Showcase: ZDF Studios

October 14, 2024 Kristin Brzoznowski

Over the last year, ZDF Studios has successfully continued to strengthen its Group in line with its motto “Inspire – Create – Produce – Distribute.”

“These are challenging times, and everyone is looking for strong and reliable partners on which to build their business for the future,” says Dr. Markus Schäfer, president and CEO of ZDF Studios. “This is where we come in as an integrated media company that not only enables the development of innovative, high-quality programs but is also exceptionally strong in building co-production partnerships and international distribution networks. We are continuously working on adapting our genre coverage to market needs and on further driving the quality level of our program offerings.”

The ZDF Studios Group comprises a network of companies in Germany, the Netherlands and the U.K. in three business areas: production, distribution and services. “We cover the entire value chain across all genres—from the development of scripted and unscripted TV content to production, marketing and monetizing, including TV and streaming licenses as well as merchandising and online rights,” Schäfer says.

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As ZDF Studios gears up for MIPCOM, the company has a slew of highlights and several new shows in development or production. The latest addition to its drama slate is the crime series Weiss & Morales, a co-production from RTVE, ZDF, Portocabo, Nadcon and ZDF Studios, shot on the beautiful Canary Islands. In the series, Nina Weiss, a BKA agent, gets involved in the investigation of the death of a German citizen alongside Raúl Morales, the civil guard sergeant in charge of the case—and this is only the start of their cooperation in solving many crimes on the islands.

ZDF Studios is also proud to be the distributor of The Zweiflers, a production of Turbokultur for ARD Degeto Film/HR. It follows as the tragic-comic search for the meaning of life begins, culminating in decisions that will change the lives of everyone involved. The series continues to collect awards and nominations at international festivals. Its awards to date include four German Television Awards in 2024 (Aaron Altaras as best actor, Sunnyi Melles as best actress, the entire production as best drama series and winner of the category for best camera fiction); being named best series and best music and receiving the High School Award for best series at Canneseries; best ensemble and best newcomer (David Hadda) at the Hessian Film Awards; and the Special Jury Prize at the Venice TV Awards.

The suspenseful vampire series Love Sucks is produced by the ZDF Studios subsidiary Studio Zentral for ZDF. It has already been awarded the Bernd Burgemeister Award for best series at the Munich Filmfest 2024. Love Sucks tells the story of Zelda, trained as a boxer, who falls for the sensitive and sophisticated Ben, who hides a secret: he’s a vampire. As if this was not bad enough, she discovers that her family are vampire slayers.

Regarding factual highlights, the ZDF Studios slate is led by the five-part series Fateful Planet, produced by ZDF Digital Medienproduktion for Curiosity Stream in association with ZDF Studios and ZDFinfo. It chronicles our planet’s turbulent history—from its dramatic birth through the cosmic and terrestrial forces that have shaped it. The series explores the rise of humanity, reconstructing the significant events that created our unique habitat and showing how life rebounded after catastrophic events.

The documentary Unearthed—The Mystery of the Shaman Woman is produced by south&browse for ZDF in association with ARTE and ZDF Studios. The doc aims to reveal the mystery of one of the most significant cases in European archaeology: the shaman woman of Bad Dürrenberg. The story of this woman, buried with a baby in her arms, is still captivating 9,000 years after her death.

Produced by Doclights in association with WDR and Terra Mater Studios, the three-part Welcome to the Forest ventures deep into forests, exploring how we can protect, enjoy and even profit from them in the future. Employing the latest technology, the film immerses viewers in a remarkable environment filled with plants, fungi and animals.

The latest addition to ZDF Studios’ formats catalog is Hack My Yard, of which more than 120 shows have been produced and aired so far. In this docutainment format, two gardening professionals develop ideas for transforming a garden and compete for the homeowner’s order with their respective concepts. The winner and the team of gardeners get the chance to turn a sad, problematic garden into an oasis of relaxation and fun for the client’s family.

For younger audiences, ZDF Studios is presenting the live-action series Surviving Summer, produced by its long-standing partners at Australia’s Werner Film Productions. The series, which premiered on Netflix, tells the story of Brooklyn teen Summer Torres, who is sent to live with family friends in the tiny town of Shorehaven on Australia’s Great Ocean Road. She is introduced to the fun and thrilling world of competitive surfing—and falls in love.

The animated series Klincus, produced by Showlab in co-production with Rai Ragazzi, ZDF, La Fabrique d’Images and Telegael, is about the eternal clash between modernity and tradition—between the unstoppable force of the new and the immovable object of the old. The steampunk fantasy world of Klincus is at the height of an Industrial Revolution yet holds a mirror to the vital decisions we are faced with today.

In Dinomite & Lucy, the adventures of teenage dinosaur and madcap inventor Dinomite and his wild and unruly human friend Lucy are set in the sleepy but eccentric dinosaur town of Fernham. They might be completely opposite characters, but their strengths and weaknesses complement each other perfectly. The show is produced by M.A.R.K.13, TRIKK17 and La Fabrique d’Images.

Looking past MIPCOM and into 2025, Schäfer says that the goal is to continue to “work on creating further synergies between the companies within our Group, which already has been working extremely well in the current year and will make us even more attractive for all groups of stakeholders. A key driver for us is being an employer of choice for German and international talent, allowing them to flourish in a very inspiring and creative environment. We have succeeded in attracting a significant number of highly talented people who are enthusiastic about helping us achieve our goals—and there are more to come! It all comes down to two key objectives: cutting-edge programs and superior service!”