MIPTV: The Week in Drama

Returning for its second edition, the MIPDrama Screenings welcomed some 450 buyers to the Palais on the Sunday before MIPTV to screen 12 selected projects—both works in progress and completed episodes—from across the globe.

The Grand Jury, comprised of international showrunners and creators, gave the award in the full episodes category to Globo’s Jailers. The Grand Jury prize for best work in progress went to Beta Film’s Babylon Berlin.

There were also awards presented by a TV Critics Jury, to AB International’s Missions and STUDIOCANAL’s Ride Upon the Storm. Buyers, meanwhile, awarded all3media International’s Clique and Ride Upon the Storm. Speaking of the latter, STUDIOCANAL had the show’s creator, Adam Price (Borgen), and star Lars Mikkelsen in town for the screening on Sunday. Also on site in Cannes were the stars of Sky Vision’s Riviera, which was the World Premiere Screening on Monday, among them Julia Stiles.

There was plenty of Turkish talent on the Croisette, including the stars of MISTCO’s The Last Emperor and of Eccho Rights’ Phi and Heart of the City. Turkish drama also made headlines with the co-production and co-development deal between Kanal D and Chile’s Mega, and the agreement between MF Yapim and MEDYAPIM and Nippon TV for a local adaptation of the Japanese drama Woman—My Life for My Children.

German actress Rike Schmid took part in a panel on Tuesday morning, alongside executives from ZDF Enterprises, Palomar, Rai Fiction and Maze Pictures and moderated by World Screen’s Anna Carugati, about the new German-Italian co-production Maltese, which was also screened at MIPTV. Continental European drama is still very hot, both across the region and increasingly in North America. STUDIOCANAL landed a deal with Walter Presents for the French drama Baron Noir to air Stateside.

As buyers clamor for procedurals, Entertainment One secured several deals for Private Eyes, which stars Jason Priestley and Cindy Sampson, across Europe and in the U.S.

The wealth of activity in British drama included ITV Studios Global Entertainment licensing three series to Super Channel in Canada, including Harlots, two dramas to France’s C8, and Victoria to a wealth of platforms, among them YES in Israel and Mediaset in Italy. STUDIOCANAL sold Harlan Coben’s The Five to free- and pay-TV platforms in Germany. Guerrilla, a U.S./U.K. co-production, generated a number of deals for Endemol Shine International, including HBO Nordics and BBC First in Australia.

Big-name partnerships were also a key theme at MIPTV. As the market opened Monday morning, FremantleMedia announced it had taken a 25-percent interest in Bend It TV, the scripted TV production company founded by filmmaker Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham, Bride and Prejudice). On Monday evening, meanwhile, MTG and DRG unveiled a partnership with former Sony Chairman Sir Howard Stringer for Atrium TV. The “commissioning club” is dedicated to creating premium drama for regional OTT players and telcos. (DRG is also working with MTG on the international rollout of MTG Studios’ Veni Vidi Vici, which was one of the MIPDrama selections.)

Also last week, ITV Studios announced its investment in Jason Blum’s Blumhouse Television, whose new slate includes a Roger Ailes limited series for Showtime and an adaptation of the feature film The Purge. MIPTV also saw IMG unveil its tie-up with Agatha Christie Productions (ACPL) for the seven new dramas based on the acclaimed author’s works being produced by Mammoth Screen for BBC One.

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