Programming Profile

As spring arrives and the world gets a look at what life may be like after Covid, the world of production is preparing with a variety of factual shows, drama series, formats and kids’ shows.

While March’s Hot Properties saw a trend towards commending the efforts of frontline health staff, April’s offering contains four factual shows with a focus on survival and danger.

Could You Survive? (8×60’) from Canadian prodco BGM focuses on stories of survival against the odds, from the depths of the jungle to the middle of the desert. Each story is told by a real survivor before host Creek Stewart and his team go to demonstrate what should be done in that situation. UK distributor Abacus Media Rights is handling distribution.

Another disaster-oriented docuseries is Plane Crash Recreated (10×60’) from distributor Off The Fence, which produced the series in association with London’s SWR Media and Dash Productions. The series revisits the world’s most famous plane crashes, using a flight simulator to re-enact the drama.

Thirdly, Shark Alarm from London distributor Parade Media Group examines what’s behind Australia’s worst year for shark fatalities in recent memory. The 1×90’ film was produced by global prodco EQ Media.

Canada’s natural wilderness is on show in Wild Canadian Weather, a four-part series focusing on the harshest elements: cold, wind, sun and rain. Part of long-running CBC franchise The Nature of Things, the series is available from CBC & Radio-Canada Distribution.

While several shows focus on the danger of nature, one focuses on its beauty. Wild Heart of Europe – The Return of an Ancient Forest (1×52’/1×90’) from Germany’s Albatross World Sales focuses on the Bavarian National Forest Park, which has been left to regrow by itself. The one-off is produced by Germany’s Lisa Eder Film.

As well as nature, April’s Hot Properties playlist sees an increase in the amount of historical content. Claude Dornier – Pioneer of Aviation (1×90’) from German distributor Autentic uses archive footage, animation and contributions from Dornier’s family to review the life of the German aeroplane designer.

Another documentary with a historical engineering focus is Secrets of the Transport Museum (10×60’) from UK indie producer Middlechild. Available from Passion Distribution and originally shown on UK channel Yesterday, the series follows the volunteer staff who are responsible for the upkeep of the Brooklands Museum in the UK.

The final historical offering on the playlist shows the trend for escapist travel viewing is ongoing. Searching for Secrets, distributed by London-based Blue Ant International, uses local people to take viewers on a tour through their city, uncovering the history that tourists don’t get to see.

There is also a sign that the crime boom in scripted content is bleeding into factual. Fast Justice (10×60’) follows The Sentinels, the UK county of Surrey’s top-of-the-range crime response unit, which is equipped with the latest technology. Produced by the UK’s ITN Productions, the series is available from London’s DCD Rights.

Another crime-related offering from UK distributor Drive focuses on a celebrity this time. Zara McDermott: Revenge Porn (1×60’) focuses on the Made in Chelsea star’s experience with the online phenomenon and her journey to discover more about the impact it has on people. The special is produced by UK factual specialist Summer Films.

Another celebrity-led format is Boys & Men Japanesque (10×50’) from Japanese broadcaster Chukyo TV Broadcasting. The show sees the Japanese boy band present one aspect of their country’s culture every week.

The final factual programme on the playlist is Digital Colonialism, sold by German distributor Ruptly Documentary Collection. The show examines whether the technology being brought to Africa by global companies is bringing them into the modern world, or just colonising them all over again.

As well as documentaries there are also factual entertainment titles in April’s playlist. Bear’s Wild Adventure continues the nature theme seen in the docs selection, as Bear Grylls returns with two one-off specials – one featuring England rugby legend Jonny Wilkinson, the other with Olympic boxing champion Nicola Adams. The two-parter is sold by global distributor Banijay Rights.

More celebrity-led formats are on the playlist. Firstly, Danish prodco Snowman’s four-part series Secret Treasures of the Museum pits two celebrities with a shared interest against each other to create the best museum exhibition. The 4×60’ series is sold by Snowman sibling company Red Arrow Studios International.

Secondly, The Tourists is a French comedy format that sees a team of celebrities attempt to take on different careers, with disastrous results. The show is distributed by Sony Pictures Television Formats.

The final format on show for April is Nippon TV’s Crush Park, the latest offering in a long line of Japanese gameshows from the company. In this show, competitors are invited into a wonderland-themed set and must destroy as much as they can within a time limit. The show debuted in Japan last December.

In the scripted world, there is a visible trend for shows led by female protagonists. Some of these are comedic roles – Schitt’s Creek star Annie Murphy stars as a fed-up housewife who takes action in sitcom Kevin Can F**k Himself, distributed by US-based AMC Studios.

Schitt’s Creek distributor ITV Studios also brings Jann Arden-fronted sitcom Jann to the playlist, from Schitt’s Creek exec producer Andrew Barnsley. The show, which has had two seasons in Canada on CTV, features the Canadian singer playing a warped version of herself struggling to deal with her declining fame.

Coping is a key theme in French comedy drama The Phoenix (6×60’), which tells the story of Louise bringing her best friend Murielle along in her campervan to scatter her husband’s ashes. The series is sold by French-Canadian comedy distributor ComediHa!.

Female characters take the lead in more dramatic roles too. Turkish series Chrysalis tells the story of a young woman navigating her way through the world, and her indomitable spirit as she comes up against obstacles. Produced by Turkey’s OGM Pictures, the series was acquired by Swedish distributor Eccho Rights in mid-March.

Another show with a female protagonist is All For Her, from LA-based distributor MarVista Entertainment. When a woman finally becomes pregnant but discovers she has a deadly blood disease, she does everything she can to see that the baby lives.

Another female-led show on the playlist is the third season of Canadian crime series Coroner, from Cineflix Studios, Back Alley Films and Muse Entertainment. The Toronto-based series stars Serinda Swan as a widowed coroner who investigates suspicious deaths. UK distributor Cineflix Rights is in charge of global sales.

Coroner isn’t the only crime series on the list as the boom in the genre continues. Civil Servant (24×50’) is a spy series that explores the inner workings of the Serbian Secret Service through the eyes of a young ambitious agent. Created by national broadcaster Telekom Srbija and Serbian prodco Film Danas, the series is available to license from Indian distributor GoQuest Media.

Another crime show up for sale is North By North West (11×90’), distributed by Studio Hamburg Enterprises. A police officer who has moved to the country to set up a vet surgery finds his new peaceful life interrupted by mysterious crimes.

French crime series Your Honor (8×52’) is also up for grabs, adapted from Israeli series Kvodo. France’s Federation Entertainment distributes the series as well as producing it in collaboration with French channel TF1. The series tells the story of a respected judge who is forced to compromise his integrity when his son kills a man in a hit and run.

Another trend on the April playlist is the selection of sci-fi titles. The first offering, EXIT – #1INFINITY, is a 90-minute feature sold by Bavaria Media International. In the year 2047, a start-up offers to use holograms and AI to bring people back to life.

The second sci-fi offering is an adaptation of one of the classics: War of the Worlds, a modern reimagining of HG Wells’ genre-defining novel. The series is made by London prodco Urban Myth Films with StudioCanal in charge of distribution.

Another adaptation comes in the shape of ANA. all in. (6×48’), a Spanish series adapted from Roberto Santiago’s novel. In the gambling world, a criminal lawyer has to fight corruption to clear her brother’s name of murder. The series is distributed by Germany’s ZDF Enterprises (ZDFE) and is a coproduction between ZDFE, Spanish prodcos Tornasol and DeAPlaneta and Spanish national broadcaster RTVE.

Another Turkish series, For My Family, tells the story of four children whose parents are killed in an accident and are left in the charge of their father’s business partner – who was having an affair with their mother. The show is sold by Turkish distributor ATV.

The final drama offering is There Will Be People, a period 12-parter that tells 12 chapters of history through the eyes of ordinary people. The series is produced by Ukranian channel STB and Film.UA. Ukranian distributor Film.UA also holds the international rights to the series.

Kids’ drama is popular for April too, with a trend emerging for kids taking on life’s problems together. The Inbestigators, which consists of two 20-part seasons, is an Australian series featuring kids solving crimes. The show is distributed by the Australian Children’s Television Foundation, which produced the show in collaboration with Australian prodco Gristmill.

Canadian sci-fi series Endlings’ second season is also on the playlist, which is about foster children who discover an alien in their home. His mission – to save the planet’s endangered species. Twelve episodes are available to buy from Canada’s Sinking Ship Entertainment.

Two shows aim to encourage kids to engage with the wider world, with My Stay-At-Home Diary giving kids the opportunity to tell their own stories from the pandemic, featuring children from all over the world. The show is available from Singapore distributor Bomanbridge Media.

In a similar vein, Elinor Wonders Why is an animation providing answers to kids’ biggest questions. The 45-episode series is produced by Canada’s Pipeline Studios and Shoe Ink and is on sale via PBS International.

Another animation available is Dodo, distributed by London company Cake. The cartoon from Bristol’s Wildseed Studios explores the difficulties of school life and is based on the YouTube series Not The End of The World.

Another animation up for grabs is Welcome To Cardboard City (10×5’), recently acquired for global sales by the UK’s Jetpack Distribution. Everything in the show appears to be made out of cardboard, and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is one celebrity to have made a guest appearance. The series is made by Kiwi prodco Vinewood Animation.