Worldscreenings: Red Arrow Studios International

Armed with a broad range of content across various in-demand genres, Red Arrow Studios International has been helping broadcasters to fill their schedules with the type of programming audiences are very much craving during these challenging times. “During the lockdown period, there’s been a definite demand for feel-good, positive, family-friendly fare,” says Tim Gerhartz, senior VP of global sales. “So, on the scripted front, our catalog of TV movies has done particularly
well; it’s easygoing, feel-good content that appeals to a broad family audience, and it’s easy and flexible for broadcasters to schedule.”

In terms of unscripted, the company has been notching up tape sales for format brands such as Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds and Married at First Sight, “which are both proven ratings winners,” says Gerhartz. “Married at First Sight, in particular, has many hours of finished tapes available across numerous languages, so we’ve generated a lot of business from that title, particularly with those broadcasters that also produce their own versions and were looking to extend the brand across their schedules and benefit from the halo effect of a hit show in a cost-effective way.” The U.S. version, produced by Kinetic Content for Lifetime and renewed for another six seasons, is a top pick for broadcasters around the world, as is the Australian version, which has been a hit for Nine Network. This year, the Aussie treatment was acquired by Lifetime in the U.S. and Channel 4 in the U.K. Further finished sales include SVT picking up the Norwegian version, SIC Portugal licensing the Italian and New Zealand adaptations and PRO Plus Slovenia acquiring Married at First Sight Croatia.

Red Arrow Studios International has also seen strong demand for quick-turnaround formats, particularly high-volume, lower-cost shows that can play in a variety of slots and can be produced easily under COVID-19 protocols. For example, the format Block Out, which Red Arrow Studios developed with Nippon TV and July August Productions, was recently commissioned for 65 episodes in Spain and also in the Netherlands for the kids’ channel NPO Zapp. “Broadcasters are also experimenting with these types of formats in prime time, as the lower price points mean the risk is also a lot lower,” Gerhartz says.

On the flip side, buyers are also interested in big brands, he adds, “shows that can really make a difference to their schedules and will define their networks. On that front, we are having a lot of conversations about our prime-time entertainment format Beat the Channel, which has been a huge hit in Germany across four seasons and has been licensed to France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands and the Middle East.” Produced by Florida Entertainment for ProSieben in Germany, the format sees two presenters compete to win a 15-minute live slot on their host network, where literally anything goes.

With regard to scripted, networks are being selective, Gerhartz says. “The willingness to take risks on series without a proven track record is lower; however, we are fortunate to have several returning premium dramas in our catalog that are all performing well.” He points to Vienna Blood, a crime drama produced by Endor Productions and MR Film for ORF (Austria) and ZDF (Germany), and the conspiracy thriller Departure, produced by Shaftesbury and Greenpoint Productions for Global in Canada. The new seasons of both Vienna Blood and Departure will deliver in 2021. Also, Bosch, produced by Fabrik Entertainment for Amazon Studios, continues to be a mainstay of the company’s catalog. Commissioned for a seventh season, it is Amazon’s longest-running series, and the second-window rights sell widely.

“We are also a big supplier of quality, critically acclaimed non-English-language drama like Dignity, The Bank Hacker and Falco,” says Gerhartz. “The increasing globalization of drama means viewers are more accepting of subtitled and dubbed content than ever before.”

In the factual arena, Red Arrow Studios International is focused on supplying premium brands such as The Weekly, the acclaimed half-hour documentary series that just won four awards at the News and Documentary Emmys, and The Weekly: Special Edition, a collection of 8×1-hour premium, standalone documentaries. Both are produced by Red Arrow’s Left/Right and The New York Times for FX and Hulu.

“Our priority for fall/winter 2020 and beyond is to push our new launches, but also continue to build on our existing format brands and key dramas,” Gerhartz says.

In terms of launches, the company has several new formats, including How to Become Superhuman, a new adventure format from Snowman Productions, a Red Arrow Studios company, for Discovery (Denmark), as well as the feel-good reality format Dieting with My Dog, produced by Red Arrow’s Redseven Entertainment for SAT.1 in Germany.

Red Arrow Studios International also has a new package of romantic-comedy TV movies, produced by North American producers for Hallmark and Lifetime in the U.S., bringing its TV-movie catalog to over 500 titles.

In terms of existing brands, Married at First Sight will continue to be a big priority, both as a format and as a finished tape—particularly season 11 of Married at First Sight USA and season seven of Married at First Sight Australia. Another priority is A League of Their Own, the BAFTA Award-winning panel show that mixes sports, comedy and entertainment. “The show is doing exceptionally well in Germany, where it returns for its fourth season in November, while in the U.K., season 15 has just aired on Sky, which has already committed to an additional two seasons,” Gerhartz says. The show also launched this summer as Game On! on CBS in the U.S.

See Red Arrow Studios International’s Fall 2020 Showcase here.