ZDF Highlights Fiction, Docs, Children’s Programs

MAINZ: Touting the tagline Passion for Excellence, ZDF Enterprises is heading to MIPCOM with a slate of fiction, documentaries and children’s programming, including the brand-new 3-D HD animated series The Jungle Book.

Based on Rudyard Kipling’s classic tale of the same name, The Jungle Book is a co-production of ZDF, ZDF Enterprises, TF1, NBC Universal and others. Also on the kids’ slate are Fun with Claude, based on the books of award-winning illustrator David Wojtowycz; Marsupilami, produced by Samka Productions and Marsu Productions in co-production with France 2 and cooperation from ZDF and ZDF Enterprises; and H20: Just Add Water, a Jonathan M. Shiff and ZDF Enterprises co-production.

Drama highlights include Krupp: A Family Between War and Peace, which is a fictional retelling of the rise and fall of one of Germany’s wealthiest families. The Protectors is a Danish crime series about Copenhagen police bodyguards, while Maria is a Norwegian series about a young psychologist who returns to her native island to discover the place is badly in need of therapy.

The MIPCOM lineup for ZDF also includes a number of documentaries. The Battle Against Rome looks at one of the most devastating battles of ancient times. Natascha Kampusch retraces the fate of the young Austrian woman who was kept as prisoner in her kidnapper’s house for eight years. In The Lisbon Earthquake, leading scientists draw parallels between the devastating earthquake and the natural disasters of our time.

Christian Massmann, the head of sales at ZDF Enterprises, commented: "ZDF has a consistently strong and very attractive program output that appeals to a broad segment of TV viewers. We can thus offer a great variety and volume of programs that have already aired successfully on their home market, thus reducing the chance of failure for foreign broadcasters. In addition, we also provide more than ‘just’ television content. One example is our special all-media roll-out for all platforms that we’re offering for programs such as The Jungle Book, H2O, Fun with Claude, The Protectors and others. From global brand management to extra content for all imaginable digital devices, from high-caliber event programs and multimedia applications to short clips—whatever we do, we strive to ensure that our clients will be happy with their investment in our products. We believe in our ‘passion for excellence.’ And with our diversified catalogue and our digital strategy, we’re also well equipped for the coming challenges as well."