Kanal D International

Farewell Letter / That Girl / Three Sisters

In Kanal D International’s Farewell Letter , love is waiting to be in the right place at the right time. However, the fate of Aslı and Mehmet unites in the wrong place at the wrong time. That Girl centers on Zeynep, who spends her days caring for her father and cleaning the home of Ozan. She meets a businesswoman who will help her with her dream of becoming a social media star. Three Sisters is about a set of siblings who, after spending years with their family in a fairy tale, face the harsh facts of real life.

OGM Universe

Miracle of Love / Stickman / Broken Destiny

OGM Universe’s Miracle of Love centers on a brave commander who was resurrected and stopped aging, causing him to live different lives through aliases. Stickman centers on an orphan boy who finds success as a game developer and buys a mansion—then his parents return. In Broken Destiny, a man wakes up after years in a coma to a family he doesn’t remember. Turkish shows’ DNA “encompasses rich storytelling, excellent production quality and compelling performances,” says Ekin Koyuncu Karaman, global distribution and partnership director.

Paramount Africa

Black Tax / Unstoppable Thabooty / Love & Hip Hop South Africa

Paramount Africa’s catalog includes a third season of the comedy Black Tax , following a successful woman as she navigates life as a single parent. Also on offer are Unstoppable Thabooty and Love & Hip Hop South Africa, the first iteration of the franchise outside the U.S. Paramount Africa’s aim “is to continue championing African talent and narratives, amplifying diverse voices and offering authentic storytelling,” says Monde Twala, senior VP and general manager of Paramount Africa and peer lead at BET International.

ZDF Studios

Top Dog / The Six Continents Revealed / Spellbound

From the producers of Bron , Top Dog leads ZDF Studios’ spring offering. With two seasons available, the crime drama centers on a Stockholm business attorney who wants to reach the top of her firm and an ex-con who wants to get out of the mafia. The Six Continents Revealed takes viewers on a journey through time to find out how nature has shaped and influenced cultures all over the world. Spellbound follows a young girl who discovers her family’s spellbook and accidentally undoes a spell that has been hiding her identity.

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Since taking over as president and CEO of ZDF Studios in July 2022, Dr. Markus Schäfer has been driving integration within the company and with its shareholder, ZDF. “We wanted to become an even better business, which provides even more value to our partners—going along with our claim: Inspire. Create. Produce. Distribute,” he says. And the benefits have been plentiful, including driving greater mutual understanding on both sides: ZDF Studios can better recognize ZDF’s program needs and service needs, and ZDF can better understand ZDF Studios’ strengths and abilities, “resulting in better programs and better service.” The integration also increases the level of transparency, shared knowledge and joint activities.

As broadcasters and platforms have been tightening their commissioning budgets, Schäfer sees a trend in scripted programming “to de-risk, which means that commissioners are looking for programs that are IP-based and content that has multi-season potential.”

Factual programming has garnered solid demand as of late, says Schäfer. “In a world of ‘fake news,’ well-made and well-researched documentary programs have an increased value,” he says. “We at ZDF Studios are working with partners that adhere to the highest journalistic standards.”

Formats, too, are enjoying a period of high demand. “Formats have been, are and will always be a pillar of the content business,” Schäfer says. In April, ZDF Studios announced a partnership with Tom Gamlich and Jan Fritzowsky to set up Content Laden, focused on the development and production of innovative and high-quality factual-entertainment formats.

And kids’ content, of course, remains a staple of the ZDF Studios catalog, with highlights such as the live-action Spellbound.

With its strong programming slate and ambitious goals for the year ahead, having the right team in place has been paramount to ZDF Studios’ success. “Talent is the scarce resource in our industry,” Schäfer says, touting the company’s culture of appreciation and respect as one of the many assets that make it an attractive employer.