Campaign Profile

Fox Entertainment Global was at Mipcom last week with a diverse and broad slate of titles, ranging from comedy and heart-warming fiction to elevated documentary, says executive VP David Smyth.

David Smyth became executive VP of content sales and partnerships at Fox Entertainment Global (FEG) in January 2024, which means this is his first Mipcom in the role. He arrives in Cannes with FEG’s most diverse slate since it launched in Q4 2022.

“We have a really broad range of genres that we’re taking to the market on this occasion,” says Smyth. “We’ve got shows from the US, Australia and Israel on our slate. We’ve got some shows that have been developed from within our own company, and others that have come in from outside. It’s a broad mix.”

Headliners in Cannes include both scripted and unscripted fare, with a wide range of tones from comedic to tragic, heart-warming fiction to elevated documentary. Explaining how this disparate slate ties together, Smyth says: “Every title we’re bringing to Mipcom has a unique point of view. They come from really strong storytellers, in some cases absolute A-list creatives. So we have a very high bar. But within that, we’re keen to explore different genres, because there are so many new outlets these days.”

Crucial in every case is selecting shows that have “cut through,” says Smyth. “Premium content is one excellent way of getting noticed but offering amazing entertainment and a particular point of view are also important factors in cutting through.”

One title that Smyth believes will stand out in a crowded market is Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints, an eight-parter greenlit by Fox Nation in the US. Due to launch on November 17, the series tells the story of Joan of Arc, Francis of Assisi, John the Baptist, Thomas Becket, Mary Magdalene, Moses the Black, Sebastian and Maximillian Kolbe; eight saints known for their kindness, selflessness and sacrifice.

Smyth says: “It’s an honour to be associated with one of Martin Scorsese’s projects and to take his content to market.” He adds the combination of Scorsese and the high-profile subject matter will give it global appeal: “And I also think it can work across different client bases from public broadcaster to streamer.”

Changing gear, another FEG headline at Mipcom is The Chicken Sisters, a series from Fox Entertainment’s MarVista Entertainment that recently debuted on Hallmark Channel in the US. “It’s a wonderful all-American drama series based on a bestseller by KJ Dell’Antonia,” says Smyth. “It has just launched and did very well.”

Summarising the narrative, Smyth says: “It tells the story of a small town in Southern US where two chicken restaurants have been competing for generations. The rivalry really takes off with the news of a reality competition show.”

Outlining his pitch to buyers, he says the show has “a wonderful cast, a great setting, a lot of heart and many laughs. We’ve had a lot of success with the movies we make for Hallmark, and this has the same kind of sensibility and broad audience appeal.”

Underlining the range in tone on FEG’s slate, Smyth says another title that the company is bringing to Cannes is One Day In October, a Hebrew-language series that premiered on Yes TV in Israel and is being distributed globally by FEG: “It’s a four-part anthology drama series that tells four powerful and personal true stories about what unfolded on October 7th, 2023, in Israel. So in one of the episodes, we follow two young girls who are best friends attending the Nova Music Festival, and their experience as they hide in a portable toilet. It’s shot from this extremely claustrophobic perspective, which makes it both terrifying and heart-wrenching to watch.”

Further evidence of FEG’s diversified strategy is Ronde Media’s Billion Dollar Playground, a reality series set in the world of opulent homestays and seen through the eyes of the staff at Australian luxury hospitality and concierge provider Luxico. Luxico’s young guns must not only navigate the demanding needs of their international guests but also the budding relationships they have with each other. “The series has everything docusoap fans desire,” says Smyth, “drama, intrigue, romance and access to the ultra-high-end lifestyle of the wealthiest and most powerful people in the world.”

Billion Dollar Playground is FEG’s first third-party series distribution agreement, and it covers both tape sales and format on a global basis. “Ronde is an excellent production company, famous for Bondi Rescue,” says Smyth. “This series is a huge amount of fun and is already getting a lot of interest in it right now.” Due to launch in Q2 2025, the series has the potential to build as a returnable franchise, he believes.

FEG’s headliners are rounded out by comedy series Going Dutch. Produced in Ireland, the series stars Denis Leary, under his deal with Fox Entertainment. He plays a loudmouth US Army colonel who, after an unfiltered rant, is sent to the Netherlands, where he is punished with command of the least important army base in the world. “It’s an example of the three pillars of Fox Entertainment working in concert,” says Smyth. “It originated within the studio, was placed on the network and is distributed by FEG.”

Smyth says this kind of “fish out of water” series “works very well for the network and for us. There’s a lot of comic potential placing characters in scenarios they are unused to. It’s a rich vein to explore. And Going Dutch has got a lot of the same comedic beats as Animal Control, which has sold to 62 countries, including Channel 4 in the UK.”

FEG is still a young company, but its Mipcom 2024 slate is not the only content it has out in the market. Smyth says animated comedy Grimsburg is gaining traction while content from the TMZ stable is securing international sales. A Spanish version of Next Level Chef, from JV company Studio Ramsay, is also finishing production at the show’s Dublin-based hub. “I think we’ve really begun to move the needle. Over the last 12 months, we managed to get the message out to buyers about what Fox represents,” says Smyth.

In terms of trends on the eve of Mipcom, Smyth says: “I’d say the age of collaboration is really in full swing right now. The conversations we were having 12 to 18 months ago, compared to now, are almost night and day. Suggestions we were making back then were listened to politely, but now there’s a huge amount of engagement as everyone is looking to partner to make the numbers work. The good news for FEG is that collaboration is something that we were set up to do from launch.”