It was another year of peak TV in the scripted space, with the number of originals in the U.S. alone hitting 495 in 2018, according to FX Networks Research, up from 487 in 2017. Online platforms now boast more scripted originals than basic cable and broadcast, the data notes, with 160 to basic\u2019s 144 (down from 175 in 2017) and broadcast\u2019s 146 (down from 153). Online now accounts for a 32-percent share of U.S. scripted originals, ahead of broadcast\u2019s 30 percent, basic cable\u2019s 29 percent and pay cable\u2019s 9 percent.<\/p>\n
Last year also saw Netflix tie HBO in the number of Emmy wins and score more nominations than the premium cable network for the first time\u2014a remarkable achievement given that its original programming strategy only started in 2013 with House of Cards<\/em>. The streamer continued to make big moves in its IP investments in 2018, significantly ramping up its slate of originals from outside of the U.S., including Korea, India, Africa, Spain, Norway, Germany, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Sweden.<\/p>\n Apple, too, made some aggressive moves in 2018, announcing series from Jennifer Garner and J.J. Abrams, NBA superstar Kevin Durant, Damien Chazelle and M. Night Shyamalan, and unveiling its first international production\u2014an adaptation of Gregory David Roberts\u2019 best-selling novel Shantaram<\/em>. Under the leadership of Jennifer Salke, Amazon Studios unveiled a raft of new series in the U.S. and expanded its international productions in Japan and India, including its first Tamil-language drama.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the upcoming Disney+ service started to take shape, with the company announcing a new Star Wars<\/em> live-action series; and the digital subscription service DC Universe launched with library fare and original series like Greg Berlanti\u2019s Titans<\/em>.<\/p>\n With all the drama being produced for linear and digital in the U.S. and across the globe, securing access to talent remains a crucial concern for producers, platforms and distributors, leading to a slew of new investments and first-look deals. Of note, Warner Bros. retained its lucrative pact with Berlanti and aligned with Emmy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated writer, producer and director Ava DuVernay. Fremantle secured alliances with Brazilian author Paulo Coelho and Picnic at Hanging Rock<\/em> star Natalie Dormer. Carol Mendelsohn entered an overall producing deal with Universal Television. Netflix partnered with Eric Newman (Narcos<\/em>); Marti Noxon (Sharp Objects<\/em>, Dietland<\/em>); Harlan Coben; Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar, the creators of Dark<\/em>; and \u00c1lex Pina, the creator of La Casa de Papel<\/em> (Money Heist<\/em>), among many<\/em> others. Amazon Studios secured deals with Nicole Kidman, Neil Gaiman and Academy Award winner Barry Jenkins. The Handmaid\u2019s Tale<\/em>\u2019s Bruce Miller inked a multiyear overall development deal with MGM Television and Hulu. Apple signed producer and director Justin Lin (Fast & Furious<\/em>) to an exclusive, multiyear overall deal.<\/p>\n On the investment front, NENT Studios, part of Nordic Entertainment Group, purchased a majority stake in the Copenhagen-based drama production company EPIQ. Sony Pictures Television acquired a minority stake in the production company Eleventh Hour Films. NBCUniversal International Studios and Matchbox Pictures backed a new production company with Tony Ayres. Banijay Group set up a scripted operation in Italy and added to its roster the new scripted outfit Neon Ink. BBC Studios increased its holding in Clerkenwell Films and acquired a minority stake in Moonage Pictures and a 51-percent interest in Sid Gentle Films. All3Media backed Noel Clarke and Jason Maza\u2019s Unstoppable Film and TV and Siobhan Finnigan and Judith King\u2019s Witchery Pictures. Beta Film and ZDF Enterprises teamed up to launch Intaglio Films, a new scripted venture to develop, finance and produce drama for the international market.<\/p>\n In a year when two of the biggest, buzziest hits in the U.S. were HBO\u2019s Sharp Objects<\/em> and BBC America\u2019s Killing Eve<\/em>, book-based IP continued to be in high demand across the globe. At Netflix, adaptations in the works include a series based on Henning Mankell\u2019s best-selling Kurt Wallander novels, series and film projects based on C.S. Lewis\u2019s The Chronicles of Narnia<\/em> and a take on Salman Rushdie\u2019s Midnight\u2019s Children<\/em>. Other high-profile adaptations in development or production include The Watch<\/em>, from Sir Terry Pratchett\u2019s Discworld novels, for BBC America; Joyland<\/em>, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, for Freeform; James Clavell\u2019s Sh\u014dgun<\/em> for FX; Elaine Weiss’s The Woman’s Hour<\/em>, exec produced by Hillary Clinton; Audrey Niffenegger’s novel The Time Traveler’s Wife<\/em> from Steven Moffat for HBO; Jane Austen’s unfinished final novel, Sanditon<\/em>, for ITV and PBS Masterpiece; NOS4A2<\/em> for AMC; and Little Fires Everywhere<\/em> for Hulu. There are also several graphic novels and comics being made into TV series, such as Watchmen<\/em> for HBO, and Showtime greenlit the video game-inspired Halo<\/em>.<\/p>\n Reboots, too, remain popular, with Hulu ordering a revival of Veronica Mars<\/em> and Freeform giving a put pilot commitment for a new version of the ’90s hit Party of Five<\/em>. Showtime said it would continue the Penny Dreadful<\/em> saga with Penny Dreadful: City of Angels<\/em>. AMC unveiled an expansion of The Walking Dead <\/em>universe (despite a dip in ratings for the flagship show) with a series of films starring Andrew Lincoln to continue the story of his character, Rick Grimes. CBS All Access revealed details of a new Star Trek<\/em> series, with Sir Patrick Stewart returning to the iconic role of Jean-Luc Picard. Starz and Lionsgate said they are developing a TV series based on the John Wick<\/em> film franchise called The Continental<\/em>.<\/p>\n Reaffirming the importance of known IP in a crowded drama space, there were several announcements last year of biographies, including one on Audrey Hepburn from Wildside and a Netflix series about Tejano music legend Selena Quintanilla. Hulu gave a straight-to-series order for Wu-Tang: An American Saga<\/em>. Lin-Manuel Miranda and Thomas Kail, who partnered on the Broadway hit Hamilton<\/em>, are teaming up for an FX limited series centered on choreographer and filmmaker Bob Fosse and dancer Gwen Verdon. Dopamine and Onza Entertainment aligned for a production focused on the life of Hern\u00e1n Cort\u00e9s. Acorn Media Enterprises revealed it was working with Free@Last TV to develop the first-ever scripted biopic of legendary comic Benny Hill. Mainstreet Pictures and Fremantle are developing a global event drama based on the life of legendary British actress Vivien Leigh.<\/p>\n The year also saw further evolutions in funding models and partnerships. Public broadcasters DR, NRK, SVT, R\u00daV and YLE kicked off the “Nordic 12” initiative in an effort to secure rights to the best Nordic shows in the face of increasing competition from global SVOD services. France T\u00e9l\u00e9visions joined forces with RAI in Italy and ZDF in Germany to launch a European production pool that will finance series. Keshet International established a $55 million fund in partnership with several of Israel\u2019s largest holding and asset management companies to invest in drama projects.<\/p>\n Finding newer, smarter ways to finance drama will remain a key concern for all those involved in the business this year as questions remain over just how much is too much when it comes to scripted.<\/p>\n Stay tuned to all the developments in the drama business by signing up for TV Drama Daily<\/em>, TV Drama Weekly<\/em> and TV Drama Breaking News<\/em> here<\/a>, and visit TVDrama.ws<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" World Screen Newsflash takes a look back at the major stories in the drama business in 2018.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":290,"featured_media":10572,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[69,70],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-profiles","category-top-stories","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\n