MIPCOM: The Week in Drama

TV Drama recaps some of the biggest drama stories to emerge out of MIPCOM last week.

MIPCOM’s inaugural Seaview Producers Hub was buzzing with activity last week as a center for early-stage development and co-production partnerships. Indeed, as budgets in scripted soar and the market becomes ever more competitive, the first-time Seaview Producers Hub served as a networking lounge and meeting spot while also playing host to a slew of panels featuring the major players in drama production, distribution and development from across the globe.

Among those sessions was one on Banijay’s scripted strategy, which I had the great pleasure of moderating. Lars Blomgren, head of scripted, was joined by Kudos’ Karen Wilson, Endemol Shine Finland’s Max Malka and Pokeepsie Films’ Álex de la Iglesia and Carolina Bang to talk about the common vision across Banijay’s 50-plus scripted labels, new developments in the U.K., Finland and Spain and much more. Banijay also made headlines during the week when it announced its latest scripted acquisition, that of Mam Tor Productions in the U.K., the outfit behind the BBC One drama Chloe. Meanwhile, Banijay Rights announced a slew of deals on its significant scripted slate, including licensing Bali 2002 to ITV in the U.K. and preselling Marie Antoinette to PBS Distribution in the U.S.

The prominence of European drama was on display across the deal news last week—and in the talent in town in Cannes to promote these shows. The Mediapro Studio hosted an array of stars and behind-the-scenes talent for the second season of its Spanish-Japanese co-production The Head, while Legendary and Dynamic Television showcased another Japanese co-pro, Drops of God. Global Screen was in town with the lead star and director of Hostage, a sequel to Stockholm Requiem that it launched to buyers last week. ZDF Studios hosted a party to unveil its big-budget historical epic Boundless. It also announced that production had begun on the surveillance drama thriller Concordia from Emmy Award winner Frank Doelger and Intaglio Films and a raft of deals for Agatha Christie’s Hjerson, including with Topic in the U.S. and SBS in Australia. LEONINE Studios licensed the SVOD rights for the crime drama Troppo to Viaplay for the Nordics, the Netherlands, Poland and the Baltic region, while Amazon Freevee acquired the AVOD rights for Germany and the U.K. Bavaria Media International secured distribution for Codex 632, based on the bestseller of the same name by José Rodrigues dos Santos.

It was also a big week for British drama, with BBC Studios in town to receive MIPCOM’s inaugural Studio of Distinction Award. BBC Studios CEO Tom Fussell used his keynote to announce the company’s complete takeover of Sid Gentle Films, the venture behind the hit drama Killing Eve. Later in the week, BBC Studios also revealed a scripted format deal for the hit British drama Doctor Foster with MBC in the Middle East. All3Media International presold Drama Republic’s new period drama The Confessions of Frannie Langton to Telekom/Magenta TV in Germany and NPO in the Netherlands and placed The Larkins with broadcasters across Europe, the Asia Pacific, North America and Africa. A+E Networks Global Content Sales was tapped to distribute seasons two and three of Miss Scarlet and the Duke in key markets worldwide. Cineflix Rights inked deals on its diverse slate, encompassing titles from the U.K., Israel, Iceland and elsewhere; and secured Sky as the U.K., Irish and German home of the buzzy new Australian crime drama Last King of The Cross.

The Turkish drama distributors were back in full force in Cannes. Inter Medya, which celebrated its 30th anniversary at the market, was in town with TIMS&B Productions’ Timur Savcı and Burak Sağyaşar to unveil Deception, after previously collaborating on Bitter Lands. ATV sold the brand-new series A Little Sunshine, which launched at MIPCOM, to Mediaset España. MBC Group signed a five-year agreement with Turkish production houses Medyapim and Ay Yapim for a first look at their titles and to co-develop and commission Arabic-language productions.

In terms of American drama, the most significant development was perhaps the return of the U.S. studios to Cannes as they seem to shift away slightly from the strategy of keeping all their titles for their own services. Independent outfit FOX Entertainment, meanwhile, which presented its new global vision in Cannes, signed a multiyear first-look broadcast-direct deal with producers Carol Mendelsohn (CSI) and Julie Weitz. Electric Entertainment sealed an agreement with AMC Networks International—Latin America (AMCNI—LA) for three drama series from its slate, including the Freevee hit Leverage: Redemption.