TV2 Denmark looking for another royal romance after success of Dutch drama Máxima
LONDON TV SCREENINGS: Buyers from TV2 Denmark are in London this week hunting for non-sensationalist true crime and more romantic or royalty-themed scripted after the success of Dutch drama Máxima.
Anders Leifer
Anders Leifer, head of acquisitions and formats at TV2 Denmark, outlined his acquisition needs as he and his team spend the week in London hunting new shows for the Danish commercial broadcaster.
True crime remains a popular genre among TV2 Denmark viewers, however Leifer said it is important the shows acquired meet a high editorial standard that prioritises duty of care towards the victims of crime.
“We want premium content with non-sensationalist stories. Not too dark and gritty. If they need to be dark, because of the subject matter, we need them to be elevated and decent in the way they approach the subject,” said Leifer.
Searching through a crowded market in which producers sensationalise to capture attention, Leifer said effort is required to source the kind of true crime programming TV2 Denmark is interested in, which still needs to carry a “WTF” element, Leifer said.
“We look thoroughly [for series] and find a few, maybe two to six, a year. They are out there,” said Leifer, adding: “The topics and sensibility of British factual works really well in Denmark. There’s an affinity there.”
This comes as a group of UK and Irish indies specialising in true crime came together in 2023 to launch the Association of True Crime Producers (ATCP) to establish best-practice guidelines for the genre.
Elsewhere in unscripted, TV2 Denmark is searching for an entertainment reality hybrid for its Friday night entertainment slot following its success with a local version of The Traitors.
“Like everyone else we’re looking for the next hit after The Traitors. We like the combination of reality and entertainment that takes place outside a classic studio setting, with competition elements that evoke big emotions,” said Leifer.
The success of a local version of Taskmaster format means TV2 Denmark is also open to more comedy entertainment formats, but they need to be distinct from the Avalon hit.
TV2 Denmark’s factual, fact ent and reality acquisitions are overseen by Troels Branth Pedersen and Mette Kühnell Petersen, while format acquisitions are led by Marianne Bjørn.
Meanwhile, the Dutch biographical television series Máxima, about the early life of Queen Máxima of the Netherlands and the beginnings of her relationship with Willem-Alexander in the 2000s, was a “standout” hit on TV2 Charlie last year.
The Videoland series has opened the door for other “easy to watch” limited series, involving either romance or royalty – or both – for TV2 Charlie, which has traditionally focused on British crime series.
The need for the latter remains high, with “blue sky crime series” with “strong main characters” that aren’t “too dark and gritty” and have the potential to run for multiple seasons on the shopping list. These are likely to be procedurals, but there could be exceptions, Leifer said.
Scripted acquisitions are overseen by Lars Erik Nielsen and TV2 Denmark offers a wide range of international shows on streamer TV2 Play and through partnerships with the likes of US joint venture streamer SkyShowtime, operated by NBCUniversal and Paramount Global.
