ZDF Enterprises Unveils MIPCOM Online+ & Canneseries Slate

Germany’s ZDF Enterprises has a range of new highlights in its catalog for the fall season.

Directed by Gianluca Maria Tavarelli (The Young Montalbano, Maltese), Standing Tall is a crime series from the ZDFE.drama slate that follows a former policeman’s unofficial investigation into the death of his son, whom he hadn’t seen for years. Written, directed and produced by the Danish Avaz brothers, Grow is a crime series about self-discovery and morale set in a multi-plot story. From the showrunner of Netflix’s Dogs of Berlin, Sløborn mixes a coming-of-age drama with a pandemic thriller into a modern epic to tell the story of a group of islanders confronted with a fatal virus.

“We have been busy the last year to add more genres and more quality drama from all over the world,” said Robert Franke, VP of ZDFE.drama.

ZDF Enterprises has a new season of its live-action series Heirs of the Night available in its ZDFE.junior catalog. The series is set in Europe in 1889, as the heirs of the five remaining vampire clans are brought together on the ship The Elisabetha to attend a newly created vampire school. The animated series Space Nova follows the adventures of the space-exploring Nova family in the year 2162. After being the hero of the 1970s cult series created by Vladimir Tartakovsky and Marc Bonnet, the most famous cetacean in cartoon history makes his comeback in the animated series Zoom—The White Dolphin.

“Comedy and humor are central to the series, expressed through a host of colorful characters,” said Peter Lang, VP of ZDFE.junior.

From ZDF Enterprises’ ZDFE.unscripted catalog, the three-part series Anthropocene—The Rise of Humans puts the spotlight on the human impact and thirst for innovation and technology that turned us into the most influential life form on Earth. The portfolio also features Frontlines, which takes audiences deep into the heart of battlefield action to reveal the turning points in some of the most decisive confrontations in modern wars. The documentary The Return of the Bears looks at a controversial rewilding program in Europe that scientists hope will have a positive impact on the ecosystem.

“In a never-ending effort to acquire, co-produce and sell the best programs around the world, ZDFE.unscripted’s aim is to enhance the genre and deliver best-quality factual programs,” said Ralf Rückauer, VP of ZDFE.unscripted. “These programs use the latest scientific knowledge, provide deep insights and tell fact-based stories in an entertaining manner.”

ZDF Enterprises’ president and CEO, Fred Burcksen, said: “Despite the challenges being faced during the pandemic, I am proud that we are able to offer such a strong and exciting slate to our clients this fall. A huge thanks to the talent, the producers and their teams, who have worked under very difficult circumstances to complete their productions and deliver such fantastic shows, that will give audiences everywhere hours of entertainment.”