Content London 2021: Day 1

Rewriting History: Amy Savitsky on taking the cablenet back in time

Diederick Santer lifts the lid on BritBox’s strategy to build up its brand

Roma Khanna illuminates scripted plans for the Clintons’ HiddenLight

News • Features • Event pictures • Speaker profiles • Comment and more...

DAY ONE – November 30 2021

ITV0401_ContentLondonDailyD1_ITVStudios_TheIpcressFIle_FrontCover_SubAW.indd 1

10/11/2021 12:37

Contents DAY 1

3

Welcome to Day 1 of Content London 2021

In this edition Page 14 Eddy & the Ecosaurs

Page 25 Rabbit Films’ Mobile 101

C

ontent London’s return to the real world after 20 months of back-to-back Zoom meetings for the entire industry comes at a pivotal moment in global television history.

Not only has the pandemic coincided with the streaming boom and created a perfect storm to blow away the industry’s old ways, but it really feels like we’re collectively at a point where the business is completely reinventing itself. New platforms and business models, new demand for content from all quarters, emerging voices actively being sought out and celebrated, rather than overlooked, ignored or begrudgingly tolerated as before. And change always creates new opportunities, as platforms spend money on content to define their USPs and embrace new models to get fresh talent onboard.

Today’s sessions at Content London simply reek of opportunity, from this morning’s highprofile State of the Content Nation panel setting the tone for the next three days to one-on-ones with buyers outlining their needs.

As well as opportunities, the new world creates a certain amount of uncertainty and, for some, apprehension. But as with most things in life, fear of missing out trumps fear of the unknown. As you face this brave new world, remember that, unlike the past 20 months, you can’t do it in your sweat pants.

Ed Waller

Page 17 Claire Mundell ell Page 21 MGM’s Vikings 4-5 Your guide to Content London 2021 7-9 News round-up for day one

Page 2 26 Drama script competition 21 MGM International TV Productions president Rola Bauer on coproduction

11 Amy Savitsky on US network History’s return to its core mandate

23 Roma Khanna builds purposeful scripted content for the Clintons’ HiddenLight Productions

13 BritBox International’s Diederick Santer on the streamer’s ambitions

25 Rabbit Films showcases one of its first forays into scripted, Mobile 101

14-17 Q&As with Harry Teper of Omens Studios, Henrik Pabst of Seven.

One Entertainment, Claire Mundell of Synchronicity Films and Bernadette McDaid of Red Bull Studios

26 Studio21 hosts the final of its annual Drama Series Script Competition

18 Content London Drama Series Pitch

28-29 Content London 2021 in pictures 30 The Last Word on the ‘new normal’ from C21’s David Jenkinson

Agenda highlights 10am – State of The Content Nation Hall 1, Kings Place Kicking off three days of debate, this opening session brings together some of the content industry’s leading thinkers to discuss the lessons learned during the pandemic and consider the priorities and challenges ahead worldwide.

Speakers: Roma Khanna, Rola Bauer, Wayne Garvie, Mark Oliver and Danna Stern.

11am – Commissioning: International unscripted Hall 2, Kings Place Senior executives from TF1, History, Red Bull Studios, Smithsonian Channel and National Geographic discuss their unscripted commissioning strategies, and discuss co-development and co-financing opportunities.

Speakers: Julien Degroote, Amy Savitsky, Bernadette McDaid, James Blue (pictured) and Simon Raikes.

11.15am – Netflix UK drama Hall 1, Kings Place The commissioning team talk about what’s new, what’s exciting and what they hope will be the next Netflix obsession from its upcoming slate.

Speakers: Anne Mensah, Tom Lyons, Sophie Klein and Lindsay Salt.

12.15pm – Commissioning: BBC Drama Hall 1, Kings Place In conversation with Piers Wenger, director of BBC Drama, who will discuss his content strategy, reveal details of his new slate and opportunities for collaboration locally and internationally.

2.45pm – Commissioning: YouTube Hall 1, Kings Place Head of originals for YouTube EMEA, Luke Hyams oversees all original programming across the region. In this session he will discuss his unscripted content strategy, new projects and potential for collaboration.

3.30pm – Commissioning: BBC Factual Hall 1, Kings Place In conversation with Patrick Holland (pictured), director of factual, arts and classical music at the BBC, who will outline his content and commissioning strategies and discuss opportunities for future collaboration.

4pm – Commissioning: International kids Hall 3, Kings Place Kids execs with an international remit discuss their mission to meet the demands of younger audiences, new slates and how they’re innovating to stay ahead in a competitive landscape.

Speakers: Orion Ross and Sean Henry.

5pm – World Premiere: The Ipcress File Hall 1, Kings Place Iconic spy Harry Palmer returns in this major new adaptation of Len Deighton’s novel from ITV Studios and Altitude Film Entertainment.

Conference Information DAY 1

REGISTRATION All speakers and delegates must register at Kings Place on the ground floor.

NETWORKING Head to the Battlebridge Room at Kings Place on the ground floor or to the Mezzanine for lounge seating.

Additional heated outside networking space can be found overlooking the Regents Canal outside the Rotunda Platimum Lounge and Battlebridge VIP Lounge. Our latest venue, The Gas Station, can be found across the road from Kings Place and offers allday dining with a heated outside terrace.

COFFEE CART Grab a delicious FREE coffee on the Mezzanine at Kings Place. Sponsored by Anyway Content.

THE INTERNATIONAL DRAMA AWARDS C21’s International Drama Awards will take place on Thursday December 2 at Kings Place. The drinks reception starts at 5.30pm on the Conference Level, with the ceremony following at 6-7pm in Hall 1.

EVENING EVENTS Content London is host to a series of events every evening, most are open to all delegates. Take a look at the agenda for full information.

CONTENT LONDON CLOSING COCKTAIL This takes place Thursday December 2 between 7pm and 9pm in the Battlebridge Lounge at Kings Place.

Sponsored by Universal International Studios.

LUNCH AT THE GAS STATION Dine at Kings Cross’ latest hotspot, The Gas Station.

Spread over three levels with heated outside space.

Food is available throughout the day from their menu.

STREAM THE SESSIONS Back-to-back meetings, or prefer to engage from your meeting table? All of the Content London sessions are available to stream live from your device using your C21Media.net registered email address at www.streamcontentlondon.net

COMPLIMENTARY LIGHT LUNCH This is available in the Battlebridge VIP Lounge and on the Conference Level at Kings Place.

CATCH UP ON DEMAND Registered delegates will be able to catch up with any missed sessions on demand following the event.

INFORMATION POINTS Head to registration on the ground floor at Kings Place to find our Content Concierge service, to help with any of your Content London queries.

WIFI Network name: Content London Password: ContentLondon21

SCREENINGS AND PRESENTATIONS A schedule of screenings and presentations will run throughout the event. See pages 7 and 9 for more.

CONTENT CONCIERGE is a help desk service for Content London delegates. You can find us at the registration desk at Kings Place.

To help you get the most out of your visit, you can email concierge@c21media.net for assistance with booking a lunch or dinner, meeting spaces or for any other information with regard to your trip to London.

Content Concierge

You can also use the My Content London area of ContentLondon.net to find information about the agenda and speakers and to connect with other delegates.

Conference Information DAY 1

Your 10-Point Plan for Content London We’ve produced a 10-point plan to help delegates make the most of Content London in these challenging times. Please read this and use it as a guide to help you navigate the event.

The Gas Station

1. Spread out in the new networking space We have limited numbers at this year’s event and added additional networking space on the terrace at Kings Place and at The Gas Station across the road.

Please take advantage of these new locations to meet and stream the sessions.

2. Stream all the sessions live to your device Delegates can stream the sessions live to their phone, tablet or laptop over fast WiFi at both venues (and also access them all on-demand after the event).

Take advantage of this if you prefer to engage from your meeting table.

Visit www.streamcontentlondon.net to access the live stream with your email and password.

3. Please wear a mask in sessions To keep everyone safe, masks must be worn by delegates in the sessions. Please ensure you have a mask with you.

4. You must be double vaccinated Our policy is that everyone attending Content London must be double jabbed. You will not be able to get into either venue unless you upload your vaccination certificates ahead of the event. You can do this via the My Content London tab at www.contentlondon.net.

These will also be checked at registration.

5. Please take a test before attending We are asking all delegates to take a Covid-19 test before attending Content London.

This should be done during the two days before your arrival.

You will not be required to share the result but please take the test to help keep everyone safe.

Kings Cross’s latest hotspot has been exclusively reserved for Content London delegates.

The venue offers a covered and heated water-side beer garden with views overlooking Regents Canal.

A light breakfast is available here from 8.30am and you can order food throughout the day from the menu.

Reservations are also available for the evenings throughout Content London.

The Terrace

6. Meet in our heated outside terraces To allow those who prefer to meet in an outside space we have created new terraces at the back of Kings Place and at The Gas Station.

There is room for hundreds of delegates to use these spaces and there are heaters to keep you warm.

7. Connect with My Content London The My Content London area of the site has information about all speakers and delegates, allowing you to connect directly. It also carries the latest agenda and news of any changes.

8. Get your badge early Registration is open from 8am on Tuesday with the first session starting at 10am.

9. Read the Content London Daily updates The print issue of The Content London Daily is available every morning from 8am on site. It will have highlights from the day’s agenda and important news and information.

We will also be sending a Content London Daily information update every morning. Please check this for important announcements.

10. Please be patient We are doing everything we can to make Content London run as smoothy as possible in these challenging times, but we won’t always get it right.

Please be patient with us and we’ll work as hard as we can to get things done.

Additional heated outside networking space is available overlooking the picturesque Regents Canal. Running alongside the Battlebridge Room and Rotunda Restaurant, The Terrace at Kings Place is a hidden gem with beautiful views. The semi-enclosed bar terrace is equipped with heaters and blankets.

All Content London sessions are streamed live over a dedicated network to view on your mobile device. Simply visit www.streamcontentlondon.net and log in with your Content London delegate email address.

An edited version of all sessions will be made available to delegates online after the event.

Epstein’s Shadow: Ghislaine Maxwell

Canada’s Drag Race 10 x 60’ | Blue Ant Studios

3 x 60’ | Blue Ant Studios

Bathsheba: Search for Evil

Cops on the Rock

History By the Numbers

Secrets of the Imperial War Museum

Osprey: Sea Raptor

Orangutan Jungle School

2 x 60’ | Cream Productions

6 x 60’ | Spring Films

10 x 60’ | Rare TV

1 x 60’ | Love Nature and CosmoVision

Producer | Distributor | Channel Operator

20 x 60’ | Saloon Media

20 x 60’ | NHNZ Worldwide

News DAY 1

7

Netflix, ITV among big Rose d’Or winners Arrow appoints Global streaming giant Netflix completed a comedy double at last night’s Rose d’Or Awards, which were streamed live here at Kings Place, while UK commercial broadcaster ITV won three prizes for unscripted.

Netflix’s musical special Bo Burnham: Inside was named Best Comedy, while France Télévisions and Netflix’s series Call My Agent, made by Mon Voisin Productions and Mother Productions, won in the Best Comedy Drama and Sitcom category.

ITV, which is usually better known for dramas and shiny-floor formats, won the News and Current Affairs

Bo Burnham: Inside was filmed during the pandemic

prize, and the prestigious Golden Rose, for its fast-turnaround documentary Storming the Capitol: The Inside Story, about the January 6 insurrection in the US. The film was made by ITN Productions.

It also took the Reality and Factual Entertainment award for Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace,

produced by Wall to Wall Media.

Other winners included Channel 4’s Help (Best Drama), Apple TV+ and the BBC’s 9/11: Inside the President’s War Room (Documentary) and BBC Studios format Strictly Come Dancing (Studio Entertainment).

Rose d’Or Awards chair Mark Rowland said: “It’s been an incredibly strong year, from the breadth of concepts and stories to the great on-screen performances and the production skill we’ve seen, across all genres. Given the many challenges the pandemic has thrown at TV production, this is an extraordinary achievement.”

BossaNova reveals Viaplay dramas visit new countries new originals slate BossaNova, the content creation, funding and distribution company led by Paul Heaney, is today unveiling its second slate of original productions.

Headlining the new line-up is Mysteries of the Ancient Dead (6x60’), made by Toronto-based Go Button Media in a new partnership with commissioning broadcaster Super Channel in Canada.

Seven Australia’s 7mate has ordered two new seasons (8x60’ and 10x60’) of Extreme Tow Truckers from long-term BossaNova collaborator Fredbird Entertainment. Viasat World and Germany’s ProSieben are attached as pre-sale partners.

Also on the slate is Hidden Histories of WW2 (8x60’) from UK regional producer Bright Button.

Pre-sales have been agreed with Viasat World and Histoire in France.

Last up is Murder: First on Scene (10x60’), a project from UK indie Phoenix Television. BossaNova provided early-stage funding for the series, which was produced for CBS Reality and is currently airing on the channel in the UK.

Henriette Steenstrup in Pørni

Nordic Entertainment (NENT) Group-owned streamer Viaplay has extended the reach of two of its original dramas in a deal with Israeli distributor Keshet International (KI).

Monster Scripted and X-Filme Creative Pool’s Furia (8x60’) will now be available on Viaplay in 26 new territories, including Poland and the Baltics. A tense crime thriller written

by Gjermund S Eriksson (Mammon), the show recently premiered across the Nordics on Viaplay and in Germany on ZDF. KI has also sold the Viaplay original to Filmin in Spain, Cellcom TV in Israel and Mola TV in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, following a pre-sale to SBS in Australia.

In addition, all three 6x30’ seasons of Pørni will be made available on Viaplay in further markets. Also from Monster Scripted, the Norwegian comedy-drama is written by and stars Henriette Steenstrup (Ragnarok).

KI has also completed new sales of Pørni to NPO in the Netherlands, on top of previously announced deals inked with Filmin and Cosmo TV (both Spain) and HBO Max in 39 territories across Latin America.

In another deal with KI, Viaplay has picked up Fallet (8x30’) for a range of markets. The Swedish satirical series, which pokes fun at the Nordic noir genre, was originally picked up by Netflix in a global deal in 2018.

production heads

Stephanie Mavropoulos

Carrie Pennifer

UK-based factual producer Arrow International Media has appointed two heads of production.

Stephanie Mavropoulos and Carrie Pennifer have taken up the newly created roles. They will be responsible for overseeing the company’s slate of premium content for major US and UK broadcasters and platforms.

Working across both Arrow Media and Arrow Pictures, Mavropoulos and Pennifer will each manage their own balanced slate of factual series, feature documentaries, films and podcasts. They will report to MD Iain Pelling.

Mavropoulos joined Arrow when it was formed by Tom Brisley, Iain Pelling and John Smithson in 2011.

She has led its production teams for over a decade.

Pennifer joined Arrow in 2012 as production manager on the Discovery series Ultimate Warfare.

She went on to manage numerous series and one-offs, including three seasons of observational documentary series Ultimate Airport Dubai for National Geographic, before being made production executive in 2016.

Pelling said: “Production is the beating heart of Arrow and works side by side with our creative team.

It enables us to make over 100 hours of high-quality content every year, and this number is growing.

These new roles will enable us to accelerate the growth of the business, innovate and find new ways of doing things, and better navigate the changing landscape.”

SET YOUR SIGHTS ON SCOTLAND The Rig received production funding support from Screen Scotland’s Production Growth Fund.

Join us for breakfast on Day 2, 8am Wednesday 1st December, Hall 3 to meet Executive Director Isabel Davis, the team and key Scotland-based producers when you can find out more about our attractive co-production opportunities.

Together with great talent, competitive financing, outstanding crew, adaptable locations and fantastic facilities, Screen Scotland is driving the country’s development of the film and television sector with backing from Scottish Government and The National Lottery.

screen.scot @screenscots @screenscots screen@creativescotland.com Martin Compston in The Rig courtesy of Amazon Studios.

News DAY 1

9

Rainmaker gets first CEE duo link bite at Saffron Cherry up for Lego London-based distributor Rainmaker Content has agreed a first-look deal with Caroline Roberts-Cherry and Sally Lindsay’s multi-genre production company Saffron Cherry Productions.

The deal with the Manchesterbased firm will give Rainmaker the first refusal on all new scripted drama from Saffron Cherry.

Saffron Cherry is behind recent Channel 5 and Acorn TV copro The Madame Blanc Mysteries, a six-part mystery drama coproduced with Clapperboard Studios, created and written by Lindsay and co-written

by Sue Vincent.

Other titles on the firm’s slate include a filmed version of Talawa Theatre Company and the Royal Exchange Theatre’s King Lear, with a black-led cast starring Don Warrington.

Working with broadcasters in the UK and internationally across all platforms, the creative team behind Saffron Cherry includes Grierson Award-winning director and Baftawinning producer Roberts-Cherry as founder and MD, and actor, presenter and writer Lindsay as creative director.

Caroline Roberts-Cherry

Vicky Ryan, co-founder and chief operating officer at Rainmaker Content, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Saffron Cherry, an innovative production company with a strong track record in creating shows with strong roles.

Their ambition to develop IP around new and established talent, local voices and stories fits very well with Rainmaker’s growing portfolio for the international market.”

Roberts-Cherry added: “Rainmaker shares our ambition to showcase arresting, engaging stories working with both new and established talent, and we’re delighted to be continuing our drama journey with them.”

TV Markíza in Slovakia and TV Nova in the Czech Republic are teaming up for an international adaptation of Banijay competition format Lego Masters.

The two broadcasters will coproduce a version of the format, in which pairs compete against each other to wow judges with inspiring designs using the famous toy brand.

The finished tape and format for the show are distributed by Banijay Rights, which also recently sealed remake deals with MBC in South Korea and Shenzhen TV in China.

Originally created by Tuesday’s Child Television and the toy manufacturer for Channel 4 in the UK, the show has also recently been picked up by TVNZ in New Zealand and Atresmedia in Spain, taking the number of international remakes to 18.

Lego Masters

C4 unmasks its Suspect The first images of James Nesbitt and Richard E Grant starring in Channel 4’s forthcoming thriller Suspect are being revealed today.

The commercially funded UK pubcaster commissioned the eight-part crime series from UK drama prodco Eagle Eye drama earlier this year.

It has since brought together an all-star cast that also includes Joely Richardson, Anne-Marie Duff, Antonia Thomas, Niamh Algar, Sacha Dhawan, Sam Heughan and Ben Miller. Fremantle is distributing the series worldwide.

In the show, Nesbitt plays a veteran detective who is called to a hospital mortuary for a routine ID check on what turns out to be his estranged daughter. He then sets out on a mission to discover the truth about what happened to her.

IN BRIEF

Disney promotes, hires for TV animation Disney Television Animation (DTA) has promoted one exec and hired another. Elizabeth Waybright Taylor has been upped to VP of development, having worked for Disney for 11 years. Lisa Fragner joins as VP of development. She was previously VP and head of development at the recently closed Blue Sky Studios.

Beta Nordic Studios takes 51% of Unlimited Stories Beta Nordic Studios (BNS), part of German producerdistributor Beta Film, has acquired a majority share in Swedish prodco Unlimited Stories. BNS has taken a 51% stake in the company, which was founded in 2016 by Poa Strömberg, Patrick Ryborn and Linus Stöhr Torell. Its first TV drama, Missing People, is being produced for Sweden’s SVT.

Blink Studios makes first exec appointments Blink Studios, the fledgling firm led by former Entertainment One (eOne) TV head John Morayniss, has revealed its first senior appointments, with Carolyn Newman joining as executive VP, global scripted, and Virginia Rankin as in-house executive producer. Newman, another eOne alum, joins from LA-based Will Packer Media.

ITV greenlights Davies’ Noele Gordon drama The UK’s ITV has ordered a drama starring Helena Bonham Carter as Crossroads star Noele Gordon. Nolly is being written by Russell T Davies (It’s a Sin) and produced by Nicola Shindler’s recently launched Quay Street Productions.

Showcasing the very best in scripted entertainment

Connect with us: info@rainmakercontent.com www.rainmakercontent.com

J14333_RAINMAKER_FP_COMBO_AD_CONTENT_LONDON_AW.indd 1

08/11/2021 15:55

Speaker Profile: Amy Savitsky DAY 1

11

Rewriting History Amy Sa Am Savviitssky ky at H Hiist storry te tellllllss Jo Jord orrd dan dan an Pintto ho Pi how th he US US cab ble e nettwo wo ork rrk k is ret is etur etu urni rn niing ng to itits c co ore e man anda datte e to diifffe to fere rent ntia ate e its tsel tsel elf in n a crro owd wded de ed d fac fa cttua ual m ma ark ark rket ke ettp pllac ace e..

T

he programming remit at US cablenet History has expanded over the past decade to encompass a vast roster of male-skewing reality series such as Swamp People, Mountain Men and Ice Road Truckers. These shows have been extremely popular for the network, and it intends to do more in this space.

But over the past two years, the A+E Networks-owned network has made an “intentional pivot back to core history,” according to senior VP of development and programming Amy Savitsky, as it looks to reestablish itself as the go-to maker of premium history programming in a factual landscape that has been turned on its head over the past five years.

“We made an intentional pivot away from male reality shows, back into core history, and finding entertaining and informative ways to tell history stories,” says the exec, who joined History from sibling brand A&E Network in late 2019.

There were two primary reasons for the strategic shift, she says. First, historically focused content was becoming a slightly underserved genre of programming. “Core history storytelling is not something we’re seeing prolifically, at least not in the US marketplace,” she notes.

Second, and perhaps most importantly, the network recognised that the best way to distinguish itself in a vast sea of content was to use its track record and expertise in producing premium history programming.

As it was for all networks, the onset of the pandemic was a jarring and uncertain time, but the network has emerged with fresh and innovative programming approaches that are guiding its development slate today.

One area where Savitsky sees opportunity

Great Escapes with Morgan Freeman

“

We made m an intentional pivot away from male reality shows, back into core history, and finding entertaining and informative ways to tell history stories.

Amy Savitsky, History

”

is filtering the true crime genre through a historical lens.

“When I look at crime shows, they are whodunnits – who is the killer and how do we bring them to justice. When I think of crime told through a history lens, I think of them as ‘howdunnits,’” says Savitsky. “Our audience is very interested in how it all went down, the little pieces of the puzzle that you might not know from hearing just the story in broad strokes.”

The first series in this vein is Great Escapes with Morgan Freeman, in which the US actor goes behind the scenes of history’s most dramatic and complex prison escapes, from Alcatraz to Dannemora. The executive team at History will be watching the audience reaction closely, and, if it’s positive, has “other things waiting in the wings in development in the howdunnit category,” says Savitsky.

Elsewhere, the That Built franchise has been a revelation for the network. The most successful to date has been The Food That Built America, which looks at some of the foods and brands that have shaped US culture.

“It’s on the verge of touching pop culture in

a way that’s different than we’ve explored before,” says Savitsky.

Sensing an opportunity to create a recognisable, formattable series that will appeal to existing audiences and entice new ones, History followed up by commissioning three spin-offs this year, including The Toys That Built America.

Bringing more diversity to its programming is another key component of its drive to reach new audiences, says Savitsky. And while one of History’s mandates has always been to tell diverse stories, it has expanded on that in light of the broader societal push towards increased diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

Although its development slate is under wraps, the network is cultivating a slate of projects that will both document a more diverse set of historical figures and recontextualise and re-examine others through a DEI lens, with a view to telling more stories of Asian, Hispanic, Latinx and African American cultures.

The objective, which will come more clearly into focus in the year ahead, is to “widen the aperture” of its audience appeal and cement its position as the premier commissioner of historical programming, says Savitsky. “This is a real opportunity in the marketplace for us to get back to our roots, our core mandate and really own the history vertical.”

Amy Savitsky will be revealing more about her content plans in the International Unscripted panel session today at 11am in Hall 2.

Speaker Profile: e: Di Diederick iederick Sa Santer DAY 1

13

Boxing clever

BritBox International’s Diederick Santer tells Jordan Pinto about the streamer’s plans to ramp up commissioning and become the go-to outlet for top UK talent.

I

t’s been almost five years since BritBox International, the streaming service backed by BBC Studios and ITV Studios, launched in the US. Since then, the platform has expanded into Canada, Australia and, most recently, South Africa, amassing more than two million subscribers outside the UK in the process.

With a solid foundation in place, the company plans to put its foot to the floor in 2022 by launching in several new markets and increasing its commissioning output.

While BritBox International’s shelves are stacked with acquired content spanning crime, mystery, comedy, documentary and lifestyle, the service has also been directly involved in more than 30 UK-originated projects since its launch, including BBC series The Pembrokeshire Murders and There She Goes and ITV’s A Confession and Honour. Other strong performers this year on the North American version of the service have included the sixth season of Line of Duty and other long-running series such as Shetland and Vera.

The plan now is to build its reputation as a commissioner of must-see crime drama and grow its brand as a one-stop-shop for top-drawer British content amid a plethora of streaming options. “We’ve got the clearest USP of them all, which is that it’s British. It’s as simple as that,” says Diederick Santer, chief creative officer at BritBox International.

Santer, whose 25 years in the British production sector have included roles as CEO at Banijay-owned prodco Kudos and Keeley Hawes in BritBox series Honour

exec producer on British soap Eastenders, joined BritBox International in September with a mandate to expand its slate of original projects, particularly in the crime genre, and hone its commissioning strategy.

“There’s been great success in buying finished programmes but we want to be able to engineer more shows directly with producers, and be in from the beginning,” he says, adding that the service plans to roll out between 12 and 15 new scripted series each year.

“

Our message to the subscribers Our is that we’re the place for British content. And for the producing community in the UK, it’s that this is the place to take your shows.

Diederick Santer

”

It’s a strategy that has come more clearly into focus over the past year. In May, BritBox International greenlit Murder in Provence (3x90’), an adaptation of ML Longworth’s crime novels. The Monumental Television series represents the first full coproduction between BritBox International and BritBox UK, which has more than 500,000 subscribers.

The UK version of the service, it is important to note, is distinct from the international iteration, with separate teams and content priorities. The two entities do,

however, collaborate and have plans to partner more regularly in the future. In terms of how the licensing relationship works between BritBox International and BBC/ITV, Santer says the two companies “are not obliged to sell to us and we, in turn, are not bound to pick up shows from them.” He adds that the streamer is open for business with other distributors.

A key tenet of the content strategy is being selective with the volume of new shows, notes Santer. The first reason for that is so subscribers aren’t “bombarded with all kinds of everything.” The second is to lure top-tier creatives with the guarantee that their work will get pride of place on the platform. “From the producer perspective, when your show goes on BritBox [International], it doesn’t get lost in some huge system – it gets cherished.

Our marketing team is all over it, and they work really hard to make it speak to the audience,” he says.

One market trend Santer has observed is what he calls the “Trojan horse crime show,” whereby writers use the familiarity of the crime genre as an entry point for telling different stories altogether. “It looks like a crime show but it’s not about cops or detective stuff – it’s really about what the writer wants to write about,” he says, citing Irvine Welsh’s Crime (BritBox UK).

Innovative storytelling like this is bolstering the popularity of British crime drama globally. But it’s a double-edged sword for BritBox International, as it means more international buyers are also hungry to snap up new shows – and pay big money to do so. As BritBox International expands its original commissioning operation, a primary challenge will be convincing talent that it is the best place for creators to reach their target audiences globally.

“Our message to the subscribers is that we’re the place for British content. And for the producing community in the UK, it’s that this is the place to take your shows.”

Diederick Santer and BritBox International CEO Reemah Sakaan will be speaking in the Comissioning session today at 2pm in Hall 1.

Speaker Q&As DAY 1

14

Eddy & the Ecosaurs

Harry Teper MD, Omens Studios, UK What content are you developing that will define the next phase of your programme strategy?

The content we are developing focuses on key trends and themes that kids can relate to.

For example, the climate emergency, mental wellbeing and navigating social media are all topics that kids discuss with each other, at school and with their families. So naturally they want to see these addressed in the content they consume and we are hoping to do this through our programming.

What will be the biggest challenges and opportunities for TV in 2022?

Henrik Pabst Chief content officer, Seven.One Entertainment Group, Germany What were the most significant changes to the TV industry brought about by the pandemic?

The Covid-19 crisis proved how strong linear TV still is, but it also accelerated the use of streaming services. As a media group like ProSiebenSat.1, it is essential to dovetail the two worlds in the best possible way.

That’s why our most important tasks include consistent digital development and smart, data-based content management.

How has the growth of local streamers impacted the market?

The growing number of streaming services has clearly boosted competition. However, we have long-standing partnerships with producers and creators. Whether it’s

One of the biggest challenges for us in 2022 will be cutting through the clutter and the massive amount of content there is out there for children. This volume of content in the market also creates the challenge on the development side of getting in front of commissioners to review and screen our shows.

So we hope to stand out from the crowd and continue to develop commissioner relationships and showcase our diverse slate.

A great opportunity we see for us next year is that children are now very savvy viewers and are really driving the market, as opposed to their parents.

They want to view content that is unique and interesting and therefore this is what commissioners are now telling us they are looking for. Specifically, they are now looking for hyper-local content or content from

on-screen or off-screen, talent surely is key these days, and offering talent the best opportunities throughout our channels is what matters most to us.

What is the future of linear broadcasters in the age of streaming?

At ProSiebenSat.1, we no longer distinguish between linear and digital but think in terms of live and on-demand. As a media and content house, we have a social responsibility with our reach. We are reliable and, let’s not forget, nobody knows our audiences as well as we do. This has been our market for decades.

We get up with our audiences, we inform and entertainment them throughout the day.

To differentiate ourselves from streaming services, we are offering the right mix of infotainment, sports, factual and various other genres. Relevance in all forms plays an important role to us and we see the big events continuing to perform for a large audience. TV

unexpected places. The Baby Shark phenomenon is a great example of this.

What are your company’s plans, priorities and developments for 2022?

For 2022, we have several preschool and tween IPs we have recently developed that we are now looking to secure funding for, including Eddy & the Ecosaurs and Amy & the Afterlife.

We are also expanding and looking for new talent across all our offices, including London, Singapore and Malaysia.

In terms of new projects, we are focusing on creating hyper-local content that works for a market or region with hopes of creating a global hit, imbuing it with the fresh perspective Omens Studios can bring to the table.

Hot Properties: Kids and family, 5pm, Hall 3.

is still able to activate the masses across all target groups at a fixed time, all together in front of the screen.

How will the growth of local production change the distribution business?

Our distribution business has already changed a lot. Back in the day, most of the worldwide TV hits originated in the US or the UK. Nowadays, international bestsellers can come from Denmark, Peru or South Korea. Because of our global media consumption, a new hit can come from virtually anywhere. We have reduced the number of US slots in our grids because of viewing behaviour, availability, missing exclusivity and partly [because they are] a non-fit for a broad audience. US content still plays an important role for us but the days when it dominated the grids are gone.

Trends: New content strategies and business models, 10am, Hall 2.

FROM THE PRODUCERS OF LINE OF DUTY

ITV0401_ContentLondonDailyD1_ITVStudios_KarenPirie_FP_AW.indd 1

08/11/2021 17:00

ARE YOU THINKING OF SELLING OR FUNDRAISING? Helion is a leading M&A adviser to the UK’s Indie sector. The Helion team has focused on advising UK Indies on market leading transactions for the last 20 years.

During that period our team has advised over 45 leading UK Indies on transformative deals with a combined transaction value of over £1bn.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS Eleven Film

Silverback Films

Red Planet Pictures

Drama Republic

Sale to Sony Pictures

Sale to All3Media

Sale to Asacha

Specialist transaction advice

TV Production

TV Production

TV Production

TV Production

Helion acted as Adviser to Eleven Film

Helion acted as Adviser to Silverback Films

Helion acted as Adviser to Red Planet Pictures

Helion acted as Adviser to Drama Republic

A FEW OF OUR OTHER DEALS Paddington Bear

New Pictures

Neal Street Productions

The Agency

Sale to Studio Canal

Sale to All3Media

Sale to All3Media

Sale to Avalon

Kids IP

TV Production

TV Production

Literary Agency

Tom Manwaring acted as Adviser to Paddington Bear

Tom Manwaring acted as Adviser to New Pictures

Tom Manwaring acted as Adviser to Neal Street Productions

Helion acted as Adviser to The Agency

If you’re interested in meeting to explore ore the options, please contact npartners.com or tom.manwaring@helionpartners.com ionpartners.com alex.reed-brewer@helionpartners.com

PROUD SPONSOR

www.helionpartners.com ners.com

OF THE ROSE D’OR AWARD FOR BEST COMEDY DRAMA AND SITCOM

21-11-05_240mm wide by 320mm high Helion Partners Indie_V3 2 2.indd 1 21-11-05_240mm wide by 320mm high Helion Partners Indie_V3 2 2.indd 1

05/11/2021 10:51

Speaker Q&As DAY 1

17

Bernadette McDaid Global head, Red Bull Studios, Austria

Synchronicity Films is best known for BBC drama The Cry

Claire Mundell MD, creative director, founder, Synchronicity Films, UK What were the biggest changes in the international TV business in 2021?

The industry’s ability to ramp back up to some form of production, post-Covid, was perhaps the biggest change in 2021. Fewer shows went into production during lockdown than would have been ideal, but at least those that had been put on hold were finally able to complete.

The combined effects of high demand and low supply also made for massive increases in talent and crew costs, and a crisis in the availability of experienced crew. On a positive note, commitment to diversity, inclusion, work/ life balance and mental health awareness rose to the top of everyone’s agenda.

What are the most significant changes to the TV industry brought about by the pandemic?

The move to virtual meetings made practically anyone accessible and we spent much less time, money and energy on travel, and as a result we were also more conscious of our carbon footprint.

Remote meetings and pitches appear to have democratised the market, providing more chances for ‘face time’ – albeit virtual – with commissioners.

How effective remote working will be in the long term is still up for debate, but we have seen a

shift to a hybrid model that makes sense on many levels.

How will coproduction opportunities change in 2022?

The streamers’ desire for high-end shows has increased budgets for everyone. However, some broadcaster budgets and tariffs have not been able to keep pace and so all of them will continue to need producers to find coproduction partners to make the great shows they need at an affordable price. We’ll also see the emergence of more actor-led production companies and more copros between scripted indies and talent-led indies.

What will be the biggest challenges and opportunities for TV in 2022?

The biggest challenges will be around competition for writers in scripted television, the rising costs of IP, skills shortages and static tariffs. Retaining rights will continue to be key for British indies and still the best way for entrepreneurial indies to work with buyers to fund the high-end shows they need, by realising value out of our international rights.

The biggest opportunities will be in bringing new voices into scripted drama. As more of the established writers are bought out on studio, superindie or streamer deals, the other channels will surely have to make more room for newer voices.

Hot Properties: Drama, 3pm, Hall 3.

What are your company’s plans, priorities and developments for 2022?

The plan for every year is to create premium programming that will deliver reach and recognition for our production partners, for our streaming and broadcast partners, and for our studios. In 2022, specifically, we will roll out our first round of completed feature documentaries and unscripted series.

As a relatively new company, the work to establish Red Bull Studios in the industry as a distinct media entity focused on entertainmentfirst, commercial content will remain a priority for some time. In parallel, there will be continued emphasis on building collaborative, creative relationships with best-in-class filmmakers – both established veterans and newcomers – and in building our partnerships with streamers and broadcasters.

Meanwhile, the team continues grow and we are adding top-class talent to our development, production and sales teams in operation in London, LA and at Red Bull’s HQ in Salzburg.

How will the international TV business in 2022 be different from 2021?

Since Red Bull Studios launched in 2020, multiple new streamers have entered the marketplace – Peacock, Disney+ and Discovery+, to list only a few. All of them increasingly need overseas subscriptions to deliver on their vision and ambition. This catapults the international markets into a very strong position. Investment by the major streamers is good news for local providers as it offers a sizeable increase in opportunity for original programming, copros and for sales. It’s a symbiotic cycle that, in success, creates a win for both streamers and content creators as each can scale their business.

How has the growth of local streamers impacted the production and distribution markets?

The growth of strong local and regional players offers abundant opportunity for Red Bull Studios to co-fund and co-commission projects with like-minded partners. Rights retention and commercial exploitation are key to building a successful studio business and we are intent on doing this in a way that creates a fair scenario for the partners involved.

Commissioning: International Unscripted, 11am, Hall 2.

Drama Pitch 18

R

eflecting Content London’s role as a development market, this year’s Drama Series Pitch features six projects from producers in Ireland, Iceland, Germany, France, Israel and the US, all looking for finance and chosen to present their projects to the panel of judges.

The winning project will be announced at the International Drama Awards, which takes place in Hall 1 at 6pm on Thursday. The winning project will also receive a £30,000 marketing package from C21Media to support development and pre-sales promotion of the show.

This year’s projects are: Video Nasty (6x30’) Deadpan Pictures Genre: Comedy-drama. Creator: Hugh Travers This Irish series takes a nostalgic look at the home video craze of the 1980s as a group of teenagers accidentally find themselves in a murder investigation. This original project nods to the current trend for young-adult content while tapping into period nostalgia for older demos, and has been developed

by Ireland’s Deadpan Pictures, known for Sky’s comedy drama Moone Boy. The show is developed with the BBC and US-based Endeavor Content and has just gone into turnaround at the UK pubcaster. With the series being introduced at Content London, Deadpan is hoping the show will attract broadcasters and/or streamers.

Vaka (8x45’) Saga Film Genre: Sci-fi thriller. Creator: Brynja Björk Garðarsdóttir This piece from Iceland’s Saga Film is sure to strike a chord with people all over the world.

The series looks at the immediate impact of Covid-19 on human thinking and cooperation around the globe. Funding is coming from local broadcaster Síminn, with hopefully more to come from the Nordisk TV Fund, Creative Europe’s MEDIA initiative and the Icelandic Film Centre. Saga is keen to bring on coproduction and distribution partners to get the series off the ground. With ‘vaka’ meaning awake or sober in Icelandic, Saga

DAY 1

Pitch perfect

Six scripted projects, whittled down from more than 50 submissions from 23 countries, will be pitched live at Content London today. Here we outline the projects that will be seeking financial and other partners. feels the eight-parter with limited dialogue can be sold anywhere in the world.

Uneasy Lies the Head (10x60’) Participant Media Genre: Period drama The Jordanian equivalent of The Crown, this global show tells the real-life story of the country’s long-reigning monarch King Hussein. The show, intended as a returnable series, provides an authentic view of the Middle East away from the terrorism-focused news and will cover Hussein’s 47-year reign over the country from the age of 17. With a good selection of talent on board, the show is made by US prodco Participant Media and comes from existing IP. US documentary maker and director Ali Selim (Hand of God, The Looming Tower) is on board to write the bible.

Body of Water (8x52’) ZDF Enterprises Genre: Crime drama. Creator: Brendan Foley This crime drama is currently seeking further finance and its producers are at Content London looking for coproduction partners.

Filmed across international locations with a range of actors, the show brings together five countries. Far from being just another crime show, the series covers various river-based murders in London and Venice that all share a common link in Ancient Egyptian foundation sacrifice. Many of the characters are unaware of each other due to the international web of perpetrators involved. Writer and showrunner Brendan Foley’s credits include Johnny Was (2005), The Riddle (2006) and toon Shelldon (2010).

The Land of a Thousand Hills (6x60’) Wild Horses Drama Genre: Thriller. Creators: Nicolas Deprost and Tamara Aihie This French series from a Nigerian writer will be produced in the English language for the global market, and goes back in time to postcivil war Rwanda in 1994. Aimed not just at the African market but taking advantage of the growth in demand for content from the continent, producers are confident the global market will also want to see this miniseries.

The show has a detailed financial plan with some already confirmed but most of it not yet sealed. The show balances telling the important story of the post-war troubles in Rwanda but through the eyes of the women who experienced it first-hand.

Shlomi 6 (10x45’) Nawi Pro Genre: Crime drama. Creator: Hen Makhlouf Originally commissioned by Israeli broadcaster Hot, the show has some financing in place and while about football, has enough other drama to appeal to all.

The scripted series focuses on two teenage footballers who are cousins trying to make it to Europe. Through a series of unfortunate events, however, they wind up complicit in the dangerous underbelly of the sport.

Both adults and young adults will relate to this show, which is as-yet unseen on the global market. Tel Avaiv-based Nawi Pro is at Content London actively seeking further partners and financing.

The C21 Drama Series Pitch takes place today at 11am in Hall 3.

WHAT IF YOUR PERFECT HOME WERE BUILT ON SECRETS AND LIES?

ITV0401_ContentLondonDailyD2_ITVStudios_OurHouse_FP_AW.indd 1

08/11/2021 17:00

Speaker Profile: Rola Bauer DAY 1

21

Rola Bauer

T

wo years ago Rola Bauer, then MD of StudioCanal TV, was standing on stage in a packed ballroom at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel being handed the coveted Editor’s Choice accolade at C21’s International Drama Awards in recognition for her 30-year career pioneering coproductions.

A couple of months later, such gatherings, along with all forms of social interaction, were banned as nations grappled with Covid-19.

But as the pandemic let rip, the Vivendiowned Canal+ Group subsidiary behind series including Crossing Lines and Shadowplay exercised its option to take full ownership of the business formerly known as Tandem Productions, which Bauer co-founded in Munich in 1999. The move saw her leave but retain a consulting deal while, as she says, she considered “one last dance.”

Then Mark Burnett got in touch. The chairman of MGM Worldwide Television p wanted to know if Bauer would be Group interested in helping expand the company’s international scripted activities.

“It became a no-brainer,” she says.

“There is something about the legacy of MGM – the incredible, iconic brand that represents quality. And there was Mark Burnett’s vision to take it to the next level, to create programming that transcends borders and breaks boundaries.”

Of course, Bauer is not alone in perceiving these e advantages and a year after she joined MGM as president for international television productions, e-commerce giant Amazon launched an audacious US$8.45bn takeover of the James Bond, Vikings and The Handmaid’s Tale studio. At the time of writing, the deal remained

Dancing to a different tune MGM International TV Productions president Rola Bauer’s commitment to coproduction remains as strong as ever but she warns the industry is facing a reckoning, writes Jonathan Webdale. subject to regulatory scrutiny so it was not something the exec could comment on.

Bauer’s focus has been doing what she likes to do best: putting together storydriven copros, with a particular emphasis on developing projects in German, Spanish and French. Less than 18 months into her role, MGM International TV Productions has six titles on its slate including one each in the latter two languages. The first is an adaptation of Argentinian author Tamara Tenenbaum’s non-fiction bestseller El Fin Del Amor (The End of Love), while in France it is adapting Guillaume Musso’s popular novel La Jeune Fille & la Nuit as a series called The Reunion, together with Sydney Gallonde at Make It pp Studio and France Télévisions.

Happen Discussions are underway in Germany, but in the meantime, Bauer brought her StudioCanal relationship with he Harlan Coben with her for New Jersey-set young-adult mystery Shelter, based on the US crime writer’s story. While Coben signed a five-year deal with Netflix, his Mickey Bolitar trilogy, of w wh ich Shelter is the which first volume, wasn’t

included and Bauer pounced, with Amazon Studios (pre-merger bid) joining the project.

In Canada, the company is working on the Russo brothers’ sci-fi horror From, due to premiere on MGM paynet Epix next year, plus a new take on infamous American outlaw Billy the Kid from Vikings and The Tudors creator Michael Hirst, also bound for Epix in 2022.

The latter is a copro with Nordic Entertainment Group’s streamer Viaplay, one of six English-language dramas being jointly developed with MGM as part of a recently agreed long-term pact. Also among these is Last Light, an action thriller based on Alex Scarrow’s bestselling novel. As well as Viaplay, NBCUniversal’s Peacock is onboard, p plus Nine Entertainment’s Stan in Australia MBC’ Shahid in the Middle East. and MBC’s th verticalisation the industry has Given the seen over the past few years, isn’t it becoming harder to sstructure such deals?

“Yes, eve every studio is wanting to protect itself and it’s im important one has an understanding of that foo food chain, but it’s also important that we give a alternatives and be creative in how pro we put projects together,” says Bauer.

This rem remains the greatest opportunity in the busine business, she says, but warns a point is coming when the scale of investment in pro programming outstrips audience consu consumption.

“We have to be careful that we p produce conscientiously, that we are tellin telling stories that mean something and at the same time are fiscally res responsible,” she says. “There’s got to be a balance that will have to be met an and that reckoning is coming closer.”

Vikings

Ca Catch up with Rola Bauer in the State of The Content Nation session today at 10am in Hall 1, and also in the Billy the Kid case study at 4pm in Hall 2.

BASED ON THE HIT MANGA SERIES

T H E B AT T L E IS ON

神の雫 DROPSOFGOD.COM

drops of god.indd 1

11/19/21 10:22 AM

Speaker: S peaker: Roma Roma Khanna K DAY 1

23 HiddenLight’s Chelsea and Hillary Clinton

I

n the crowded and expensive world of scripted content, big names and A-list talent are often the key to cutting through.

A production company led by former secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton, her daughter Chelsea and Richard Branson’s documentary-making son Sam, therefore, is an attractive proposition.

HiddenLight Productions launched in the midst of the pandemic, swallowing up Branson Jr’s factual-focused Sundog Pictures, and came out of the gates with Apple TV+ unscripted series Gutsy Women, fronted by Hillary and Chelsea, and Patricia Bright’s If I Could Tell You Just One Thing for YouTube.

The company also has star executives on board, with ex-Virgin Media MD Johnny Webb overseeing unscripted and executive chair Roma Khanna, former president of MGM’s TV group and digital, handling scripted. Khanna says her aim is to “help stories and people from around the world, who don’t always have a platform, shine.”

“What we’re looking for are bright, strong threads, stories that relate deeply to our human condition and share insight into a world, culture or person that we might not have had before,” she adds.

But this is television, not homework, so the key is to make the content entertaining rather than worthy. “I like to say that in the world of broccoli versus chocolate, we’re making chocolate, but we love broccoli and we may just slip some in and you may or may not notice,” Khanna says. “On the scripted side, it’s about the emotional connection that allows you to think about the human interaction, the planet and cultures a little bit differently through a connection with a character or characters.”

HiddenLight has already acquired the rights to adapt Gayle Tzemach Lemmon’s book The Daughters of Kobani for TV. Drawing upon hundreds of hours of interviews and on-the-ground reporting, it tells the story of an all-female Kurdish militia who took on ISIS in Northern Syria and won. Khanna says this speaks to a shift in TV trends generally, which play right to the heart of what her company is aiming to achieve.

“What I believe has shifted, which is music to our ears as it aligns with our world view, is the welcoming of international content into the Western market,” she says. “It’s finally shifted from being willing to listen, hear and tell international stories to now telling stories with international storytellers and by international storytellers.

Hidden agenda Former MGM exec Roma Khanna is building out a slate of purposeful scripted content for HiddenLight Productions, the new shingle from Hillary Rodham Clinton, Chelsea Clinton and Sam Branson. Clive Whittingham reports.

“We don’t view our role as taking a story and developing it ourselves; we’re here to support the storyteller no matter where they’re from. Storytellers are being given tools and platforms now, rather than just telling a story and then having it taken away and done in a new way by another company. Those voices are being allowed to shine directly with no translator, and that’s a wonderful development.”

Given the names, scale and ambition, one would expect the majority of HiddenLight projects to land, as Gutsy Women has done, with the streaming giants, “but the role of cable, premium cable and broadcast remains,” Khanna says. “There are stories looking for the widest platform possible and, while the international coproduction market has evolved, there’s still an opportunity for partnerships that allow a different business model that we all welcome.

“We welcome going direct to channels that don’t always get the opportunity to compete in this world of proliferating content and platforms. We can imagine a different partnership that allows us to take advantage

“

of a different business model. With the streamers, wonderful as they are as partners, there’s not a lot of IP able to be retained.”

In September, the company announced it had optioned Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series of novels, which follow the titular character who, after serving as a nurse during the Second World War, inherits a private investigation business. Khanna is at Content London this week hunting a writer for the TV adaptation.

“We’re incredibly excited to be developing that with Jacqueline and we’re looking for the right writer,” she says. “It’s got to be somebody who really understands the role of women in the time of change and the opportunities that present themselves, y easy y to take advantage g which aren’t always ut can have a long-lasting impact.” of but Hearr more about Roma nna’s plans and Khanna’s ghts in the State insights he Content Nation of the sion today at 10am session all 1. in Hall

In the In th world of broccoli versus chocolate, we’re w making chocolate, but we love broccoli and we mayy just slip some in and you may or may not notice.

Roma Khanna

RDV CANADA CA

CANADA. THE TRUE NORTH, STRONG AND TALENTED. CONGRATULATIONS TO DISTRICT 31 (AETIOS PRODUCTIONS/RADIO-CANADA) ON THEIR NOMINATION FOR BEST SOAP OR TELENOVELA AT THE 60TH ANNUAL ROSE D’OR AWARDS!

Feature: Rabbit Films DAY 1

25

Today at Content London, Helsinki indie Rabbit Films showcases one of its first forays into scripted, Mobile 101, which details the trials and tribulations of Finnish mobile pioneer Nokia. Rabbit’s Olli Suominen, Minna Haapkylä and Jonthan Tuovinen talk to Ruth Lawes.

Mobile 101

Burrowing into drama

L

aunching at Content London today is producer and distributor Rabbit Films’ drama Mobile 101, one of the Finnish indie’s first projects to emerge out of its push into scripted programming.

The Helsinki-based firm is certainly adept at evolving, having been founded by Jarno Laasala, Jukka Hildén and Jarppi Leppälä, otherwise known as prank and stunt group The Dudesons, to produce commercial projects and content starring the trio.

Recognising the company’s wider potential as an unscripted prodco, former Nelonen head of programming Olli Suominen and Tuomas Summanen were hired in 2014 as CEO and creative director respectively, to drive Rabbit’s ambitions. This June, the duo became major shareholders after leading a partial management buy-out from The Dudesons.

After making Rabbit’s name in original formats, such as The Most Endangered Species with WWF, sold recently to TVNZ in New Zealand, and producing local versions of hit shows such as Saturday Night Live, Suominen and Summanen decided to capitalise on their success by branching out into scripted in 2017.

Suominen describes Rabbit’s approach to growing the drama department as “conservative,” taking the time to develop and invest in series and to make the right appointments. The Covid-19 pandemic, which led to productions being shuttered across the world, also impacted business, he says.

Nonetheless, the firm scored its first commission, a sitcom titled Kiosk, which was greenlit by Finnish streamer Elisa Viihde Viaplay. The 8x30’ comedy series follows the

Rabbit Films’ Olli Suominen and Minna Haapkylä

misadventures of two employees working in a kiosk, who are each other’s polar opposites.

It was soon joined by crime drama Summer of Sorrow, also produced for Elisa, which explores the disappearance of a young child.

Rabbit’s latest green light was for drama Mobile 101, which charts the rise of Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia. Unveiled today at Content London, the six-part series, for MTV3 and sister streamer CMore, is told from three different perspectives and focuses on the years 1988 to 1990, when mobile phones were first introduced to the mass market.

Suominen says Mobile 101 is envisaged as a three-season drama, with the later seasons to detail Nokia’s downfall after it failed to invest in the burgeoning smartphone market.

The global demand for Finnish content is undoubtedly growing, which Rabbit’s head of international, Jonathan Tuovinen, puts down to the proliferation of streamers and changing financing models in the region.

The dominance of global players, he says, means that audiences are exposed to foreignlanguage programming. “It gives non-Englishlanguage producers, particularly in smaller countries, opportunities,” he explains.

As for financing, there has been a shift away from projects solely funded by one broadcaster towards content that involves international coproduction partners and distributors, according to Tuovinen. “That makes the quality of shows better because there is a higher budget and, therefore, they are more attractive to international buyers,” he says. “It also means there is an international approach from the get-go, with international partners bringing their knowledge on what works for global audiences.”

Tuovinen believes unusual characters are Finnish content’s biggest draw. “We share a lot of our culture with Sweden, Norway and Denmark, but we have also been isolated historically and are a little bit different.

Typical Finnish people are introverted, preferring to be by themselves and not extremely social. I don’t think those types of characters have been portrayed on screen much,” he adds.

As shown by the three commissions, Rabbit wants to avoid pigeonholing itself and is taking a story-first approach to content, according to Suominen. But the company does want to steer clear of one genre: Nordic noir. “Shows have got to stand out and be different, more than ever, and that’s one reason we’re not looking at Nordic noir. We want to produce shows that no one else is producing,” says Minna Haapkylä, Rabbit’s head of scripted.

Catch up with Minna Haapkylä and Maarit Lalli, writer and director of Mobile 101, at the Hot Properties: Drama session today at 3pm in Hall 3.

Script ompetition 26

DAY 1

Studio21 backs next-gen writers C

21-backed development producer Studio21 will host the final of its annual scriptwriting competition today at Content London.

Now in its eighth year, the Studio21 Drama Series Script Competition is set to pay out a US$10,000 development option prize.

Studio21 is designed to discover and develop new writers and projects and connect them with the global business, opening up a new

Blood On The Tapes

By Charlie Fink Ruth Brooks, a late-night radio DJ in New York, is losing her audience and her purpose.

The tone of her demo review show has tipped from charming to bitter, leaving her at odds with her station.

But when she plays a track discovered by a listener on an anonymous reel-toreel tape, her excitement is palpable.

Charlie Fink is a British screenwriter and songwriter known for fronting the band Noah & the Whale and for his work as a theatre and film composer. He has been described as “one of Britain’s most daring and inventive songwriters” by the Sunday Times.

seam of creativity to producers, platforms and channels worldwide.

This year’s finalists, picked from more than 250 entrants, will pitch their shows at noon in Hall 2, with the winner to be announced at the International Drama Awards held on Thursday evening.

This year’s crop of scripts is said to be exceptional, but what can we expect from the finalists? Here’s a look at the six projects and writers bidding for glory.

has her secluded existence in the forests of Swedish Lapland invaded by a tenacious new neighbour, the latter convinced the former is a dead celebrity.

Julie Mayhew is a journalist turned actress turned writer. Her stage plays have been backed

by Arts Council England and her Afternoon Dramas for BBC Radio 4 have twice been nominated for BBC Audio Drama Awards. She is the author of four Carnegie-nominated novels for young adults and her thrillers for adults are published by Bloomsbury.

Uninvited Guests

By Kit Brookman When Dan, working as a property host in the gig economy, stumbles across a crime scene, he accidentally becomes the target of dangerous competing interests intent on recovering a vital piece of evidence he takes with him by mistake.

Kit Brookman is a playwright and screenwriter based in the UK. His plays have been produced in the UK, US, Germany and Australia, where he is originally from.

Perpetuity

By Savina Kanagasabay Perpetuity, a six-part series, follows the lives of a family living under the shadow of the renowned and controversial Bhagwan Sath, leader of the BabaSat organisation with over eight million followers worldwide.

Savina is a half Tamil, half Sinhalese Sri Lankan scriptwriter born in London.

Previously a City lawyer for over a decade, writing constantly but mainly witness statements, her first TV script, The Sink, was short-listed and long-listed for C21, BBC Writersroom and A Thousand Pictures competitions.

Off Grid

By Julie Mayhew In this tense, atmospheric thriller with episodes corresponding to the eight distinct seasons recognised by the Sámi people of the north, a 40-something British wild woman

606

By Irshad Ashraf 606 is a crime serial in the vein of Top Boy and Breaking Bad. It’s about a City banker who hits a glass ceiling at work and returns to her estranged family in Bradford, Yorkshire, where

her financial expertise sparks the interest of a crime boss.

Passionate about telling entertaining stories with a social heart, Irshad is a Netflix Screenwriters’ Fellowship finalist and has directed over 50 films including Bafta- and RTS Award-winning factual series on the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky. Raised in working class areas of Manchester by parents from Pakistan, he has a fluid, layered identity that imbues his work with fresh perspectives.

Spinner & Marie

By Joanne Thomson When the Pulse nightclub shooting rocks the queer community, a religious Scottish widow makes up for lost time and drives her red mobility scooter right out the closet, across the Atlantic and on a weed-fuelled road trip with an eccentric woman.

Joanne Thomson is an actor, writer and director from Glasgow.

After graduating from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, she was selected as a Bafta Los Angeles Newcomer and has worked across Bafta-winning and Emmynominated series with the BBC, ITV and Sony. In addition to directing award-winning theatre, her writing has been placed in several screencraft competitions.

Catch the Script Competition live today at noon in Hall 2. The winner will be announced during the International Drama Awards on Thursday from 6pm in Hall 1.

ARTWORK RK PHOTOS : EDDY BRIÈRE

ARIANE LABED

NEWEN_LONDON CONTENT 2021_PP_210x280_def2.indd 1

17/11/2021 12:57

In Pictures 28

Delegates assemble ahead of last night’s screening of All3Media International’s ITV drama Trigger Point

DAY 1

In Pictures 29

DAY 1

Sue Perkins hosting the Rose d’Or Awards from the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel

Rose d’Or Awards chairman Mark Rowland introduces the 2021 ceremony

Trigger Point has its world premiere at Content London

Saffron Cherry co-founders Caroline Roberts-Cherry (left) and Sally Lindsay with screenwriter Simon Warne

Finnish writer and director Ina Mikkola

Last Word 30

I

filed this copy a week out from Content London, not really knowing what state the world would be in by the time the event came around. If it came around.

If you’re reading this, we made it through.

But we live in dangerous times. Years from now people will ask, ‘What did you do in the pandemic?’ in the same way we asked our parents and grandparents, ‘What did you do in the war?’

It was always possible our generation’s world war would be fought against an invisible enemy, which would arrive under cover and be more brutal than we could imagine. But the long-term consequences of this fight are perhaps more significant than any other.

Beyond the death and illness Covid-19 has caused to those who caught the virus is the impact it had on everything else. We’ve all had our lives and jobs turned upside down and been forced to be as resilient as possible to survive.

The pandemic also amplified broader issues, gave us time to think and magnified the very best and very worst of us, at a pivotal moment in history.

It happened in an age of anxiety. From the Black Lives Matter movement, diversity, sex and gender politics, the rise of populism, Brexit, war, famine and refugee crises to the climate ast few years emergency we all now face, the past have not been a walk in the park. nd Throughout all of this, media and k the stories at entertainment have reflected back the heart of every issue and bent and flexed to rationalise and explain ourselves to ourselves, with an increasingly surreal edge.

Within the content business wee saw adaptation and evolution happen at rapid ed and pace. Production stopped, restarted ries stopped again. Archives and libraries filled schedules where new supplyy failed hrough and audiences worked their way through Netflix, Amazon and all the VoD offerings of every content platform on the EPG. So what happens next, and whatt lessons 0 months have we learned during the past 20 that will inform the future? ther be wasted The opportunity to reset will either or embraced within the next few years and the role the television business plays in that future may be vital.

DAY 1

Making the most of the new normal

As the content business takes its first faltering steps towards something approaching normality, David Jenkinson asks what lessons have been learned during the pandemic and how they can be used to build back better.

“

The opportunity to reset will either be wasted or embraced within the next few years and the role the television business plays in that future may be vital.

David Jenkinson

”

Image: CDC

What responsibility do those who commission and tell stories have to the bigger picture, and what could be achieved if all of the issues facing the world were addressed wherever and whenever possible?

It’s a tricky balance. From an operations point of view, we have all probably changed for good, and the freedom to work remotely has brought about a more productive approach to work.

It is unlikely that we will travel as much, so what does that mean for the traditional markets and events that are sscattered across the year and communit together? And if we’re not bring the community meeting so much in person, how does that alter con the nature of the conversation and the in-person creativity that spaw spawns new ideas? pe From a content perspective, what will audiences watch as w we move into 2022 and w beyond, and if the world continues its decline, entertainm does the entertainment business simply serenade mankind as it sails towards oblivion, or become a more active part of the solution?

Content London is one of the first events peo that is bringing people back together in person, challe with all the challenges that entails. It is a small step toward towards the new normal. It will be interesting to see how people reconnect this week and what the talking points will be. But as we all try our best to get back to normal it’s th ‘normal’ really doesn’t probably the case that w exist anymore, and what happens next is r anyone’s guess. We really can’t base the future on the past.

Elbow bump.

The official Content London Daily magazine is published by C21 Media Ltd (www.c21media.net). Editorial director: Ed Waller.

Reporters: Jonathan Webdale, Clive Whittingham, Nico Franks, Jordan Pinto, Karolina Kaminska, Michael Pickard, Gün Akyuz, Ruth Lawes, Oli Hammett. Chief sub editor: Gary Smitherman. Senior sub editor: John Winfield. Photographer: Simon Wilkinson. Production: Eleanore Hayes, Courtney Brewster. Events: Gemma Burt, Chloe Hocking. Content London Daily client contacts (C21Media): Odiri Iwuji, Peter Treacher, Hayley Salt. Editor-in-chief & managing director, C21Media: David Jenkinson. Meet the Content London Daily editorial team in the Horsfall Room (Kings Place) or via press@c21media.net. © C21Media 2021

Discover Audible Originals.

Immersive drama, fascinating non-fiction and gripping stories. All made to be heard.

TO UNCOVER THE TRUTH, HE MUST FIRST DISCOVER WHO HE IS

@all3media_int all3mediainternational.com

J14330_C21_240x320mm_CONTENT_LONDON_BACK_COVER_DAILY_DAY_1_FP_AD_THE_TOURIST_V1.indd 1

17/11/2021 11:08