A Note from the Editors

October 6, 2016 Mansha Daswani

We have all had those moments of marveling at movie magic. Remember how you felt the first time you watched Star Wars or Avatar or Amarcord? That feeling of being swept away into a different world and falling in love with the characters on screen? For us here at World Screen, more and more that “wow” feeling is coming from what we’re watching on television rather than in the theaters. Think of the visual feast that is Game of Thrones, the horrors in The Walking Dead, the brain-twisting plot points in Mr. Robot and the lush backgrounds in War and Peace—how many times a week do you find yourself truly awed by a piece of television?

In this era of peak TV (with estimates indicating that almost 500 scripted series will air in the U.S. alone this year), we decided to take a deep dive into the magic of storytelling this MIPCOM. In our powerful October edition, our main feature focuses on the “Masters of Television,” those showrunners, writers and executive producers responsible for bringing us, the viewers, some of the medium’s best shows today. We have in-depth Q&As with Shonda Rhimes (Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy and more), Dick Wolf (the Chicago and Law & Order franchises), Howard Gordon (Homeland, 24: Legacy and more), Vince Gilligan & Peter Gould (Better Call Saul), Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot), Scott Gimple (The Walking Dead), Jon Bokenkamp (The Blacklist and The Blacklist: Redemption), Noah Hawley (Fargo), Charlie Brooker (Black Mirror), Paolo Sorrentino (The Young Pope), Sam Vincent & Jonathan Brackley (Humans), Oliver Goldstick (The Collection), Simon Mirren (Versailles), and, in one of his last interviews before his sudden passing last month, NCIS’s Gary Glasberg. Alongside these interviews, our contributing editor, Elizabeth Guider, talks to showrunners, network executives and studio chiefs about managing scripted series today.

We also hear from a diverse array of on-screen talent. Gracing the cover is the multi-talented Jennifer Lopez, an accomplished music artist and feature-film actress who tells us about producing and starring in the NBC hit Shades of Blue. Kiefer Sutherland gives an inside look at ABC’s buzz-generating drama Designated Survivor. Aidan Turner talks about his turn in the British hit Poldark. And Matthew Perry discusses making the transition from comedy to drama for his role in The Kennedys: After Camelot.

A full rundown of what’s in our MIPCOM editions is below. Follow the links to access our digital editions online, or get the Issuu app for iOS and Android so you can read them on the mobile device of your choice.

WORLD SCREEN

Sony Corporation’s president and CEO, Kazuo Hirai, discusses his confidence in the company’s prospects for growth as it continues to invest in innovation.
As the president of Disney|ABC Television Group, Ben Sherwood oversees a portfolio that includes the ABC network, ABC Studios and Disney-branded channels worldwide.
Richard Plepler, HBO’s chairman and CEO, talks about international growth and continued investments in premium content.
Vivendi CEO Arnaud de Puyfontaine remains focused on positioning the French conglomerate as a content company.
Ron Howard & Brian Grazer offer up a look at their ambitious new series MARS and weigh in on the challenges of making movies and television today.
Mike Hopkins discusses how Hulu is navigating the increasingly crowded OTT sector in the U.S.
Hugh Marks talks about the strengths of Australia’s Nine Network as it celebrates its 60th anniversary.
Bonnier Broadcasting’s Cathrine Wiernik, Mediaset’s Zelda Stewart, UKTV’s Alexandra Finlay and Stan’s Mike Sneesby are this year’s World Screen Content Trendsetter Award honorees.