Banijay in Finland, Iberia works on first microdramas without ‘compromising on quality’
SERIES MANIA: YLE in Finland is working on a vertical shortform mockumentary with Banijay, whose Iberian arm is also stepping into vertical storytelling with a trio of microdramas, with both production companies promising they won’t be “compromising on quality.”
Survival Sisters (Lottakoulu) is described as a fast-paced, character-driven satire unpacking society’s expectations of women as model citizens.
Created by Susanna Karttunen, the 20×5′ project will be produced in dual formats, 16:9 for YLE’s streaming platform YLE Areena and 9:16, for the broadcaster’s social media channels.
The two-format strategy is designed to reach audiences across “streaming and mobile-first viewing environments,” Banijay Finland said.
It marks Banijay Finland’s strategic move into vertical storytelling and shortform content production.
Minna Virkajärvi, executive producer at Banijay Finland, said: “Banijay Finland is known for creating innovative, culturally resonate, and often satirical drama and comedy, and Survival Sisters is a natural step as we expand into shortform and vertical formats.
“Younger audiences are shifting the way we consume content, and this commission reflects both YLE’s and our commitment to exploring new ways of delivering premium storytelling without compromising ambition or quality.
“Susanna Karttunen is an exciting new Finnish voice, and this show’s relevance and sharp satirical edge will resonate strongly with viewers.”
Teija Rantala, YLE’s children’s and youth content commissioner, said: “The theme of Survival Sisters hits close to home: the mood across Finland has grown uncertain, with young adults wondering what challenges their generation might be asked to face.
“With sharp, warm-hearted humour, the series asks what it means to be a good woman in a time of often overwhelming conversations – and above all, it liberates by making a difficult subject laugh-out-loud funny.”
Banijay Iberia, meanwhile, is also stepping into vertical storytelling with a trio of microdramas: a “twisted romcom,” titled F**cking Honeymoon; Fortu & Jazz, a contemporary adaptation of a piece of classic literary IP; and an anime project.
The three have been developed using a hybrid of live-action, anime-influenced visuals, and AI-supported creative tools, leveraging vertical framing and mobile-first production for “snackable, high-impact 9:16 viewing,” Banijay Iberia said.
Pilar Blasco, CEO of Banijay Iberia, said: “Creative innovation and ambition are always central to our approach. These projects give our teams the space to push boundaries into new forms of storytelling and embrace a fresh visual production style aligning with rapidly evolving audience behaviour. Developing ideas in this space gives us the potential to build new franchises and deliver premium content at micro-scale without compromising the quality we are known for.”
Banijay Iberia and Banijay Finland are not the first companies in the wider Banijay Group to move into the microdrama space, after Endemol Shine Brasil and A Fábrica recently partnered on a slate of vertical-format microdramas.
The projects were discussed at Series Mania in Lille today, where Banijay Entertainment’s head of scripted Steve Matthews discussed the microdrama phenomenon in a panel about microdrama apps.
Matthews said Banijay did not have a specific overall microdrama strategy and is instead allowing its labels around the world to experiment with the format as they see fit.
Microdramas have been a major topic of conversation here at Series Mania this week, with some producers and apps working in the space coming in for criticism for the quality of their output.
Nadine Marsh-Edwards, director and executive producer at Greenacre Films in the UK, said she has been “shocked” by the standard of storytelling on microdrama apps, many of which rely heavily on AI.
She called for government-backed funds to improve standards in the microdrama industry, with broadcasters and producers urged to move quicker into the fast-growing format and help raise the bar.
