The international television market MIPTV kicked off Monday with a slew of territory deals for high-end drama and non-fiction series.
The swarman eco-thriller TV series from Game of Thrones executive producer Frank Doelger and ndF IP Managing Director Eric Welbers, based on Frank Schätzing’s bestseller, was snatched by SKY UK for its Sky Max streaming service and by pay TV group Movistar Plus+ for Spain. A US deal for the eight-part limited series, in which a mysterious collective force from deep in the oceans strikes back at humanity for its reckless handling of the environment, is expected soon.
The swarm was produced by Schwarm TV Productions, a joint venture between Intaglio Films and ndF IP, for ZDF in Germany, France Télévisions, Rai Fiction in Italy, Viaplay Group in Scandinavia, Hulu Japan, ORF in Austria and SRF in Switzerland, co-produced with Bravado Fiction and besides production, in collaboration with Athos KG.
‘The promise’
The Italian Mediaset has the rights to The promise, a popular Spanish drama from Bambú Producciones (Cable girls, Fluel) for TVE Spain, from Studiocanal. The drama, which has just been renewed for a second season in Spain on TVE’s La1, is set in the early 20th century and follows the story of a maid who seeks revenge for her mother’s murder and falls in love with the son of a mighty count. Mediaset recently acquired the long-running drama from Bambú Two livesalso from Studiocanal.
Sweden-based Eccho Rights secured even more international deals for Turkish drama golden boy, with broadcasters in CEE, Central Asia and Africa picking up the series last year, the highest-rated show in Turkey. The drama, which has been sold in more than 40 countries worldwide, follows two sisters, Seyran and Suna, and their relationship with Ferit, the grandson of one of the most powerful families in the region. Produced by OGM Pictures for Star TV, golden boy has remained the number one show on Turkish TV for the past 27 weeks.
On the non-fiction side, Australian TV network Seven has the rights to Red Arrow Studios’ Stranded on Honeymoon Island, a reality TV show in which couples, matched by experts, are left stranded on a deserted island for three weeks. Endemol Shine Australia, the team behind Married at first sight Australia, the local version of the format will air next year. The format premiered on the Belgian VTM network. And All3Media International signed deals for six new local adaptations – including in Israel, Portugal, Sweden, Greece and Hungary – for the Dutch hit format Traitors, in which contestants compete in challenges to win prize money, as they try to track down the “traitors” in their group who try to undermine their efforts. Fremantle Abot Hameiri will produce the Israeli version for Keshet, RTL has commissioned the Hungarian version, SIC in Portuguese copper and ANT1 in Greece. Peacock in the US, the BBC in the UK and Network 10 in Australia have all renewed their local versions of the show for a second season. Studio Lambert produces the US and UK versions, while Endemol Shine Australia produces the Down Under version.
MIPTV runs April 17-19 in Cannes, France.
