C21 picks out some of the top new shows coming soon to a pitch or virtual market near you, including shows on the coronavirus, the climate emergency and the first drama from Jed Mercurio’s new prodco.

Coronavirus: The Silent Killer (1×48’)
Producer: MediaCorp
Distributor: TVF International
They say: “This crucial doc is key to our understanding of the global coronavirus outbreak and response.”
We say: Touting exclusive access to frontline medical staff who have fought the virus in China, plus analysis from world-leading experts, this Channel NewsAsia production couldn’t be more timely as the world continues to tackle the virus. The show is soon to be joined by Coronavirus: Race Against the Pandemic.

Dark Woods (6×45’)
Producers: ConradFilm, Bavaria Fiction
Distributor: Global Screen
They say: “In the summer of 1989, Barbara Neder, the sister of high-ranking police officer Thomas Bethge, disappears without a trace, shortly after two couples have been cruelly murdered in nearby woodlands.”
We say: This drama is being made for NDR and ARD Degeto and is based on the real-life disappearance of a woman in Lower Saxony in what is considered to be one of the most incredible crimes in post-war Germany.

Trump Almighty (1×52’/70’)
Producer: Roche Productions
Distributor: Kwanza
They say: “How has Donald Trump changed his country? And has his extraordinary reign already transformed American democracy?”
We say: Ordered by M6 in France for primetime, this behind-the-scenes investigation comes from director William Karel (Barack Obama: Great Expectations, The World According to Bush) and has been pre-sold to broadcasters in countries including Canada and the Czech Republic.

De Gaulle at the Beach (30×2’15”)
Producer and distributor: Xilam Animation
They say: “Set in summer 1956, wearied by the ingratitude of the French and mediocrity of the country’s leaders, the Liberator of France, Charles de Gaulle, goes on a well-deserved holiday.”
We say: Produced by Xilam’s recently acquired CGI specialist studio Cube Creative for Arte France, this collection of absurd stories for adults takes a light-hearted and affectionate look at Charles de Gaulle, the hero of French 20th Century history.

Malawi Wildlife Rescue (6×60’)
Producer: Icon Films
Distributor: Blue Ant International
They say: “Shot in Malawi’s rainy season when the centre receives most of its orphans and the staff have their hands full looking after baby vervet monkeys and baboons in particular.”
We say: An original commission for Blue Ant-owned Love Nature, this observational docuseries follows the valuable work being done at Malawi’s only wildlife rescue centre.

Thin Ice (8×45’)
Producers: Yellow Bird, Sagafilm
Distributor: Banijay Rights
They say: “It is about climate change, about the indigenous people, the independence of Greenland, and about how short-term interests prevent humanity from making decisions that are crucial to our existence.”
We say: This topical thriller dramatises the burning issues of the climate, Arctic oil exploitation and international geopolitics, produced with a host of European broadcasters on board, including C More/TV4, DR and NRK.

Californian Commando (10×24’)
Producer: Fire Monkey Productions
Distributor: Red Arrow Studios International
They say: “Van’s dual American-Finnish citizenship means he’s forced to do military service, with his parents hoping the army will turn their spoiled son into a responsible adult.”
We say: A privileged young American is forced to join the Finnish army in this fish-out-of-water, action-packed comedy, made for streaming platform Elisa Viihde in Finland.

Exponential (4×60’)
Producers and distributors: Submarine, Pumpernickel Films
They say: “With his trademark clarity, curiosity and insight, leading media expert Douglas Rushkoff [pictured] is the perfect guide to make sense of the digital age, taking us on a fascinating ride from the idealist inception of the internet to its corruption and, ultimately, where we could go next.”
We say: Commissioned by European cultural broadcaster Arte through its German partners WDR and RBB, this provocative docuseries tells the story of how the digital economy appears to have spun out of everyone’s control.

Unchained (format)
Producer: United Studios
Distributor: ADD Content
They say: “Explores the reality of Jewish women unable to get a divorce without cooperation from their estranged husbands. Without consent or proof that a missing husband is legally dead, these women remain chained to their old lives and unable to move on.”
We say: This drama, sold as a scripted format as well as a finished series by Israel’s ADD Content, explores the most explosive topic in Jewish Rabbinical law: women’s place in modern society.

Generation Dating (format)
Producer: Coco Content
Distributor: A+E Networks
They say: “In a world of disposable dating, what would happen if two strangers, one old and one young, ran each other’s love lives?”
We say: This format sees two singletons, one young and one older, embark on a mission to help each other find love. With each working as the others’ personal dating coach, it poses an intriguing question about how different generations approach the search for ‘the one.’

Bloodlands (4×60’)
Producer: Hat Trick Mercurio Television
Distributor: Hat Trick International
They say: “A cracking contemporary thriller which manages to be both completely gripping while shining a light on to the legacy of the troubles in contemporary Northern Ireland.”
We say: Created by new writer Chris Brandon and executive produced by acclaimed showrunner Jed Mercurio (Bodyguard), this BBC1 primetime drama stars James Nesbitt (The Missing) and marks the first drama from Hat Trick Mercurio Television.

Shadowplay (8×60’)
Producers: Tandem Productions, BRON Studios, ZDF
Distributor: StudioCanal
They say: “Berlin in 1946 is lawless, the ultimate arena to tell a story of strong but broken people trying to mend. To seek peace where there is still war. To find trust where there’s no loyalty. To find love, because that’s all.”
We say: This gritty series tells the story of a US cop who arrives in Berlin to help create a police force in the chaotic aftermath of the war, while undertaking a personal crusade to find his missing brother, who is killing ex-Nazis in hiding.

Lost Home Movies of Nazi Germany (2×60’)
Producer: Bright Button Productions
Distributor: Drive
They say: “A candid look at what life was really like for those living under Hitler’s swastika, at home and abroad, a record not only of what they saw but of what they knew.”
We say: This BBC4 series delves into the private home movie collections of ordinary Germans to shed more light on everyday life in Nazi Germany.

La Linea Invisible (6×45’)
Producers: Movistar+, Sentido Films, Corte y Confección de Peclículas
Distributor: APC
They say: “Takes viewers back to 1963 to the early days of the Basque nationalist paramilitary group Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) and follows an idealistic young man who gets gradually more involved with the increasingly violent organisation until there is no turning back.”
We say: This Spanish-language series, starring Antonio de la Torre, will premiere on Movistar+ later this year and joins HBO España’s first original series, Patria, in exploring the intricacies of the Spanish Basque country.

Pilgrimage: The Road to Istanbul (3×52’)
Producer: CTVC
Distributor: Orange Smarty
They say: “Famous faces live as simple pilgrims following an ancient military route to the historic city of Istanbul, which has been transformed into a modern-day path of peace.”
We say: Returning this Easter after making its debut on BBC2 in the UK last year, this show features celebrities of different faiths and beliefs taking part in arduous but fulfilling journeys by foot, with plenty of stimulating conversation along the way.