Germinal Picked Up in Canada

Banijay Rights has inked its first deal on Germinal, based on Émile Zola’s classic 19th-century novel, with the French-Canadian network Radio-Canada.

The new six-part drama is co-produced by Banijay Studios France and Pictanovo with the support of La Région Hauts-de-France for France Télévisions, in collaboration with Rai Fiction and Salto. Germinal tells the story of a miners’ strike during the Second Empire in a community in northern France.

The Radio-Canada deal marks the first international sale for the historical series, which officially launches this fall. Earlier this month, the series won the audience award at Series Mania, following its premiere at the event in Lille.

Jane Rimer, senior VP for Canada at Banijay Rights, said: “Germinal is a powerful literary masterpiece from Émile Zola and one of the seminal works of French literature. This breathtaking adaptation is storytelling at its finest, and we are thrilled to be partnering with Radio-Canada on its Canadian launch.”

Dany Meloul, general manager of Radio-Canada Television, added: “Radio-Canada has a proud tradition of offering some of the most prestigious international drama productions to its viewers. Germinal will undoubtedly generate a lot of interest as its cast include two young talented actors from Quebec, Rose-Marie Perreault and Aliocha Schneider.’’