WORLD VIEW By Mansha Daswani.
WORLD SCREEN TRENDSETTER AWARD Watch Tubi’s Adam Lewinson receive the Trendsetter Award at MIPCOM and discuss gains at the AVOD platform.
EPIC ADVENTURES ZDF Studios’ Dr. Markus Schäfer shares highlights across the company’s multi-genre slate.
GLOBAL DRAMA A recap of the inaugural International Drama Screenings Festival.
BANIJAY RIGHTS’ MATT CREASEY The executive VP of sales, co-productions and acquisitions at Banijay Rights discusses the company’s powerhouse offering.
PERFECT MATCH Artist View Entertainment’s Scott J. Jones on the importance of covering all genres and budget ranges.
TV DRAMA IN-DEMAND: CRIME & THRILLERS Spotlighting new crime dramas and mystery thrillers available on the market.
QUEST FOR THE BEST Studio 100 Media’s Martin Krieger on the company’s expanded slate of owned and co-produced IPs.
POWER PLAYS ABS-CBN Corporation’s Pia B. Laurel on licensing Filipino content across the globe.
JAPAN UNCOVERED A look at programs from NHK Enterprises that entice viewers to discover Japan.
GLOBAL APPEAL TV Asahi’s Yumi Shimizu on the company’s dramas and formats that can resonate with international audiences.
STORIES FROM AFAR GoQuest Media’s Ofelya Tovmasyan on the appeal of the company’s slate.
TRENDING ON The most-viewed clips on our video portals for the last 30 days.
Publisher Ricardo Seguin Guise
Group Editorial Director Anna Carugati
Editor Mansha Daswani Executive Editor Kristin Brzoznowski Associate Editor Jamie Stalcup
Editor, Spanish-Language Publications Elizabeth Bowen-Tombari Production & Design Director David Diehl
Online Director Simon Weaver Sales & Marketing Director Dana Mattison Sales & Marketing Coordinator Genovick Acevedo
Business Affairs Manager Andrea Moreno Ricardo Seguin Guise President
Anna Carugati Executive VP
Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development
BY MANSHA DASWANI
Streaming continues to outpace broadcast and cable usage in the U.S., taking a 36.9 percent share of viewing time in September, per Nielsen. Streaming hit a new high despite gains in broadcast TV viewing amid the kickoff of the fall TV season and the return of sports.
Overall TV viewing was up 2.4 percent in September, according to Nielsen’s The Gauge. Broadcast saw the largest month-onmonth gain to 24.2 percent, led by sports, but usage of the medi um is still 7.1 percent lower than it was a year ago. Cable, which also benefited from sports, saw its share of viewing fall to 33.8 percent, the lowest ever reported by The Gauge.
As streaming surges, so does the number of platforms being used by the average North American consumer. A survey in the U.S. and Canada by TiVo found that the average number of video ser vices used by consumers has risen to 9.86 from 8.8 a year ago, powered in part by increasing adoption of AVOD platforms. While AVOD usage is increasing, the report also found that 7 in 10 respondents said their video entertainment spending is a moder ate to high priority. Indeed, despite inflationary pressures and financial concerns, only 25 percent of respondents said they had reduced their entertainment spend. In addition, a quarter of payTV subscribers are so-called “revivers,” having cut the cord and returned. “The results in the TiVo Video Trends Report highlight that while video entertainment remains a priority for the vast majority of consumers, FAST services allow consumers to stretch their entertainment dollar,” said Michael Goodman, director of digital media strategies at Strategy Analytics.
On offer from All3Media International, Drama Republic’s The Confessions of Frannie Langton follows a former slave girl who is the prime suspect in a double murder. It was adapted by Sara Collins from her award-winning novel. From 72 Films, Rise of the Billionaires explores the origin stories of Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, tracking the inside story of how they became some of the world’s richest men. Lion TV’s true-crime series Stolen: Catching the Art Thieves follows three separate art thefts in Germany, Sweden and Norway.
Hosted by Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the Singapore Media Festival will return as an in-person event from November 24 to December 11. The theme is Celebrating Asia’s Stories with the World. “The Singapore Media Festival has cemented its position as the key regional platform that facilitates exchanges, conversations and launches exciting new careers as well as ventures and partnerships,” says Justin Ang, IMDA’s Assistant Chief Executive for Media, Innovation, Communications & Marketing.
“We welcome partners to collaborate with us and be part of the region’s exciting media ecosystem of strong Asian stories.” —Justin Ang
Inter Medya’s fall slate features Deception , which sees a woman learn that everyone in her family has secrets, including that her husband has a second family. “When her husband’s betrayal is revealed, she finds herself con fronting the reality that her life has been a lie,” says Beatriz Cea Okan, VP and head of sales and acquisitions. In Poison Ivy, a psychologist falls in love for the first time, but it’s with a married man. Another Chance follows a man who leaves his bullying past behind and becomes a teacher.
“Poison Ivy is a love story [about] when two souls find each other despite the whole world.”
—Beatriz Cea Okan
Saran Studios has on offer A Mother’s Love, a daily drama starring Selin Sezgin (Elif) that centers on a poor woman whose long-lost twin died before they could meet. She steps in to pose as the mother of her sister’s daughter. Meanwhile, Stepfather stars Gökberk Demirci (Love of My Life) and is being produced by Bloom Media. One hundred episodes have been ordered. “Both of our series are family dramas that have strong characters, with tragic and heartwarming stories,” says Esra Ercan, head of international sales at Saran Studios.
“Saran Studios will continue to produce and distribute highcaliber, in-demand content.”
—Esra ErcanStepfather
Adam Lewinson, chief content officer at Tubi and the recipient of this year’s World Screen Trendsetter Award in partnership with RX France, discussed the AVOD platform’s gains and programming remit with Anna Carugati in the Grand Auditorium at MIPCOM.
“Television predominantly has always been a free, adsup ported model,” Lewinson said. “In the past few years, thanks to the investment of billions by SVOD services, the perception has been that the future of television, which is the
future of streaming, would be behind a paywall. But ultimately, historical trends hold. My belief and the belief of the executive team at Tubi is that the future of television is free, ad-supported and specifically video on demand.”
Tubi continues to see usage gains, now reaching 56 million monthly active users. Those gains are being driven in part by viewers becoming increasingly cost-conscious as the number of their subscriptions proliferates. “That subscription fatigue, as we call it, is real. In the U.S. this year, we’re pretty much at the inflec tion point where AVOD viewership is surpassing SVOD viewer ship for the first time.”
On the evolving content lineup at Tubi, Lewinson stated: “When I started, we had a handful of partnerships, and now we work with 500 content partners—every major studio, every major global TV provider.” The goal, Lewinson said, is to have something for everyone, with Tubi having built up a library of 45,000 titles in the U.S.—“the largest library in our competitive set across AVOD and SVOD. We highly personalize it with technology—algorithms, personalization tools—so that the more you consume Tubi, the more we know who you are. I think the future of television has to be the marriage of content and technology.”
“The
ZDF Studios’ Boundless.
By Kristin Brzoznowski
This summer, a new president and CEO took the mantle at ZDF Studios. Dr. Markus Schäfer, a former CEO of All3Media Deutschland, is now heading up the storied German company, which has a packed slate across drama, kids, factual and entertainment.
“Our diverse new slate features a range of ambitious and highcaliber shows,” says Schäfer. “We are proud to be working with some of the world’s most gifted producers, alongside our own
network of production companies, and are always open to meet ing new international creative talents.”
From the ZDF Studios Drama catalog, Boundless follows the quest of Juan Sebastián Elcano and Ferdinand Magellan around the world after they set sail from Spain 500 years ago. Emmy Award-winning showrunner Frank Doelger (Game of Thrones) is behind The Swarm, based on Frank Schätzing’s international best seller. Irish actress Charlene McKenna ( Bloodlands , Peaky Blinders , Vienna Blood) stars in the drama Clean Sweep.
In the unscripted arena, Surviving Hothouse Earth shines a light on the topic of global warming. Sweeping aerial views are front and center in Africa from Above , which promises a fresh perspective of the continent. Taking a look back in his tory, War Gamers spotlights the Women’s Royal Naval Service (the Wrens). ZDF Studios recently added to its catalog the format Quiz Hunt.
For the youngest set of viewers, ZDF Studios is presenting Grisù, about a little dragon who dreams of becoming a firefighter, and Törtle, which centers on a tortoise who grew up in a pet shop. The animated series Mimo & Leva—Back to the Bronze Age takes young viewers back in history.
“Our diverse new slate features a range of ambitious and high-caliber shows.” —Dr. Markus Schäfer
Thanks in large part to the global streaming platforms, the business of international drama is booming. From Scandi n oir to Turkish family dramas, German historical epics to Filipino fantasy series, you’ll find an abundance of non-English-language scripted series in our inaugural International Drama Screenings Festival.
Cross-border international collaborations continue to define the global scripted drama business, and ZDF Studios has a number on its slate, including The Window, a character-based thriller made in collabora tion with Japan’s Fuji TV. “Created and written by BAFTA- and Emmy Awardwinning screenwriter James Payne (The Musketeers, Hooten & the Lady, Mr. Selfridge), The Window is a drama thriller that explores the complex and dark off-field machinations of the world of soccer,” says Robert Franke, VP Drama. “It is particularly relevant given the upcoming major soccer events!”
While The Window is rooted in the gritty realism of European football, ABS-CBN Corporation is offering up fantasy and lighthearted fun with its International Drama Screenings Festi val highlights. Pia Laurel, head of international sales and distribution, highlights the buzzy superhero series Darna, which has been a hit in prime time and on social media. “In its first week, it accumulated more than 41 million combined views on YouTube and has consistently averaged around 230,000 live concurrent views per episode,” Laurel says. 2 Good 2 Be True, meanwhile, is a romance drama starring popular Filipino actors Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo. “This marks their first return to prime-time television since 2017,” Laurel says.
Inter Medya has several Turkish dra mas on offer, including Another Chance, which Can Okan, founder and CEO, says “tells a father-son story in a striking and heartwarming way. The series [shows] that everyone deserves a second chance by making the audience laugh and cry at the same time. Another Chance will take the audience on a wonderful journey with many stories flowing simultaneously.” Also on offer are The Girl of the Green Valley and the brand-new Poison Ivy.
Eccho Rights also has a buzzy new Turkish drama, Golden Boy, “the latest production from OGM Pictures, whose series Chrysalis and My Home My
ABS-CBN’s Darna
Eccho Rights’ Golden Boy
Destiny have been among the most popular in Turkey and around the world for the past three years,” says Handan Özkubat, director of Turkish drama.
The slate from MISTCO includes a ratings-winning medical drama, The Town Doctor. Aysegul Tuzun, managing director of MISTCO, also highlights The Blackboard, noting, “With a triangle love story, the series offers a traditional Turkish drama pilot.”
Long known for its English-language series, All3Media International has been diversifying its slate. Black Sands is an Icelandic crime drama from producer Glassriver and director Baldvin Z. The Swedish thriller Blinded is back for a second season, which, per Stephen Driscoll, executive VP of EMEA, “offers a masterclass in compelling, intelligent storytelling, combined with stellar per formances, stunning production values and a taut, timely script.”
LEONINE Studios is touting Bonn , from the makers of Spy City . “Based on true events, Bonn is an ambitious and thrilling historical drama that captures the essence of the social and the political winds of change that swept through Germany after WWII,” says Patrick Phelan, director of world sales. Also on offer from the company is Herzogpark.
ZDF Studios has a slew of suspense ful stories from Europe, including Dear Vivi, “an emotional family drama and thriller combo that uncovers the mys tery behind the shocking murder of a wife and mother in seven suspenseful episodes,” says Sebastian Krekeler, Director Drama.
ZDF Studios has also been grow ing its English-language lineup, highlighting Clean Sweep. “Irish content has significantly gained in importance in the international mar ket, so we are proud to partner in this production, a thriller full of twists and turns,” says Yi Qiao, Director Drama.
Eccho Rights has also been expanding its English-language lineup, highlighting Desperate Measures , which Lucy Roberts, director of sales for Western Europe, bills as a “gripping thriller.”
Israel remains a thriving market for high-end scripted. Dori Media Group’s Hammam is a modern adaptation of the Biblical tale of Saul and David. Reflecting the diversity of the company’s slate, there’s also a Spanish-language production on offer. “A treat for crime series lovers, Mercy on Us combines revenge drama with a murder mystery in an intriguing and captivating story,” says Carolina Sabbag, VP of sales for Western Europe, the U.S. and Canada.
By Kristin Brzoznowski
The combination of Banijay and Endemol Shine created a content powerhouse that has brought its global distribu tion engine, Banijay Rights, a prolific catalog of more than 135,000 hours of programming. Its slate houses content from Banijay’s 120-plus in-house labels, as well as third-party producers, with genres that run the gamut from drama, comedy and entertainment to factual, reality, family programming, for mats and theatrical.
The company’s drama slate illustrates just how varied the scripted landscape is at the moment. Its highlights range from the historical period drama Marie Antoinette, about the modern and avant-garde young queen; to the limited series Rogue Heroes, set against the backdrop of WWII and infused with action, rock and roll, and brotherhood; and Stonehouse, based on the true story of the rise and fall of MP John Stonehouse.
There are also Riches, a family drama set in the world of high-class London; Bali 2002, based on the 2002 terrorist attacks on Bali’s tourist hotspots; and Serial Lover, the story of a man who has lived many different lives and brings women into his web of deceit. “It’s such an eclectic group of dramas,” says Matt Creasey, executive VP of sales, co-productions and acquisitions at Banijay Rights. “There are buyers all around the world for these types of shows. The world is open to variety in terms of scripted.” Banijay Rights’ catalog of entertainment formats is an envi able one by any measure, home to such global behemoths as MasterChef , Big Brother and Survivor, which continue to go from strength to strength. These proven hits sit alongside new comers like Blow Up, a competition for balloon artists; Starstruck, where everyday people transform into some of the world’s biggest music icons; and Le Plus Grand Karaoké de France. There’s also a new iteration in the MasterChef franchise in MasterChef Young Talent, featuring 13- to 18-year-olds. Entertainment, he says, is in high demand. “Scripted is often talked about, but we mustn’t forget that entertainment is massive! It is such a key part of Banijay’s [catalog] and is, of course, one of our priorities.”
“Scripted is often talked about, but we mustn’t forget
entertainment is massive.”
Looking for Dr. Love.
Now in its 32nd year, Artist View Entertainment con tinues on its mission to find and build long-term relation ships with buyers and producers in the global market, represented in all genres and budget ranges.
“In 2020, we were able to align ourselves with three key pro duction companies that were willing to develop projects with us,” says Scott J. Jones, president of Artist View. “This allowed us to add titles to our slate that we believed would fit nicely into today’s
Artist View Entertainment’s
marketplace. Our focus was and still is on action, female-driven thrillers and rom-coms. At the same time, we stayed true to our original business plan and have been able to acquire some very strong titles outside of these three production partners.”
The company’s approach to having a diversified offering stems from Jones’s early days in the entertainment business when he was opening and buying movies for video stores, he says. “At that point, I learned not everyone likes the same thing. So, with that in mind, Artist View has always kept an open mind and open door for every sort of genre and budget. It’s fun to be able to say, ‘Our niche is that we don’t have one.’ ”
Artist View’s current slate is a testament to this as well. Among the highlights are The Furry Fortune , featuring a pet dog that can shed money; The New Order, which follows as an American detective travels to Ukraine to investigate the dis ap pearance of his former mentor; and Stay the Night, about a woman pursuing a one-night stand. The slate also features the tightly crafted action-adventure Night Train, the thrillers House of Lies and Help Wanted and the romantic comedies Looking for Dr. Love and Hearts Creek.
Artist View Entertainment is currently involved with five to ten productions each year, and the goal is to acquire up to five addi tional titles from other independent production companies.
“Our niche is that we don’t have one.”
—Scott J. Jones
Commissioner: ZDF Studios
Producer: Filmlance
Key Cast: Josefin Asplund, Alexej Manvelov
Writer: Veronica Zacco
Distributor: ZDF Studios
Description: (6x45 min.) From the producers of Bron, the hit series Top Dog returns. Emily has left Leijon and is working for a billionaire who is trying to build a biotech center and is relying on a “flexible” type of lawyer like Emily to negotiate the deal. Teddy is back in the crime world and his nephew Nicola gets arrested and suspected in a gang settlement murder. When Emily reluctantly represents him as his attorney, she gets him released from jail, but he’s still involved in shady dealings, which all lead to Emily’s boss putting her and Teddy dead in the middle.
Pitch Perfect: “The series [focuses] primarily on the clash between Stockholm business attorney Emily Jansson and Södertälje ex-con Teddy Maksumic.” —Yi Qiao, Director Drama
Sales Contact: Mirela Nastase.
Commissioner: ZDF Studios
Producer: Seven Dogs Filmproduktion
Key Cast: Torben Liebrecht, Maria Simon, Julia Beautx, Vico Magno, Ulrich Tukur, Julius Nitschkoff
Distributor: ZDF Studios
Description: (7x45 min.) Written and produced by Natalie Scharf, Dear Vivi is an emotional family drama and thriller combo that uncovers the mystery behind the shocking murder of a wife and mother in seven sus penseful episodes.
Pitch Perfect: Life is good for the Klettmanns, who live in a posh suburb of Munich. Peter is a successful lawyer and Anna is a housewife and mother to their three children. But everything changes in an instant on Anna’s 44th birthday, when Peter kills his wife in the heat of the moment and ends up in custody awaiting trial. While his motive poses a mystery and only takes shape by delving into his past, Vivian takes on the role of head of the family.
Sales Contact: Mirela Nastase.
Commissioner: ABC (Australia)
Producers: EQ Media Group, Beyond Entertainment, AGC Television
Key Cast: Thomas Jane, Nicole Chamoun, David Lyons, Sun Park, Yerin Ha
Writer: Yolanda Ramke
Distributor: LEONINE Studios with worldwide rights, excluding Australia and the U.S.
Description: (8x60 min.) A disgraced ex-cop is falsely accused of a dis turbing crime. He escapes to the wilds of Far North Queensland and becomes entangled with an eccentric private investigator on her first case.
Pitch Perfect: “Troppo has all the ingredients for a thrilling crime story and will resonate with audiences worldwide. It’s based on the well-known Crimson Lake novels by New York Times best-selling author Candice Fox, was created by an award-winning team, features internationally known actors and takes us to exotic locations.” —Patrick Phelan, Director, World Sales
Slot Winner: Sold to Viaplay (Scandinavia, Netherlands, Poland & Baltics), Freevee (U.K./Eire, Germany/Austria, U.S.), with more negotiations in process.
Sales Contact: Patrick Phelan.
Commissioner: ZDF Studios
Producer: Bavaria Fiction
Key Cast: Désirée Nosbusch, Leslie Malton, Suzanne von Borsody, Rainer Bock, Sven-Eric Bechtolf
Writer: Sathyan Ramesh
Distributor: ZDF Studios
Description: (2x90 min.) A story about friendship and love, family dependen cies and quarrels, failed life plans and new beginnings. The big party celebrating the 60th birthday of Julia Preus and her twin brother Karl is the last time the family will come together in peace. The next morning, Karl is dead, and the family’s bond disintegrates. Three women were pivotal in shaping Karl’s fate: his twin sister Julia, his ex-wife, Constanze, and his wife, Ricard.
Pitch Perfect: A female-driven family drama from award-winning director Sabine Derflinger (Step On It, Johanna Dohnal—Visionary of Feminism, Tatort) that tells the story of the wavering, collapse and resurgence of a family dynasty centered on three strong women who hold all the cards.
Sales Contact: Mirela Nastase.
By Kristin Brzoznowski
Increasing its output is a key priority for Studio 100 Media. The company continues to expand its slate of owned and coproduced IPs with various projects, including FriendZSpace, which had a successful launch on ABC Australia and Discovery Kids in LatAm, among others. With Vegesaurs , it is offering a visually striking concept for streaming and broadcast platforms, as well as licensing and merchandising opportunities. The show recently sold to CBeebies. Then there is SeaBelievers, which has established a genre of eco-tainment. The company is also adding
new content for some of its key brands, like a second season of 100% Wolf and Mia and me season four.
On the licensing side, Studio 100 owns a strong portfolio of IPs and has added some high-value third-party licenses in the last couple of years. Those include renowned brands such as Sesame Street, NASA, Tetris, Die Wilden Kerle and Lucky Luke.
“We are seeing an increase in the importance of issues such as diversity and sustainability in the kids’ content area,” says CEO Martin Krieger on what buyers are looking for. “Producing a kids’ series that brings awareness and puts these key matters center stage is a wonderful development. Our industry has a certain responsibility when it comes to inspiring children, and it’s impor tant that we contribute to making new generations understand what is going on in the world.”
Krieger adds that “great kids’ entertainment leaves room to change the point of view, to create, dream, imagine and grow—this describes what we pursue at Studio 100 with our programs and brands, on top of entertaining kids and families. With all our busi ness activities—from content production to licensing programs as well as the attractions in our theme parks—we want to create emo tional experiences for audiences around the globe.”
“We are seeing an
in the importance of
such as diver sity and sustainability in the kids’ content area.”
Bringing content from the Philippines out to the global mar ket, ABS-CBN Corporation has the momentum of healthy gains at the company to power its international sales.
“We continuously build meaningful partnerships with global OTT platforms, including Netflix, Viu, Amazon and YouTube, among others, to bring our content to as many audiences as possi ble,” says Pia B. Laurel, head of international sales and distribution.
ABS-CBN Corporation’s shows are seen in over 50 countries, and the company has sold over 60,000 hours of programming.
“When we distribute content, whether our films or TV pro grams, we take into consideration the demands of our global audiences,” Laurel says. “For instance, we see an upward trend in viewership of family dramas infused with investigative plots.”
“Another example is the Asian market, where audiences are drawn to feel-good stories that are light to watch,” adds Laurel. “Our viewers prefer to watch warmhearted stories that allow them to escape reality through entertainment, especially during these unprecedented times.”
Laurel says that ABS-CBN Corporation tries to expand its cata log as much as possible, “covering different genres to cater to the varying interests of our audiences.” She adds, “We are gearing toward producing more adaptations of beloved global titles. Also, we are about to distribute Filipino lifestyle content and exclusive content with our regional pay-TV partners.”
According to Laurel, the company’s mission is to “always find ways to serve Filipino audiences wherever they are. As a content company, there are endless possibilities for us to tell our stories, not just through standard platforms. Through the different partnerships we’ve built locally and internationally, the goal is to continue deliv ering the best stories and showcasing world-class productions that our viewers love throughout the years.”
“AsNHK’s Ninja Truth.
Presenting dazzling landscapes and stories rich in his tory, NHK has a slate of titles being sold to the global market by NHK Enterprises (NEP) that invite viewers on a journey of discovery across Japan.
Iriomote: The Fabric of Life features footage of the Iriomote cat, a subspecies of the leopard that lives exclusively on the Japanese island of Iriomote and was discovered in the 20th century with just
A look at the bevy of NHK programs being sold to the global market by NHK Enterprises (NEP) that entice viewers to discover—or rediscover— Japan.
100 in existence. The program incorporates the perspective of Akiko Ishigaki, an internationally acclaimed dyeing and weaving artisan who makes yarns from plants on the island, weaves them into fabrics and dyes the fabrics using mangroves.
The subject of The Unknown Master of Restoration is the art restorer Mayuyama Koji, who meticulously and flawlessly repairs broken pottery.
There are six new episodes of Ninja Truth, which focuses on the arts and tools employed by ninjas in an attempt to demys tify these superheroes.
New episodes are also available for Cycle Around Japan , which invites viewers on a journey to see a side of Japan they won’t find in guidebooks.
The documentary From Foe to Fortune: Living with Nuisance Wildlife spotlights Dr. Masateru Inoue (nicknamed Masane), an expert in the control of so-called nuisance animals.
“We hope people will discover the Japan of today through a diversity of programs that reveal not only the riches that Japan has in terms of its topography, plants, animals, culture and his tory but also the lives and perspectives of the people who live there,” says Mayuko Hori, senior producer in the Content Value Development Center at NHK.
“We hope people will discover the Japan of today through a diversity of programs.” —Mayuko Hori
For TV Asahi, its strength in international distribution lies with its drama series, “especially our long-running detec tive series as well as our innovative medical dramas,” says Yumi Shimizu, co-director in charge of international distribution.
“Adding to this, we used new approaches to produce Roppongi Class, the Japanese version of the popular Korean webtoon series, which has garnered strong interest from a young demographic.” Animation for both kids and young adults are also steady sellers.
can resonate with international audiences.
As medical dramas are still a draw for audiences, TV Asahi has a new series called The Travel Nurse. The drama centers on two freelance nurses who move from hospital to hospital with one suitcase.
There’s also a robust slate of formats in the TV Asahi catalog. Sneak n Shop, a game show in which contestants need to avoid drones chasing them, gathered interest from several territo ries this year, according to Shimizu.
The company’s brand-new launch is Fund My Fantasy, in which professionals gather to design a solution to various and seemingly impossible dream plans.
TV Asahi is also rebranding and relaunching two of its longestrunning series. One is the romantic reality show Sweet Kiss, Bitter Kiss, which follows young actors and actresses per forming together in scripted love stories to see whether they will develop actual feelings toward each other. The other one is My Life in Your Textbook, a studio show in which real peo ple share their own roller-coaster stories firsthand—their jour neys, highs and lows, hopes, fears and shattered dreams.
“We feel that there is high demand for both scripted and non-scripted formats,” Shimizu says.
“We feel that there is high demand for both scripted and non-scripted formats.” —Yumi Shimizu
Central to GoQuest Media’s aim to stack its slate with titles with unquestionable international appeal, it seeks out stories whose narratives are authentic and whose geographical, social, cultural or political environments can connect with viewers across the globe. A strong story will find an audience anywhere, which has led to GoQuest suc cessfully sending international titles to a slew of markets, from Latin America to Japan.
“If I were to rephrase a quote from Ernest Hemingway: ‘There is no friend as loyal as a book,’ I would say, ‘There is no friend as loyal as a good story’ when it comes to the success of a film or TV drama,” says Ofelya Tovmasyan, head of sales for CEE, CIS and Western Europe. “GoQuest has stayed loyal to its main mis sion of finding the best stories from around the world and bringing them to new audiences, irrespective of where they originated from.”
Within GoQuest’s catalog of globally resonant titles are several from Serbia and Estonia, including Secrets of the Grapevine, Civil Servant and Traitor. There is also the Czech crime drama Rats.
Looking ahead, Tovmasyan sees the company focusing on con tinuing to bolster its catalog of international drama titles. “We have a strong pipeline of content flowing to Western Europe, the U.S. and Latin America and will continue to add to this,” she says. “We are also investing resources into strengthening our coproduction and original series production team, which is currently working with local writers to adapt or write original scripts for OTT plat forms.”
“GoQuest has stayed loyal to its main mission of finding the best stories from around the world and bringing them to new audiences.” —Ofelya Tovmasyan
The most-viewed clips on our video portals in the last month.
A coming-of-age tale following best friends Chester and Mapplethorpe. Distributor: Australian Children ’ s Television Foundation
This show captures the refreshing wonder, amazement and charm of little children going on big adventures.
Distributor: Nippon TV
A non-dialogue 3D animation slapstick series about Oscar, a young penguin, who enters a world of exciting adventures after discovering a mysterious diary. Distributor: Superights
An exciting duel with entertaining questions, ingenious strategies and a cash prize of €5,000 per round.
Distributor: ZDF Studios
A mechanic and a nurse enter the world of a real estate magnate who is secretly battling an incurable disease. Distributor: ABS-CBN Corporation
