ZDF Studios opens Grand Hotel by the Sea in Cannes as part of scripted slate

Grand Hotel by the Sea is set in the 1910s

German producer-distributor ZDF Studios’ slate at Mipcom 2026 is led by a European coproduction billed as the first romantic period drama produced in the Netherlands.

Grand Hotel by the Sea (8×50′) is produced by Amsterdam-based Big Blue for KRO-NCRV in the Netherlands and VRT in Belgium.

Set on the Dutch coast between 1912 and 1919, the series follows an ambitious hotel owner as she strives to build a luxury destination for Europe’s elite while challenging the conventions of her time.

The slate also includes German drama, factual programming, entertainment formats and family content.

Other drama titles include High Valley (6×45′), which is produced by Studio Zentral and Load Studios. It centres on a gifted young showjumper.

Benidorm is Murder (6×60′), meanwhile, comes from BlackBox Multimedia and Clapperboard Studios for 5 in the UK. Starring John Hannah and Carolina Bécquer, it combines British humour with procedural murder-mystery storytelling.

In unscripted, ZDF Studios has America’s Wars (3×50′), a historical documentary series produced by Hamburg-based factual prodco Eco Documentaries for ZDFinfo and ZDF Studios.

Other factual titles include Tasmania’s Wild Treasures (2×50′), produced by Doclights in association with NDR in Germany and Franco-German broadcaster Arte. There’s also The Body: What is Life? (3×50′), the latest instalment of Japanese pubcaster NHK’s The Body franchise, produced in association with ZDF, Arte and ZDF Studios.

Joining them is Neo Match Up (4×30′), a fast-paced studio gameshow format from 1Take Films that challenges stereotypes and first impressions through a mix of humour and surprise. The format has been selected as one of seven original concepts for presentation at the inaugural EBU Public Service Formats Showcase at Mipcom on Tuesday October 13.

For young audiences, the slate is led by Alea Aquarius (26×26′), a live-action fantasy adventure based on Tanya Stewner’s bestselling novel series. Produced by Red Balloon Film, the series combines fantasy, romance and environmental themes. It follows an orphaned teenager who discovers she is among the last surviving members of an ancient underwater civilisation.