New takes on Maigret and Bergerac head Banijay Entertainment’s London TV Screenings slate

Playground’s new take on Maigret

LONDON TV SCREENINGS: European production and distribution powerhouse Banijay Entertainment has unveiled its new slate of scripted and unscripted titles, including a new adaptation of the Maigret books by Georges Simenon.

Produced by Playground for Masterpiece, the series presents Parisian chief inspector Jules Maigret as an unconventional young detective.

Another detective series re-imagined for contemporary audiences is Bergerac, from Blacklight TV for U and U&Drama. The new version of the classic 1980s Jersey-set crime drama features Damien Molony as Jim Bergerac.

Also among Banijay’s scripted series are Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd’s new drama Half Man, from Mam Tor Productions for BBC and BBC Scotland in association with HBO; psychological thriller Fear, from Wild Mercury and Capricorn Productions for Prime Video; dramedy Just Act Normal, from The Forge Entertainment for BBC iPlayer and BBC Three; and domestic thriller The Feud and Lonesome Pine Productions in association with North East Screen for Channel 5.

Banijay is also representing international dramas The Family Detective (Shine Fiction for TF1), Dutch thriller Elixir (Topkapi Films for NPO and New8), French horror thriller The Rose Family (Black Sheep Films for Cine+ OCS), Marie Antoinette (CAPA Drama, Banijay Studios France and Beside Productions for Canal+) and Swedish crime drama Fallen (Filmlance for TV4).

Factual titles in its catalogue include 7/7: The London Bombings (The Slate Works for BBC Two and iPlayer), true crime title The Drowning Pool (Caravan for Channel 5), Anatomy of a Murder (Workerbee), climate justice documentary The Silence of the Earth (Diagonal TV for TVE and Arte)and Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain (Hyphenate Media Group for CNN).

Formats to be offered in London this week include cross-country skiing competition Against All Odds (Meter/Jarowskij for SVT), Mission Unknown: Atlantic (Banijay Productions Germany for Prime Video), Danish format The Rest of Your Life and docu-format AI Love You (Nordisk Film TV for TV2).

Bergerac from Blacklight TV for U and U&Drama

30 Dates in 30 Nights (Cuarzo Productions for Mitele Plus) is on Banijay’s reality line-up, alongside Faking It, Ladette to Lady and Lego Masters: Out of the Box.

Within the company’s third-party unscripted portfolio is reality format My Name is Gabriel (for JTBC and Disney+), culinary show Atypical Critics; Genius Game (for ITV), Clone Heads, competitive knitting series Game of Wool (for More4) and The Insider (Endemol Shine Australia and TBS).

Banijay will showcase its London TV Screenings slate on Wednesday at BAFTA in Piccadilly.

Cathy Payne, CEO of Banijay Rights, said: “From high-end dramas to gripping factual series, this year’s line-up highlights the exceptional depth and quality of our burgeoning catalogue, reinforcing our reputation for delivering stand-out content across multiple genres to buyers worldwide.”

James Townley, chief content officer (CCO), development and Lucas Green, CCO, operations at Banijay Entertainment, said in a statement: “The London TV Screenings is the perfect stage to showcase Banijay Entertainment’s latest and most innovative IP, alongside reimagined hit formats.”