BBC Studios continues local scripted remake strategy with youth drama Klassen
SERIES MANIA: WDR in Germany has commissioned a local version of long-running Danish teen drama Klassen, marking the latest BBC Studios (BBCS) show to be remade from within its network of companies, with a French version also on the cards.
The production and distribution giant is on the hunt for an “IP scout” to source projects that could be remade among its network of international production companies.
Speaking at Series Mania here in Lille, Matt Forde, president of global productions at BBCS, said more local remakes of its IP are on the way, as Eva Holtmann, head of fiction at BBCS Germany, revealed the WDR commission.
Holtmann said BBCS Germany is working with its Nordic equivalent to bring the teen show to another European market, after it has already been remade in Norway and Sweden.
Set to film in Germany this summer, the high-volume show follows the everyday lives of pupils and teachers in a school.
It was originally adapted by Daniel Svarts, Maria Thastum and Morten Dannisbro at STV Productions (now BBCS Nordics), based on the Dutch series Brugklas from Tuvalu Media.
The Danish series was launched in 2016 on DR’s children platform DR Ultra and since then more than 1,000 episodes have been produced. Holtmann said it will be a great chance to foster new talent both in front of and behind the camera in Germany.
It comes after WDR and fellow German pubcaster ARD commissioned a second season of BBC scripted comedy Ghosts, which has also been remade in the US, Spain, Greece, Czechia, Australia and France.
BBC Studios holds an annual meet-up between its roster of prodcos, which includes Brutal Media in Spain and Werner Film Productions in Australia, to foster collaboration and creative exchange.
Holtmann said plans to remake Klassen in Germany were first hatched at one of these meetings, while Léa Gimonneau-Sorrel of BBCS France said her eye had also been caught by the scripted format.
“We’re also very interested in Klassen and the story it tells and the way it is produced,” said Gimonneau-Sorrel.
Discussing adaptations, Forde emphasised the importance of being able to deviate from source material when developing a local remake, while also keeping the original creators on hand for advice.
BBCS showed a clip from ZDF show Chabos, which is inspired by another BBCS show, Ladhood, which aired on BBC Three between 2019 and 2022.
The German show is set in a different decade to the original, while its second season will focus on a group of female characters.
Forde told moderator Mansha Daswani: “It’s about being open-minded about collaborating across borders. You can’t be overly protective of your idea and have to be open to how it could be made better or more easily. We’re speaking every month about where we can move ideas around.”
