C21 INVESTIGATES: Microdrama is booming – bite-size TV for the TikTok generation via a plethora of apps, the mechanics of which are closer to mobile gaming – and the sector is evolving fast. Execs from aTwist, GoodShort, MyDrama, Reelforce, Shortly and more share their insights.

C21 INVESTIGATES: While showrunners traditionally oversee the creative vision of a scripted project in the US, how is this role evolving – and how are series being developed and produced away from Hollywood while ensuring everyone is reading from the same script? Executives from Rivals, Appetite and The Falcon & The Winter Soldier share their insights into the creative process to reveal how they ensure everyone is on the same page.

CONTENT EUROPE: As the global formats sector grapples with risk aversion, consolidation and the threats/opportunities posed by things like AI and YouTube, C21 investigates where the sector is heading, the hottest new trends in formatted entertainment and where the best new ideas for formats are coming from.

Broadcaster and naturalist Chris Packham talks about his journey from punk to environmental advocate, BBC impartiality, his new film Greenwashed, and why he’s heading up a National Emergency Briefing on climate breakdown.

AHEAD OF THE CURVE: MicroCo's Jana Winograde, Done+Dusted's Melanie Fletcher and Pantheon Media Group's Jen O'Connell see the growth of AI as inevitable in 2026 and predict that while it will bring efficiencies to the industry, it could also create new jobs.

AHEAD OF THE CURVE: Stratagem Vertical's Brandan Dennehy and Pantheon Media Group's Jen O'Connell predict further consolidation in legacy media in 2026, meaning fewer buyers as the industry contracts.

AHEAD OF THE CURVE: Stratagem Vertical's Brandan Dennehy, Candy Jar/Inkitt's Lily Darragh Harty, My Drama's Julia Smyrnova and Ben Pengilly see the microdrama boom continuing next year, broadening out as new players and territories enter the space.

AHEAD OF THE CURVE: Banijay's Patrick Holland, Done+Dusted's Melanie Fletcher, The Growth Partners' Vanessa Chapman, Pantheon Media Group's Jen O'Connell, Zandland's Ben Zand, Plimsoll's Andrea Jackson and Gloria Calderón Keller offer a wide range of perspectives on what to expect in 2026.