Twelve new dramas lead C21’s selection of programming making its debut at Mipcom next week, including Western, crime, dark comedy, fact-based and family stories.

The English (5×60’ & 1×90’)
Producer: Drama Republic
Distributor: All3Media International
They say: “Takes the core themes of identity and revenge to tell a uniquely compelling parable on race, power and love.”
We say: This latest Hugo Blick creation for BBC Two in the UK and Amazon’s Prime Video in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand stars Emily Blunt as an aristocratic Englishwoman and Chaske Spencer as a Pawnee ex-cavalry scout crossing a violent Western landscape in 1890.

The Rookie: Feds (13×60’)
Producers: ABC Signature, Entertainment One, Perfectman Pictures
Distributor: Entertainment One
They say: “A band of so-called ‘misfit toys’ break from the Bureau’s rigid tradition to take on unique cases and solve them with unorthodox methods and out-of-the-box thinking.”
We say: This spin-off to ABC police procedural The Rookie, which eOne has sold into more than 180 countries, stars Niecy Nash-Betts as the oldest rookie at the FBI Academy and promises an entertaining blend of comedy, drama and action.

Drops of God (8×60’)
Producers: Legendary, Dynamic
Distributor: Legendary
They say: “Family intrigue and wine appreciation collide in the multi-lingual live-action adaptation of the internationally celebrated manga series from Japan that ignited the wine industry.”
We say: Given drinking rosé, followed by recovering from drinking rosé, is such a popular activity in Cannes, it follows that this co-commission from France Télévisions and Hulu Japan may well come of age at Mipcom this year.

Wreck (6×60’)
Producer: Euston Films
Distributor: Fremantle
They say: “Distils generational trauma and social commentary into savvy, sharp entertainment, tackling issues at the cutting edge of contemporary culture, from sexual identity and social inequality to the exploitation of unbridled capitalism.”
We say: This BBC Three mystery thriller set amongst a diverse group of disillusioned, nihilistic Gen Z cruise line workers mixes classic cult horror, jet-black comedy and a biting social commentary.

The Best of Us (4×52’)
Producers: Quad Drama, TS Productions
Distributor: APC
They say: “The young detective from the city, haunted by her own brother’s death, finds herself a fish out of water in this small village in the Alps where everyone knows each other.”
We say: Written by Lucie Prost, Aurélia Morali and Isabel Sebastian, this twisty whodunit from France Télévisions is set after a local star athlete is murdered and introduces another iconic detective into the pantheon of TV sleuths in Awa Sissako, played by Mariama Gueye.

Fifteen-Love (6×60’)
Producers: World Productions, ITV Studios
Distributor: ITV Studios
They say: “Examining the intense physical and mental pressures of professional sport, Fifteen-Love is a gripping and sensitive exploration of trust, power and obsession, and what can be lost when you’ll do anything to win.”
We say: Anyone for tennis? This provocative drama from creator Hania Elkington and the same prodco behind Line of Duty sees Poldark’s Aidan Turner star as a maverick coach guiding an up-and-coming tennis player, played by newcomer Ella Lily Hyland. Set to launch on Amazon’s Prime Video in the UK and Ireland next year.

Last King of The Cross (10×60’)
Producer: Helium Pictures
Distributor: Cineflix Rights
They say: “An operatic story of two brothers who organise the street but lose each other in their ascent to power.”
We say: This big-budget, 1980s-set Paramount+ Australia original is inspired by John Ibrahim’s best-selling autobiography charting his rise from a poverty-stricken immigrant with no education, no money and no prospects to Australia’s most infamous nightclub mogul.

Riches (6×60’)
Producer: Greenacre Films
Distributor: Banijay Rights
They say: “Follows the exploits of the brash, super-successful and wealthy Richards family.”
We say: Written and created by Abby Ajayi, this glossy ITV/Amazon Studios copro follows the drama after one of the UK’s most successful black businessmen suffers a sudden medical emergency and his different sets of children collide with an empire at stake.

Pantanal (120×60’)
Producer: Estúdios Globo
Distributor: Globo International Distribution
They say: “A young man from Rio de Janeiro travels to the Pantanal to meet the father he never knew.”
We say: Based on the 1990 telenovela of the same name created by Benedito Ruy Barbosa, this 2022 update is written by his grandson, Bruno Luperi, and has had viewers in Brazil riveted by its twists and turns against the sumptuous backdrop of world’s largest tropical wetland area.

The Crash (5×60’)
Producer: Big Blue
Distributor: StudioCanal
They say: “Going up against the mighty forces of the Dutch government and the Israeli secret services, three individuals begin their search to uncover the truth.”
We say: This political thriller is based on the true events of one of the most controversial disasters and biggest cover-ups in Dutch history, when, in 1992, a Boeing 747 flying to Tel Aviv crashed into two jam-packed residential high-rises in the suburbs of Amsterdam, with devastating consequences.

Robyn Hood (8×60’)
Producers: Boat Rocker, Corus Entertainment
Distributor: Boat Rocker
They say: “A bold and original take on a legendary tale, Robyn Hood follows a fearless young
Gen Z-er and her anti-authoritarian masked hip-hop band The Hood as they call out injustices and fight for freedom and equality in the city of New Nottingham.”
We say: Created by prolific Canadian music director, TV director and filmmaker Director X and written by screenwriter Chris Roberts (Orphan Black), this modern action drama is set to premiere on Global in Canada in 2023 and brings the classic Robin Hood story into the age of the 1%.

Kid Sister (5×30’)
Producer: Greenstone TV
Distributor: Red Arrow Studios International
They say: “As Lulu digs herself deeper and deeper into a ‘shituation,’ she is forced to face the question she’s been avoiding her entire adult life: how can she do what she wants while also making everyone else happy?”
We say: This coming-of-age Kiwi comedy drama from TVNZ was created by Simone Nathan (Our Flag Means Death), who stars as a young Jewish woman navigating life’s big issues in New Zealand, where more people identify as Jedi than Jewish.

Devoured (6×44’)
Producer: Station 10 Media
Distributor: Vice Distribution
They say: “Get ready for a new kind of food show: this series will take you on a thrill-ride of twists and turns as we track unbelievable stories of how food fuels criminal enterprises.”
We say: A series set at the intersection of true crime and food covers two seemingly evergreen TV genres, with mob beatdowns, family betrayals and murder served alongside pizza, deli meats, ice cream and honey.

Unvaccinated (1×60’)
Producer: STV Productions
Distributor: Orange Smarty
They say: “Professor Hannah Fry seeks to understand why, despite multiple lockdowns and millions of deaths, so many remain unvaccinated against Covid-19.”
We say: This one-off doc aired on the BBC over the summer and saw its host, mathematician Hannah Fry, praised for the way she unpacks the long-held opinions, beliefs and fears that have prevented so many from getting the vaccine.

Category: Woman (1×76’/1×58’)
Producer: Proximity Films
Distributor: Espresso Media International
They say: “Four champion runners from the Global South fight back against racism, the policing of women’s bodies in sport and the violation of their human rights.”
We say: This feature doc from Emmy-nominated filmmaker and former athlete Phyllis Ellis and TVO in Canada approaches a complicated topic with humanity, uncovering the rules and regulations female athletes are forced through in the name of ‘fair play’ and how these disproportionately affect women from the global south.

The Con (1×90’ & 1×60’)
Producers: White Pine Pictures, Beetz Brother Film Productions, PMA Productions
Distributor: Beyond Rights
They say: “Tells the gripping and dramatic true story of the largest and most elaborate espionage operation ever mounted by one country against an ally.”
We say: A co-commission from ZDF and Arte in Germany and Super Channel in Canada, this series looks at the birth of the ‘deep state’ and the extraordinary story of British Security Coordination, an organisation set up in the US during the war to to sway public opinion.

Mariupol: Unlost Hope (1×52’)
Producers: OUP Documentary, Star Light Media Group
Distributor: Autentic
They say: “The story of a crime against humanity through the eyes of the victims who managed to survive: witness a war through the eyes of ordinary people.”
We say: Based on the diaries of journalist Nadia Sukhorukova during the first month of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, this powerful documentary comes without narration and serves as an important record of a harrowing moment in recent history.

Art on the Brain (6×60’/format)
Producer: BBC Studios ANZ
Distributor: BBC Studios
They say: “A unique social experiment to test if the simple act of creativity can help heal the invisible wounds of poor mental health.”
We say: With over 900 million people worldwide said to be living with mental health issues, and the global pandemic only making things worse, this ambitious format is backed by science and explores whether activities such as performing music, painting and photography can help improve mental wellbeing.

Chasing the Rains (4×60’)
Producer: Maramedia
Distributor: Blue Ant International
They say: “Follow elephant matriarchs leading their families to water while defending their young, baboon troops patrolling the riverbanks, alliances of cheetahs as they hunt ostrich together and elusive black rhinos.”
We say: This epic series for Blue Ant Media-owned Love Nature takes audiences on a journey into one of the most majestic and rarely filmed areas of wilderness in Africa.

Naked, Alone & Racing to Get Home (working title, 6×60’/format)
Producer and distributor: Avalon
They say: “No clothes, no food and no help, this series promises to be the ultimate test of courage and resourcefulness with dramatic twists along the way.”
We say: Naked & Afraid meets Hunted, as two teams of amateur survivalists are stripped of everything they own and released into gruelling and challenging terrains in this series for E4 in the UK.

Know Your Sh!t (6×60’/format)
Producer: Monkey Kingdom
Distributor: NBCUniversal Formats
They say: “A fun, accessible and light-hearted series that will teach people what is and isn’t normal about our bowels, as well as revolutionising our everyday health habits.”
We say: Fans of toilet humour with added health benefits will enjoy this Channel 4 factual entertainment show in which participants undergo bowel movement tests, with the results setting them on a path to better gut health.