MIPCOM Spotlight: NBCUniversal

CANNES: Episodic procedural shows with distinct lead characters are in demand globally, according to Belinda Menendez, the president of NBCUniversal International Television Distribution and Universal Networks International.

“These are the series that bring in the largest audiences around the world,” she says. “In Ironside and Chicago PD, we have two shows that fill this need for broadcasters.” Blair Underwood stars in Ironside, which is a gritty retelling of the original series that aired on NBC in the 1960s/1970s, and Chicago PD is the police-oriented spin-off of Dick Wolf’s hit series Chicago Fire. “Recently, we’ve also seen a great response from international audiences toward genre dramas and think Dracula will be a good fit for that market,” says Menendez. Dracula is a reimagining of Bram Stoker’s novel and stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers.