for educational programming in many ways. On-demand platforms allow for a more tailored content experience, enabling public broadcasters to reach a wider and more diverse audience. I think there are a lot of opportunities, and this shift has allowed for greater flexibility in the delivery of educational content, which can be tailored to specific age groups and interests. In addition, it opens up new avenues for educational content creators. They can experiment with innovative formats, interactive elements and engaging storytelling.”

Kober says weaving in entertainment is crucial to the success of STEAM shows “so that the kids don’t ‘smell’ school. STEAM has had an uptick, but I also think it’s still a

dif ficult push sometimes for the more mainstream broadcasters.”

But educational themes can be overt, Scheiner notes. “We start our shows with educational content. It’s an authentic part of the storyline and the content. We don’t layer it on top of the plot and the story. We bake it in at the foundation. That way, it feels natural and not like we’re just throwing words and concepts at the kids. We make it an integrated part of the story. Also, it helps that the children know and love the characters, and they watch because it’s fun. You want to make the education fun but baked into who the characters and storylines are.”

Grundel adds, “It’s about finding the delicate balance between education and entertainment. With a show for a very young audience, you can be quite straightforward and explicit. It’s OK to be slightly more educational with foundational concepts and interactive elements. As the viewers grow older, it becomes increasingly important to balance that and weave educational elements into the storytelling.”

IN THEIR FEELINGS

Beyond traditional educational values, social-emotional learning is becoming more important for European pubcasters, Dandelooo’s Pétry-Sirvin says.

“They’re very sensitive to the mental health of children,” adds The Jim Henson Company’s Stanford. “They’re looking at what kids need. So yes, that educational shift can change, and it should.”

Stanford has witnessed a “global call for anti-hate education. There’s also a global call for climate help and critical thinking skills when it comes to climate. A lot of the broadcasters are starting to get aligned in their mission, which is great for us as producers so that it doesn’t become so niche and we can find opportunity and financing in other territories.”

Koyalee Chanda, senior VP of animation at Lion Forge Entertainment, has witnessed an increased interest from parents and caregivers in “content that is more socio-emotional, rather than more hard curriculum like ABCs and STEM. It corresponded with some of the global polarization happening in our political world. There’s also the rise of bullying and anti-bullying initiatives. Parents want content to grow great humans, as opposed to being more traditional schoolbased curriculum.”

“Parents need help,” adds Claudia Mazzucco, CEO of Atlantyca Entertainment. “Children are more exposed than ever to a constant and very accessible flow of audiovisual content that is not so well controlled. More than ever, children have to find a way to enhance their [self-esteem]. Our role as a content provider for children is to inspire them.”

And kids are seeking out this content on their own, Chanda notes. “With kids’ ability to navigate, they must be engaged by the storylines and great socio-emotional storylines that connect to their real life, to their every day, that make them laugh. That’s ultimately what is keeping them from swiping away. So, it’s in our best interests to make sure that this content connects at a very basic level, which means great characters and strong emotional connections to the stories and what the characters are going through.”

Lion Forge Entertainment’s Best Wishes is based on the best-selling book series by acclaimed author Sarah Mlynowski.

Sara DeWitt PBS KIDS

By Kristin Brzoznowski

The number one educational media brand for kids, PBS KIDS offers young ones aged 2 to 8 the chance to explore new ideas and worlds through TV, digital media and com munity-based programs. It takes a creator-driven approach to content, working with partners committed to being accessible to and inclusive of as many kids as possible across multiple touchpoints. Sara DeWitt, senior VP and general manager at PBS KIDS, talks to TV Kids about the broadcaster’s mission and its commissioning and acquisition strategies.

TV KIDS: What’s your view on the state of public broadcasting today?

DEWITT: It’s really strong right now. There’s been so much upheaval in the industry, so many changes and so much going on. Public media, while we are affected by that, sits in a different space. Our goal at PBS is to be as accessible to as many kids as possible. Our support is steady. We have been able to stay the course. The things we feel that we need to be doing for kids are still there and are maybe even more critical given learning loss during Covid and mental health challenges. We have a real purpose in this space, and it’s more

important than ever that we’re here—that the U.S. has an accessible, engaging media option for kids that’s also noncommercial and isn’t feeling the same pressures in the same way. We are trying to think about how we are having an impact on kids and making sure that we reach as many kids as possible throughout the country. We aren’t having to watch that bottom line in the same way that a lot of others in the industry are.

TV KIDS: What’s guiding the commissioning strategy?

DEWITT: Our focus is kids 2 to 8, and we want to be everywhere they are. For a couple of decades, our commissioning strategy has been looking beyond just linear and thinking about multiplatform options from the beginning. We have to be really flexible and think about how IP can operate in all of these different spaces.

We’re very much a creator-driven network. We are looking for creators who can come to us with an exciting idea, can speak to us from their lived experiences and share stories that are going to resonate with kids. It’s really [about] substance over volume.

We also think about how we can fill gaps. What kinds of things are kids missing right now? We’re thinking a lot about early literacy skills, early math skills, the things that families seem to be struggling with right now, and how we can make sure that we are putting content in front of them that can support them as they are trying to get their kids back up to speed or school-ready.

TV KIDS: How do acquisitions complement this slate?

DEWITT: Our primary focus is original content and content that we’ve had a hand in developing. Acquisitions are pretty limited. When we do think about them, we’re looking for opportunities to diversify our slate. We’re looking for content that fits nicely with the PBS KIDS mission, values and goals. And acquisitions are a good opportunity for us to experiment with different ways of engaging with the audience. But we don’t do them often; we’re more focused on commissioned projects.

TV KIDS: What are some key factors to consider when talking to partners about IP?

DEWITT: We are looking for strong ideas, someone who has a real passion for storytelling and has a story they want to share, something that we think is going to resonate with kids and inspire the audience’s passion for learning. You can tell when a creator comes in with something they’re so excited about and are excited to teach kids about. That can be infectious. We need to feel like the creators understand where we’re coming from, understand the values of PBS KIDS and the mission of reaching all kids and being as accessible as possible.

It is about representation and making sure that all the kids in our audience see characters who look like them or think about things in the way that they do. We also think about ways to reach kids who don’t have the latest gadgets or access to Wi-Fi all the time. A lot of our producers are excit ed about that mission, thinking about not only how their storytelling can resonate with these kids but how the games that they create alongside can work on lower-end devices, can work in and out of Wi-Fi, so that kids can take content with them

By Mansha Daswani

he downturn in Europe’s advertising market has taken a toll on the region’s entire media ecosystem, but for legacy broadcasting groups still contending with shifts in viewing consumption trends, 2023 was an especially challenging year. While macroeconomic woes remain in Europe, UEFA EURO 2024, the Summer Olympics and upbeat forecasts for ad-supported streaming revenues are helping to propel hopes for a slight recovery this year.

On the heels of a betterthan-expected fourth quarter in 2023, ProSiebenSat.1 Media is targeting a slight gain in 2024 revenues to €3.95 billion ($4.3 billion). Joyn, the streaming service now fully owned by ProSiebenSat.1 since it bought out Warner Bros. Discovery’s interest in 2022, is at the heart of the company’s strategy for mitigating endemic declines in linear advertising. The platform, which offers AVOD and SVOD tiers, is part of ProSiebenSat.1’s entertainment segment, encompassing all of its content production, broadcast and distribution assets. Seven.One Entertainment Group caters to audiences across Germany, Austria and

Switzerland with such market-leading channel brands as ProSieben, SAT.1, sixx and Puls 8, plus a range of digital services anchored by Joyn. Seven.One Studios, meanwhile, houses production companies across Europe as well as Red Arrow Studios International, home to such megaformat brands as Married at First Sight and critically acclaimed returning dramas like Vienna Blood. ProSiebenSat.1 also operates an investment arm and owns ParshipMeet Group, which runs a range of online dating and social networking sites.

BERT HABETS PROSIEBENSAT.1 MEDIA

Over his long career in international television, Bert Habets has racked up an array of experience running European media companies. Before joining ProSiebenSat.1 Media in November 2022 as group CEO, Habets spent time at Greece’s Antenna Group and almost two decades at RTL Group, most recently as CEO. In this wide-ranging conversation, Habets talks to World Screen about restructuring ProSiebenSat.1 to weather short- and long-term shifts in the media economy, rationalizing international content spend and betting big on local entertainment that will resonate with audiences and advertisers alike.

WS: You took on the CEO role at ProSiebenSat.1 in what can best be described as a challenging time for the media business. What strategy needed to be put in place to get the company through this period of disruption?

HABETS: We put entertainment at the center of our activities. Our ambition is to become the number one entertainment player in the German-speaking region. Streaming is the key area where we want to grow and invest. That is why we put our streaming platform, Joyn, at the center of our entertainment business. At the same time, TV is still a $3.8 billion ad market in the free-to-air domain in the Germanspeaking region. So, while knowing that the future is in streaming video, there is a lot of potential for improvement in repositioning and rebuilding the channels, which we are doing in parallel. Fortunate ly, we have seen growth in 2023 since we took ownership in November 2022 of the streaming platform. That’s an immediate effect of our new strategic direction.

WS: You also announced a significant management restructure of Seven.One Entertainment Group in October 2023. Tell us about that move and why it was important.

HABETS: Our digital-first strategy allowed a lot of leaders to take on new roles in the company. Henrik Pabst is the chief content officer, with heads for each individual channel. Channel heads live the day-to-day DNA of their grids and the audiences they want to reach. We have a digital head, Katharina Frömsdorf, as chief platforms and growth officer, and an external hire for our new head of sales, Carsten Schwecke. All of them are shaping the

future of the entertainment organization. This new, simplified structure makes people work much closer together—and allows for an overall focus on our channels and Joyn. We made the Joyn content decisions part of our overall program budget. We’re selecting content that works on both linear and Joyn. We all have the same KPI metrics— the day-to-day metrics of generating ratings and, more specifically, building and scaling Joyn.

WS: The company reported an improved Q4 2023. Give us a sense of your 2024 financial outlook.

HABETS: There are some initial good signs— I am cautious but positive. If you look at last year’s performance, as of Q3 and Q4, the decline in the ad market has lost momentum. In the fourth quarter, we even saw slight growth in the high season around Christmas. That, combined with the costreduction exercise that we did with the restructuring, started to materialize in Q3 and Q4. This all led to us outperforming our numbers. Especially now, with our latest uptick in the Q4 results, that is all positive news. So, while knowing that we’re starting from a low basis, we see some positive growth in the first quarter of the year. Digital

and smart advertising is growing significantly faster than the TV advertising market. All in all, I think we’re off to a decent first quarter of the year.

WS: Tell us about your newly announced advertising relationship with RTL Deutschland. Why do you think collaborations like this one are important for European media groups as they take on the dominance of the global tech giants?

HABETS: This has been a big announcement in the German-speaking region. RTL Deutschland and ProSiebenSat.1 are forming a strategic alliance on the rollout of a shared ad tech stack. We are combining our assets and have come to a setup where we use the best of each other to build a compelling market offering. It’s suitable for linear, addressable and programmatic TV and our streaming video offers. That’s the first step. It’s also suited for a broader rollout, and we aim to talk to other European players. We called it “ad tech made in Europe.” It truly has the potential to play a vital role in how we can cater to our advertising clients across the Germanspeaking region, potentially even on a pan-European basis

WS: Talk to us about the viewer-first strategy you’ve been putting in place and the renewed emphasis on local content.

HABETS: We made some important announcements in December with an increase in our investments into local content

Red Arrow Studios International represents a diverse slate of content, including the crime procedural 66 North Precinct .

Red Arrow Studios International is working with Yellow Film & TV on the distribution of Forgiven

by €80 million ($87 million). We will thus invest over €1 bil lion ($1.1 billion) in content this year to strengthen our channel grids and scale Joyn further. We have built back into local fiction, a category we left for our channels a few years ago. We introduced a successful daily fic tion series on SAT.1, Die Landarztpraxis . It’s about a doctor’s practice in the mountains. It’s been catering to an older audience on SAT.1 but has also been very popular on Joyn, which caters to younger viewers. It was launched in the fourth quarter and was very high in our rankings of the overall content on Joyn for 2023. That is what we mean when we say we have a hybrid content strategy, where we want all of our content investments to work on both sides. We launched Big Brother, and it was a big success. For Big Brother , we have a live stream on Joyn for 100 days. SAT.1 is airing it on the channel once a week, and afterward it’s daily on Joyn, in addition to the 24-hour live stream. It could also be an interesting concept for

other reality formats to experiment with. We’re actively trying to claim that category for Joyn. Outside of that, we are substantially increasing the originals budget for Joyn with more series coming in. We’re active ly discussing cooperation and partnership options to enhance Joyn’s content offering further.

WS: How are you positioning the Joyn subscription tier, Joyn P LUS +? And how do you funnel viewers from the linear channels to streaming and back?

HABETS: We have preview options for many of the big shows upcoming on TV.

With Big Brother , you have this exclusive live stream on Joyn P LUS +. With our daily fiction series Die Landarztpraxis , you can watch it one week in advance on Joyn. But our focus is on positioning Joyn as the freely accessible German-language streaming video platform. We also aggregate a lot of linear channels on the platform. We also provide a lot of FAST channels that we curate ourselves. It’s a vibrant offering that is freely accessible in the Germanspeaking region. We have significant growth of 18-plus percent in terms of monthly video users throughout the past year. We’re on a fast growth track with the

ProSiebenSat.1 Media returned to local daily drama commissioning with Die Landarztpraxis , which has been a hit on SAT.1 and Joyn.

The streaming platform Joyn is at the heart of ProSiebenSat.1’s strategy for driving digital revenues.

platform. Once we have built a sizable scale through organic growth and partnerships, we will focus more on the paid VOD product.

WS: What role do Seven.One Studios and Red Arrow Studios International (RASI) play for the organization as you look to both expand your local content options and monetize IP internationally?

HABETS: Seven.One Studios has been a growth engine for our grids and Joyn. We can actively use all the creativity that is bundled in our companies to develop new

content ideas. Seven.One Studios also produces a lot for third parties, including ARD, ZDF, RTL, Netflix and Prime Video. We have quite a large client base beyond our internal productions. The other labels outside of the German-speaking region, in Denmark and the U.K., have also successfully developed international IP for us, such as Married at First Sight and Stranded on Honeymoon Island . We’re developing ideas in the German-speaking region that could also travel internationally. I’m very happy with this rich portfolio of production

companies, which we will continue to develop through new talent deals. RASI is an integral part as well. They’re selling our IP. Beat the Channel was recently sold to Spain. It’s a local format, strongly driven by local hosts, and now it will be in the Spanish market. RASI is doing a great job!

WS: You’ve spent many years in leadership. What’s your approach to managing an organization through a crisis? We all see the headlines about layoffs and the challenges of the market now. What’s your message to your teams about navigating through this down cycle?

HABETS: We spend a lot of time defining the company’s vision and strategy going forward. We need to adjust and adapt to the difficult market circumstances. We’ve actively worked on it in constructive dialogue with the leadership team, in group sessions, with workers’ councils and other stakeholders. To some extent, we’ve taken the challenging environment as an opportunity to reshape the whole organizational setup. At the end of the day, it is a transformation journey that continues with rigor, where openness for change, taking risks and adaptability are crucial for success. We see more and more colleagues becoming excited to join us in this challenge. Growing much faster in the digital domain is the way to go, and it confirms to the colleagues that we are on the right [path]. At the same time, we’re optimizing the linear channel portfolio we have run so successfully for so many years and building this into one team and one organization. Success breeds success, and that is the momentum we need to cater to and nurture to ensure the company stays agile, strong and healthy.

Reality Backpackers was created by Cheerio Entertainment for Joyn and is being rolled out as a format by Red Arrow Studios International.

Local entertainment, such as Beat the Channel on ProSieben, is a core focus across ProSiebenSat.1.

TVRE AL

Distributors Survey / E. Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin

Get in the Game

The factual space has had a smattering of breakout, buzzy hits over the last few years, the kinds of shows that generated gaspworthy, OMG moments that set social media ablaze around the world.

Whether it’s the Planet Earth franchise, Tiger King or Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal, it’s clear that a well- told stranger-than-fiction crime tale and David Attenborough can always be counted on to move audiences.

The fall of last year saw that the story of an iconic athlete can be as much of a revelation, as audiences across the globe eagerly tuned in to get an insider’s view of David Beckham’s life—at least as much as the legendary footballer wanted Net flix audiences to see. Beckham is just one of a wave of sports documentaries popping up on major platforms, reflecting the latest battleground in the quest to attract and retain subscribers. And with the UEFA EURO 2024 and the Olympics happening this summer, you can expect to see a lot more activity in this space.

FEATURE JUST THE FACTS

Amid significant shifts in the broader media business, leading distributors share insights on navigating the latest developments in the factual sector.

The Oscar-winning filmmaking duo talk about the inspiration behind their new National Geographic series Photographer Ricardo

Meanwhile, as I heard from leading distributors in my survey on the state of the factual business, the usual key genres remain in high demand, namely true crime, natural history, factual entertainment and science. Unscripted commissions are down, as is the case with every other genre, as streamers rethink their content spend and broadcasters contend with diminished budgets amid the ad crunch. Acquisitions, meanwhile, are expected to see an uptick as channels and platforms seek more cost-effective ways to engage with audiences. AVOD and FAST are still crucial spheres to be operating in, but both require well-thoughtthrough distribution strategies to ensure no monetization opportunities are left on the table—and producers are adequately compensated for their creativity. Amid what BossaNova Media’s Paul Heaney referred to as a “reset,” factual distributors seem to be emerging largely unscathed.

This edition of TV Real also features E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, the duo best known for their Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo , discussing the six-part series Photographer for National Geographic, taking an in-depth look at the creative process of several renowned photographers. “It’s bringing to light stories that people don’t always get to see or hear about,” Chin told me.

Finding new and innovative ways to tell true stories will be top of mind for producers and distributors as they convene in Cannes this April. As will the future of MIPDoc itself. Mansha Daswani

INTERVIEW

E. CHAI VASARHELYI & JIMMY CHIN

Albatross World Sales

Buffalo Bill—The Inventor of the Wild West / Parents in the Wild / The Secret Knowledge of Animals

Among the titles on offer from Albatross World Sales, Buffalo Bill—The Inventor of the Wild West tells the story of the titular underdog adventurer and showman who blurred the boundaries between truth and fiction and invented the romanticized version of the Wild West that everyone knows. Parents in the Wild brings viewers into the world of wildlife parenting and what it takes to ensure offspring survival. The Secret Knowledge of Animals delves into research projects around the world that reveal the secrets that shape animals’ lives and behaviors. Lisa Anna Schelhas, sales director, says, “Will animals show us the way out of the next pandemic? Can we deduce patterns in the development of climate change and natural catastrophes from their migration routes? We will find out in this documentary.”

APT Worldwide

“We’re the place to go to for high-quality documentaries.”

—Lisa Anna Schelhas

Confluence / Beneath the Polar Sun / America the Bountiful

The top program highlights from APT Worldwide include Confluence, a three-part series exploring the ways art, science and technology come together to spark creativity. It spotlights engineer and artist Zoe Laughlin, fashion designer Iris van Herpen and violinist Joshua Bell, among others. Beneath the Polar Sun, another APT Worldwide title, follows an Arctic expedition that gets caught in collapsing ice, revealing the disasters that can occur when the planet’s global cooling system doesn’t work properly, “an aspect of climate change that isn’t often explored but impacts us all,” says Judy Barlow, executive VP of international sales. America the Bountiful, meanwhile, “is a feast for the eyes, giving international viewers a look at the food and traditions in the heartland of America instead of the typical tourist destinations,” Barlow says.

BossaNova Media

“APT Worldwide is bringing a strong slate of new science, art, nature, history, food and travel programs to MIPTV.”

—Judy Barlow

Museum Mysteries / The Push / The World’s Biggest Cruise Ship

BossaNova Media’s Museum Mysteries “is effortlessly intentional,” says Holly Cowdery, head of sales. The title takes audiences into museums across the U.K., France, Spain and Germany, telling the stories of some of the objects and artifacts they closet. The Push aims to raise awareness of domestic honor killings, calling on governments to address this complex and often hidden issue. The story “will resonate with audiences around the world,” adds Cowdery. The World’s Biggest Cruise Ship takes a peek into a recent ship launch from the Royal Caribbean. The title offers a mix of engineering entertainment, unique visuals, heartfelt stories from crew all over the world and escapism as it explores the record-breaking Icon of the Seas, which entered service in January 2024.

“MIPTV will be an important market for us this year as we consolidate the development work we’ve done with our producer community.”

—Holly Cowdery

The World’s Biggest Cruise Ship

Confluence

Parents in the Wild

GRB Media Ranch

Tupac: 187 / God & Country / Stealing Churchill

GRB Media Ranch heads to MIPTV with a raft of factual highlights, including the 5x60-minute docuseries Tupac: 187 (w.t.). Nearly 30 years on from Tupac Shakur’s murder, he may finally receive justice when an accused Las Vegas man stands trial. However, the question remains whether the right man was caught. The company also has on offer the documentaries God & Country and Stealing Churchill (w.t.). God & Country “reveals the dangerous implications of Christian nationalism distorting the U.S. Constitution and Christianity itself,” says Sophie Fer ron, president. Stealing Churchill explores the heist of a famous Winston Churchill portrait from Ottawa’s Château Laurier that shocked the global art community and still remains unsolved. The nature of the case adds intrigue to the documentary, which delves into the world of art theft.

NHK Enterprises

Frontiers

The new documentary series Frontiers is on offer from NHK Enterprises. Two 50-minute episodes have been completed so far. “How Smart is AI?” explores the projects that are popping up all over the world to build the ultimate artificial intelligence. The program engages a generative AI robot in conversation. “Beyond all the mind-boggling technology is a glimpse into the surprising nature of human intelligence,” says Shin Yasuda, senior producer for international co-production in the content value development center. “The Discovery of Opal on Mars” analyzes the significance of NASA’s 2022 finding of an opal on the planet, which suggests new findings on the presence of water there. “Takashi Murakami: Always Chasing a Dream” is set to be completed soon, while the company is looking for co-producers for further episodes.

Passion Distribution

Frontiers

“As we continue to expand, we’re eager to meet with both producers and buyers.”

—Sophie Ferron

“The all-new documentary series takes a deep, intellectual dive into the mesmerizing world of cutting-edge science, space, history, art and more.”

—Shin Yasuda

Gold: A Journey with Idris Elba / Help! We Bought a Hotel / Churchill’s Forgotten War

The 90-minute documentary Gold: A Journey with Idris Elba, a highlight of the Passion Distribution slate, sees A-list actor Idris Elba take audiences on an adventure that explores the meaning of gold and how it has shaped cultures, religions and entire economies around the world. “Featuring a global star, this is a premium, continent-hopping documentary exploring the universal story of gold,” says Nick Tanner, director of sales and co-productions. “The production values, access and talent set it apart.” Also on the company’s slate, the six-part Help! We Bought a Hotel is an aspirational lifestyle series fol lowing daring entrepreneurs taking on the challenge of running a hotel. Churchill’s Forgotten War is a one-hour documentary that charts the actions of Winston Churchill at the beginning of World War II.

“We’re focused on providing mainstream yet distinctive unscripted content, participating in the creation of new projects and expanding the success of existing IP.”

—Nick Tanner

Gold: A Journey with Idris Elba

PBS International

The Choice 2024 / A.I. Revolution / Fly with Me

The Choice 2024 , directed by filmmaker Michael Kirk, headlines PBS International’s political lineup. The program explores in-depth biographies of U.S. presidential election candidates through interviews with those who know them personally and publicly. A.I. Revolution delves into what artificial intelligence is really doing, despite seeming to think, speak and create like real human beings. Leading experts explain what the technology can and cannot do today, as well as what may be ahead in fields from medicine to environmental preservation. Fly with Me tells the story of the pioneering women who became flight attendants at a time when single women were not allowed to do such simple things as eat alone in a restaurant, own a credit card or get a prescription for birth control.

Terra Mater Studios

Raptors—A Fistful of Daggers / Katavi / Healthy Cities—More Than Human

The miniseries Raptors—A Fistful of Daggers, from Terra Mater Studios, tells the story of how raptors conquered the globe. The blue-chip three-part Katavi plays out in an African landscape untouched by humans: Katavi National Park in southern Tanzania. Healthy Cities—More Than Human, available as a 2x50-minute miniseries and a 1x90-minute special, explores how biodiversity, cities’ ecosystems and our own health are affected by today’s trend toward rapid urbanization. The documentary visits cities all over the globe that are not only adapting to modern challenges but taking into account what exactly makes a city livable for all, offering what Sabine Holzer, head of specialist factual, calls “a charming, fresh perspective.” The company is also highlighting titles such as Wild Cape Town.

ZDF Studios

“We’d love to talk about co-production possibilities, as we’re bringing many new projects to the market.”

—Sabine Holzer

Time: A Journey Through Thousands of Years / The Lost Women Spies / Wild Talk

ZDF Studios’ Time: A Journey Through Thousands of Years analyzes long-term studies to see the effect time has on our lives, possibly making moments of joy rare. The program asks: Could we all escape from the time trap and have more happiness? The Lost Women Spies , a docudrama series about female British spies during WWII, is also on offer. Some survived, but some were captured, tortured and killed by the enemy. Currently in production, the six-parter is scheduled for completion in spring 2024. The new wildlife series Wild Talk reveals how animals communicate. The title “explores the latest exciting research on animal communication that decodes the complex languages of animals and discovers that they are just as talkative as humans,” explains Ralf Rückauer, VP Unscripted.

“Our catalog contains a wide selection of excellent documentaries created by talented producers and renowned coproducers.”

—Ralf Rückauer

Katavi

Taking place from June 18 to 20, 2024, the inaugural edition of the TV Real Festival will feature keynotes and panels with leading executives and creatives discussing the world of unscripted, from lifestyle, factual entertainment and docs to non-scripted entertainment and game-show formats. It will be streamed live and available on-demand on TVRealFestival.com.

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Ricardo Guise at rguise@worldscreen.com or Dana Mattison at dmattison@worldscreen.com.

E. Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin

Creative collaborators and life partners, E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin have produced a raft of projects for National Geographic in the five years since Free Solo landed them an Oscar win for best documentary. At Little Monster Films, the filmmakers have been bringing their unique lens to a wide array of topics, from a Northern Thailand cave rescue expedition in The Rescue to SpaceX and NASA’s first joint spaceflight in Return to Space. In National Geographic’s Photographer (also streaming on Disney+ and Hulu), Chin and Vasarhelyi profile several acclaimed photographers, exploring the art of their craft. By Mansha Daswani

TV REAL: Tell us how Photographer for National Geographic came about.

CHIN: This is the series we have been talking about, dreaming about, for years. I’m a National Geographic photographer. I’ve always been extremely inspired by my peer group, by any of the photographers who are able to make it in this world as photographers, because I know what it takes. We wanted to explore the passion, obsession, craft, creativity and vision it takes to make it as a photographer. We knew we had access to the best of the best image makers. That is something we want ed to leverage. There are all these incredible stories behind these images. Every image is a story. But the stories behind the images are fascinating and unique. People often take what goes into these images for granted. Chai has pointed out many times that more photographs have been taken in the last two years than in the history of photography. Everybody has a phone. But to make an iconic image—to get into these places and put yourself in these situations to capture images that can change the world—requires so much. That’s what we wanted to bring to life. You have to be so passionate about your subjects. You make so much sacrifice and take risks— physically, mentally and emotionally—to get to these places and capture these images. And you have to obsess. We’re pulling back the curtain and letting people see what it takes to do it, but also getting to know these photographers. We have these incredible photographers who also have their own stories. Learning how they got to where they are and why photography has been their outlet in life is something we are fascinated by.

TV REAL: You’re getting such great insights from these photographers. What’s been the approach to those interviews?

VASARHELYI: We are really lucky that we love what we do. It’s also really fun to be in your 40s and have worked at something for over 20 years. There’s a real comfort level in the process for us. You’re a warm light. You are interested and engaged. If we’re having a good time and enjoying the conversation, our participants are, too.

CHIN: It’s also a lot about trust. You have to establish and build a lot of trust. Some of the films we work on take years to make, and you build that trust. In some people, it takes a while to peel the onion and get through all the layers. The beauty of these longitudinal projects that we work on is you get that time to go deeper. That’s the type of work that we love to do and appreciate. It’s also the work that we appreciate in the directors that we were able to bring on to this project. This project was kind of an experiment. We took some of the greatest, most iconic photographers and paired them with the greatest nonfiction directors that we could find. We really trusted them to see what they could come up with.

VASARHELYI: It’s a testament to Nat Geo’s vision. They allowed us and the filmmakers the freedom to make these bespoke films that honor the photographers’ visions. Photographer showcases such a diverse group of individuals and types of photography. It was a real pleasure to have the space and creative resources to honor these photographers.

CHIN: It’s not a formulaic approach. Like Chai said, we wanted to make them bespoke. Each one had to speak to the creativity, vision and passion of each of the photographers.

TV REAL: Tell us about your relationship with National Geo graphic and the creative freedom you’ve found to tell the stories you want to tell.

VASARHELYI: We’re really lucky to have them as partners. Especially for me as a female filmmaker, it’s been a real privilege to be able to work under Courteney Monroe [president of National Geographic Global Networks] and Carolyn Bernstein [executive VP of global scripted content and documentary films]. In four years, we have made seven films with Nat Geo. It’s a really nurturing and empowering relationship.

CHIN: It’s part of their mission to expand people’s understanding of the human experience. That’s a well we go back to often. It’s bringing to light stories that people don’t always get to see or hear about.

Terra Mater Studios’ Dethroned.

JUST THE

FACTS

Amid significant shifts in the broader media business, leading distributors share insights with Mansha Daswani on navigating the latest developments in the factual sector.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a sector of the content business that isn’t feeling the poststreaming-wars-meets-economic-anxiety pressure points that have been building over the last year. But for the most part, those in the non-scripted business are feeling reasonably confident about charting a course through 2024’s choppy waters.

“The often mentioned ‘reset button’ has been well and truly pushed—we are now coming out of the other side,” says Paul Heaney, CEO of BossaNova Media. “We are in a higher risk landscape without doubt, so, obviously, the rewards are greater too. But we are talking factual, so it’s all relative in that regard. The BossaNova team is finding it very encouraging right now; projects from all areas of the content spectrum are coming our way, budgets big and small, one-offs and series, and the subject matter is showing signs of widening—it needs to! We were in danger of everyone crowding into a few subgenres and fighting for attention.”

Of course, budget cuts are across the board, observes Anne Olzmann, the managing director of Albatross World Sales. “With the market in turmoil, many of our contacts have been let go, and teams have been reduced, so the remaining buyers now have an even bigger workload. Therefore, the commissioning and acquisition processes have become much slower all over the world, which is quite frustrating for all parties involved. There also seems to be a major shift from commissioning to acquiring more.”

Natalie Lawley, managing director of Escapade Media, is feeling bullish about her company’s factual distribution segment. “The overall feeling is that factual content has been experiencing a boom, which will continue for the foreseeable future,” she says. “Escapade has seen some significant

moves in the factual space over the past six months. Our clients are very specific about what they want and why they want certain projects, which is working well for Escapade’s presale model. We can work with innovative finance models and look to get the project into production faster.”

SAVING THE PLANET

Terra Mater Studios is eagerly tapping into global demand for natural history content, spurred partly by audiences’ increasing concern for the environment.

“As climate change and environmental issues become more pressing, people are more interested in learning about the natural world and the species that inhabit it,” reports Sabine Holzer, head of specialist factual at Terra Mater. “This increased environmental awareness can drive viewership and engagement with content that educates and informs about these topics. Simultaneously, natural history content provides a form of escape in our fast-paced and often stressful modern society. Watching serene and beautiful natural scenes can have a calming effect, which is appealing to many viewers. Natural history content is often seen as both entertaining and educational, making it a popular choice for people who want to learn while they watch. Last but not least, many natural history documentaries now focus on global stories, showing how interconnected our planet is. This resonates with a more globally conscious audience interested in understanding their local environment and the wider world—and goes hand in hand with the aforementioned awareness and escapism.”

Terra Mater Studios is capitalizing on this consumer interest with a new FAST channel, Terra Mater WILD, in partnership with Autentic Distribution. It has rolled out on key platforms in German-speaking territories, including

Samsung TV Plus, Amazon Freevee and Pluto TV. “The channel is still young, but its performance already underscores the immense popularity of this kind of content, so we are exploring further expansion into new territories and platforms, catering to the insatiable curiosity of nature audiences around the globe,” Holzer says. “We also run our own YouTube channel with exclusively produced content that has already garnered more than 67 million views and will soon reach 500,000 subscribers.”

FAST TIMES

AVOD is, indeed, becoming a more important distribution window for IP owners, and FAST, the buzzword for the entire business in 2023, is a vital part of that mix.

“It’s still a bit of a buzzword, and it has moved on from being merely that as the big guns move in with more FAST offerings,” BossaNova’s Heaney says. “It is generally singleIP focused, so something we are very conscious of. The operators are making good offers for the right content.”

Albatross’s Olzmann observes, “FAST is here to stay, and FAST channels are growing. However, when it comes to docs and factual, they are also starting to look very similar in each genre. Many decision-makers are currently bulkbuying non-exclusive rights, so one program can be on 20 different channels. It will get harder to stand out as a FAST channel, and we’ll probably see streaming platforms become more selective of the FAST channels they take on.”

And, Olzmann reports, while AVOD revenues have been on the rise for years, “we need to sell many more hours for the same revenue.”

Heaney echoes this sentiment: “In terms of financing, we are being totally pragmatic; with barely 1,000 hours, we need to ensure we are delivering the highest fees for our producers. AVOD is catching up here, but we have high expectations.”

Escapade’s Lawley adds: “We have been working with the larger AVOD players for some time now, so I would not say they are playing a greater role. In conjunction with other rights, we are working with them to try to monetize all rights a project offers. I can say that we are certainly seeing higher revenues from the AVOD players coming through.”

WISH LISTS

While windowing and financing strategies continue to evolve, rights owners remain focused on the topline concern: making sure they have the types of content the market demands.

Heaney identifies three key areas of interest: “A franchise with great access that could return, old favorites that can scale up and deliver even more episodes across a year and noisy signature singles and short-run series to prevent churn and attract a subscriber base.”

Olzmann boils down the overall commissioning sentiment in the market now to: “Bigger, better, fewer. This can be good for distributors of finished programs in the short term, but this also means fewer programs available in the long run.”

In terms of what buyers are looking for, meanwhile, Olzmann observes: “There seems to be a tougher acquisitions ‘grid,’ resulting in very stiff rules with fewer and fewer exceptions to the rules. For example, there are buyers who buy natural history programs—which shouldn’t include any humans. And by this, they not only mean interviews but even any signs of civilization, which is

BossaNova’s slate of returning series includes Highway Cops, now in its eighth season.

Passion Distribution arrives at MIPTV with a second season of Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over USA

quite a paradox, considering the most pressing theme of our time: the human impact on the planet. Hybrid programs mixing different genres don’t work as well anymore. They have never done great, but it feels like they tend to work even less. On the upside, the demand and slots are there, and documentaries are very popular with the audience. However, we need to observe the market constantly and carefully and be ready to reevaluate our strategy.”

Escapade’s Lawley points to the sustained interest in true-crime shows but stresses that they must “offer something different, whether it be a different way of telling the story, a different and new approach or new updates on well-known crimes. We have also seen a need for content covering history, antiques and renovation.”

Lawley also reports an increased interest in “enhanced acquisitions,” noting: “Since commissioning and acquisitions budgets around the world are tighter than ever, by offering our clients an enhanced acquisition position, we

have been able to complete budgets efficiently and provide original content to various partners. This model has been working well for Escapade.”

Reflecting on the overall trend in license fees, Albatross’s Olzmann notes: “With budget cuts for almost all linear TV buyers, the license fees are overall lower per hour. At the same time, AVOD and FAST clients are becoming more established and have started offering license fees.”

BossaNova’s Heaney observes that fees have been largely stable, “but as the content prism has narrowed, if it hits the spot, perhaps there’s more chance of getting a higher fee than last year as many buyers are going for the same thing.”

THE ROAD TO CANNES

As the industry convenes in Cannes, the big question for many attendees will be about the future of MIPDoc and MIPTV. Speculation looms that the annual spring market will head elsewhere or end its storied 60-plus-year run.

“MIPTV is a crucial opportunity for us to connect with partners from all over the world, with a particular focus on European relationships,” says Nick Tanner, the director of sales and co-productions at Passion Distribution.

“MIPTV has always been a set date in our calendars,” Olz mann says. “Together with MIPDoc, it has been one of the most important events for us and our buyers, but this has changed since the pandemic. We noticed less interest from buyers to come to Cannes in April in recent years, and MIPDoc hasn’t been nearly as successful as before the pandemic. It is quite costly for a market, and unless MIPTV can attract more buyers, we will need to reevaluate the scope of our attendance.”

“It feels like this is the last MIPTV now,” Heaney says. “It makes sense that while everything else in the industry has changed, why shouldn’t the markets do the same? Cannes had the monopoly forever, and now that’s over. Lon don TV Screenings and MIPCOM are the two essential markets; everyone else should form an orderly queue behind them. MIPTV is not the only dying market, so don’t take it personally, RX Global, but it is a message to all markets to listen to and watch the customer base at the earliest stage and take nothing for granted, as well as to make an effort to spend the money to pay for the key buyers to attend. RX Global has done this over the years, but if it drops off, it’s over.”

Wildlife is a strong suit at Albatross World Sales, with a lineup that includes Scandinavia.

Rose Gold is a new feature-length sports documentary on offer from Escapade Media.

Connecting the Dots

GoQuest Media’s Jimmy George on what’s guiding the company’s co-production strategy.

By Kristin Brzoznowski

After having distributed content from international producers for more than a decade and gaining insights into the business of making content, GoQuest Media is applying its knowledge and experience to get access to a wider range of IPs. This means having its name behind a project GoQuest could see being built from scratch. “The aim with co-producing was also to engage in a creative collaboration with partners from other regions and countries and expand our reach,” says Jimmy George, VP of sales and acquisitions. “We hope to back projects that have innovative

GoQuest Media’s Crusade.

storytelling, diverse perspectives and high- quality content that resonates with global audiences.”

The groundwork for success in this arena has now been laid with the Turkish daily series Kuma (The Other Wife), co-produced with the Miami-based telenovela specialists VIP 2000 TV and done in partnership with the Turkish production company Stellar Yapım.

George says that Kuma has all the trappings of a Turkish daily series in terms of drama, relationships, romance and intrigue, “but

“We want a win-win situation for everyone involved and will ensure these titles reach wider audiences.” — Jimmy George

takes it further by examining the repercussions of imposing tradition in the modern world.” The story follows a young woman from eastern Turkey forced to become a “kuma” (or second wife) to the brother of the man she is accused of killing.

Other priority titles from GoQuest include the period crime drama Erinyes, sold in Greece and Lithuania; the dramedy series Troll Farm, the format for which has been optioned to an Indian production company; and the police procedural Crusade.

“We’re adding some intriguing and interesting productions to our catalog, both short- and long-running, that will cater to our clients’ demands in this ever-changing market,” George says. “We want a win-win situation for everyone involved and will ensure these titles reach wider audiences.”

THE LEADING SOURCE FOR PROGRAM INFORMATION

ALBATROSS WORLD SALES

O (49-341) 4428-2450

m info@albatrossworldsales.com

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Stand: R7.L21

Parents in the Wild (Nature/wildlife, 2x52 min.) From king penguins to guereza monkeys, animal parents give their all to raise their offspring. This visually stunning documentary captures profound moments of parenting in the wilderness.

Wild Argentina—Land of Extremes

(Nature/wildlife, 3x50 min./1x90 min.) Explore Argentina’s stunning landscapes and diverse wildlife, from newborn marine creatures on the rugged coastline to pumas in the Andes. Nature’s Magic Moments (Nature/wildlife, 1x52 min.) Discover the hidden wonders of nature with state-of-the-art camera technology capturing kingfishers, brown hares, bats and more in stunning detail.

Good News from Planet Earth (Sustainability/science, 6x52 min.) Highlights inspiring global efforts in climate solutions and environmental protection.

Steppe Pumas (Nature/wildlife/conservation, 4x48 min.) In the stunning Patagonian wilderness, this series explores human-nature conflicts. Pumas, livestock and conservation efforts clash. Can coexistence or survival prevail?

Scandinavia (Nature/science, 2x52 min.) From the polar night’s darkness to the sun’s return, witness how inhabitants and wildlife adapt to Scan dinavia’s seasonal rhythms—all captured in a mesmerizing journey through the North’s changing landscapes.

The Secret Knowledge of Animals

(Nature/wildlife/science, 1x52 min.) Scientists are bringing to light the invisible network that shapes animals’ lives, migration and behaviors and how it can help us predict natural disasters. The Remarkable Hand—From Touch to Triumph (Science/medicine, 1x52 min.) Discover the remarkable versatility of our hands, from esports athletes’ skills to prosthetic advancements. Explore the intersection of hands and the brain, revealing the scientific strides shaping the future.

Stories from Eastern Europe (Travel/culture, 4x43 min.) Witness Konjic’s woodcarvers, Georgian wine culture, Slovenia’s Pust carnival and Tatarstan’s empowered women and experience Eastern Europe’s vibrant heritage.

Buffalo Bill—The Inventor of the Wild West (History, 1x52 min.) Explore the origins of the mythos of the Wild West, shaped by showman William “Buffalo Bill” Cody. Discover how his show revolutionized entertainment, making him the first superstar and founder of modern show business.

Parents in the Wild

AMUZ DISTRIBUTION

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About Antoine (Dramedy, S1-2: 20x30 min.) An uplifting story of love and family triumphing over limitations. Authenticity, sensitivity and humor explore life with a poly-handicapped child.

Anyway… (Comedy, 30x30 min.) Award-nominated comedy series featuring the loving, stormy and genuinely funny relationship between a mother and her two adult children living in the big city.

Counter Offer (Comedy, S1-4: 48x30 min.) The family-run Levesque agency desperately tries to survive the highly unpredictable real estate industry. In Lieu of Flowers (Comedy format) Studio variety format where artists attend their own mock funeral. Surrounded by peers and loved ones they inspired, they celebrate life with live music and studio audiences.

Larry (Dramedy, 10x60 min.) Larry, a former undercover police officer with a tarnished reputation, is now a security guard with an injured wife. He tries to improve his situation.

LOL—ComediHa! (Comedy, 154x30 min.) Unique comedy series of non-verbal sketches where versatile characters evolve in different scenarios: incompetent nuclear engineers, remorseless ambulance drivers, impatient chefs.

Snowball Effect (Comedy, 25x30 min.) Simon becomes a popular festival’s mascot. Disguised as a friendly snowman, he employs shady methods to become the greatest snowman of all time.

The Clan (Dramedy, S1-2: 12x60 min.) Follows Yannick Moreau, a repentant criminal who lives hidden under a new identity in witness protection.

Valmont (Mystery, S1-5: 119x60 min.) A woman, mother, eldest of five sisters and devoted heir to the family farm has her world turned upside down when her husband dies.

Writers’ Block (Comedy, 22x60 min.) Two TV showrunners experience creative failure for season one of their crime series but must create season two. They try to acquire genuine criminal experiences, leading to trouble.

APC KIDS

O (33-1) 8508-7022 m lionel.marty@apckids.com w www.aboutpremiumcontent.com Stand: R7.E2

Hawa & Adam (Tween live-action sci-fi, 13x24 min.) What if the world could only be saved by two teens who have never seen or met each other but communicate through a magic diary?

Walter’s Christmas: Keeper of the Forest (Family live-action fantasy/adventure, 24x26 min.)

About Antoine

Walter wants to prevent his family farm from being sold after holding one last Christmas market. When magical creatures from the forest show up, he realizes there is way more to save.

Isadora Moon (Kids 2D, 52x11 min.) Isadora is a fairy vampire who doesn’t realize just how special she is. She might have a lot to learn about the human world.

Jade Armor (Kids CGI, 26x22 min.) Lan Jun suddenly becomes a legendary hero, thrust into actionpacked adventures, with the help of her friends and the mystical Beasticons.

Sheep’s Hotel (Preschool 2D, 104x5 min.) Little lambs Bella and Benny and their close-knit family of sheep run a small, independent hotel for guests and their kids.

Kididoc (Kids 2D, 52x11 min.) Two kids and their extraterrestrial friend travel to a parallel universe to find answers to any question, on any topic, while on exciting adventures.

DinoCity (Preschool 2D, S1-2: 104x5 min.) In a world where dinosaurs live an urban life like ours, Ricky and his elder sister Tyra turn most everyday situations into something quite extraordinary.

Tinka (Family live-action fantasy/adventure, 72x26 min.) Fifteen-year-old pixie Tinka discovers she is also

half human and embarks on a true adventure to save the kingdom with her new friend Lasse.

Angelo, Wake Up! It’s Christmas! (Kids CGI, 1x60 min.) Angelo finds himself on Santa’s naughty list and gets stuck reliving the day before Christmas over and over again, in a nightmarish yuletide time loop.

Once Upon a Time… The Objects (6-10 2D, 78x7 min.) After seven series and a growing range of licensed educational products, Maestro returns with a new series in which children discover objects that surround them in their daily lives.

APT WORLDWIDE

O (1-617) 338-4455

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Stand: R7.F8

China Frame by Frame (History, 1x60 min.) Explores key moments in China’s recent history, using rare footage from inside the country.

Higgins Ridge (History, 1x60 min.) The true story of smokejumpers who found themselves fighting for their lives on a hilltop surrounded by a fastmoving wildfire with no way to escape.

Hawa & Adam

China Frame by Frame

Rise of the Freemen (Doc., 1x110 min.) How an undercover FBI operation broke up a movement of armed farmers and ranchers who wanted to overthrow the government and start their own country. America the Bountiful (Lifestyle/travel, 13x30 min.) A journey into America’s heartland to meet artisans, restaurateurs, farmers and home cooks, exploring the food that they grow, produce and eat.

Bridging Divides, Sharing Heartbeats (Doc., 1x60 min.) In six stories, groups with diverse members come together to find their common bonds.

Confluence (Science/art/culture, 3x60 min.) Explores the enduring and often surprising connections between three of the most essential aspects of the human experience: art, science and creativity.

Beneath the Polar Sun (Nature/science, 1x60 min.) A research team sets out to measure the world’s largest and oldest sea ice floes—and is faced with the stark effects of climate change. A Final Landing on Iwo Jima (Military/history, 1x60 min.) A Marine veteran returns to Iwo Jima and a veteran’s son searches for the details of his father’s time on the island.

Village of Death: Oradour-sur-Glane 1944 (Military/history, 1x60 min.) The story of one of the worst atrocities of WWII, when a German SS unit killed 643 innocent civilians in the French village of Oradour-sur-Glane.

Dream of Italy (Travel/lifestyle, S3: 6x30 min.; total: 19x30 min.) Join Italian travel expert Kathy McCabe as she explores Italy. Meet the country’s locals, chefs, artisans and historians who are celebrating its traditions and future.

ATRESMEDIA TELEVISIÓN

m sales@atresmediatv.com

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Stand: R7.J11

Sueños de libertad (Dreams of Freedom) (Soap opera, 236x50 min.) Begoña is trapped in a toxic marriage. She will try to escape and strive for freedom. A story of love, betrayal and rivalry inside the family.

Vestidas de azul (Veneno S2: Dressed in Blue) (Drama, 7x50 min.) The second season of Veneno, produced by Los Javis, is set two years after the death of La Veneno. Valeria investigates and narrates the experiences of six transgender women in the early 1980s, a very hostile period for the community. Red Flags (Teen drama, 8x30 min.) Close friends Toni, Érika, Luna and Walter connect solely through a social network, challenging their beliefs about life, love and friendship.

Déjate ver (Show Yourself) (Dramedy, 8x30 min.) Deals with universal themes such as the concept of identity, personal fulfillment, the art world and loneliness through the eyes of Ana, the personal assistant of the artist Bassil.

Sueños de libertad (Dreams of Freedom)

Un nuevo amanecer (A New Sunrise) (Comedy, 8x30 min.) Candela, a famous comedian battling addiction, suffers a live breakdown on her talent show. Financial constraints lead her to detox at the public center, A New Sunrise.

Zorras (Tramps) (Dramedy, 8x30 min.) Based on the trilogy created by Noemí Casquet, a series about free women, friendship, self-love and a lot of sex.

La caja de arena (The Sandbox) (Drama, 6x30 min.) Sheds light on bullying in adolescents. It dissects the weeks leading up to a terrible event.

El Desafío (The Challenge) (Ent., S1: 8x120 min., S2-3: 10x120 min. each, S4-5: 12x120 min. each) Eight celebrities face challenges every week with the aim of being the best in the game.

Gabinete de crisis (Crisis Cabinet) (Doc., 6x50 min.) Are we prepared to face a major catastrophe? Journalism, scientific dissemination and entertainment are combined to analyze six potential future scenarios.

El Novato (The Rookie) (Ent., S1: 12x90 min., S2: 13x90 min.) One of Spain’s beloved footballers, Joaquín, meets celebrities to learn about their personal and professional journeys, preparing for what could be his future profession.

BAVARIA MEDIA INTERNATIONAL

O (49-89) 6499-3097 m international@bavaria-media.de w www.bavaria-media.com Stand: R7.E45

Port Poison (Crime drama, 8x25 min./4x45 min.)

Santeri, a 25-year-old student and a good-hearted son, puts moral questions aside to raise money for

his alcoholic mother’s treatment by selling drugs. But he faces consequences when he messes with the wrong people.

Souls Without Walls (Biopic, 1x95 min.) Katarina Witt, a world-famous GDR figure skater, and her coach, Jutta Müller, navigate team spirit and disagreements and search for identity during their Olympic comeback in 1994 for a unified Germany.

Lifeline (Medical drama, 6x48 min.) Emergency doctor Nina Haddad goes from mission to mission with her colleagues, often confronted with life-threatening situations and personal tragedies of patients.

Last X-Mas (Rom-com, 1x95 min.) To fulfill her grandfather’s last Christmas wish, Natalie, a young single woman, sets out to find a new boyfriend before the holidays with the family.

Inside A Family (Suspense drama, 6x45 min.) In the midst of a joyous wedding celebration, the Schwarz family’s dark past resurfaces when a family member mysteriously disappears, forcing them to confront long-buried secrets.

Dark Lake (Horror, S2: 8x45 min.) Police officer Valerie has solved the mystery of the village and faces a new challenge: her son has mutated into a werewolf. She seeks a cure to save him and escape the village.

Port Poison

Underdogs (Crime/thriller, 5x90 min.) Detective thrillers play at untangling deep psychological knots through unexpected turns of human darkness, all while struggling to solve the next bizarre murder. Dr. Dog (Drama, 10x90 min.) In new episodes, psychologist Paul and therapy dog Käthe aid a dementia patient and a blind young woman battling anxiety for a normal life.

Toni the Midwife (Rom-com, 10x90 min.) Male midwife Toni faces challenges in his field. After losing his hospital job, he partners with gynecologist Luise, but past events complicate their collaboration.

Storm of Love—Love Will Light the Way (Telenovela, S20: 200x50 min.) Coming back in search for her passion, Anna finds herself caught between three hearts: a needy horse, Phillip and Vincent. There is also an inheritance.

BOAT ROCKER

O (1-416) 591-0065 m sales@boatrocker.com w www.boatrocker.com Stand: R7.M20

Dino Ranch (2-5 comedy adventure, S3: 52x11 min.) Follows the action-packed adventures of the Cassidy family as they tackle life in a fantastical, “pre-westoric” setting where dinosaurs still roam.

The Next Step (Teen/tween live-action, S9: 22x30 min.) Follows the lives of dancers at The Next Step Dance Studio as they attempt to win championships.

The Strange Chores (6-11 2D adventure/comedy, S3: 26x11 min.) Two teenage wannabe warrior heroes and a super high-spirited ghost girl master the skills they need to replace the world’s greatest

(and oldest) monster hunter by doing his strange, supernatural chores.

American Rust: Broken Justice (Drama, 10x60 min.) Police detective Del Harris (Jeff Daniels) attempts to infiltrate and bring down the Brotherhood, a corrupt ring of fellow officers operating out of the Pittsburgh Police Department.

Robyn Hood (Drama, 8x60 min.) Robyn Loxley and her masked hip-hop band take on local property developer John Prince and the sheriff, righting the wrongs of the corrupt elite to give back to the people.

Beacon 23 (Drama, 8x60 min.) Follows Aster (Lena Headey) and Halan (Stephan James), whose fates become entangled after they find themselves trapped together at the end of the known universe.

Orphan Black: Echoes (Drama, 10x60 min.) Follows a group of women as they weave their way into each other’s lives and embark on a thrilling journey, unraveling the mystery of their identity and uncovering a wrenching story of love and betrayal. Secrets in the Ice (History/civilization, S1-3: 26x60 min.) Goes to the most remote, cold and inhospitable places on the planet to reveal great mysteries that were once frozen in time, merging CGI re-creations, advanced scanning technology and scientific research.

American Rust: Broken Justice

The Truth About My Murder (Crime/investigation, S2: 10x60 min.) Forensic pathologist Dr. Richard Shepherd has performed nearly 23,000 autopsies, including on some of the most high-profile cases of recent times.

Mary Makes it Easy (Food, S3: 25x30 min.) Filmed in her home kitchen, the series follows Mary Berg as she shares tips, tricks and recipes to solve everyday cooking conundrums.

BOSSANOVA MEDIA

O (44-20) 8124-8419

m sales@bossanovamedia.com

w www.bossanovamedia.com

Stand: R7.E55

The World’s Biggest Cruise Ship (Access/obdoc., 2x60 min.) Provides exclusive access to Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, revealing the inner workings, engineering marvels and diverse stories of crew and passengers.

Museum Mysteries (History/mystery, 6x60 min.) Delves into the hidden narratives, secrets and peculiar stories behind artifacts in Europe’s renowned museums, uncovering untold histories and concealed messages.

The Push (Crime/investigation, 2x90 min./3x60 min.) The inside story of a murder trial in Edinburgh,

Scotland, where a man stands accused of pushing his wife from a hillside to her death.

The Infinite Deep: Stories of Lost Submarines (History/mystery, 1x60 min./1x90 min.) Explores tales of submarine disasters, analyzing their causes and the physical and psychological trauma experienced by crews in their final moments.

Borderforce USA: The Bridges (Access/obdoc., S1-5: 52x60 min.) Showcases the diverse and dangerous array of characters attempting illicit entry from Mexico, including drug cartels, human traffickers and wanted criminals.

Secrets of the Lost Liners (History/mystery, S12: 12x60 min.) Delves into the history of ocean liners, exposing their extravagant pasts, tragic losses and dramatic events through exclusive footage and survivor testimonies.

Mt Hutt Rescue (Access/ob-doc., S1-2: 18x60 min.) Follows ski patrollers, medics and mountain crew in New Zealand’s top ski destination, managing mishaps, emergencies and family holiday drama against a winter landscape.

Take Me Home (Nature/animals, S1-2: 14x60 min.) A special type of dating show that match es dogs looking for love with owners who have love to give.

Highway Cops (Access/ob-doc., S1-8: 100x30 min.) Captures the daily challenges faced by New Zealand officers patrolling 11,000 kilometers of roads, from upturned sheep trailers to novice tourists and rural dangers.

Motorway Patrol (Access/ob-doc., S1-22: 222x30 min.) Offers full access to New Zealand’s Road Policing Team, delivering a roller coaster of motorway mayhem, laughter, tears and cringe-worthy moments.

The World’s Biggest Cruise Ship

CINEFLIX RIGHTS

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Stand: P4.C18K

Ramses The Great: King of Ancient Egypt (History, 6x60 min.) One of humankind’s most enduring myths is exposed.

Little Sapiens (Factual, 1x60 min.) Reveals how prehistoric children may have been the drivers of human evolution.

In Memoriam (Psychological drama, 8x60 min.) The heirs of a businessman must go through a series of disturbing ordeals to get their hands on his $84 million fortune.

Château DIY (Fact-ent., S1-7: 209x60 min.) With the latest seasons narrated by Bridgerton ’s Adjoa Andoh, follows courageous château owners as they restore and transform worn-yet-wonderful castles across France.

Sue Perkins into Alaska (Fact-ent., 3x60 min.) Follows the beloved U.K. comedian on a daring adventure at the edge of civilization.

So Long, Marianne (Drama, 8x60 min.) The legendary love story between the iconic singer and poet Leonard Cohen and an extraordinary Norwegian woman, Marianne Ihlen.

Ainsley’s Taste of Malta (Fact-ent., 5x60 min.) Join Ainsley Harriott as he explores the effervescent culture and cuisine of this historic island paradise.

Amanda Owen’s Farming Lives (Fact-ent., 6x60 min.) Follow Britain’s most famous shepherdess as she immerses herself in the daily lives of six very different farms.

Police 999: Clear and Present Danger (True crime, 6x60 min.) Featuring raw bodycam footage, gives viewers a front-row seat to the most extreme law-enforcement calls in Britain.

Last King of The Cross (Crime drama, S1-2: 18x60 min.) Inspired by John Ibrahim’s best-selling autobiography charting his rise from a povertystricken immigrant with no education, no money and no prospects to Australia’s most infamous nightclub mogul.

CJ ENM

O (82-2) 371-9338 m cjwatch@watchcjenm.net w watch.cjenm.com

Stand: R7.N9

Couple Palace (Dating/reality/studio) A real wedding project with 100 singles aiming to find destiny at a matchmaking palace.

Couple Palace

Ramses The Great: King of Ancient Egypt

King of Karaoke: VS (Music/competition/talent)

Mega vocal showdown program starring singers from various backgrounds who strive to be the one and only karaoke king.

Lovely Runner (Fantasy/romance drama) The story of an A-list celebrity who ended his life and the woman who travels in time to save him.

CYBER GROUP STUDIOS

O (33-7) 8282-4481

m latlanov@cybergroupstudios.com w www.cybergroupstudios.com Stand: R7.E2

Press Start! (Bridge CGI comedy/adventure, 52x11 min.) Follow Sunny and Rue in their incredible adventure inside a video game with their favorite hero, Super Rabbit Boy.

Alex Player (Kids 2D/CGI adventure/esport, 26x22 min.) Alex and his teammates juggle their school life and their training to win the esports national interschool championship.

Droners (Kids 2D/CGI adventure/comedy, S1-2: 52x22 min.) To save Terraqua, the Tikis head to Tortuga, Queen Scarlett’s island, home of the Rotor Punch competition. The winners will get the chance to seize the Queen’s treasure.

Gigantosaurus (Upper preschool 2D/CGI comedy/adventure, S1-3: 156x11 min./78x26 min.) Follow the adventures of Tiny, Rocky, Bill and Mazu in Cretacia, where every day is a new adventure, under the watchful eye of Gigantosaurus.

Alpha and Omega (Kids animation/adventure, 3x45 min.) Kate and Humphrey are back with three wolf pups. Nothing can keep them from being together.

50/50 Heroes (Kids 2D comedy/adventure, 52x11 min.) Half-siblings Mo and Sam found out

they inherited superpowers from their ancestor, but the problem is they need to share them.

Press Start!

Taffy (Kids/family 2D comedy, S1-2: 156x7 min.)

Taffy the raccoon and Bentley the dog are two “partners in crime” for vigorous adventures and new crazy chases.

Nefertine on the Nile (Bridge 2D/CGI comedy, 52x13 min.) Nefertine is an 8-year-old girl with inexhaustible curiosity and great courage who lives in ancient Egypt, aspiring to be the first female scribe. Norm of the North (Kids 2D adventure/comedy, 3x90 min.) Norm, his family and the Lemmings go on new epic journeys. The polar bear will need a lot of courage and will learn the importance of working together.

Squared Zebra (Preschool 2D comedy/edutainment, 78x7 min.) Every day is an adventure with Squared Zebra and her friends as they learn from their differences in a cute and fun way.

DORI MEDIA GROUP

O (972-3) 647-8185

m sales@dorimedia.com w www.dorimedia.com

Lalola (Comedy, 10x30 min.) Lalo’s life changes when he breaks Romina’s heart and she goes to a witch to teach him a lesson. He wakes up turned

into Lola and learns to be a woman with all its disadvantages in a macho world while seeking to reverse the spell.

Indal (Action drama, 8x45 min.) A group of Ethiopian Israeli youth decide to kidnap the police officer who peppered their adolescence with abuse and eventually murdered their closest friend.

Amia (Political/action drama, 8x45 min.) A Mossad agent hooks up with a local Argentinean journalist to find those responsible for a terrorist attack. Their journey draws them into a world of espionage, intelligence agencies and arms dealers.

Yum Factor (Cooking competition) Flips the script on culinary competitions. This isn’t about the professionals; it’s about the everyday culinary maestros.

15 a la Hora (Minimum Wage) (Drama, 10x30 min.) Three Latina women in Los Angeles, each carrying a difficult past and an even harder present, decide to take charge of their destiny and open their own cleaning services business.

Power Couple (Reality format) Eight couples face extreme challenges that will test how well they really know each other.

The Best of All (Game-show format) Is the average answer from a large group of people always closer to the right result than the answer of one?

Nehama (Dramedy, 8x60 min.) A father of five children loses his wife in an accident and is forced

to face, in addition to his personal grief, raising his children and the dream that he now seeks to fulfill: conquering the world of stand-up.

Hammam (Drama, 6x45 min.) A journey inspired by the Biblical story of Saul and David, taking place in an abandoned military base in the desert.

Shtisel (Drama, 33x45 min.) A bachelor Haredi (ultraOrthodox) and his widowed father share an apartment, a cynical sense of humor and a quest for love and a little motherly warmth in the cold world of God.

ECCHO RIGHTS

O (46-8) 5560-9380 m info@ecchorights.com

w ecchorights.com

Stand: R7.M19

Behind the Veil (Drama, 55x45 min.) Willing to do anything for her sick brother, Hançer marries Cihan, the sole heir of a wealthy family tasked with continuing his noble bloodline.

Winds of Love (Drama, 140x45 min.) Halil is waiting for the right time to take revenge on those who stole his past, but the plan becomes more complicated when he falls in love with Zeynep.

I Am Mother (Drama, 78x45 min.) Unfolds the journey of Karsu; a mother’s unwavering fight for her son, her family and her heart’s desires.

Fallen (Drama, 8x60 min.) Live, love, die, repeat. Each time Luce falls in love, she dies. But this is her last life, and there are controlling forces she must battle.

Golden Boy (Drama, S2: 131x45 min.) Ferit is shot after saving Seyran from marrying Tarık. Although his family opposes, Ferit’s love for Seyran is undeniable, and the two get married.

Granite Harbour (Drama, S2: 3x45 min.) When a well-known underworld figure is found dead after a

Indal

supposed ketamine overdose, Lindo must find the source of the new dangerous designer drug.

The Vanishing Triangle (Drama, 6x45 min.)

Newspaper reporter Lisa believes the disappearance of young women may be linked to the man who murdered her mother 20 years earlier.

The Inheritance (Drama, 8x22 min./4x45 min.)

After the unexpected death of their father, three siblings are left reeling, desperately trying to claw back the inheritance that they have lost.

Ömer (Drama, S2: 128x45 min.) After Gamze is taken to America, Ömer’s life starts falling apart. At the same time, Vicdan returns to town and befriends Ömer with ulterior motives.

Redemption (Drama, S2: 273x45 min.) Hira, who was presumed dead, reappears, living a new life with amnesia. When Orhun finds Hira, he desperately tries to remind her of their past.

ELECTRIC ENTERTAINMENT

O (1-323) 817-1300

m sales@electricentertainment.com

w www.electricentertainment.com

Stand: R7.G19

The Librarians: The Next Chapter (Action/adventure, 12x60 min.) The spin-off of the original hit series follows a “Librarian” from

the past who time-traveled to the present and now finds himself stuck here. His castle is now a museum, and he inadvertently releases magic across the continent.

Leverage: Redemption (Action/crime, S1-2: 29x60 min., S3: 10x60 min. in prod.) This season, the team pits themselves against a power broker, a mayor, a pool hustler and an industrialist exploiting child labor, all while dodging a plan of vengeance from a season-one enemy.

The Ark (Sci-fi drama, S1-2: 24x60 min.) The spacecraft “Ark One” and its remaining crew members try to survive after a catastrophic event causes massive destruction to the ship during its mission to save humankind.

The Librarians: The Next Chapter

Almost Paradise (Action/crime, S1-2: 20x60 min.) A U.S. DEA agent retires to a tranquil beach in the Philippines. Against the doctor’s orders, he uses his skills as a longtime operative to put away criminals.

ESCAPADE MEDIA

O (61) 411-035317

m natalie@escapademedia.com.au

w www.escapademedia.com.au

Dancing Daggers (Fantasy drama, 10x60 min.)

In Eldland, a wizard detective and his halfling

Behind the Veil

apprentice are summoned to a remote tavern to solve the murder of the Elf Princess.

Debriefing the President (Drama, 4x60 min.)

The capture, interrogation and execution of Sad dam Hussain, based on the extraordinary memoir of the CIA analyst John Nixon, who found and questioned him in the desert.

Breakaway Femmes (Factual, 1x90 min.) There has never been a more poignant time to celebrate these women’s achievements and inspire future women to ride the Tour de France.

Rose Gold (Factual, 1x90 min.) After 70 years of gallant performances and crushing defeats, what will it take for Patty Mills and the Boomers to finally bring home an Olympic medal?

For the Love of Pets (Fact-ent., S2: 8x60 min.) A heartwarming series offering fascinating and entertaining insights into the world of people and pets at a unique time when pet ownership has never been higher. Narrated by Jai Courtney.

L24 (Doc., 6x60 min.) The legacy and legend of 24-hour Le Mans racing, revealing the real stories behind the wheel in the pit lane and back at HQ.

Spice Trails (Lifestyle, 12x30 min.) Travel photographer Jose Jimenez embarks upon a one-of-itskind journey through 12 regions, spanning eight countries in Latin America, in search of the distinctive spices and herbs of each region.

FILMRISE

O (1-718) 369-9090

m sales@filmrise.com

w www.filmrise.com

Stand: R8 Producers Hub & Lounge

Forensic Files (True crime, 376x30 min.) Presents the science behind crime-solving with dramatic re-creations, expert interviews and deep dives into key evidence.

Unsolved Mysteries (True crime, 408x60 min.)

Hosted by Robert Stack, this series uses reenactments and interviews to retell the circumstances of mysteries that remain unsolved. It covers crimes, tales of lost love, unexplained history and paranormal events.

Cheaters (Reality, 681x30 min./346x60 min.) People who think their significant other is cheating on them hire a hidden camera crew to investigate. (Worldwide digital) Dr. G: Medical Examiner (Medical, 89x60 min.)

Renowned coroner Jan “Dr. G” Garavaglia provides explanations and theories for her morgue’s most puzzling cases.

Death Valley Days (Western, 452x30 min.) Originating on the radio in the 1930s, this long-running anthology series features true accounts of the Death Valley area of the American Old West. (Worldwide digital)

Debriefing the President

Forensic Files

Highway to Heaven (Faith drama, 111x60 min.) A probationary angel (Michael Landon) is sent back to Earth and teams up with an ex-cop to help people. Available in multiple languages.

The Dick Van Dyke Show (Comedy, 158x30 min.) An iconic classic TV series centered around the work and home life of television comedy writer Rob Perie, played by Dick Van Dyke.

FOX ENTERTAINMENT GLOBAL

O (1-310) 369-5500 m foxentglobal@fox.com w www.foxentglobal.com

Stand: R7.L14

Animal Control (Comedy, S2: 9x22 min.) A group of animal control workers begin to see their lives complicated by humans and not so much by animals.

Holly Jolly Christmas (Holiday, 1x90 min.) Siblings begrudgingly reunite for Christmas, but an arsonist and a surprise announcement from their parents threaten to ruin more than the holiday.

The Kiss List (YA romance, 1x84 min.) A teen accused of being a bad kisser attempts to set the record straight with a Kiss List and learns what truly matters in life.

The Masked Singer (Competition, S3: 13x43 min.)

Celebrities compete against one another while shrouded from head to toe in elaborate costumes.

Next Level Chef (Food, S3: 15x45 min.) Chefs Gordon Ramsay, Nyesha Arrington and Richard Blais recruit chefs as they face cooking challenges with the goal of finding the food world’s newest superstar. A Perfect Match (Drama, 1x90 min.) Inspired by a true story. Details the relationship of tennis stars Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi as they contend with life on and off the court.

Rescuing Christmas (Holiday rom-com, 1x90 min.) A woman accidentally wishes away Christmas and must enlist a potential suitor to help her bring back the holiday.

TMZ Presents: UFO Revolution (Doc., 3x60 min.) An in-depth look at the whistleblowers who sparked a UFO revolution, revealing evidence that the government knows much more than they’re letting on.

We Are Family (Game show, 10x43 min.) An audience of 100 contestants must successfully guess which celebrity the performer is related to before they are revealed.

GLOBAL SCREEN

O (49-89) 244-1295-500 m info@globalscreen.de w www.globalscreen.de Stand: R7.C15

Fritzi and Sophie—A Borderless Friendship (Family ent., 8x22 min.) Twelve-year-old Fritzi and Sophie are inseparable friends—until Sophie has to secretly flee to the West with her mother. Based on the award-winning movie Fritzi—A Revolutionary Tale Chameleon (Drama/comedy, 10x30 min.) The flamboyant wannabe actor Chris and his three childhood friends want to make it in life and escape the deprived neighborhood they grew up in.

Holly Jolly Christmas

Curious Tobi and the Treasure Hunt to the Flying Rivers (Family ent., 1x92 min.) Curious Tobi receives a mysterious, locked treasure chest. The search for childhood best friend Marina, the holder of the key, kickstarts a great adventure that takes Tobi all around the world to the most stunning places.

The Hunted (Doc., 4x45 min.) Documents the journey of Germany’s only Tour de France winner, Jan Ullrich. For the first time, he speaks candidly about his greatest triumph, his dark descent into drug abuse and the doping scandal that ended his career.

DAVOS 1917 (Spy drama, 6x45 min.) As WWI is ravaging Europe, Davos, the noble spa town in the Swiss Alps, seems like an oasis of peace. But behind the scenes, neutral Switzerland takes center stage in a relentless battle between the secret agents of the world powers.

She Says, He Says (Drama, 1x105 min.) A courtroom drama by bestselling author Ferdinand von Schirach and Matti Geschonneck. Through precise observation and listening, delicate questions and dilemmas are revealed, focusing on common values: truth, justice and dignity.

Kidnapped—Facing the Darkness (Drama, 1x106 min.) In March ’81, 11-year-old Johannes Erlemann is kidnapped and imprisoned in a tiny dungeon. While his wealthy father is in custody, Johannes’ mother Gabi desperately fights for her son’s life.

GMA NETWORK

O (632) 8333-7633/34

m gwi@gmanetwork.com

w www.gmanetwork.com

Stand: R7.J5

Black Rider (Action drama, 95x45 min.) After surviving a tragic incident, Elias becomes the Black Rider to seek justice for his family’s demise, which was brought on by the notorious Golden Scorpion syndicate.

Hands on the Dream (Medical drama, S1: 82x45 min., S2: 92x45 min.) A genius from a humble background graduates from medical school at 19 and becomes the youngest surgical resident in a large hospital.

Love Before Sunrise (Romance drama, 35x45 min.) Ex-lovers accidentally meet again after several years. They give in to their rekindled feelings and continue their forbidden love.

The Seed of Love (Drama, 40x45 min.) Bobby and Eileen opt for in vitro fertilization to bear a child, but Bobby’s ex-girlfriend steals their embryo, leading to a complex battle between truth and family.

Beautiful Revenge (Dramedy, 50x45 min.) Once simple and kind, Gigi undergoes a remarkable transformation into the beautiful and successful Greta, driven by a desire for revenge against those who betrayed her.

Fritzi and Sophie—A Borderless Friendship

Black Rider

GRB MEDIA RANCH

O (1-818) 728-7600

m info@grbmediaranch.com w www.grbmediaranch.com

Tupac: 187 (w.t.) (Doc., 5x60 min.) After 30 years, murdered rap superstar Tupac Shakur may finally receive justice when an accused Las Vegas man stands trial. Was the right guy caught?

Stealing Churchill (w.t.) (Doc., 1x60 min.) An unlikely heist shocked the global art community: the theft of the famous Winston Churchill portrait by Yousuf Karsh from Ottawa’s Château Laurier.

Haunted Hollywood: Inside the LAPD Museum (Paranormal, 8x60 min.) Discover infamous true crimes in Los Angeles and the spirits haunting a former police precinct.

God & Country (Doc., 1x90 min.) From awardwinning director Dan Partland and producer Rob Reiner, reveals the dangerous implications of Christian nationalism distorting the U.S. Constitution and Christianity itself.

#UNFIT: The Psychology of Donald Trump (Doc., 1x90 min.) An eye-opening analysis of the U.S. presidential candidate by leading mental health professionals and nonpartisan political strategists.

Wild Zambezi (Wildlife, 8x60 min.) The Lower Zambezi National Park must overcome historical

and daily struggles against the encroachment of man, an ongoing crisis facing the world’s most vulnerable ecosystems.

Death Walker with Nick Groff (Paranormal, S14: 60x60 min.) Death walker: a person that walks among the dead. Nick Groff investigates the origin of some of the most notorious hauntings in America.

Round Table (Singing competition format, 3x60 min.) Created by The Masked Singer creator Wonwoo Park, this celebrity singing game format was a hit in Korea on KBS.

Watch! (Game-show format, 60 min. eps.) There’s nothing more gripping than watching world-class talent and nothing more thrilling than a high-stakes game show.

Dining with the Enemy (Food/travel format, 10x60 min.) A war correspondent and a famous chef travel into conflict zones to share the best and perhaps most dangerous meal, bringing people from opposing sides together.

INTER MEDYA

O (90-212) 231-0102

m info@intermedya.tv w intermedya.tv

Stand: R7.E53

Love and Pride (Drama) The Köksoys live in an ancestral mansion but are on the verge of losing everything. They plot to have one of their three daughters marry Tolga, the heir to a wealthy and established family.

Deception (Drama) Güzide Yenersoy, a respectable family court judge living in Istanbul, has what could be described as the epitome of a perfect family. But when secrets are revealed, she confronts the reality that her life has been a lie.

Tupac: 187 (w.t.)

Leylifer (Drama, 120x45 min.) Meryem travels to Istanbul with her husband Kemal and children for his sister’s wedding. When Kemal goes missing and is later found dead in a burned-out car with a woman Meryem has never met, she vows to stay in Istanbul until she finds his killer.

Poison Ivy (Drama, 83x45 min.) A love story about two souls finding each other despite the whole world, even themselves. Everything stands in front of them, but still, they meet. However, no one can illuminate another’s darkness.

Like There’s No Tomorrow (Romance, 4x35 min.) The encounter between popular and successful actress Manolya and experienced journalist Hakan changes both of their lives.

Scorpion (Drama, 91x45 min.) Ferda’s stubbornness and Perihan not wanting her lead to a great war between the mother and daughter.

The Trusted (Drama, 74x45 min.) Marashli is an ex-soldier who has left the special forces to open up a secondhand bookstore and spend more time with his sick daughter, Zelis. His life changes when the beautiful Mahur Turel walks into his bookstore. Blue Cage (Drama, 78x45 min.) In Çamlıkıyı, a love triangle develops between Ali, Defne and Ozan. Tuzak (Drama, 82x45 min.) Tells the story of three siblings, Mahir, Umut and Umay, whose springs of life were taken from them.

Another Chance (Drama, 138x45 min.) Sadi Payaslı is a geography teacher who will balance his life and take care of five convicted students from a reformatory.

KANAL D INTERNATIONAL

m hello@kanald.international w kanald.international Stand: R7.F28

Secret of Pearls (Drama, 44 min. eps.) Azem takes the blame for his wife’s death to protect his daughter. After prison, he seeks out his adopted children, navigating complex relationships, but time has taken its toll. A Father’s Promise (Drama, 20x44 min.) In 1980’s political turmoil, Mustafa sacrifices to save his wife, leaving his daughter with the wealthy Ronas. A poignant tale unfolds as they reunite, facing dangers and love’s resilience.

Daylight (Drama, 20x44 min.) Gece’s summer dreams of university and music in Istanbul are disrupted when her family moves to Foça for her sister Gülce’s special needs.

Farewell Letter (Drama, 76x44 min.) Alanur’s life, dependent on Ziya, takes an unexpected turn after 30 years. As their children, Aslı and Mehmet, navigate love and family opposition, hidden connections from the past resurface.

Three Sisters (Drama, 44 min. eps.) Crafted by the esteemed İclal Aydın, the narrative revolves around three sisters. Their idyllic upbringing in the enchanting lanes of Ayvalık’s pine-scented streets does little to prepare them for the harsh complexities of adulthood.

That Girl (Drama, 79x45 min.) Zeynep aspires to be a social media influencer to escape poverty while caring for her childlike father. Unexpected connections unravel as she works in influencer

Love and Pride

Ozan’s house, where she encounters businesswoman Sitare.

Love and Hope (Drama, 53 min. eps.) Zeynep navigates a world of wealth and power in Istanbul, discovering her estranged father’s existence. Love with Ege brings hope, while Elif seeks revenge and love in a complex tale of family conflicts.

Love and Hate (Rom-com, 61x44 min.) Famous actor Tolga and ordinary dreamer Asya’s paths cross, bringing together two contrasting worlds of dissatisfaction and dreams in the collision of black and white.

Twist of Fate (Rom-com, 58x43 min.) Superstitious Ada marries Rüzgar to avoid a curse, but her attractive boss, Bora, complicates things. The series explores love, obstacles and a twist of fate.

Recipe of Love (Rom-com, 41x43 min.) Explores the clash and fusion of cultures as chef Fırat and French restaurant owner Naz encounter a sweet rivalry in the kitchen. Their journey tests love’s recipe.

NHK ENTERPRISES

O (81-3) 3468-6984

m nep_international_sales@nhk-ep.jp w www.nhk-ep.co.jp/en/, pf.nhk-ep.co.jp

Stand: R7.H6

FRONTIERS: The Discovery of Opal on Mars (Science/tech., 1x51 min.) In 2022, NASA announced

that its rover on Mars found opal. This discovery may shed light on if Mars can be made habitable.

The Falconer’s Legacy (Nature, 1x50 min.) Matsubara Hidetoshi is the sole remnant of a tradition al falconry. When the tradition faces extinction, a high school girl arrives to become his apprentice. Zen Farming: Seeding the Future (Environment, 1x52 min.) Masanobu Fukuoka Natural Farm is in pursuit of the ultimate natural farming. The farm keeps the flame of “let nature run its course” burning. WILDLIFE—Crises on the Comeback Trail: Hokkaido’s Endangered Birds (Nature/environment, 1x49 min.) Once-endangered species face new challenges as the divide between man and nature grows ever shorter. But help is on the way.

FRONTIERS: The Discovery of Opal on Mars

The Frankenstein Temptation—British Museum: World’s Largest Stolen Collection (Science/tech., 1x45 min.) The Egypt Collection of the British Museum contains over 100,000 artifacts. Nearly half of them were collected by Wallis Budge, but his modus operandi was illegal. The Tiger and Her Wings (NHK Morning, 130x15 min.) A story of one woman’s road to becoming Japan’s pioneer in law, as well as a refreshing legal drama featuring “tigers” who refuse to be confined. Virtually Virtuous (Comedy, 10x49 min.) An elite civil servant and a game creator lose their jobs. They create a new religion to get rich quick.

Secret of Pearls

What Did You Do After That? (Dark comedy/format, 3x44 min.) An innovative visual technique exposes the dual nature of humans, revealing that people can lie without remorse and unconsciously exaggerate.

Traces of Grace (Mystery/romance/format, 8x49 min.) Kikuo’s late wife leaves her car named Grace. He embarks on a road trip tracing Grace’s navigation history to find out if his wife was unfaithful.

Welcome to the World of Dementia (Format)

Welcome to a heartfelt journey exploring the challenges and joys of living with dementia through animated tales and personal interviews.

NICELY ENTERTAINMENT

O (1-323) 682-8029

m info@nicelytv.com w www.nicelytv.com

Stand: R7.N3J

Hunting Housewives (Thriller, 1x90 min.)

Four women stranded in the wilderness must overcome obstacles, uncover their husbands’ sinister plot and seek revenge in a fierce fight for survival.

A Cowboy Christmas Romance (Christmas romance, 1x90 min.) Real estate closer Lexie travels to her hometown and confronts family drama while the handsome ranch owner refuses to sell his home.

Christmas Keepsake (Christmas romance, 1x90 min.) A father bonds with his daughter and stumbles upon an unexpected romance while tracking down the original owner of a Christmas time capsule.

Designing Christmas with You (Christmas romance, 1x90 min.) With her career on the

line, a decorator must work with an unexpected partner to showcase a house for an upcoming Christmas gala.

Our Christmas Wedding (Christmas romance, 1x90 min.) In this sequel to My Boss’ Wedding , Nicole’s boss plans Nicole and Michael’s over-thetop wedding in just two weeks at Christmas.

The Holiday Exchange (Christmas romance, 1x90 min.) To escape their woes, Wilde swaps his L.A. house for Oliver’s Brilfax cottage, but they both meet handsome locals who spice up their holidays.

Super Icyclone (Disaster, 1x90 min.) A climatologist cuts her anniversary celebration short to save her family—and all of North America—from an unimaginably destructive storm.

Stepmom From Hell (Thriller, 1x90 min.) Izzy suspects foul play in her dad’s business as he declines rapidly, but nothing could prepare her for the deceit and danger she will uncover.

Lace (Drama, 6x30 min.) A prolific lawyer for the rich and powerful, Lacey makes anyone’s problems disappear—except her own, which often blurs the lines between right and wrong.

Exile (Thriller, 1x90 min.) Shortly before his release from prison for a drunk driving accident, Ted Evans receives a threat: “If you contact your family, I’ll kill them.”

A Cowboy Christmas Romance

OGM UNIVERSE

m ekinkoyuncu@ogmuniverse.com, mustafakeyvan@ogmuniverse.com

w www.ogmuniverse.com

Next Room (Drama) Sevgi Ersoy, a famous TV presenter whose career is on the decline, unexpectedly marries Fikret Alabey, one of the country’s leading businessmen. Combining these two completely different families under the same roof will create more problems than they expected.

Next Room

Lost in Love (Drama, 85x45 min.) Mete and Naz, from affluent families, are bound by a childhood promise. Fate intervenes when Mete meets İncila, Naz’s loyal servant. Amid family rivalries and secrets, the story delves into love, trust and competition. Miracle of Love (Drama, 38x45 min.) Ali Tahir, a commander in the 1921 Battle of Sakarya, made a costly mistake but was resurrected by the “Water of Life” and ceased aging. As Kemal in 2023, he meets Harika. Will she hold the answers to his mysterious, never-ending life?

Stickman (Drama, 88x45 min.) Tamer’s marriage to Berrin and a $300 million game success reunites his family, including estranged parents Aysel and Bülent. Peri, a private bank manager with a traumatic past, finds solace in Tamer after a heartbreaking betrayal.

Broken Destiny (Drama, 121x45 min.) After five years in a coma, Toprak wakes up with amnesia, unaware of his family or fiancée.

ONZA DISTRIBUTION

O (34-915) 620-671

m onza@onzadistribution.com

w www.onzadistribution.com

Stand: R7.J11

Heartless (Thriller, 8x45 min.) Relentless criminal Haro is targeted by a most-wanted serial killer. He offers help to the judge he seeks revenge on for imprisoning him.

Cacao (Telenovela/romance drama, 139x50 min.) Cacao finds out her real father is a rich farm owner and that she is his heir. Her sweetheart, Tiago, will protect her from her enemies.

Golden Swan (Period drama, S1: 21x50 min., S2: 17x50 min., S3: 18x50 min.) 1939, Prague. Bára, a fugitive thief, becomes a saleswoman at the luxurious Golden Swan department store. Her unequal love with Petr, its wealthy owner, will face challenges.

Heartless

Flowers Over the Inferno (Thriller/crime, S1: 6x60 min., S2: 6x60 min.) In a mysterious mountain town, criminologist Teresa Battaglia, battling Alzheimer’s, leads a team to uncover dark secrets and confront a ruthless child-protecting killer.

Allende The Thousand Days (Historical drama, 4x60 min.) Manuel Ruiz, a close friend of Salvador Allende, witnesses his final moments during Pinochet’s coup.

Sweet Strawberries (YA thriller, S1: 10x45 min., S2: 10x45 min., S3: 10x45 min.) A reboot of the popular Portuguese series unfolds at Barra Secondary School, where disturbing disappearances linked to cyberbullying unveil secrets among the students.

Forever (Telenovela, 205x50 min.) Pedro’s life has always been shrouded in mystery. The investigation of his past leads him back to his hometown, where he discovers that his first love is engaged to his biological brother.

FC Barcelona: A New Era (Sports doc., S1: 5x40 min., S2: 4x40 min.) FC Barcelona’s total reconstruction journey to regain the lost throne and the excitement of supporters following Xavi’s leadership and the achievements of the 2022-2023 season.

Young Addictions (Investigation/current affairs doc., 1x52 min./3x45 min.) The causes and consequences of the most common drug use among teenagers: non-substance addictions consumed through the screens of their cellphones.

The Celeb Challenge (Talent format, S1: 8x120 min., S2: 10x120 min., S3: 10x120 min., S4: 9x120 min.) Eight celebrities face weekly challenges that will test their physical and mental limits.

ORF-ENTERPRISE

O (43-1) 87878-13030

m contentsales@orf.at w contentsales.orf.at Stand: R7.M4A

Green Island, Grey Desert (Wildlife/nature, 1x52 min./45 min.) Showcases Ireland’s unique Burren, a

rocky desert rich in wildlife. Human conservation efforts are vital for preserving this paradoxical paradise.

Corridors of Life (Wildlife/nature, 1x52 min./45 min.) Investigates the challenges, consequences and solutions for maintaining natural corridors, migration routes that are vital for wildlife but are being threatened by human development.

Green Island, Grey Desert

The Real Jungle Book (Wildlife/nature, 1x52 min./45 min.) The daily and seasonal struggles of the living characters Rudyard Kipling described in his book; all obey the unwritten law of the jungle and strive to raise a new generation.

Untamed Vietnam—Wilderness Reborn (Wildlife/nature, 2x52 min./45 min.) Many of the last endemic species from Vietnam’s northern forests and mountains to the tropical Mekong Delta are threatened with extinction, even as they are rediscovered in the wake of the brutal war.

Nicobar Island—A Monkey’s Long Tale (Wildlife/nature, 1x52 min./45 min.) An adventurous filmmaker has challenged himself to explore the Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean, the last remaining windows into the primeval past of tropical islands.

Pride and Persecution (History/bio., 2x52 min./45 min.) The rise and fall of the first gay and lesbian movements in Austria and Germany.

European Downfall—The Tragedy of Emperor Franz Joseph (History/bio., 1x52 min./45 min.)

Explores the political and personal trials

Franz Joseph faced and examines how the emperor’s 68-year reign changed the course of European history.

Rebellion in the Brothel—Trafficking in Women Around 1900 (History/bio., 1x52 min./45 min.) Marie König’s struggle in a 1902 Vienna brothel prompts journalist Emil Bader to expose the widespread exploitation of women in prostitution, sparking a Europe-wide debate.

Kafka (Drama, 6x45 min.) In June 2024, marking 100 years since Franz Kafka’s passing, a humorous series explores his life’s complexities, focusing on his loves, family and friendships.

Glambitious (Comedy, 10x45 min.) As the world of two careful girls collides with the world of two rich troublemakers, chaos erupts and reveals unexpected twists and turns.

PASSION DISTRIBUTION

m sales@passiondistribution.com w www.passiondistribution.com Stand: R7.J15

Gold: A Journey with Idris Elba (Doc., 1x90 min.) Join Idris Elba on an adventure that explores gold’s meaning, how it has shaped cultures, religions and entire economies around the world.

Help! We Bought a Hotel (Fact-ent., 6x60 min.) Tells the stories of people who have given up their jobs and their homes to chase that dream in some of the prettiest locations in Europe.

Churchill’s Forgotten War (Doc., 1x60 min.) Charts the actions of Winston Churchill at the

beginning of World War II, when the fear of a “fifth column” of Nazi spies was at fever pitch.

Better Date Than Never (Fact-ent., S2: 7x30 min. & format) Returns with more stories of a diverse group of single love-seekers as they take their first step into the dating world.

Gold: A Journey with Idris Elba

Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over USA (Doc., S2: 3x60 min.) Stacey Dooley will be checking in for the weekend at a legal brothel, as well as sleepovers at the homes of more extraordinary American families.

Cops Gone Bad (Crime, 7x60 min.) Lifts the lid on the ultimate betrayal of trust—when cops turn their backs on the law and become criminals.

The Tube: Keeping London Moving (Doc., 6x60 min.) Explores how the Tube and Lon don’s transport system keep people moving day in and day out.

PBS INTERNATIONAL

O (44) 7851-592-820

m loliver@pbs.org

w pbsinternational.org

Stand: R7.F7

The Choice 2024 (Current affairs, 1x180 min.) Investigates the lives and characters of the 2024 presidential election candidates.

A.I. Revolution (Science, 1x60 min.) Explore the promise, perils and possible future of new A.I. technologies.

Democracy on Trial (Current affairs, 2x60 min.) The roots of the criminal cases against Trump stemming from his 2020 election loss.

Concorde: The Untold Story (History, 2x47 min.)

The race to build the first supersonic airliner was full of engineering genius and espionage.

War Machines: World War II (History, 4x60 min.) In World War II, the fates of nations were decided by the strength of their arsenals.

Netanyahu, America and the Road to War in Gaza (Current affairs, 1x90 min./120 min.) The struggle between the Israeli leader and U.S. presidents over Middle East peace.

The Boys of ’36 (History, 1x54 min.) In 1936, nine working-class boys took the rowing world by storm when their eight-oar crew team captured the gold medal at the Olympics in Berlin.

Fly with Me (History, 2x60 min./1x120 min.) The lively but neglected history of the women who changed the world while flying it.

The U.S. and the Holocaust (History, 6x60 min./3x120 min.) Examine how this catastrophe challenged the very ideals of our democracy.

Groundbreakers (History, 1x115 min.) Billie Jean King and seven icons discuss the past, present and future of women’s sports.

POWERKIDS ENTERTAINMENT

m distribution@powerkidsentertainment.com w powerkids.net Stand: R7.E49

Adventures of Akira and Mowgli (Kids action/adventure/comedy, 52x11 min.) Akira, a girl from the nearby village, lands in the thickets of the mighty Seonee jungle. Mowgli is amused by the sight of Akira but Baloo and Bagheera already know that with Akira’s footprints in the jungle, it is going to be a double trouble.

Dragonero—The Tales of Paladin (Kids action/adventure, 26x22 min.) One of the most successful comic series comes to life in an animated series. Young Achievers Academy (Kids action/adventure, 26x22 min.) Rogue AI has been unleashed upon the world. The graduates of the Young Achievers Academy (YAA) work to join the ranks of the Rogue AI Detection + Emergency Response Service (RAIDERS).

Toadlly Awesome (Kids comedy/adventure, 52x2.5 min.) Follow the adventures of race car driving, skydiving, yodeling and extreme mini-golfing, hyperactive Toad and his two best friends, Mole and Ratty, in the world of The Wind in the Willows. Cuddle Cubbies (Preschool edutainment, 26x2.5 min., 25x2.5 min., 11x1.5 min.) A group of animal friends have magical powers that can be activated by hugs.

Democracy on Trial

Adventures of Akira and Mowgli

The Jungle Book (Kids action/adventure/comedy, 156x11 min., 78x7.5 min., 1x60 min., 1x30 min.) A man-cub raised by a wolf pack and his escapades that reflect his daredevil spirit.

Robin Hood—Mischief in Sherwood (Kids adventure/comedy, 52x11 min.) Ten-year-old Robin Hood is already a hero. Declared an outlaw by Prince John, he has settled in an old mill in the middle of the huge Sherwood Forest.

The New Adventures of Peter Pan (Kids fantasy/adventure, 52x22 min.) The adventures of Peter Pan, his best friend Tinkerbell, new generation Wendy and her brothers John and Michael in the timeless and magical world of Neverland and 21st-century London.

The Psammy Show (Kids adventure/comedy, 52x11 min.) Follows the adventures and escapades of five children after they unearth and befriend a sand fairy by their uncle’s beachfront mansion.

The New Adventures of Lassie (Kids adventure/comedy, 26x22 min.) The beloved collie comes to life in an animated avatar that is adventurous, humorous and a lot of fun.

SERIOUS KIDS

O (44-20) 8771-7310

m leila.o@seriouskids.com w www.seriouskids.com

Style It Out (Kids, 11x26 min.) A competition series in which nine young fashion designers (aged 10-14) compete to show their own collection at London Fashion Week.

Team Nuggets (Preschool animation, 52x7 min.) Fast-paced primary school comedy starring an ambitious young chicken, Karla, and a band of very volatile and diverse classmates.

Treehouse (Preschool live-action, 30x12 min.) A wholesome celebration of nature, following likable characters as Squiggle and his friends navigate the world around them, exploring themes of kindness, inclusion and empathy.

Style It Out

The Sound Collector (Stop-frame/live-action, 60x5 min.) Sixty short stories about sound, as heard through the ears of a small but very active little being called the Sound Collector, who has a passion for sound despite the fact that he is very hard of hearing.

Messy Goes to Okido (Animation, 104x11 min.)

Inquisitive and lovable monster Messy brings science to life as he adventures with his best friends

Zoe and Felix through the colorful world of Okido. Girls of Olympus (Animation, 26x24 min.) Three high school girls discover their true identities as reincarnations of Athena, Aphrodite and Artemis. Fighting mythological creatures and maintaining school grades, they divert adult suspicions and go after Ares, the God of War.

Tulipop (Preschool animation, 52x7 min.) Modernday fairy tales set on the fantastical island of Tulipop. Follow the adventures of Gloomy, Bubble, Fred, Miss Maddy and Mister Tree, a group of unique and equally lovable characters.

The New Legends of Monkey (Live-action adventure, 20x26 min.) A young girl discovers a

lost statue of the legendary Monkey King, an ancient god who has been imprisoned for 500 years. Together they will bring an end to demonic rule and restore balance to the world.

Tik Tak (Preschool live action/animation, 104x5 min.) The use of non-verbal, non-narrative imagery, music and games focuses on colors, shapes, objects, animals and the context surrounding them.

Operation Ouch! (Fact-ent., 175x26 min. & 30x15 min.) This ongoing, double BAFTA-winning, Emmynominated factual-entertainment show helps kids combat their fears of hospitals by showing them how amazing the human body is at fixing itself.

TERRA MATER STUDIOS

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m office@terramater.at w www.terramater.com

Kui Buri—Recreating Paradise (Nature, 1x50 min.) A place in Southwestern Thailand holds a secret: with its bounty of species, Kui Buri National Park is a true success story.

Europe’s Amazon (Nature, 2x50 min.) Everyone knows the Danube. But do you know its major tributary, leading from White Summits toward the Black Sea? Unique characters and hidden treasures await!

Wild Vienna (Nature, 1x50 min.) Vienna: city of music and dreams. Hidden in the nooks and crannies of imperial palaces, ancient churches and magnificent gardens, other worlds exist.

Wild San Diego (Nature, 1x50 min.) Following the stories of wild animals making a living throughout a full annual cycle in a landscape reshaped by humans. Dethroned (Nature, 1x50 min.) Asks us to not only consider our relationship with big cats but also contemplate what becomes of humanity if we continue to destroy all that is sacred.

Same Same—But Different: Children of the Evolution (Nature, 1x50 min.) Nature—evolution— has spawned countless creatures connected by differences or similarities. A crucial takeaway: diversity is everything!

Leopard Dynasty (Nature, 1x50 min.) 3.1 million people live in Jaipur, the royal pink city of India. Amidst the buildings and traffic lies a refuge ruled by wild leopards.

Mara: Rebirth (Nature, 1x50 min.) Looks at one of the most well-known ecosystems in natural history, but dives deeper into a side of it that is almost never seen.

American Amazon (Nature, 2x50 min.) This is a journey into the last secret wilderness in North America. A world where big mysteries still tread around every corner of the swamp—and life doesn’t come easy.

Nature’s Return (Nature, 1x50 min.) All across the planet, even when faced with apparently impossible conditions, life persists. Despite setbacks, we invariably witness nature’s return.

Jaguar Beach (Nature, 1x50 min.) The previously unknown story of how the lives of jaguars and sea turtles meet with spectacular consequences for everyone on “Jaguar Beach.”

Kui Buri—Recreating Paradise

Patrick and the Whale (Nature, 1x50 min./1x73 min.) Follows Patrick Dykstra and explores the psychology of a man who has sacrificed everything to connect with one of the biggest creatures in the ocean: sperm whale Dolores.

ZDF STUDIOS

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Stand: R7.D5

The Zweiflers (Drama, 6x45 min.) Family patriarch Symcha Zweifler wants to sell his delicatessen empire when suddenly he is confronted with his past in Frankfurt’s red-light district. Things get worse when Symcha’s grandson Samuel and his girlfriend Saba are expecting a son.

We’re On It, Comrades! (Drama, 8x45 min.)

Investigators David and Vojta from the Institute of Paranormal Phenomena tackle mysteries like alien abductions, spontaneous combustion and monster attacks in Czechoslovakia.

Suplex (Drama, 4x42 min.) A peaceful small town is shaken by the horrific murder of Liam, a young and promising wrestler. In a dark and twisted mystery, secrets are exposed and trust is scarce.

Clan—Choose Your Destiny (Junior live-action, 10x25 min.) Fifteen-year-old Francesco from Naples’ Vele dreams of a better life away from the Camorra’s grip after meeting Maddaloni’s clan and the inspiring Ginevra.

Klincus (Junior animation, 26x22 min.) During Umghard’s centennial, Sir Graylock’s feast facilitates Klincus’s escape to find his parents. Yuki, Glyn and Tipsar depart Frondosa to explore lights and are inadvertently entangled in Klincus’s pursuit, leading

to his capture and a revelation of balance beyond industrial Umghard and secluded Frondosa.

Surviving Summer (Junior live-action, 18x25 min.) Fierce and fearless Brooklyn teen Summer Torres is exiled Down Under to live with ambitious young surfer Ari Gibson and his family.

Time: A Journey Through Thousands of Years

Time: A Journey Through Thousands of Years (Science/knowledge, 2x50 min.) Time is everywhere. But what is it? This film explores different ideas, showing each as a timeline from then to now. Global experts connect the dots between past and present and jump through time with amazing effects to amaze and educate the audience.

Skydive Quiz (Ent./quiz show, 1x45 min./1x50 min./format) The ultimate test of nerves and knowledge. Six brave contestants face simple questions while plunging from a plane at 15,000 feet. They have only three seconds to answer before their parachute opens.

Wild Talk (Wildlife/nature, 5x50 min.) Delves into animal communication, uncovering their complex languages through cutting-edge research, technology and scientists’ efforts to understand creatures, from king penguins to butterflies.

The Lost Women Spies (History, 6x50 min.) Vera Atkins was a key figure in the SOE, the British organization that sent undercover agents to Nazioccupied Europe.

ENTERTAINMENT! TH A T ’S ENTERTAINMENT! TH A T ’S

The TV Formats Screenings Festival featured a selection of proven brands and breakout new IP across game shows, dating, talent and more.

Talent competitions show no signs of going out of style, and FOX Entertainment Global is feeling bullish about the prospects of its new entry in this space, Beat My Mini-Mes . In the big studio competition format, celebrity singers face off surrounded by talented kids all wearing the same outfit. “ Beat My Mini-Mes is a large-scale, multigenerational talent competition show,” says David Smyth, executive VP of content sales and partnerships. “Celebrity singers compete while surrounded by talented children who are dressed as their mini-mes. Beat My Mini-Mes is an aspirational, heartwarming show and has been sold in several countries. We’re proud the series was co-developed by FOX Alternative Entertainment and TF1 as Dream Team, La Relève Des Stars .”

ZDF Studios’ Skydive Quiz

On Saturday, April 6, at 3 p.m. in Auditorium K of the Palais des Fes tivals at MIPTV, ZDF Studios will host a special showcase for its brand-new format Skydive Quiz. Ralf Rückauer, VP Unscripted at ZDF Studios, says the new familyfriendly entertainment show takes the “tried-and-tested quiz show format to a whole new level— lit erally. In Skydive Quiz, the questions are easy, but the contestants must answer them while falling from the sky. And then suddenly, questions like ‘What is your mother’s second last name?’ aren’t quite so easy after all. There’s only one rule for taking on this challenge: first-time jumpers only.” The show is part of an expanding formats lineup at ZDF Studios that also includes the game show QUIZ HUNT, the crime-stopping tool Crime Watch XY and the long-running studio variety format Wanna Bet?

CJ ENM is showcasing two unscripted formats at MIPTV: Couple Palace and King of Karaoke: VS . “ Couple Palace blends couple matching and survival elements, bringing together 100 singles in search of life partners based on their ideal marriage values, physical appearances and economic statuses,” says Sehee Jang, head of global marketing at CJ ENM. “Continuing our legacy of successful audition programs, King of Karaoke: VS is a format to share the joy of musical experiences while engaging audiences with its exhilarating competition. Combining the allure of karaoke with the thrill of survival, it reflects the popularity of karaoke culture and the vibrant musical spirit of today.”

FOX Entertainment Global’s Beat My Mini-Mes

CJ ENM’s Couple Palace

LOOKS International’s The End of Dreams

A WORLD OF DRAMA

The fourth edition of the TV Drama Screenings Festival spotlights some of the hottest new and returning scripted properties available today. Hailing from across the globe, these selections span the breadth of the landscape, from crime and suspense to romance, dark comedy and more.

ZDF Studios is rolling out the six-part series The Zweiflers to its base of scripted buyers. Produced by Berlin-based Turbokultur in co-production with ARD Degeto Film and Hessischer Rundfunk, the series follows a dysfunctional Jewish family. Dr. Markus Schäfer, president and CEO of ZDF Studios, highlights the dramedy’s impressive cast.

“The Zweiflers stars Aaron Altaras as Samuel. British actress Saffron Coomber plays Saba, while Swiss-Hungarian actress Sunnyi Melles takes on the role of Mimi Zweifler, Samuel’s mother. Mark Ivanir plays Jack Horovitz, and Eleanor Reissa performs the role of the grandmother.”

Another European drama on offer in the TV Drama Screenings Festival, The End of Dreams follows intertwined stories set during and after World War II. “Our decisions determine our actions and our actions the world around us,” says Gunnar Dedio, managing director of LOOKSfilm. “The End of Dreams takes us to such decisive moments and persons in key characters in WWII and its aftermath. In a unique style and from radically different perspectives, it unravels the events that shaped the world we live in today.”

Other Western European highlights showcased in the TV Drama Screenings Festival include Bavaria Media International’s Codex 632 and the Global Screen movie The Undertaker.

All3Media International continues to bet big on its diverse array of scripted formats. “As production costs seem to be generally increasing, scripted formats are ever more attractive to producers and broadcasters as they present a more efficient and economical route to bring stories to the screen, saving a good percentage of a budget’s development costs and time,” says Stephen Driscoll, executive VP for EMEA.

The latest edition of the TV Drama Screenings Festival also spotlights some Turkish drama hits with Inter Medya’s Deception, OGM UNIVERSE’s Lost in Love and Calinos Entertainment’s Farah.

All3Media International’s Eyewitness

ZDF Studios’ The Zweiflers

The most-viewed clips on our video portals in the last month.

Suplex

A peaceful small town is shaken by the horrific murder of Liam, a young and promising wrestler. In a dark and twisted mystery, secrets are exposed and trust is scarce. In this thrilling whodunit, no one is innocent. Distributor: ZDF Studios

Safir

Feraye, a textile design student and housekeeper at a wealthy Gülsoy family mansion in Cappadocia, has a flaw in her affection for Yaman, one of the family’s heirs. Distributor: atv Distribution

Alex Player

Alex and his teammates juggle their school life and their training to win the esports national interschool championship. Distributor: Cyber Group Studios

Farah

Adapted from the award-winning Argentinean scripted series La chica que limpia , the story of an Iranian woman who had to run away from her country. Struggling to live in Istanbul, she works as a cleaning lady to maintain her son’s medical treatments but becomes a mafia accomplice. Distributor: Calinos Entertainment

The End of Dreams

Hitler’s war prompts Wernher von Braun to invent the cruise missile, Hedwig Höss to create her family home in Auschwitz, Nikita Khrushchev to strip Stalin of power, Golda Meir to build a Jewish state in Palestine, Joan Hinton to develop a nuclear bomb and Frantz Fanon to join the underground battle against racism—all intertwined in a dramatic story. Distributor: LOOKS International