DQ100

Drama Quarterly’s guide to the biggest series and the actors, directors and writers making them

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Features

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT: Vertical microdramas

As vertical series surge in popularity around the globe, DQ speaks to the storytellers driving this trend to discover how the format is rewriting the rules of small-screen drama.

TRENDSPOTTING: Filming Locations

We highlight eight of the top international locations for production right now, detailing what they offer in terms of facilities and incentives, as well as recent productions they have hosted.

WELCOME TO THE DQ100

Drama Quarterly editor Michael Pickard introduces this special issue.

DQ100: Actors

Our pick of 20 actors whose performances are really catching the eye.

DQ100: Directors

Find out who’s helming some of the most eagerly anticipated new projects.

DQ100: Writers

DQ presents a mix of new and established names penning some of the hottest series coming to TV.

DQ100: Series

Our selection of 20 new and upcoming series worth staying in for.

DQ100: Trends & Trailblazers

The people, places and things providing the biggest talking points in television drama in both the past year and the months ahead.

ON

THE UP

Short, sharp and highly addictive – vertical microdramas are taking the world by storm. DQ speaks to the storytellers driving this new trend to discover how the format is rewriting the rules of small-screen drama.

As the creator of iconic crime procedural CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Anthony E Zuiker is used to making onehour network television dramas boasting expansive casts, numerous locations, eight-day shooting schedules and budgets of more than US$5m per episode.

Now, 25 years after CSI first debuted, launching an internationallyacclaimedfranchise,thewriterandproducer is immersing himself in a new storytelling format that is drawing viewers away from the small screen towards an even smaller one – by turning to vertical microdramas.

Zuiker is the first major Hollywood showrunner to shift to the format, after partnering with former Miramax CEO Bill Block on new shortform entertainment platform GammaTime. Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian are among its backers, with two Zuiker projects – The Temptress and Lust Cop – on its initial slate.

“The rule of thumb is three characters, five days of shooting, US$100,000,” he tells DQ. “It’s 30 chapters; the first six are free, 24 paid for. The challenge is always to find the best dramatic situation under the guise of the same location. You’ve got to stay put and make it work.”

The Temptress tells the story of a lawyer who went to Las Vegas and slept with the wrong woman, Zuiker explains, while Lust Cop imagines “what would happen if you had a cop that specialised in sex crimes and she wanted to sleep with the bad guy before she put him in cuffs.”

His third vertical drama will be romantic series The Road Between Us, while Zuiker is also working on festive show The Miracle on First Street

He admits he wasn’t initially interested in microdramas. But as a creative who has often been at the forefront of new storytellingfrontiers,fromYahoo!originalcyber-crimeseries Cybergeddon in 2012 to digi-novels, Zuiker’s curiosity won out. “I like to try new things, I like to employ Californians and work with young people, and I love to write,” he says. “It gets made so fast, it’s kind of fun. I just dove in. Thegreatpartaboutitformeisit’sbeginning,

You’ve got to come in hard, grab attention within the first three seconds and keep going at that pace, because people are so eager to scroll to the next thing – you’ve got to really keep them.

Llyr Morus Mojo Productions

middle, end cli anger 30 times –and that’s it.”

GammaTime is among the latest microdrama apps to hit the market, following in the footsteps of others such as ReelShort, DramaBox, My Drama and FlareFlow that are packed with series featuring hooky, cli anger-fuelled episodes – often up to 70 in total – that run between one and two minutes in length.

Dismissed in some quarters after the failure of Quibi, the streamer that closed in 2020 just a few months after its launch, the shortform format is now thriving, fuelled by popularity in China and wider Asian markets. The US and other territories are now getting in on a business that is expected to generate revenue outside of China worth US$9.5bn by2030,upfromUS$1.4bnlastyear,according to Media Partners Asia. China’s receipts alone are expected to total US$16.2bn by the same year.

Joshua Ovenshire is the creator and executive producer behind production company The Jovenshire, which has recently signed a deal with V10 Entertainment to produce 10 microdramas. He has previously worked with Smosh, Dungeons & Dragons and FailArmy, and produced reality series Love Bombing for ReelShort.

“When I was first hearing about ReelShort and what they were trying to do in the space, I found myself having the same conversations that I had back in 2008 and 2009 about YouTube,” he says. “That same conversation I was now having about verticals. So I was very quickly able to connect the dots and go, ‘This is the shift. It’s happening again.’”

Meanwhile, writer-director Scott Brown is gearing up to produce music drama Playback after the success of The Diamond Rose, a romantic thriller for My Drama about a ballet dancer and the man who could save or destroy her. Through his company Second Rodeo Productions, Brown has previously created content with Lin-Manuel Miranda, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and MrBeast.

“The fans have been embracing vertical for longer than I’ve been doing this. There’s really a vibrant community of people that reminds me of the early days of YouTube,” he says. “Except this time, audience behaviour dictates that you really can’t not pay attention.”

According to Brown, writing microdramas is “deceptively hard,” as the inciting incident happens in episode one and eachepisodemustend“catastrophicallyorinsomeincredibly tense way.” Then after the 20th episode of a 60- or 70-part series, once behind the paywall, the tension can be relaxed

< slightly. “I just say, grab them by the lapels for the first 20. Hold on.Keepthestakeshigh,”hesays. “Have a lot of fun.”

However, Ovenshire notes that budgets are “very tight.” “That’s a big conversation in the industry right now about these particular pieces. You can’t spend US$2m on every piece, because you [platforms] need to make 10 or 20 of these a month. Soweareverytightcrews.You’re looking at less than two weeks [filming] for any given show.”

That means it’s important to be creative with the camera, especially with the restrictions of a vertical frame. But whereas traditional horizontal productions would normally use one room as one set, every corner of the same room can be a different set with vertical.

“You get to work with that room in a different way. You get to work with sections of an area. It sets up your story beats just by changing your camera angle and seeing a different side of your space,” Ovenshire says. “Now it feels like a new set, and you can get a lot more out of a single set. But you also don’t have a lot of time to do it, so it’s a lot of collaboration, it’s a lot of trust.”

Welsh company Mojo Productions recently produced Yr Alwad (The Call), Welsh-language broadcaster S4C’s first shortform drama for TikTok. Debuting on S4C’s Hansh channel for 16- to 24-year-olds, the story plays out over the course of seven two-minute phone calls between Dylan and his mum Emma as he is walking through Cardiff town centre on a night out. But when Dylan becomes the target of a gang of homophobic bullies and is eventually attacked, Emma is left helpless at home in the Rhondda Valleys.

in making microdramas after sending S4C the first cuts of The Call, complete with “nice wide shots,” general views and cutaways. In fact, Rhun instructed them to cut the first 60 seconds, start on a close-up and begin with someone immediately saying something.

“I was like, ‘That first 60 seconds is beautiful. It looks really, really nice and sets the scene,’” Morus recalls. “Guto said, ‘You haven’t got time to set the scene unless something grabs them. You’ve got less than three seconds to get people engaged.’ So we cut them, obviously, because those were the notes – and when you actually see it on your phone, you go, ‘My God, they’re so true.’ If you were watching a minute of some nice shots and cutaways, you don’t stick with them, so that was really interesting.

“You’ve got to come in hard, grab attention within the first three seconds and keep going at that pace, because people are so eager to scroll to the next thing – you’ve got to really keep them. It’s nice to have a new challenge.”

Meanwhile, other traditional TV players such as Night Train Media and Eccho Rights are entering the microdrama game. The pair have partnered with Spirit Studios to start funded development for the production of a vertical microdrama series that will be launched by Night Train Digital across platforms worldwide.

Described as one of the first of its kind to come out of the UK, the project will be brought to life by a collective of emerging British writing and acting talent. In the project’s writers room, which was led by Spirit Studios, one traditional TV writer worked with a TikTok creator and a British microdrama director to devise a heightened romcom full of hooks and cliffhangers. The identities of those taking part have not yet been revealed.

“Working to that ‘cliffhanger every minute’ structure is so crazy. No idea feels too mad. It’s such an interesting narrative challenge,” says Sarah Postlethwaite, an Eccho Rights acquisitions and development executive, who was in the room. “We were throwing out quite crazy ideas. It was really exciting, buzzy and quick, but from that we have a story [outline] that we think we’re going to go with. The next stage will be fleshing it out into episodes.”

Over the last six months, Postlethwaite and her colleagues have been monitoring the increasing noise around microdramas and decided to invest in this new way people are consuming drama content. “It’s much more

The project originally came to Mojo MD and producer Llyr Morus as a short film script from writer-director Alexander Williams. But with funding difficult to come by, he realised the story lent itself to a vertical drama, and won a greenlight from S4C’s young audiences commissioner Guto Rhun to make a microdrama series alongside the 17-minute film version, which is now being taken out to festivals.

greenlight from S4C’s young audiences commissioner Guto Rhun to make a microdrama series alongside the 17-minute film version, which is now being taken out to festivals.

““I’dbeenreadingaboutthegrowthofverticaldramas so it was on my radar,” Morus says. “When this script landed, it felt as if everything aligned. I’ve never had such a quick commission. From discussing the project to going out was three months.”

“I’dbeenreadingaboutthegrowthofverticaldramas so it was on my radar,” Morus says. “When this script landed, it felt as if everything aligned. I’ve never had such a quick commission. From discussing the

haven’t got two or three years of development and

The Call was shot in just two days. “You haven’t got two or three years of development and thinking about it, because you’ve got to go with themes and topics that are going to work now and get it out there quick,” Morus says.

With a background in linear scripted television, Mojo received a crash course

The first 10 episodes tend to be the free ones, so within those first 10 minutes, set up the story, hook people to what’s about to come and then end on a big climax so that you can’t not pay for the episodes.

Sarah Postlethwaite Eccho Rights

GammaTime’s The Temptress

useful for us to engage in that and understand it than to sit on the sidelines feeling threatened by it,” she says. “But then also having Night Train Digital as part of the Night Train Media Group [which is also the majority owner of fiction distributor Eccho Rights], we’ve been thinking for a while that we’d love to find a way that the scripted team can work with the digital team. When Spirit came to us with their proposal to launch one of the first UK microdramas, we were like, ‘This feels like such a fun collaboration.’”

Compared with traditional scripted drama, crafting the cliffhangers for each episode might be the biggest challenge. “But it’s interesting, because it’s quite propulsive,” Postlethwaitesays.“It’sverylinear.You’renotreallyjumping between timelines. Maybe you’re jumping between worlds, but you just have to be propelling the story forward at the end of every episode. The first 10 episodes tend to be the free ones, so within those first 10 minutes, set up the story, hook people to what’s about to come and then end on a big climax so that you can’t not pay for the episodes.”

Just as Postlethwaite is working with digital creators on developing the project, Brown says it’s imperative that microdramas are crafted with a native online audience in mind. “In the same way that there’s a major and a minor key in music, there are keys in TV. There’s a key of traditional, and then there’s a key of digital, and if you’re not in the right key, the audience might not be able to articulate that, but they’ll tell you by clicking away,” he says. “It’s the difference betweenjazzmusicandclassicalmusic.Anorchestraplaying a piece by Beethoven is going to be very practised and very dialled in. No one is playing a note that is not on the page. And then jazz is like this extemporaneous thing that delivers an energy that is marked by a little less preparation.”

That’s not to say he doesn’t prepare extensively for each shoot. He’ll rehearse with his actors, and has learned to focus on close-ups and not worry about coverage. He also leans into the first 20 episodes to hook the audience as quickly as possible. “In this medium, it’s a willingness to explore the unknown,” he says. “There’s a looseness to it. It’s something you learn by watching it. For good or bad, when I’m not about to shoot, I watch two or so hours of YouTube a day, just because I enjoy it. I have so many channels I love. It’s an understanding of what’s more important and the true importance of storytelling.”

With new platforms in tow, Brown’s Second Rodeo is now looking at producing 10 microdramas next year, though he won’t be directing all of them. “I’m really excited to give voices to other filmmakers. I think this can be the incubator a lot of people have thought for digital. We are just excited to continue growing in the space and building this medium with the people in it.”

After The Call, Mojo Productions is now developing a 50-episode TikTok series for S4C. The company is also developing a TikTok comedy, Teleri Hughes’ Ganol Nunlla (Middle of Nowhere), for the same broadcaster. Comprising eight three-minute episodes, it focuses on two young friends whodesperatelywanttogetoutoftheirhometownofLlanrwst in North Wales and find an exciting new life in Liverpool. Morus believes microdramas have the potential to be a “brilliant” way of developing and taking risks on new talent – from actors, writers and directors to editors – while also becoming an incubator for potential television series. “It’s development money being spent as it always has, but in a different way. And in a way, it gives better results and greater

value for money, because there’s actual contentbeingsharedwiththeaudience,” he adds.

“We are very interested in whether there is a [microdrama] world that we create that builds traction and audience, and allows that to eventually become a film or a TV series, but we’re not entering into this project with that as the goal,” Postlethwaite says of her as-yet-untitled series.“Weenterintoithoping to make more microdramas

“Everybody thought I was crazy to believe people would go from movies to TV. And people think I’m crazy for saying people will come to vertical shorts. I’m not crazy.

Anthony E Zuiker GammaTime

with Spirit and Night Train Digital if this is a success, and we see it as a project in itself while also giving us the creative challenge of the new format.”

Ovenshire believes all traditional TV producers should be getting into the microdrama business – and quickly: “Every studio should look at change faster and with more of an open mind to it, and be OK with losing money on trying something new. There’s room to grow, there’s room to expand, and it’s doing it right now. So people want to try to get in the space to be a part of its evolution and where it’s going to go. It’s exciting.”

Zuiker’s own “gameplan” is to make seven different verticals for GammaTime, incorporating key genres like romantic drama, caper, seasonal movie and femme fatale. “Right now, it’s as fast as I can write them,” he says. “Like my prediction for CSI, when I coined the term ‘feature television’ with Jerry Bruckheimer, everybody thought I was crazy [to believe] people would go from movies to TV. And people think I’m crazy [for saying] people will come to vertical shorts. I’m not crazy.

“In the end, you’ve got to skate to where the puck is, and I’m fortunate enough in my career that I can go into new mediums and really dabble in that and see what the future looks like, and also help employ young people and still write and make movies. To me, that’s what it’s all about.

“The world’s changing, and the one thing I pride myself on is not being left behind in the business I love so much, so I unapologetically write my heart out in these vertical shorts. I’m curious to see where it goes.”

HOT SPOTS

DQ highlights eight of the hottest international locations for production, detailing what they have on offer in terms of facilities and tax incentives and recent productions they have hosted.

Honolulu, Hawaii (US)

Hawaii provides authentic Pacific Island environments within US domestic filming frameworks. Tropical landscapes, beaches, volcanic terrain and rainforests serve productions requiring paradise settings. Hawaiian culture adds authentic flavour, with local casting and consultants available. Productions avoid customs complexities while achieving visuals that are unavailable in the rest of the US.

The two-tier structure provides 22% credits on Oahu (including Honolulu) and 27% on neighbouring islands. Minimum spend requires US$100,000 in-state and there are caps of US$17m per project and a US$50m annual statewide limit. Industry advocates continue pressing for increased funding, including an additional 5% uplift if local hiring minimums are met, an increase to the per-production cap.

Hawaii Film Studio at Diamond Head is the main facility in the 50th state. A leased Navy warehouse in Kalaeloa provides additional space. Recent productions include Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch, as well as Temptation Island Chief of War The White Lotus and Fox drama Rescue: HI-Surf

Georgia, US

The US state has transformed into America’s production powerhouse outside California, earning its ‘Hollywood of the South’ designation through aggressive incentive programmes and infrastructure investment, luring many so-called runaway productions over from the real Hollywood.

Georgia delivers geographic versatility – Atlanta’s modern urban environments, rural southern landscapes and coastal settings –allowing it to double for numerous other locations. An established crew base trained on successive major productions provides the technical expertise that once existed only in LA and New York.

Productions can access transferable tax credits totalling 30%

through a tiered structure: 20% base rate plus 10% for incorporating Georgia promotional elements. The programme uniquely has no annual cap and operates without sunset provisions, providing longterm certainty. Starting January 2026, post-production receives separate incentives at 20% to 30%, depending on whether the underlying production also filmed in the state.

Trilith Studios, Tyler Perry Studios, Shadowbox Studios and Assembly Atlanta collectively provide millions of square feet of stage space. Notable productions include Stranger Things’ final season, ABC’s Will Trent S3, Netflix’s Cobra Kai S3 and Apple TV’s Cape Fear, starring Amy Adams and Javier Bardem.

Iceland provides unique landscapes impossible to replicate – volcanic terrain, glaciers, black sand beaches and geothermal features. The country functions as a natural backlot with dramatic locations accessible via paved roads.

Extended summer daylight maximises shooting hours, while winter provides authentic Arctic conditions.

All qualifying projects receive 25% cash rebates regardless of budget. Productions meeting enhanced criteria access 35% rebates: minimum US$2.5m spend, 50-plus employees and 30-plus working

Jordan Iceland

Jordan offers landscapes genuinely unlike anywhere else on Earth – Wadi Rum’s desert has portrayed Mars and alien planets, while Petra’s ancient architecture provides ready-made historical settings. Compact geography means dramatically different environments within short distances. Sophisticated production services have been developed through major international projects, while political stability and government support create secure filming environments.

days in-country. Rebates cover sales taxes, customs taxes and taxes on international crew salaries. RVK Studios has three soundstages outside Reykjavík and has inked a deal with production services company Truenorth to build four new studios in Gufunes. Other options include Aurora Studio and Fossa Studios. Iceland’s model emphasises location filming, with specialised expertise in challenging conditions. Recent productions include HBO’s True Detective: Night Country, The Northman, Netflix’s The Valhalla Murders and SkyShowtime’s The Darkness

The enhanced programme provides 25-45% cash rebates via pointsbased assessment. Productions exceeding US$10m spend and incorporating Jordanian cultural elements qualify for maximum 45% rebates. The programme includes three tax-exemption categories: sales taxes on local purchases, customs taxes on imported equipment, and taxes on international crew salaries.

Olivewood Studios near Amman features two soundstages of more than 16,000 square feet, a 16acre backlot, production buildings and basecamp facilities. Recent productions include Dune: Part Two, Seal Team and Netflix’s AlRawabi School for Girls (entirely Jordanianproduced). Filming of The Martian in Wadi Rum subsequently quadrupled tourism in the region.

Los Angeles, US

After the impact of the strikes, wildfires and the end of peak TV, LA is working to rebuild its position as the global entertainment industry’s centre, emphasising its unmatched institutional knowledge and creative talent concentration. The region provides access to top-tier cast, directors, cinematographers and specialised craftspeople. Post-production infrastructure exceeds anywhere globally in capacity and expertise. Southern California’s geographic diversity allows filming beaches, mountains, deserts and urban environments within a day’s drive.

In an attempt to curb

runaway productions, California dramatically expanded its incentive programme in 2025. Effective July 1, the annual cap increased from US$330m to US$750m. Qualified productions now access refundable credits at 35-40%. Eligibility expanded to include animated content, large-scale competition shows and under 30-minute episodes. Additional 2-5% bonuses apply for relocating to California, targeted hiring or filming outside the LA studio zone. Major studios like Warner Bros, Universal, Paramount and Sony Pictures collectively operate millions of square feet in the city. Recent productions include Amazon’s Fallout S2, The Studio (Apple TV), NCIS: Origins, Kenya Barris’s Group Chat and Heat 2

Sydney/Gold Coast, Australia

Australia delivers dramatic natural diversity, from Sydney’s harbour to Queensland’s tropical coast and the outback interior. Heavy infrastructure investment following major productions has created world-class facilities. The time zone facilitates Asian market collaboration while maintaining workable LA communication windows.

The Location Offset provides 30% rebates on qualifying expenditure for projects commencing after July 1, 2023, with no annual caps or sunset dates, providing longterm certainty. States supplement federal programmes with additional incentives that can

New Zealand

New Zealand’s epic storytelling reputation, established through the Lord of the Rings and movies, has created a production culture oriented toward ambitious projects. The country’s landscape diversity – mountains, coastlines, forests, plains – exists within manageable distances, and crews possess particular expertise in large-scale practical effects and location-intensive work.

New Zealand productions and official coproductions access 40% cash rebates on qualifying expenditure. International service productions receive 20% base rebates, with potential 5% uplifts for demonstrating significant economic or cultural benefit. Rebates come as cash grants rather than tax credits. Wellington’s Stone Street Studios maintains proximity to Weta FX, among the world’s premier VFX companies. Auckland Film Studios, Remarkable Studios and Kumeu Film Studios provide additional

Disney Studios Australia, Village Roadshow Studios, Docklands Studios, Adelaide Studios and Screen Queensland facilities serve different regional markets. Victoria invested more than A$12m (US$7.71m) in NantStudios’ construction of the world’s largest permanent LED volume system at Docklands Studios.

New studio developments include Oran Park Studios, Central Coast Studios, SBS Production Hub and Sydney Studios. As part of a A$380m screen and digital games package in the NSW budget, A$100m is being allocated to help fund a second major studio in the Sydney region. Recent productions include NCIS: Sydney Elvis

be stacked together. , and Netflix’s Heartbreak High

capacity, while Lane Street Studios is under construction. Recent productions include Apple TV’s Chief of War, Spartacus, Warner Bros’ A Minecraft Movie and Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Vancouver, Canada

Vancouver’s versatility allows it to substitute for numerous North American cities, supported by decades of infrastructure development and crew training. Favourable exchange rates effectively stretch budgets, while geographic proximity to LA simplifies executive oversight. The region offers everything from urban settings to pristine natural environments and has benefited from many runaway productions looking to escape Hollywood.

British Columbia increased its basic tax credit from 35% to 40% for productions beginning after January 1, 2025. International service productions access 36% credits. These provincial incentives stack with federal programmes providing 25% of qualified labour costs for eligible domestic content. The region operates 2.9 million square feet of current soundstage space, with 1.04 million square feet across 50 stages opening in 2025. Bridge Studios’ Lake City Studios campus has become Canada’s largest facility, with 21 purpose-built stages. Notable productions include HBO’s The Last of Us S2 and Murder in a Small Town

Welcome to the DQ100

Since it first launched in 2014, Drama Quarterly has sought to curate coverage of the boldest, most exciting and ambitious scripted series coming to television at a time when there is more to watch – and more platforms to watch it on – than ever before.

And even as the international drama landscape continues to readjust from the decadelong boom of Peak TV, there’s still a plethora of eye-catching, compelling and addictive scripted series to watch, stream and download.

DQ aims to help its readers find those shows that stand out from the crowd, the popular hits or the hidden gems that are worth spending hours of their valuable time watching. But it isn’t just about which shows are being made. It’s also about how they are made.

Uniquely, DQ aims to go deeper into the production process to explore the craft of making drama. That means speaking to actors, writers and directors about not only storylines and characters, but also how they do their jobs, from auditioning for roles to setting up writers rooms, storyboarding, stunts and their experiences on set. DQ also seeks to highlight the work of numerous other aspects of production, from costume and make-up design to casting, location scouts, visual effects and music, to find out how those in the business do their jobs in front of and behind the camera.

DQ also recommends the hottest new shows airing around the world, as well as highlighting

some of the actors, writers and directors with new projects to watch out for. Now, following its launch in 2021, that information has once again been compiled to create the DQ100 — our rundown of some of the most exciting, intriguing and anticipated projects airing this year, next year and beyond, and some of the key players worth watching out for — both newcomers and more established names.

Actorsfeaturedinthisyear’slist include Oscar-nominated French star Bérénice Bejo, who will play the world’s first female director in HBO Max and France Télévisions’ Alice; Maxton Hall star Harriet Herbig-Matten; new Wallander star Gustaf Skarsgård; and Fotiní Peluso, who plays the protagonist in an adaptation of Greek author M Karagatsis’s epic melodrama The Great Chimera. Ebba Katrín Finnsdóttir, who takes the title role in ‘Nordic blue’ crime drama Hildur, also features, as does Turkish star Engin Akyürek.

Among the directors to appear in the DQ100 are Daisy Haggard, who is making her directorial debut with Maya; Felix Herngren from Swedish series Where the SunAlwaysShines; UnProphète (A Prophet) filmmaker Enrico Maria Artale; and Dood Spoor (Dead End) director Malin-Sarah Gozin.

Sex Education and The White Lotus star Aimee-Lou Wood, who co-created and co-wrote BBC comedy FilmClub, is on our list of writerstowatch,alongsideImran Mahmood, who has reimagined the crime and courtroom drama with ITV series Saviour Meredith MacNeill and Jennifer

Whalenaretheactorsandwriters behind Canadian “menopause comedy” Small Achievable Goals; Sophie Goodhart is the creator of Disney+ “anti-romcom” Alice & Steve; and Karianne Lund is the Danish writer of “raw and gripping” Norwegian medical series Still Breathing.

DQ editor Michael Pickard introduces this year’s special issue focusing on 100 of the people, shows and trends shaping the TV drama industry in 2025 and beyond.

shows putting deaf characters, and actors, in the spotlight; the first

DQ

Among the trends and trailblazers highlighted in the DQ100 are a pair of standout shows putting deaf characters, and actors, in the spotlight; the first ever crossover between two titans of British soap; a pair of series exploring the life of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; the growth of Biblical dramas; significant anniversaries for British series Hollyoaks and iconic sci-fi franchise Star Trek; and the rise of vertical microdramas. Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, our picks of series to watch out for include dystopian Lat Am drama El futuro es Nuestro (The Future is Ours); Icelandic series Death of a Horse; Hugo Blick drama California Avenue; BBC mockumentary Twenty Twenty Six; Swedish series Tills Döden SkiljerOss (TillDeathDoUsPart); and Tip Toe, the latest series from It’s A Sin writer Russell T Davies. With more television to watch than ever before, the DQ100 seeks to highlight some of the best new shows to tune in for and the people involved in bringing them to the screen. These are our ones to watch.

RECOGNISABLE FROM ROLES IN AUSTRALIAN SERIES LAST KING OFTHECROSS, THE FALL GUYAND BUMP, Sa’ula will star in new medical drama The F Ward, a six-part series commissioned by streamer Stan. He joins an ensemble cast including Anna Friel, Lola Bond, Dan Wyllie, Alex Fitzalan, Emily Barclay, Annie Boyle and Rishab Kern in the story of a group of brilliant, flawed interns whose careers are on life support. Sent to the

under-funded Pines Hospital in Sydney for a final chance, they must overcome their insecurities, their past and their own expectations, in a hothouse environment where the stakes are life and death. Cocreated by Dan Edwards and Kelsey Munro, it is produced by Roadshow Rough Diamond and CBS Studios Production, with Paramount Global Content Distribution shopping the series outside Australia.

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Actors

THE STAR OF PRIME VIDEO’S BIGGEST INTERNATIONAL ORIGINALS EVER, CULPA MIAAND CULPATUYA, Wallace has been announced as the lead in the streamer’s upcoming English-language Italian original series Postcards from Italy. Created by Lisa Riccardi and Damiano Bruè and directed by Jessica Yu (Only Murders in the Building, The Morning Show), it centres on Mia, a young and spoiled New York heiress who is sent by her grandfather to Palermo, without money or luxuries, to work as a real-estate agent in the family business. Will an Upper West Side girl survive in Sicily without even a credit card? It’s the first project under an exclusive talent-holding deal, marking the beginning of a creative collaboration with Prime Video designed to develop and showcase the star. Under the deal, she’ll work with Amazon MGM Studios to find projects in which she can star across the global Prime Video line-up. Wallace’s breakout role came in Skam España and she previously starred in limited series Ni Una Mas (Raising Voices). She will next be seen in upcoming Prime Video original series The House of Spirits. The Chilean series, which comes from producer Eva Longoria, will air in 2026.

NICOLE WALLACE IOANE SA’ULA

JESSICA REYNOLDS

REYNOLDS TAKES THE LEAD IN A NEW CHANNEL 4 ADAPTATION OF A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE, the classic novel by Barbara Taylor Bradford, playing the younger version of protagonist Emma Harte alongside Vera star Brenda Blethyn. In 1911, Emma is an impoverished ambitious maid in Yorkshire, England, who goes on a dizzying journey to become the world’s richest woman, gazing down from a luxury New York penthouse. In this rags-to-riches tale of women through the 20th century, Emma defies societal expectations, fearlessly challenging the roles she's given, smashing glass ceilings and never, ever deviating from her masterplan to get to the top, whatever it takes. The series is produced by The Forge Entertainment and distributed by Banijay Rights. Reynolds can also be seen in Netflix’s House of Guinness, and appeared in Outlander and Derry Girls

NARGES RASHIDI

GANGS OF LONDON AND THEALLEGATIONACTOR RASHIDI WILL STAR OPPOSITE JOSEPH FIENNES IN PRISONER 951, a factual drama based on the true story of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian citizen who was imprisoned and held hostage by the Iranian state for six years. Rashidi plays Nazanin, with Fiennes as her husband Richard Ratcliffe, who campaigned tirelessly for justice and her return. The series covers Nazanin and Richard’s ordeal, which captured the world’s attention, from Nazanin’s arrest at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran to her release and return to the UK six years later. The four-parter is written by Stephen Butchard, directed by Philippa Lowthorpe and produced by Dancing Ledge Productions for the BBC. Fremantle is handling international distribution.

SAINSBURY TAKES THE LEAD IN SMALLTOWNSCANDAL, a Sky New Zealand adaptation of his own parody true crime podcast of the same name. The eight-part series, which is set to premiere in 2026, follows Toby (Sainsbury), a disgraced journalist turned podcast host who returns to his rural hometown to investigate the bizarre death of his millionaire

TOM SAINSBURY

uncle – killed, suspiciously, by an automatic lawnmower. As Toby dives deeper into the case, he finds himself surrounded by a cast of quirky, eccentric townsfolk, who all have secrets of their own. The cast also includes Felicity Kendal (The Good Life) as Toby’s mother Sue and Rose Matafeo (Starstruck) as his cousin Carol. BBC Studios will handle global sales.

THE BRITISH ACTOR’S BREAKOUT MOMENT CAME IN BLACK MIRROR’S S3 EPISODE SHUT UP & DANCE, before he took the lead in The End of the F***ing World and featured in Star Wars series Andor. Earlier this year, he was hunting – and being hunted by – aliens in FX, Hulu and Disney+ sci-fi horror Alien: Earth. He can now be seen as one of the title characters in BBC Northern Ireland series Leonard & Hungry Paul, a six-part series based on the novel by Rónán Hession. It follows two board-gaming friends in their 30s – Leonard (Lawther), a ghost writer of children’s encyclopaedias, and Hungry Paul (Laurie Kynaston), a part-time postal worker who still lives at home – who meander through leafy suburban life finding solace in their quiet routines. However, the unexpected death of Leonard’s mother, the approaching wedding of Hungry Paul’s sister and a tentative new romance for Leonard leads both men to meet a world that is suddenly wider and full of unfamiliar possibilities. Lawther will also be seen in The Altruists, Netflix’s fact-based crypto series about Sam Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison.

ALEX LAWTHER

HERBIG-MATTEN IS ONE HALF OF THE COUPLE AT THE CENTRE OF PRIME VIDEO’S BREAKOUT GERMAN DRAMA MAXTON HALL–THEWORLDBETWEENUS, which returned for a second season in November, revisiting the relationship between scholarship student Ruby and arrogant millionaire heir James (Damian Hardung). The German actor is also set to find herself in another impossible romance in upcoming period drama Black Gold. Produced by Kinescope and Film Nation for Germany’s NDR and ARD, it is set at the turn of the 20th century when, in a quiet village on the edge of the Lüneburg Heath, the lives of the Lambert family of farmers are transformed by the discovery of oil beneath their fields. But their newfound hope draws the attention of the wealthy Pape family, the region’s untouchable landowners. As an oil rush threatens to tear the farming community apart, love ignites between Richard Pape, the privileged heir, and Joanna Lambert, the determined daughter of the farmers. Fifth Season is distributing the series.

HARRIET HERBIG-MATTEN ENGIN AKYÜREK

ONE OF THE MOST RECOGNISABLE FACES IN TURKISH TELEVISION, Akyürek stars opposite Gülsim Ali in his latest series, which tells a story of forbidden love amid a family feud. Titled Bereketli Topraklar (Terra Rossa), it is set in Adana, where hostility between the Bereketoğulları and Karahanlıs families reignites. As Ömer Bereketoğul (Akyürek) struggles to protect his family and land, newly appointed prosecutor Nevin (Ali) arrives, seeking justice for her fiancé’s death. Their collision sparks a dangerous bond, where duty and desire clash and love becomes the most unpredictable weapon of all. Eccho Rights is distributing the Surec Filmproduced show, which premiered this autumn on Turkey’s Show TV. Akyürek has previously been seen in Fatmagül and Black Money Love, for which he won an International Emmy for Best Actor.

GUSTAF SKARSGÅRD

SWEDISH STAR SKARSGÅRD IS FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF KRISTER HENRIKSSON AND KENNETH BRANAGH BY TAKING THE LEAD IN A NEW ITERATION OF ICONIC DETECTIVE SERIES WALLANDER. Henning Mankell’s literary character has been reimagined for a new era by Jarowskij/Yellow Bird, TV4 and Banijay Rights, with the first season comprising three 90-minute films based on the novels One Step Behind, Sidetracked and Faceless Killers. The series finds life unravelling for the 42-year-old Kurt Wallander. Newly separated after two decades of marriage and estranged from his daughter, he’s a man on the edge. Wallander drinks too much, sleeps too little and carries the weight of every unsolved case. He is pushed to the limits as he confronts high-stakes cases, with this new adaptation promising to go under the skin of this intriguing character, with a raw portrayal of a modern man navigating personal collapse while attempting to uphold his detective work.

BEJO

BÉRÉNICE

WINNING A CÉSAR AWARD AND NOMINATED FOR AN OSCAR FOR HER ROLE IN MOSTLY SILENT 2011 FILM THE ARTIST, Bejo is set to star as the world’s first female director in HBO Max and France Télévisions drama Alice. The six-part series tells for the first time the story of Alice Guy Blaché (Bejo), a visionary artist who defied conventions and expectations as a filmmaker, entrepreneur, wife and mother. Her loves, her battles and her relentless pursuit of recognition unfold against the birth of modern cinema, taking her from Paris’s Belle Époque to New York and early Hollywood. The cast also includes Thibaut Evrard, Oscar Lesage, Irène Jacob and Yannick Choirat, in a series created by Tim Loane and Claire Lemaréchal. Alice is coproduced by HBO Max and France Télévisions, with Wild Bunch, Palermo Production, Panache Productions and La Compagnie Cinématographique (Belgium), and Sphere Media (Canada). Filming began in September and continues until the end of the year across France, Belgium and Canada, ahead of a 2026 release.

RISING AUSTRALIAN STAR MCGUIRE (THETWELVE) IS SET FOR HER BREAKTHROUGH ROLE IN THREE-PART MINISERIES GOOLAGONG based on the true story of world champion tennis player Evonne

Goolagong. The ABC series

centres on one of Australia’s best-loved female sporting heroes,

LILA MCGUIRE

in a story that travels from the tiny New South Wales regional town of Barellan, where an eager eight-year-old Aboriginal kid first peered through the cyclone wire fence of a tennis court, to the centre courts of the world, where Evonne would reach the world number one ranking and endear herself to millions around the globe. The series is produced by Werner Film Productions, with a supporting cast including Marton Csokas, Felix Mallard and Luke Carroll. Goolagong will air on ABC TV and ABC iview in 2026, with BBC Studios handling distribution.

FROM THE BAFTA-NOMINATED SCREENWRITER OF

Over 36 million streams. This is high-impact TV.

Source: Digital Spy

THE TRIO OF NEWCOMERS ARE SET TO BE THRUST INTO THE SPOTLIGHT AFTER BEING CAST IN HBO’S UPCOMING HARRY POTTER SERIES. McLaughlin will play Harry, with Stout as Ron Weasley and Stanton as Hermione Granger, following an exhaustive search involving tens of thousands of children led by casting directors Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockman. Following in the footsteps of the hit film

franchise, the small-screen series is described as a faithful adaptation of JK Rowling’s wizard novels that will stream on HBO Max where available. The show is being written by Francesca Gardiner, with multiple episodes directed by Mark Mylod. Other cast members include John Lithgow (Albus Dumbledore), Janet McTeer (Minerva McGonagall) and Paapa Essiedu (Severus Snape).

ARABELLA STANTON, DOMINIC MCLAUGHLIN AND ALASTAIR STOUT

BRITISH ACTOR HOYLE IS A FAMILIAR FACE FROM ROLES IN SHOWS INCLUDING RESPONDERAND THE OUTPOST feature film Boiling Point and its 2023 BBC series sequel. She will now take the lead alongside Tahar Rahim (The Serpent) in Prisoner action series commissioned by Sky that follows Amber Todd (Hoyle), a principled young prison officer escorting dangerous, high-value prisoner Tibor Stone (Rahim) to court to testify against his elite crime syndicate. When the transport convoy is ambushed, they are forced to go on the run and must work together if they hope to reach their destination alive and on time. Created by Matt Charman and directed by Otto Bathurst, it is produced by Binocular in association with Sky Studios for Sky in the UK and Ireland. NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution is handling international sales.

BIG BOYS, LUDWIG, THE

JULIE GAYET

FRENCH ACTOR GAYET WILL STAR IN SOUTH AFRICAN CRIME DRAMA BOY UNDERWATER. She plays Charlotte, an expat single mother who has begun running a floating bar with her teenage son at a luxury resort town in the country’s North West province. However, their search for a fresh start is upended when the bound and battered body of a 16-year-old black boy is found on the manicured shores of the local golf estate. Co-created by Chanél Muller and Nico Scheepers, Boy Under Water is produced by Nagvlug Films and Federation MEAC. MultiChoice has snapped up the African rights to the series, which was selected for the Drama Series Pitch competition at C21’s Content London 2023.

MATTHEW LEWIS

HARRY POTTER STAR LEWIS – BEST KNOWN FOR PLAYING NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM IN THE FILMS BASED ON JK ROWLING’S WIZARD NOVELS –plays the lead in Acorn TV and 5’s six-part murder-mystery drama Murder Before Evensong, adapted from the debut novel by the Reverend Richard Coles. Lewis stars as Canon Daniel Clement, who shares Champton rectory with his widowed mother and his two dachshunds. When plans for a church lavatory divide the parish, longburied secrets come close to destroying the apparent calm of the village – until a dead body is discovered, leaving Daniel as the only person who might be able to keep his fractured community together and catch a killer. The Lighthouse is producing, with AMC Networks handling global sales.

FOTINÌ PELUSO

ITALIAN RISING STAR PELUSO (EVERYTHING CALLS FOR SALVATION, GREEK SALAD) HEADS THE CAST OF THE GREAT CHIMERA, an adaptation of Greek author M Karagatsis’s epic novel of the same name. In the six-hour drama, she plays Marina who, fascinated by classical Greek culture, falls in love with Greek ship owner Yannis (Andreas Konstantinou) and quickly joins him to start a new life on the idyllic island of Syros. But caught between cultures and social expectations, Marina struggles to balance her passion and desires and soon gives in to her love for her husband’s brother Minas (Dimitris Kitsos), and finds herself trapped in her very own Greek tragedy. With filming taking place in Athens, Syros and Trieste, the series comes from Foss Productions and distributor Beta Film. ERT will broadcast the show in Greece.

PASCALE KAAN

NEWCOMER KAAN STARS IN THE DREAMLANDS, a forthcoming BBC series also starring Anna Friel, Connor Swindells, Clara Rugaard, Katherine Parkinson and Golda Rosheuvel. In the show, based on Rosa RankinGee’s novel of the same name and adapted by Kayleigh Llewellyn (In My Skin), she plays Chance, a fiercely loyal, intelligent and hyper-vigilant 17-year-old who’s been forced to become her family’s protector from an early age in a near-future world that never lets up. It’s 2039 and temperatures are soaring,

seas are rising and the political climate is equally as menacing. Chance is living a life of crime just to get by, when her community is singled out for a government rejuvenation scheme, promising to bring her coastal town back to life. But when Chance falls in love with Franky, a girl with ties to the establishment, she and those closest to her begin to realise that all may not be as it seems. Sister and Universal International Studios are producing, with NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution selling worldwide.

ANDREW LINCOLN

THE ICELANDIC ACTOR STARRED IN 2024 DRAMA HÚSÓ(THESCHOOL FORHOUSEWIVES, PICTURED), which was nominated for the Nordic Series Script Award 2025. She played Hekla, a young mother who has been in and out of rehab since she was a teenager and must now enrol in the School for Housewives if she hopes to be reunited with her daughter. Finnsdóttir is now playing the title role in Hildur, a ‘Nordic blue’ crime series based on the books by Sato Rämö about a surfing female detective who must confront a serial killer in the fjords of Iceland while unravelling the mystery of her long-lost sisters. The sixpart series is coproduced by Take Two Studios and Sagafilm for Finish streamer Ruutu and Icelandic platform Siminn, with Cineflix Rights handling international distribution. Earlier this year, Finnsdóttir also appeared in Vigdis, a biopic of Iceland’s first woman president.

THEWALKING DEAD STAR LINCOLN MADE HIS LONG-AWAITED RETURN TO BRITISH TELEVISION IN COLDWATER, a six-part thriller produced by Sister (Chernobyl) for ITV and STV. He plays John, a repressed, depressed man who is shocked to find himself in middle age, secretly raging at his life as a stay-at-home dad. When his failure to intervene in a violent confrontation in a playground brings his identity crisis to a head, John ups and moves his family to the (fictional) rural idyll of Coldwater, where he befriends his next-door neighbour, who is harbouring secrets of his own. The show, which debuted in the autumn, is being distributed by ITV Studios.

GIFUNI TAKES THE LEAD IN PORTOBELLO, THE FIRST MAX ORIGINAL SERIES FROM ITALY. Due to air in 2026, the six-parter tells the story of Enzo Tortora, the famous host of the real-life television show Portobello – which aired in 1977 for seven seasons – who was accused of being part of a criminal organisation involved in drug trafficking. Tortora was

imprisoned and tried for years before being definitively acquitted of all charges. The drama is produced by Our Films and Kavac Film, in coproduction with Arte France and in collaboration with The Apartment Pictures. Gifuni previously appeared in TV drama My Brilliant Friend and films Human Capital, The Best of Youth and Hannibal

FABRIZIO GIFUNI

1

JACOB TIERNEY

THE LATEST PROJECT FROM THE STAR, WRITER AND DIRECTOR OF CANADIAN COMEDY LETTERKENNY IS HEATED RIVALRY, a six-hour drama for streamer Crave that Tierney is again writing and directing. Produced by Accent Aigu Entertainment, it is based on the novel by Rachel Reid and follows a steamy romance set in the world of ice hockey. Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) are two of the biggest stars in Major League Hockey, bound by ambition, rivalry and a magnetic pull neither of them fully understands. What begins as a secret fling between two fresh faced rookies evolves into a yearslong journey of love, denial and self-discovery. The international distributor is Sphere Abacus, which has secured sales to HBO Max in the US and Australia, Movistar Plus+ in Spain and Sky in New Zealand.

Directors 100

ROBYN BUTLER AND WAYNE HOPE

HUSBAND-AND-WIFE PERFORMERS, WRITERS AND DIRECTORS BUTLER AND HOPE ARE THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTION COMPANY GRISTMILL, which counts Upper Middle Bogan, The Librarians, Summer Love and Little Lunch among its credits. Their latest series is Dear Life, a six-parter that explores grief, lost love and the power of human connection. Brooke Satchwell stars as Lillian, whose doctor fiancé Ash tragically loses his life after being attacked at work. Eight months later, she is still consumed by grief when she gets an anonymous letter from the man who received her partner’s heart – one of 11 beneficiaries of Ash’s decision to donate his organs. Lillian then tracks down some of the organ recipients, while she and her friends and family continue to deal with the impact of Ash’s death in different ways. Hat Trick International is distributing the series, which will stream on Stan down under.

CONTENT LONDON 2025

Get an exclusive preview of the most exciting series coming soon from the Netherlands, as five top producers present their upcoming productions. Dive into the next wave of Dutch storytelling by creative talents set to take the global stage. Discover fresh content about the kingpin of Amsterdam’s Red Light District, a romantic costume drama, Queen Máxima and more.

DOOMERS

DIRECTED BY WILLEM BOSCH, FREDERIKE MIGOM PRODUCED BY PUPKIN

GRAND HOTEL BY THE SEA

DIRECTED BY ANIËLLE WEBSTER PRODUCED BY BIG BLUE PRODUCTIONS

THE MACHINE

DIRECTED BY MICHIEL VAN JAARSVELD PRODUCED BY HOLLANDS LICHT

MÁXIMA S2

DIRECTED BY SASKIA DIESING, JOOSJE DUK PRODUCED BY MILLSTREET FILMS

DIRECTED BY TIM OLIEHOEK PRODUCED BY LEMMING FILM

BENEDICT ANDREWS

ANDREWS (SEBERG, UNA) HAS PARTNERED WITH ICELAND’S TRUENORTH TO DIRECT AND SHOWRUN FURY, a drama inspired by the legendary Sturlunga saga: a brutal tale of power, politics and blood feuds set during one of the most turbulent periods in Icelandic history. Currently in development, the returnable eight-parter is pitched as Iceland’s answer to Shakespeare or Game of Thrones, as the life of the Sturlung Era of the 12th and 13th century Iceland is marked by family betrayal, shifting alliances and violent uprisings in a visceral, contemporary retelling that blends psychological drama with epic scale.

HEIMAERBEST(DESCENDANTS), VIGDÍSAND REYKJAVÍK112DIRECTOR HRAFNSDÓTTIR HELMS ALL SIX EPISODES OF NORDIC BLUE SERIES HILDUR, a drama based on the crime novels by Satu Rämö. Set between sea and mountains in the harsh and remote yet picturesque Westfjords, it stars Ebba Katrín Finnsdóttir as the titular Icelandic detective whose two sisters disappeared on their way home from school. Now 25 years later, she is drawn into an investigation of baffling crimes. Together with unlikely allies Jakob, a Finnish trainee officer seeking a fresh start, and Florian, a German recruit mistakenly assigned to the team, she soon discovers they are on the trail of a cunning serial killer. Distributed by Cineflix Rights, Hildur is produced by Take Two Studios for Nelonen Media’s Ruutu in Finland and Sagafilm for Siminn in Iceland. Hrafnsdóttir is also known in Iceland as an actor for roles in The Minister, Descendants (pictured) and The Valhalla Murders

A BELGIAN DIRECTOR KNOWN FOR HELMING INTERNATIONAL SERIES SUCH AS THE SERPENT, COBRA, RIVIERA, NOESCAPE AND PARISHASFALLEN, Herbots is now lead director on This is Not a Murder Mystery – a show as visually unique and flamboyant as the premise of this 1930s-set whodunnit. Here, several of the world’s most renowned surrealist artists, including a youn Salvador Dalí and René Magritte, find themselves trapped in a lavish mansion with a mysterious serial killer on the loose. Based on an original idea by co-director Matthias Lebeer and Christophe Dirickx, and written by Dirickx and Paul Baeten, the six-part series is produced by Panenka for Belgium’s VRT, and coproduced by RTL, Proximus and Deadpan Pictures. It is also a project selected by the New8 coalition of European public broadcasters. StudioCanal is handling international distribution.

HANS HERBOTS

TINNA HRAFNSDÓTTIR

DAISY HAGGARD

ACTOR AND WRITER HAGGARD (BACK TO LIFE, BOAT STORY) WILL MAKE HER DIRECTORIAL DEBUT WITH MAYA, a six-part Channel 4 drama that she has also written and will star in alongside Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us). Forced into a witness-protection programme, Anna (Haggard) and her teenage daughter Maya (Ramsey) leave their London lives behind, taking on new identities and relocating to a small rural town in Scotland. As they try to adjust to their new reality, the trauma of their past

continues to haunt them in the form of two hitmen intent on tracking them down. And with the walls closing in, it becomes clear that a dangerous figure from their previous lives remains a looming threat. Haggard directs the Two Brothers Pictures production with Jamie Donoughue. All3Media International is distributing the series, which is being filmed on location in Scotland.

SUSANNA LIRA

THE BRAZILIAN DOCUMENTARY MAKER IS HELMING FACT-BASED DRAMA CRIMESNO TRIANON(CRIMESINTRIANON) FOR HBO MAX

Developed by Elo Studios, it’s inspired by the crimes that marked the late 1980s in São Paulo, telling the story of Fortunato Botton Neto, a male prostitute who would later become known as the Maníaco do Trianon (Maniac of Trianon). Created by Michel Carvalho, it dramatises a period when the LGBTQIA+ community faced a dual threat: the AIDS epidemic and systemic prejudice. A series of brutal crimes then begins to shake up São Paulo’s nightlife. The story follows Fortunato, known as Pilo, and Antonio Margutti, a conservative detective on the verge of retirement, who teams up with Detective Violeta to solve murders. The Trianon Maniac was a Brazilian serial killer who committed his crimes near Trianon Park, then known as a male prostitution hotspot, near Avenida Paulista. Targeting men aged from 30 to 60, he killed 13 people between 1986 and 1989. Taking on directing duties is Lira (Mataram Nossos Filhos, Legítima Defesa), a prolific, award-winning filmmaker known for work covering human rights, politics and violence.

SWEDISH STAR HERNGREN IS KNOWN ON SCREEN FOR HIS LONG-RUNNING ROLE IN COMEDY SOLSIDAN, which he co-created. But he’s also a writer and a director with credits including Jana – Marked for Life and Bonus Family. His next project behind the camera is six-part dramedy Where the Sun Always Shines, which debuted on SkyShowtime in November. Set against sweeping Spanish landscapes, it’s a simmering family drama that explores the complexities of expat life abroad. Tom (Per Lasson) and Petra (Lisa Linnertorp) are a successful Swedish couple who sell their hypermarket in Sweden for a record sum to live the life of luxury on the Spanish island. But during Tom’s 50th birthday party, events take an unexpected turn – pulling Tom’s brother Timmy (Erik Johansson) and his wife Maja (Rakel Wärmländer) into the mix, setting

off a chain of family drama. Created by Herngren, the series is produced by his production company FLX for SkyShowtime and Sweden’s SVT.

off a chain of family drama. Created by Herngren, the SkyShowtime

THE ITALIAN DIRECTOR (EL PARAISO, DJANGO, ROMULUS) HELMS ALL EIGHT EPISODES OF UNPROPHÈTE(A PROPHET), a small-screen reimagining of the 2009 film that had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival this summer. It’s a visceral, raw and high-stakes portrayal of life in a brutal French prison where Malik, a young African immigrant, must try to survive after being incarcerated for drug smuggling. Alone and vulnerable, he meets Massoud, a powerful and shady businessman who offers him protection in exchange for obedience. But Malik soon realises he is just a pawn in Massoud’s game, and that the only way to survive will be to take power for himself. The Canal+ series is produced by CPB Films and Media Musketeers Studio, and coproduced by UGC Images, Entourage Series, Savon Noir, Staging, MMBV and Camera Lucida. StudioCanal is the distributor.

ENRICO MARIA ARTALE

MANNING WALKER

THE HOWTO HAVE SEX DIRECTOR IS FOLLOWING UP HER DEBUT FEATURE FILM – which won the Un Certain Regard award at the Cannes Film Festival – with Channel 4 drama Major Players, which she has co-written with Yasmin Joseph (A Thousand Blows). Inspired by Walker’s experiences at high school, where the crowd control was more urgent than the education, it follows two girls on the brink of adulthood and their mission to start a women’s football team.

Produced by A24, the show is described as a love letter to football and a funny and wild exploration of young people in London today, tackling topics from friendship to gender politics.

MOLLY

BEST KNOWN FOR ON-SCREEN ROLES IN GAME OF THRONES, A MINECRAFT MOVIEAND THE AQUAMAN FILMS, Momoa has furthered his fledgling directorial career with the finale of his Apple TV+ series Chief of War Created, written and executive produced by Momoa and based on true events, the nine-episode series is set against the scenic backdrop of the islands of Hawaii and follows warrior Ka’iana (Momoa) as he tries to unify the islands before Western colonisation in the late 18th century. Told from an indigenous perspective, it has been a passion project for creators Momoa and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, who share native Hawaiian heritage, while the series features a predominantly Polynesian cast led by Momoa. His directing credits also include episodes of HBO Max travel doc series On the Roam and feature film Road to Paloma

JASON MOMOA

MALIN-SARAH GOZIN

ALBERTO RODRÍGUEZ

THE DIRECTOR OF SPANISH HISTORICAL DRAMA LAPESTE(THEPLAGUE) HAS PARTNERED WITH LACASADEPAPEL(MONEYHEIST) STAR ÁLVARO MORTE FOR THEANATOMYOF AMOMENT, a four-parter based on Javier Cercas’s novel about the 23-F coup d’etat attempt in Spain in 1981. When Civil Guard Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero entered the Congress building with a pistol in his hand, only three men – Adolfo Suárez, Santiago Carrillo and Gutiérrez Mellado – remained seated, while the rest ducked for cover. Through this trio who led the

transition to democracy and the three main leaders of the coup d’état, Tejero, Milans and Armada, the series recounts the chain of events and tensions that led Spain to the brink of a return to the previous military regime. With filming taking place in Madrid, it is produced by DLO Producciones for Movistar Plus+ and Arte France, with Movistar Plus+ International handling distribution. Rodríguez also recently directed Movistar Plus+ film Los Tigres, a character thriller about two siblings set in the world of industrial diving.

SCREENWRITER GOZIN, WHOSE FLEMISH SERIES CLAN INSPIRED SHARON HORGAN’S BAD SISTERS, took on her first directorial role in her latest drama, Dood Spoor (Dead End). A blend of crime, comedy, drama and psychology, Dead End introduces Ed, a man with a unique skill: he can ‘see’ the last moments of anything he puts in his mouth by tasting or eating it. Both gift and burden, he uses this quality to run a business, The Aftertaste, offering griefstricken people an insight into the final moments of their dead loved ones. But when his next client is a homicide detective struggling to solve a series of mysterious killings, Ed faces a moral dilemma: if his gift works on a toothbrush or a sausage, would it work on a body too? Caviar and Lompvis produce for Streamz and Play4, while Federation Studios is the distributor.

CALEB AZUMAH NELSON

NELSON IS THE LEAD WRITER AND DIRECTOR ON A BBC ADAPTATION OF HIS OWN DEBUT NOVEL, OPEN WATER. The eight-part series, produced by Mam Tor Productions and B-Side Productions, introduces aspiring photographer Marcus and dance student Effie. From the moment they meet, they feel an immediate, undeniable connection. However, as Marcus soon learns, Effie is in a relationship with Marcus’s friend Samuel. It’s a boundary that Marcus is unwilling to cross. But when a shared project draws them into each other’s orbit, can their burgeoning friendship resist the pull of desire? Banijay Rights will handle distribution.

AFTER DIRECTING THETOURIST, Irish filmmaker Mulcahy reunited with Two Brothers Pictures for Prime Video thriller

LISA MULCAHY

The Assassin. Set against the backdrop of a remote Greek island, it stars Keeley Hawes and Freddie Highmore as retired assassin Julie and her estranged son Edward, who are forced to work together in a fight for survival. Amid questions around Edward’s paternity and Julie’s dangerous past catching up with her, the pair are forced to flee the island and go on the run together. It is produced in association with Germany’s ZDF, Stan in Australia and distributor All3Media International. Mulcahy’s credits also include Blood, Years & Years, Ridley Road and Sanctuary

TOSCANO MADE HER DIRECTORIAL DEBUT ON LONG BRIGHT RIVER EARLIER

THIS YEAR, showrunning and co-writing it with Liz Moore for US streamer Peacock. Based on the novel by Moore, the eight-parter stars Amanda Seyfried as Mickey, a police officer who patrols a Philadelphia neighbourhood hit hard by the opioid crisis. When a series of murders are committed in the neighbourhood, Mickey realises her personal history might be related to the case. Hagar Ben-Asher is lead director on the series, which is produced by Sony Pictures Television and UCP. Toscano is best known as the writer behind Godfather series The Offer

STORM SAULTER

JAMAICAN FILMMAKER AND PHOTOGRAPHER SAULTER (SPRINTER, BETTERMUS’COME) IS HELMING FIVE-PART SKY

DRAMA INHERITANCE, a thriller set between Bristol in the UK and Jamaica. It stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Claudia, an ambitious young biracial lawyer who embarks on a journey to Jamaica to challenge an inheritance claim filed by an unknown local resident, Cudjoe East (Sheldon Shepherd), against Oliver Connaught (Jonny Lee-Miller), a wealthy white aristocrat. Her quest takes an unexpected turn when the contested estate reveals the ominous house that has haunted her nightmares: the Connaught family’s Jamaican plantation, Hope Hill. As Claudia and Oliver investigate, they uncover a chilling connection between historical horrors and present-day injustices. Written by actor Karla Crome, Inheritance is produced by SnowedIn in association with Sky Studios for Sky in the UK and Ireland, with NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution handling international sales.

SOAVI IS BEHIND RAI FICTION AND ENDEMOL SHINE ITALY’S ADAPTATION OF MARIO TOBINO’S INFLUENTIAL NOVEL LE LIBERE DONNE DI MAGLIANO – MONDADORI LIBRI. The threeparter, known as Le Libere Donne, is set in Tuscany during the Second World War and follows psychiatrist Mario Tobino (Lino Guanciale, pictured to Soavi’s left) as he challenges the repressive confines of a women’s psychiatric hospital. But Mario’s world shifts with the arrival of Margherita Lenzi (Grace Kicaj), a young heiress confined to the hospital by her husband.

As he questions whether she is truly unwell or a victim of cruelty, Mario embarks on a search for the truth, torn between his growing feelings and another rekindled love for someone from his past. Italian Soavi has recently helmed series such as Blanca, Màkari and La Guerra è finite, but is also an established horror director thanks to titles including the classic Rupert Everett zombie feature Dellamorte dellamore (Cemetery Man) and a partnership with iconic horror filmmaker Dario Argento (Terror at the Opera).

THE DANISH FILMMAKER HAS CREDITS ON SERIES SUCH AS ZEROZEROZEROAND SEASON TWO OF TRUEDETECTIVE, as well as films Armadillo and Borg McEnroe. He is now helming all six episodes of crime drama The Uniform for Miso Film and broadcaster DR. Starring Lena Maria Christensen and Jakob Cedergren, it is set at the police academy in Copenhagen and follows the trainees and their instructors on their remarkable journey from civilian to officer, from classroom to the police station, where friendships, enmities and love along the way must stand the ultimate test when theory meets practice. The series is expected to premiere on DR in early 2026 and has already been sold to SVT in Sweden, NRK in Norway, YLE in Finland and RUV in Iceland. Fremantle is handling global sales.

JUSTIN KURZEL JANUS METZ MICHELE SOAVI

KURZEL (THE ORDER, NITRAM) DIRECTS THE NARROW ROADTOTHE DEEP NORTH, a five-part Australian drama series that had its world premiere at February’s Berlin International Film Festival. Based on the book by Richard Flanagan and set against the shadows of the Second World War, it tells the story of LieutenantColonel Dorrigo Evans (Euphoria’s Jacob Elordi, pictured alongside Kurzel) and how his all-too-brief love affair with Amy Mulvaney (Odessa Young) shaped his life. The series premiered on Prime Video in Australia, New Zealand and Canada in April, with Sony Pictures Television also shopping the show to the BBC (UK), Sky (Germany, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland), RTÉ (Ireland), Movistar Plus+ (Spain) and more. Curio Pictures is the production company.

UPCOMING CHANNEL 4 (UK) AND CRAVE (CANADA) COMEDY ITGETSWORSEIS WRITTEN AND CREATED BY REICH, who also stars alongside Emily Fairn and Olive Gray. They play Abi (Fairn), Sam (Gray) and Ethan (Reich) – best friends from uni, soulmates for life and dysfunctional roommates. A year since they finally managed to move to London, they have collectively accomplished nothing, and now their landlord is selling up. They’re getting kicked out. Can they keep their friendships alive when they are dispersed across a city that seems to want them dead? Can they find a 6/10 or higher to have bad sex with? Can they get their shit together when the world is so obviously falling apart? Probably not, but they’re going to have fun trying. Produced by A24, the six-part production will air on Channel 4 in 2026.

LEO REICH

100

AN ADMIRER OF ABI MORGAN LEGAL DRAMA THE SPLIT, SARMA IS THE CREATIVE BEHIND ITS FOLLOW-UP, THE SPLIT UP. Set in the charged world of high-net-worth divorces in Manchester, it centres on Kishan Law, a powerhouse British-South Asian family firm, where rising star Aria Kishan (Ritu Arya) is poised to take the mantle from her father Dhruv (Sanjeev Bhaskar). But the death of her mother has cast a new light on these plans for Dhruv, who begins to wonder if his daughter can, or should, take on this responsibility single-handedly. With new characters and storylines created by Sarma, based on Morgan’s original series, six-part The Split Up is produced by Sister in association with Little Chick for the BBC. BBC Studios is handling global sales.

URSULA RANI SARMA Writers

SARAH SCHELLER

STRIFEAND THE LETDOWN SCREENWRITER

SCHELLER’S LATEST PROJECT IS THE FAMILY NEXT DOOR, a series that explores the challenges of motherhood, marriage, friendship and the complexities of family identity. Based on the novel of the same name by Sally Hepworth, it tells the story of enigmatic Isabelle (Teresa Palmer), who moves into a small seaside cul-de-sac where her obsessive drive to solve a mystery casts suspicion on four neighbouring families. But her quest to reunite one family will have consequences for them all. With Emma Freeman directing, the cast also includes Bella Heathcote and Philippa Northeast. Sphere Abacus is the distributor of the series, which is produced by Beyond Entertainment and Muse Entertainment for ABC Australia.

ANITA VETTESSE

GRANTCHESTER, THISTHINGOFDARKNESS AND RIVERCITY SCREENWRITER

VETTESSE IS BEHIND BLUEMOUNTAIN, an ambitious, character-driven drama that follows multiple families locked in an escalating conflict as they fight to hold on to their land, their legacy and each other, threatened

by ruthless developers and longburied secrets. Part Scottish neowestern, part epic family saga, the series is in development as a coproduction between Synchronicity Films (The Tattooist of Auschwitz) and Big Light Productions (The Man in the

LAURA LINNEY, RHYS IFANS, MONICA DOLAN AND RORY KINNEAR LEAD THE STARRY ENSEMBLE OF BUTWHEN WE DANCE, a touching story written by Archer about two people with lots in common – a great sense of humour, a love of dance, and Parkinson’s disease. Set and filmed in North Norfolk, Ifans plays Tony Evans, the deputy head of a local primary school, while Linney is Emma Dretzin, a pianist, composer and single mother of two daughters. Neither knows the other until a startling encounter changes the course of their lives: on the same morning, they are both confronted with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s. A single drama by Archer, the co-host of Parkinson’s podcast Movers and Shakers, it is produced by Hilltop Screen for the BBC. Kaleidoscope Film Distribution is handling worldwide sales.

PAUL MAYHEW ARCHER

BRAGASON IS BILLED AS ICELAND’S MOST SUCCESSFUL DRAMA AND COMEDY CREATOR, with credits including the Shift trilogy (The Night Shift, The Day Shift and The Prison Shift) and Prisoners. On his latest project, he is creator and co-writer of Icelandic-Romanian coproduction Hot Stuff, a comedy drama set in 1979 and following a group of Icelanders holidaying in Spain. Blending humour, romance and social commentary, the series aims to explore themes of gender inequality, consumerism and xenophobia, as well as the pitfalls of insular thinking, toxic masculinity and performative activism. Bragason writes alongside Snjolaug Ludviksdottir (Stella Blómkvist), and the show is produced by Iceland’s Glassriver and Romania’s Idea Film for Icelandic broadcaster Channel 2. Oble has global distribution rights.

RAGNAR BRAGASON

MAJA JUL LARSEN

AS HER SERIES ULVENKOMMER (CRYWOLF) GETS A US ADAPTATION STARRING

OLIVIA COLMAN AND BRIE LARSON, Danish writer Larsen will soon begin filming her latest drama for local pubcaster DR. De Bedste Familier (The Best Families) is a story of ambition, responsibility and the human costs of progress, based on real events surrounding a chemical factory and one of the biggest environmental scandals in Danish history. Adapted from the novel by Kim Blæsbjerg, it follows three families from different walks of life: working couple Niels and Margrethe see the factory as a path to a better life; operations manager Jørn and his wife Karin find it becomes a moral minefield; and factory owner Gunnar demands results at any cost. Produced by Apple Tree Productions, The Best Families is expected to premiere in 2027.

ALEX HARIDI

SWEDE HARIDI’S CREDITS INCLUDE CRIME DRAMA SANNINGEN, comedy Kärlek & anarki (Love & Anarchy), mystery Quicksand, political series Blå ögon (Blue Eyes) and sci-fi drama Äkta människor (Real Humans). He’s also the writer behind Stenbeck (Vanguard), a drama charting the rise of real-life media mogul Jan Stenbeck’s journey from Wall Street to become a Nordic power player. When tragedy strikes his family, he is thrown into a leadership role at Kinnevik, the family’s industry group. What follows is a high-stakes battle between tradition and innovation as Jan battles with his siblings to take the company forward, ultimately reshaping the Nordic media landscape. The fiveparter, produced by FLX for SVT, was recently named best series at the Monte-Carlo TV Festival, where star Jakob Oftebro was named best actor. Viaplay Content Distribution is handling sales.

IRISH ACTOR AND WRITER PREISSNER (CAN’T COPE,WON’TCOPE) HAS ADAPTED MARIAN KEYES NOVELS INCLUDING RACHEL’S HOLIDAY AND ANYBODY OUT THERE, which centre on the fictional Walsh sisters, for Ireland’s RTÉ and the BBC. The result is a series titled The Walsh Sisters, which follows the lives of Anna, Rachel, Maggie, Claire and Helen as they navigate the peaks and troughs of their late 20s and 30s and strive to stick together in the face of heartbreak, grief, addiction and parenthood. Preissner also stars as Maggie, with Louisa Harland as Anna, Caroline Menton as Rachel, Danielle Galligan as oldest sister Claire and Máiréad Tyers as Helen. It is produced by Cuba Pictures and Metropolitan Pictures, with Cineflix Rights distributing.

STEFANIE PREISSNER

DENNIS KELLY

THE PULLING, UTOPIAAND MATILDA:THE MUSICALWRITER IS BEHIND BBC DRAMA WAITINGFORTHEOUT, an original six-part series based on Andy West’s memoir

The Life Inside. Produced by Sister and distributed by BBC Studios, it stars

The Responder’s Josh Finan as Dan, a philosopher who begins teaching a class of men in prison. Each week, Dan leads discussions about dominance, freedom, luck and other topics that have troubled philosophers for thousands of years –topics that gain a new meaning when seen through the prisoners’ eyes – both igniting passions and creating tension, and leading Dan to explore his own past with his violent father. Levi David Addai (Damilola, Our Loved Boy) and Ric Renton (One Off) are also on the writing team, with Jeanette Nordahl (The Responder) and Ben Palmer (Douglas is Cancelled) directing.

DIEGO SAN JOSÉ

SPANIARD JOSÉ IS REUNITING WITH HIS CELESTE CO-CREATOR AND DIRECTOR ELENA TRAPÉ FOR SIXPART MOVISTAR PLUS+ SERIES YAKARTA(JAKARTA)

Fellow Celeste alum Javier Cámara plays José Ramón Garrido, a former Olympic badminton player who makes a living teaching physical education at a public high school in Vallecas. Joserra believes star teenage player Mar (Carla Quílez) could be the ticket to fulfilling his ambition of competing in Jakarta, the city where former players like him are respected as stars. But to do so, they’ll have to learn to tolerate

each other as they embark on a journey filled with shabby guesthouses, run-down sports centres and gas stations as they pass through Totana, Ponferrada, Torrelavega and Tardajos before reaching the Indonesian capital – if they arrive at all. José heads up the script team on the series, which also includes Daniel Castro and Fernando Delgado-Hierro. It is produced by 100 Balas and Buendia Estudios Canarias, and debuted on Spain’s Movistar Plus+ in November. The Mediapro Studio Distribution is handling global sales.

KARIANNE LUND

OKKUPERT (OCCUPIED) CREATOR LUND IS THE WRITER BEHIND UPCOMING NORWEGIAN MEDICAL SERIES STILL BREATHING. A “raw and gripping” portrayal of young doctors navigating a system pushed to the brink in one of the world’s wealthiest nations, it centres on four young interns – Petra, Joakim, Ashan and Kissy – as they are thrown into the world of emergency medicine. Idealistic and ambitious, they quickly face the harsh realities of long shifts, impossible choices and life-ordeath decisions. Based on an idea by Lund and Nicolai Moland, and directed by Eirik Svensson, the eight-part drama is produced by Rubicon and distributed by DR Sales. Season one is due to air on NRK in May 2026, and the series will also be available on ZDF (Germany), NPO (the Netherlands), VRT (Belgium), SVT (Sweden), DR (Denmark), YLE (Finland) and RÚV (Iceland) under the New8 coproduction partnership. Season two has already been confirmed.

CONSTANCE CHENG

ON SCREEN, CROOK IS PERHAPS BEST KNOWN FOR PLAYING GARETH KEENAN IN RICKY GERVAIS’S SEMINAL MOCKUMENTARY THEOFFICE. He’s also the writer and director behind Detectorists and Worzel Gummidge, and is taking on both roles once again for BBC comedy Small Prophets. Produced by Treasure Trove Productions and Blue House Productions, with Sphere Abacus distributing, the six-part series is the comic tale of eccentric Michael Sleep (Pearce Quigley) who, since his darling Clea disappeared seven years ago, has lived a very ordinary life. He eats Shreddies, works in a DIY store, visits dad Brian (Michael Palin) and hopes for Clea to return – until Brian shares an old recipe involving rainwater, horse manure and more than a little alchemy. With recipe in hand, Michael sets out (albeit with some scepticism) to create Homunculi – magical prophesying spirits that can predict the future – in the hope they can tell him if he’ll ever see Clea again. Filmed and set in Manchester, the series will also include elements of animation. Crook also has an onscreen role (pictured).

MACKENZIE CROOK

WITH CREDITS INCLUDING THE GREAT AND THELORDOFTHE RINGS:THERINGSOFPOWER, Cheng isnow writing and showrunning Red Butterfly. The “explosive and stylish” eight-part crime drama follows the rise of an all-female gang run by two sisters in 1950s Singapore, a city

of crime dubbed the glamorous but lawless ‘Wild West’ of Asia. It will be filmed in English and Chinese languages, and shot on location in Singapore and Malaysia. The series is produced by StudioCanal in partnership with Beach House Pictures and

AIMEE LOU WOOD

BEST KNOWN FOR HER ROLES IN SEX EDUCATION, DADDY ISSUESAND THE LATEST SEASON OF THEWHITE LOTUS, Wood has most recently been on screen in BBC romantic comedy Film Club (pictured), the series she co-created and co-wrote with fellow actor Ralph Davis. Made by Gaumont and airing on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer, the show stars Wood as Evie, for whom Film Club is her weekly escape – a chance to create a world of wonder, deck her mum’s garage out in whatever the movie calls for, and spend a few uninterrupted hours with her best friend Noa (Nabhaan Rizwan). When Noa lands a dream job across the other side of the country, they’re forced to consider for the first time that they might be more than just friends. Fremantle is the international distributor of the Manchester-shot show.

A WRITER ON RIVALS, SEX EDUCATION, BOAT STORYAND THE BABY, Goodhart writes all six half-hour episodes of her first original series, Alice & Steve, which has been commissioned by Disney+ in the UK. With Nicola Walker (Unforgotten) and Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) in the title roles, it follows the fallout between the titular best friends when middle-aged Steve begins a relationship with Alice’s 26-year-old daughter Izzy. Although both are no strangers to chaos and dubious decision-making, their once rock-solid friendship is turned upside down and tested to its limits – threatening their families, futures and everything in between. The ‘anti-romcom’ is produced by Clerkenwell Films (Baby Reindeer), with Tom Kingsley (Stath Lets Flats) in the director’s chair.

SOPHIE GOODHART

IMRAN MAHMOOD

NOVELIST AND FIRST-TIME SCREENWRITER MAHMOOD HAS PENNED SAVIOUR, a series described as a refreshing reimagining of the crime and courtroom genre. The story introduces medical student Ben, who is facing charges of murder, and criminal barrister Indy, who will have to navigate a world of police corruptiuon, fervent press interest and a secretive defendant to find the truth, while also concealing secrets of her own. Pitched as an authentic drama set within the criminal justice system, it is produced by Parti Productions with Drama Republic for ITV and STV.

ACTORS MOST RECOGNISABLE FOR STARRING IN CANADA’S BARONESSVONSKETCHSHOW, Whalen (left) and MacNeill have partnered to co-create and star in “menopause comedy” Small Achievable Goals. The eight-part series follows odd couple Julie (Whalen) and Kris (MacNeill) as they are thrust together to produce a podcast while grappling with

“the change.” The duo then embark on a journey of transformation, helping each other through workplace challenges and office politics, dating and relationship drama, and some serious health concerns. Filmed in Toronto and Hamilton, the series is produced by Sphere Media for Canada’s CBC, where it premiered in February this year.

JENNIFER WHALEN & MEREDITH MACNEILL TINA GHARAVI

THE DIRECTOR OF IAMNASRINEAND AFRICANQUEENS:CLEOPATRA – and the founder of Bridge + Tunnel Productions – is adding the title of showrunner to her CV with Scandi noir drama TheFox. The show is based on Sólveig Pálsdóttir’s Icelandic novel Refurinn, which features detective Guðgeir Fransson. Gharavi bought the rights to the book and has developed a script for a six-parter that also introduces a new British character. After a Sri Lankan woman arrives in a small Icelandic outpost, she suddenly disappears, arousing the suspicions of Guðgeir, a suspended detective from Reykjavik trying to win back his family, reputation and job. Also washed up in town is Greer, a disagreeable, retired British chief superintendent who is (unsuccessfully) pursuing obscurity. Guðgeir enlists Greer’s help to find the missing woman and figure out how she could vanish without a trace. Icelandic producer Polarama is also on board the project.

URÐUR EGILSDÓTTIR

WAS

ICELAND-BASED JOURNALIST AND SCREENWRITER EGILSDÓTTIR WAS PRESENT IN THE COURTROOM COVERING WHAT HAS COME TO BE KNOWN AS ‘THE TERRORISM CASE’ – Iceland’s first ever terrorist attack – and has now written Manifesto, a series based on this true story with themes of extremism, racism, misogyny and mental health. The six-episode series centres on Harpa, an aspiring police officer who must prove her friends’ innocence after an attack is carried out by Matti, a member of her friend group. The stakes get even higher as his manifesto warns of a second, even deadlier, attack on the horizon. Glassriver is producing the series for streamer Síminn, with Wild Bunch TV handling global rights. Egilsdóttir also took part in a writers room at Glassriver for the Nordic crime series Masquerade (fka The Trip), which is currently in development, and co-wrote two episodes of the show.

friends’ innocence after an attack is carried out his manifesto Glassriver streamer Bunch TV in a writers room at Glassriver of the show.

THE TRIO Series 100 TILL DEATH DO US PART

COMMISSIONED BY TV4, THIS SWEDISH DRAMA STARS ALIETTE OPHEIM (CALIPHATE) AND FILIP BERG (WHISKEY ONTHEROCKS) AS MARRIED COUPLE MALIN AND TOBIAS, whose world is turned upside down when Tobias is suspected of murder. Convinced of his innocence, Malin takes on his defence as his lawyer. But as secrets begin to surface and long-held truths are exposed as lies, Malin is faced with a terrifying question – what if he’s guilty? The six-parter (local title Tills Döden Skiljer Oss) is directed by Julia Lindström and written by Veronica Zacco. The series is produced by Harmonica Films in coproduction with SF Studios, TV4 and Film Stockholm. Dynamic Television handles international sales of the show, which is expected to premiere in autumn 2026.

ZDF IN GERMANY HAS JOINED SKYSHOWTIME ON THIS SIX-PART LOVE TRIANGLE DRAMA BASED ON THE NOVEL BY JOHANNA HEDMAN, which tells a story of love, sex, passion – a reflection on the meaning of life and the passage of time. It stars August Wittgenstein as older Hugo, who confronts his past and the two strangers he once

knew very well. Felix Sandman plays August, with Seth Manteus and Rebecka Harper also starring. Directed by Anders Hazelius and written by Veronica Zacco, The Trio (local title Trion) is produced by SF Studios with SkyShowtime, SVT, Film Stockholm and Night Train Media. Eccho Rights is handling distribution.

THE FUTURE IS OURS

A DYSTOPIAN DRAMA BASED ON PHILIP K DICK NOVEL THE WORLD JONES MADE, this Latin American series (local title El futuro es Nuestro) is the first adaptation of the author’s work in Spanish. In 2047, an ecological collapse has led to the creation of FedSur, a coalition of South American countries that applies extreme measures to protect nature and counteract the prevailing hunger and violence. When a new voice on the internet emerges, one capable of predicting the future, police officer Hugo Crussí

discovers it belongs to young preacher Jonás Flores – but his

arrest causes him to become the spiritual leader of the continent and lead a reactionary revolution, while Crussí embarks on a suicidal mission to stop the tyrant, who will have foreseen the assassination attempt and will be waiting for him. From showrunner Mateo Gill, the show is directed by Vicente Amorim, Daniel Rezende and Jesús Braceras. K&S Films and Electric Shepherd Productions are the producers, while the cast includes Enzo Vogrincic, Emiliano Zurita, Delfina Chaves, Marleyda Soto and Fernán Mirás.

THOSE WHO LIVED LIVED

FROM DIRECTOR JEAN-XAVIER DE LESTRADE COMES THIS EIGHT-PART DRAMA THAT MARKS THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PARIS TERRORIST ATTACKS OF NOVEMBER 13, 2015 Focusing on the survivors of the Bataclan concert hall, it follows a group of characters who forged a unique friendship on the night they were all taken hostage in a story that chronicles their encounter with the terrorists and the years that followed as they struggled to rebuild their lives and continue living. Boasting a cast including Benjamin Lavernhe de la ComédieFrançaise, Alix Poisson, Antoine Reinartz, Félix Moati, Anne Steffens, Thomas Goldberg and Cédric Eeckhout, it was created by Lestrade and Antoine Lacomblez. What’s Up Films, Mizar Films and NAC Films produce for France Télévisions, with Federation Studios handling international distribution.

LORD OF THE FLIES

A YOUNG CAST, MANY OF THEM MAKING THEIR PROFESSIONAL SCREEN DEBUTS, lead this four-part series – the first television adaptation of William Golding’s iconic novel. It tells the story of a group of young schoolchildren who find themselves stranded on a tropical island with no adults, following a deadly plane crash. In an attempt to remain civil, the boys organise themselves, led by Ralph (Winston Sawyers) and supported by the group’s intellectual, Piggy (David McKenna). But Jack (Lox Pratt), who is in charge of signal fire duty, is more interested in hunting and vying for leadership and soon begins to draw other boys away from the order of the group and, ultimately, from hope to tragedy. Truthful to the original novel and set in the 1950s, filming took place in Malaysia. Produced by Eleven for the BBC and Stan, it is distributed by Sony Pictures Television. Jack Thorne is the writer, with Marc Munden directing.

BROADCASTERS RÚV IN ICELAND AND ZDF IN GERMANY HAVE PARTNERED FOR THIS CRIME SERIES SET IN THE WORLD OF COMPETITIVE ICELANDIC HORSEMANSHIP. It follows Auður (Ásthildur Úa Sigurðardóttir), a fiercely dedicated rider competing in the national horse championships with her prized stallion, Blesi. When the horse is found dead under suspicious circumstances on the morning of the final, Auður is devastated – and even

more shocked when the local authorities refuse to investigate. Taking matters into her own hands, she begins a dark journey into the secretive and powerful world of elite horse breeders in Iceland. Iceland’s Act4 and Germany’s Windlight Pictures are producing, with Wild Sheep Content handling distribution. a

DEATH OF A HORSE

TIP TOE

ALAN CUMMING AND DAVID MORRISSEY WILL STAR IN THIS CHANNEL 4 DRAMA FROM RUSSELL T DAVIES (It’s a Sin, Years & Years). The five-parter follows Leo (Cumming) and Clive (Morrissey) who have lived next door to each other in Manchester for almost 15 years. But just as life should be settling down, the world around them is growing more tense. Words become weapons, opinions become radicalised and, gradually, two neighboursbecome deadly enemies in a tense suburban thriller described as an urgent tale that puts a spotlight on the prejudices creeping back into our lives. The drama is produced by Quay Street Productions, with ITV Studios distributing.

ETTY

THIS SIX-PART SERIES FROM DIRECTOR HAGAI LEVI STARS JULIA WINDISCHBAUER AND SEBASTIAN KOCH IN THE POIGNANT STORY OF DUTCH ACTRESS ETTY HILLESUM. In Nazioccupied Amsterdam, 27-year-old Etty embarks on a spiritual and emotional journey that she records in her diaries, describing her turbulent love affair with the psycho-chirologist Julius Spier, which becomes the trigger for a radical inner transformation – one accelerated by the growing threat she faces as a Jew, ultimately leading her to an enormous act of solidarity. The French, German and Dutch coproduction is produced by Les Films du Poisson, Komplizen Serien, Topkapi Series and Quiddity for Germany’s SWR and Arte France. TF1 Studio is the distributor of the show, which had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

AMSTERDAM EMPIRE

THE SEDUCTION

A SIX-PART FRENCH SERIES COMMISSIONED BY HBO MAX, The Seduction is a new adaptation of Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. Described as a thrilling exploration of the price of emotional and sexual freedom in a world where women had little, it centres on Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil who, betrayed by Vicomte de Valmont, embarks on a daring journey to become Paris’s leading courtesan.

Anamaria Vartolomei stars as Isabelle, with Diane Kruger as Madame de Rosemonde, Vincent Lacoste as Valmont and Lucas Bravo as Comte de Gercourt. It is directed by Jessica Palud, created by Jean-Baptiste Delafon and written by Delafon in collaboration with Palud (episodes one, two and six) and Gaëlle Bellan (episode one). NABI Productions and Felicita Films produce.

FAMKE JANSSEN STARS IN THIS EXTRAVAGANT NETFLIX CRIME DRAMA FULL OF THE GLAMOUR AND GRIME AT THE HEART OF THE AMSTERDAM CANNABIS SCENE. When his affair with a well-known journalist comes to light, ‘coffee shop’ empire mogul Jack van Doorn discovers that his most dangerous enemy has been living under his roof: his betrayed wife, Betty (Janssen), an ex-pop diva who knows all his weak spots and secrets and will not rest until she has taken everything from him.

TWENTY TWENTY SIX

AND

HUGH BONNEVILLE REPRISES HIS ROLE AS IAN FLETCHER IN THIS BBC MOCKUMENTARY FROM THE TEAM BEHIND SERIES TWENTYTWELVE

Next year’s FIFA World Cup will be hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico, with 48 nations competing in 16 venues thousands of miles apart. What could go wrong? Ian is about to find out as he becomes the director of integrity for the event’s oversight team in Miami. Other returning cast members include Hugh Skinner as Will Humphries, Ian’s former PA, and David Tennant as the show’s narrator, alongside an ensemble including Alexis Michalik, Chelsey Crisp, Paulo Costanzo, Marli Siu, Nicole Sadie Sawyer, Joe Hewetson and Erin Kellyman. Produced by Expectation for BBC One and BBC iPlayer, the show is written and directed by John Morton. BBC Studios is handling global sales.

CALIFORNIA A VENUE AVENUE

THIS SIX-PART SERIES MARKS THE LATEST COLLABORATION BETWEEN WRITER-DIRECTOR HUGO BLICK (PICTURED), his Eight Rooks production company, producer Drama Republic and BBC One, following The English, The Honourable Woman and Black Earth Rising. The story is set in a secluded canalside caravan park deep in the luscious English countryside, whose peace is irrevocably disrupted by the arrival of Lela (Erin Doherty) and her 11-year-old child, both on the run, looking for refuge in this hidden world. It is here that a fractured family will come together, ghosts and demons will firmly be put to rest and an unexpected love is forged. Bill Nighy, Helena Bonham Carter and Tom Burke also star, with Mediawan Rights and Entourage Media distributing.

CREATED BY JULIEN SIMONET AND BRIGITTE BÉMOL, WITH LOUIS CHOQUETTE DIRECTING, this eight-part historical drama – coproduced by Aline Panel’s Authentic Prod with TF1 – is set against the pulsating and uncompromising backdrop of the iconic Parisian neighbourhood

BUST UP MONTMARTRE

at the turn of the 19th century. It’s here that Céleste, a determined can-can dancer, sacrifices her reputation by becoming Paris’s first nude performer, in order to fund the search for her long-lost siblings Arsène and Rose, separated after their father’s murder.

ROIMATA FOX (LEFT) AND MORGANA O’REILLY PAIR UP TO LEAD THIS NEW ZEALAND SERIES FOR SKY NZ AND GERMANY’S ZDF. Produced by Lippy Pictures in coproduction with MadeFor Film and distributor ZDF Studios, the series finds former romantic partners Deb Brighton (O’Reilly) and Mihi Renata (Fox) reunited after a decade apart and forced to partner up again as cops on the beat in the fictional

town of Waitote, in the north of New Zealand, when Mihi returns to her hometown. Coming home was always part of Mihi’s life plan, but working with her ex was not. Can these two ex-lovers survive 10-hour shifts together while taking on the likes of bank robbers, drug dealers and car thieves? It will air in 2026.

REUNION

WE COME IN PEACE THE EXCAVATION

MATTHEW GURNEY, LARA PEAKE, ANNE-MARIE DUFF, EDDIE MARSAN AND ROSE AYLING-ELLIS STAR in this four-part bilingual BBC thriller that was filmed in both British Sign Language and spoken English. Written by Sheffield-born deaf writer William Mager, the series is described as an emotional thriller of revenge and redemption that centres on Daniel Brennan (Gurney), a deaf man determined to right his wrongs while unravelling the truth behind the events that led him to prison. Brennan embodies the struggle of a man caught between two worlds, unable to fully integrate into the hearing world and shunned by his closest friends and the wider deaf community following his heinous crime. Amid this isolation, Brennan’s only meaningful relationship is with his estranged daughter Carly (Lara Peake), with whom he has not had any contact since his arrest over a decade ago. Produced by Warp Films and distributed by BBC Studios, it is directed by Luke Snellin (One Day).

DANISH SERIES DANEFÆ (THEEXCAVATION) BRINGS TOGETHER A HISTORICAL CRIME AND A MODERN MARRIAGE, as two archaeological experts uncover a 1,000-year-old murder mystery that threatens to change not only the entire history of Denmark, but their relationship too. Lene Maria Christensen and Anders W Berthelsen star as Ester and Michael in

FORMER X-FILES SHOWRUNNER FRANK SPOTNITZ IS MAKING A RETURN TO SCI-FI AFTER HIS COMPANY BIG LIGHT PRODUCTIONS (LEONARD, THE MAN INTHE HIGH CASTLE) BOARDED THIS SCANDINAVIAN SERIES – its first non-English-language project –produced by Black Spark Film & TV for Sweden’s TV4 and Germany’s ZDF. The grounded sci-fi series explores the chaos unleashed when a mysterious jellyfish-like object appears in the sky over Stockholm, sparking widespread panic, fear and confusion among the population. Created and written by Lars Lundström, it stars Fares Fares (Westworld) and Evin Ahmad (Snabba Cash). Studio TF1 is handling distribution. The series also counts Lundström’s Snyggfin Production, Infinite Entertainment in Sweden, Dansu in Lithuania and Beside Productions in Belgium as coproducers, in association with TV2 Norway, MTV in Finland and C More in Denmark.

a story that sees Ester strive to step out of her husband’s shadow and fight for what she believes in after her groundbreaking discovery. Commissioned by TV2 and produced by Uma Film, the show’s lead writer is Lars K Andersen and the director is Dagur Kári. Distributed by TV2 Sales & Coproductions, the series aired in June on TV2 and TV2 Play.

CITY OF SHADOWS

A THRILLER BASED ON THE NOVEL BY MILO MALART, this Spanish Netflix series opens following a gruesome crime in Barcelona’s La Pedrera (Casa Milá) – a burning body appears on the façade of Gaudi’s iconic building. Inspector Milo Malart (Isak Férriz) returns from suspension to join deputy inspector Rebeca Garrido (Verónica Echegui) in finding the perpetrator of this crime. Isak Férriz, Verónica Echegui, Ana Wagener, Manolo Solo and Jordi Rico complete the cast, with Arcadia producing the drama. It is directed by Jorge Torregrossa (Burning Body, Fariña, Intimacy), who has written the six-part series with Carlos López and Clara Esparrach.

A TIMELY AND TOPICAL SERIES IN THE WAKE OF THE DEVASTATING LA WILDFIRES, Lume is an eco-thriller set against a similar crisis on the northern Portugal-Spain border, which is having a hugely damaging impact on the countryside. When a huge forest fire begins to blaze in the hamlet of Seara, journalist Lucía has her reasons for wanting to get to the bottom of what happened. She was born and raised in the village, and her father was accused of starting the deadly fire and then committing suicide in jail. As the series unfolds, she starts to uncover the powerful

LUME IN

economic interests behind the forest fire. The six-part drama is produced by Lisbon’s Coral Europa and Setemedia in Santiago de Compostela, and will stream on Max in Spain and Portugal as well as airing on pubcasters RTP and Televisión de Galicia. ZDF Studios is handling international rights. It is created by Irene Pin and co-written by Pin and Sara Rodi. The multi-national cast includes Lúcia Moniz, Albano Jerónimo, Ricardo Pereira, Cristina Castaño, Xúlio Abonjo and Alfonso Agra. Portugal’s Sérgio Graciano and Spain’s Giselle Llanio direct.

HAPPYVALLEY CREATOR SALLY WAINWRIGHT’S LATEST SERIES BRINGS TOGETHER FIVE WOMEN (played by Joanna Scanlan, Rosalie Craig, Tamsin Grieg, Lorraine Ashbourne and Amelia Bullmore) who create a makeshift punk-rock band in order to enter a local talent contest. But in writing their first original song, they soon discover that they have a lot to say – and this is their way to say it. As they juggle demanding jobs, grown-up children, complicated parents, absent husbands and disastrous dates and relationships, the band becomes a catalyst for change in their lives, and it’s going to make them question everything. Wainwright is the writer and lead director on the series, which is produced by Drama Republic for the BBC in the UK and BritBox US and Canada. Mediawan Rights distributes.

PERNEL MEDIA CELEBRATES

STRANGER THINGS

IT BURST ONTO THE SCENE WITH RELATIVELY LITTLE FANFARE – BUT OVER THE LAST DECADE, THE NETFLIX SHOW HAS BECOME NOTHING LESS THAN A CULTURAL PHENOMENON. Created by the Duffer Brothers, Matt and Ross, the supernatural, coming-of-age drama arrived as a love letter to the 1980s, Dungeons & Dragons and the films of Steven Spielberg and John Carpenter. It began with the story of a young boy’s disappearance from the fictional small town of Hawkins, Indiana, and his friends’ search for answers, leading them into a mystery involving topsecret government experiments, supernatural forces and one strange little girl. Now the gang – featuring stars Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer,

Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke and others – face a final reckoning in their battle with Vecna. It’s been a star-making series for the young cast and the Duffer Brothers, who will move to Paramount at the conclusion of their Netflix deal in 2026. With the fifth and final season now streaming – the series finale drops at 01.00 GMT on January 1, 2026 – the Duffers have also made good on their plans to create cinematic television, with episodes later in the series often going beyond an hour in length and the S4 finale clocking in at 142 minutes.

THIS JAPANESE-SINGAPOREAN COPRODUCTION IS DESCRIBED AS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN ASIAN SCRIPTED TELEVISION, as it is specifically targeting Gen Z viewers. Singapore’s Empire of Arkadia and Mocha Chai Laboratories have partnered with Japanese broadcaster NHK and producer TV Man Union to create the show, an adventure drama inspired by real events. The story focuses on introverted Singaporean gamer Richie (Shawn Thia), whose world is turned upside down when his caring online Japanese gamer girlfriend Sakura disappears. He heads to Tokyo to find her, and enlists the support of new gamer friend Yuka (Anna Yamada), only

LOST & FOUND

settings, it is due to debut Singapore. Empire is handling

to become embroiled in the city’s dark underworld where many young people are unwittingly trapped in a web of scams, trafficking and illegal employment. Shot in both Japanese and English on location in Tokyo and Singapore, and blending both real and digital settings, it is due to debut in mid-March 2026 on NHK and Mediacorp Singapore. Empire of Arkadia is handling distribution.

THIS ICONIC ANTHOLOGY RAN ON THE BBC FROM 1970 TO 1984, featuring more than 300 original stories and adaptations that also served as a platform for new talent in front of and behind the camera. Now, UK broadcaster 5 has launched its own drama strand inspired by the format, also called Play for Today Debuting in November, four standalone one-hour dramas have been commissioned from

PLAY FOR TODAY THE LEFTOVERS

two production companies. Vertigo is behind Never Too Late and A Knock at the Door, while LA Productions is making Big Winners and Special Measures At a time when breaking into the industry is as tough as winning a commission, each production will spotlight new voices and focus on supporting low-income talent in behind-the-scenes roles such as writing, directing and production.

THIS AMBITIOUS 24-EPISODE TRILOGY IS BREAKING BOUNDARIES IN TWO WAYS FOR SINGAPOREAN BROADCASTER MEDIACORP – it marks the network’s first foray into the dystopian crime genre, and is also described as its most ambitious use of virtual production to date. Set between 2017 and 2043 on the ash-shrouded island of Equaland, the story follows underground boxer Lin Zhekang (Zhang Ze Tong, pictured) as he battles a ruthless organ-trafficking syndicate to save his mother (Jesseca Liu), only to cross paths with a disgraced doctor (Li Nanxing), whose secret experiments threaten to upend what it means to be human. The series also marks the first time ‘Ah Jie’ Zoe Tay and ‘Ah Ge’ Li Nanxing will share the screen since 2015’s The Dream Makers 2, reuniting two of Singapore’s

PEAKY BLINDERS

STEVEN KNIGHT’S ACCLAIMED BIRMINGHAM-SET GANG DRAMA FOLLOWING THE EXPLOITS OF TOMMY SHELBY (CILLIAN MURPHY) HAS ALREADY RUN FOR SIX SEASONS, with spin-off film The Immortal Man in the works. It has also inspired video games and a dance production titled Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby. Now the BBC and Netflix are partnering on the next chapter in the Peaky Blinders universe, commissioning two seasons of a new television spin-off that will tell the story of the next generation of Shelbys. In 1953, after being heavily bombed in the Second World War, Birmingham is building a better future out of concrete and steel – and the race to own the city’s massive reconstruction project becomes a brutal contest of mythical dimensions. This is a city of unprecedented opportunity and danger: with the Shelby family right at its blood-soaked heart. It will be produced by Kudos and Garrison Drama.

STAR TREK

VERTICAL MICRODRAMAS

WHILE SHORTFORM PROGRAMMING PLATFORM QUIBI MIGHT STILL BE A RECENT MEMORY, microdramas represent the latest booming sector in international television. The microdrama phenomenon first took the Asian market by storm, rapidly growing over the past few years to become a multibillion-dollar industry and pioneering a new way to consume scripted storytelling via apps including ReelShort, DramaBox, Shortmax and Micro Drama. Some estimates suggest microdramas have become a US$7bn industry in China alone, while outside of China it is projected to become a US$10bn industry by 2027, according to LA-based startup MicroCo. Now numerous companies are racing to tap into the market and launch series produced on a fraction of the budget of even a modestly priced broadcast programme. Even Chile’s TVN and Welsh pubcaster S4C are getting in on the act, with the latter commissioning the first ever Welsh-language microdrama, Yr Alwad (The Call, pictured).

THE SHOW THAT BOLDLY WENT WHERE NO TV SERIES HAD GONE BEFORE CELEBRATES ITS 60TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2026, with the franchise still continuing to operate at warp speed. Six decades ago, legendary creator Gene Roddenberry first introduced the world to Star Trek: The Original Series when it premiered on Canada’s CTV on September 6, 1966, and then in the US two days later on NBC on September 8. Today, the Star Trek franchise numbers 11 TV series, 14 films and more than 900 episodes. Series include The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise, as well as Discovery and Picard. The 60th anniversary will be officially commemorated on Star Trek Day, September 8, 2026. But before then, Trekkies will get to see the latest original series, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, early next year. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (pictured) will also return for fourth and fifth seasons after S3 wrapped in September, while YouTube will be the home of animated series Star Trek: Scouts, the first preschool extension of the franchise. If that’s not enough, fans can join a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of all things Star Trek with Star Trek: The Cruise, which sets sail in February 2026.

HOLLYOAKS

CHANNEL 4’S YOUTH-SKEWING SOAP CELEBRATED ITS LANDMARK 30TH BIRTHDAY THIS AUTUMN. It first launched on October 23, 1995, following the lives of the residents of ‘the Chester village where it all happens,’ and viewers have since followed numerous issue-based storylines, drama and larger-than-life characters. Groundbreaking plots have included male rape, incest, far-right extremism, a serial killer, anorexia and self-harm.

Filmed with a single camera on set in Liverpool, it also often centres on underrepresented groups and stories, and has proven to be

the training ground for actors such as Ricky Whittle (American Gods), Rachel Shenton (All Creatures Great & Small), Emmett J Scanlan (Kin) and Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones).

In September 2024, it moved from five nights a week to three in order to future-proof its survival beyond the 30th anniversary, while also landing a streaming first – broadcasting online on the day of transmission. Episodes of the show, which is produced by Lime Pictures and distributed by All3Media International, are also shared on YouTube.

BIBLICAL SERIES

THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF FOX EVENT SERIES THE FAITHFUL MARKS THE LATEST ENTRY IN THE EVER-GROWING – AND LUCRATIVE – MARKET FOR TELEVISION DRAMAS BASED ON THE BIBLE. It’s a trend led by Dallas Jenkins’ religious drama The Chosen (pictured), the independently financed and produced series about the life of Jesus that has demonstrated not only audience interest in but also the commercial viability of faith-based content. The show has racked up hundreds of millions of views across platforms and has seen increased international distribution – including cinemas –proving such content is no longer a niche proposition.

Prime Video has spotted this demand and become the market leader, picking up the series, which is set to run to at least seven seasons, while Amazon MGM Studios has partnered with Jenkins’ The Wonder Project

THEATRE TO TV

AWARD-WINNING THEATRE COMPANY THOMAS HOPKINS PRODUCTIONS (THP)’S DECISION TO LAUNCH A SCREEN DIVISION, named End Card, highlights the growing number of stage producers moving into television and film. End Card seeks to build on THP’s reputation for bold theatrical storytelling by developing and producing original projects alongside adaptations of existing stage IP, with a focus on work of cinematic scale and international reach, with Paul McKenzie (pictured) named head of television. The London company joins a list of stage and screen producers including Portobello Productions (Four Mothers), Trademark Films (Parade’s End), Bill Kenwright Limited (The Kill Room), Empire Street Productions (Prima Facie), Sister (Chernobyl) and Neal Street Productions (Call the Midwife).

On the flip side, BBC Studios Drama Productions (Silent Witness, Father Brown) has announced investment in the Welsh National Theatre, in a bid to identify new Welsh talent and build a partnership to increase Welsh representation on shows such as Casualty, Pobol Y Cwm and Anfamol – all made out of Roath Lock, the BBC’s production base in Cardiff. Actor and director Michael Sheen (Good Omens) founded the Welsh National Theatre at the start of 2025.

to develop new faith-based series and films. Prime Video subsequently ordered Joseph of Egypt, starring Adam Hasmi as Joseph who, after being betrayed by his brother, defies all expectations and rises to incredible power in Egypt, second only to the pharaoh. The streamer has also ordered faith-based animated adventure comedy The Chosen Adventures, which follows a nine-year-old girl and her best friend as they navigate life in the ancient city of Capernaum. When the children encounter a wise craftsman and teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, he helps them see the world differently, and they help spread his influence far and wide.

While faith-based commissions remain dominated by entertainment series and documentaries, there are plenty of reasons to believe more dramas are surely in the development pipeline.

DREAMERS

THIS CHANNEL 4 COMING-OF-AGE DRAMA IS SET IN A DANCE SCHOOL, where an eclectic group of students navigate today’s complex world, brought to life via its dance choreography. But this Leeds-based series isn’t just set and filmed in the city. Behind the scenes, creator Lisa Holdsworth built the story on characters who were workshopped and inspired by true stories from Leeds with support from the Young Audiences Content Fund, which was managed by the BFI and funded by the UK government. The Duck Soup

Films production also offered 10 Leeds-based people the opportunity to break into the broadcast industry as part of a 4Skills training initiative backed by the National Film and Television School. In particular, it was tailored to people with no previous production experience, providing training, mentoring, one-to-one sessions, career planning and the chance to work on a major production, enabling many of those who worked on the series to further develop their careers in the industry.

SOAP CROSSOVERS

DRAMA CROSSOVERS ARE MORE COMMON IN THE US, where characters from franchises like the Arrowverse, NCIS and One Chicago have often stepped outside their familiar surroundings and come together for ampedup stories set over multiple episodes. Now, two British series are getting in on the act, with Coronation Street and Emmerdale joining forces for the first time in soap history for an hourlong episode set to air on ITV in January 2026. DS Lisa Swain from Coronation Street and Aaron Dingle of Emmerdale were the first two characters revealed to be taking part in the unique collaboration, but what leads Lisa and Aaron to find their lives intertwined on a dark and foreboding night in January? While the exact plot is being kept under wraps, ITV has confirmed explosive scenes, nail-biting drama and never-before-seen interactions between some of Britain’s best-loved soap characters. If the experiment proves successful, watch out for further extensions of the ITV Soap Multiverse.

A PAIR OF THIS YEAR’S STANDOUT SERIES PUT DEAF CHARACTERS, AND ACTORS, IN THE SPOTLIGHT WITH AUTHENTICALLY TOLD AND PRODUCED STORIES REPRESENTING THE DEAF EXPERIENCE

Described as a bilingual series mixing spoken English with British Sign Language, BBC drama Reunion is an emotional thriller about revenge and redemption. It follows the journey of Daniel Brennan, a deaf man determined to right his wrongs while unravelling the truth behind the events that led him to prison. Written by deaf writer William Mager and produced by Warp Films (Adolescence), it boasts a cast featuring Matthew Gurney, Lara Peake, Anne-Marie Duff, Eddie Marsan and Rose Ayling-Ellis.

The latter also starred in ITV and BritBox crime thriller Code of Silence (pictured), in which she plays Alison, a smart and determined deaf woman whose life takes an unexpected turn when her remarkable lip-reading skills catch the attention of DS Ashleigh Francis (Charlotte Ritchie) and DI James Marsh (Andrew Buchan). Recruited for a covert operation, Alison must surveil a dangerous gang planning a high-stakes heist, thrusting her into a world of crime and deception. The six-parter is produced by Mammoth Screen and distributed by ITV Studios.

IN MARCH, CHANNEL 4 IN THE UK REVEALED IT HAD COMMISSIONED ITS FIRST DIGITAL ORIGINAL DRAMA which would be broadcast on YouTube as well as C4’s linear and online platforms. subsequently debuted in June in three 15-minute webisodes online, while C4 also aired it as a one-off 45-minute film. Written and directed by Uzo Oleh (Edicius), the sci-fi drama introduces couple Joe (Nicholas Pinnock) and Molly (Abbey Lee), who seemingly have it all. They’re deeply in love, successful in their careers and living the high life. But one thing is missing – a child. So when Molly falls pregnant after years of false hope, it feels like a miracle. Months later, when their baby daughter Imogen is born, she’s as Caucasian as can be, with no resemblance to Joe, who is black. As the pair’s lives are thrown into turmoil, Joe begins to unravel a shocking truth that rocks him, Molly and, potentially, the world to the core. It is produced by Dark Pictures.

Beth when world

BETH

DEAF STORIES MAKE NOISE

NORTH OF NORTH

A HALF-HOUR COMEDY-DRAMA PRODUCED MORE THAN 2,000 KILOMETRES NORTH OF TORONTO IN IQALUIT, the capital city of Nunavut in the Canadian Arctic, this is the largest scripted series ever produced in the region. Co-commissioned by Canadian pubcaster CBC and Netflix in association with Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, it is set in the fictional town of Ice Cove, where a young Inuk woman (Anna Lambe) attempts to reinvent herself in her small town after a spontaneous and very public exit from her marriage. Despite infrastructure and logistical issues among the numerous challenges facing the production, not to mention the extreme weather, the series tackles weighty themes familiar to indigenous communities, with creators Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril seeking to put a spotlight on Inuit comedy and build a screen industry in Nunavut.

BABYLON BERLIN

SOLD TO MORE THAN 140 TERRITORIES AROUND THE WORLD, this German period drama is coming to an end with its fifth season. The director/writer trio of Henk Handlogten, Achim von Borries and Tom Tykwer all return, with Volker Bruch (Generation War) and Liv Lisa Fries (The Wave) reprising their respective roles as Gereon Rath and Charlotte Ritter. Based on Volker Kutscher’s fifth novel The March Fallen, the new season’s story will take viewers into the dreadful events of February 1933 and the Nazi party consequently taking power. S5 might never have been made at all after original commissioner Sky Deutschland pulled back from its scripted output in 2023 – but producer X-Filme Creative Pool and coproduction partners ARD Degeto, SWR, WDR, Radio Bremen and distributor Beta Film came together to ensure the acclaimed series will receive the finale it deserves.

WHILE WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART CONTINUES TO BE A SOURCE OF FASCINATION FOR FACTUAL PRODUCERS AND FILMMAKERS MORE THAN 200 YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH, a pair of dramas are now exploring his life – and that of his family. Joe Barton (Giri/Haji, Black Doves) is writing Sky limited series Amadeus (pictured), which stars Will Sharpe (The White Lotus) as the musical virtuoso in a biopic that begins following his arrival in Vienna, based on Peter Shaffer’s play. Two Cities Television and Sky Studios are producing, with Julian Farino and Alice Seabright directing. NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution is handling international sales. Meanwhile, six-parter Mozart/Mozart focuses on the life of Maria Anna Mozart, the older sister of Wolfgang who has long lived in his shadow. After financial ruin forces her to impersonate him, she becomes entangled in a world of imperial and musical intrigue.

Germany’s Story House Pictures produces in coproduction with German public broadcasters ARD, SWR, WDR, Degeto Film, Austria’s ORF and Swiss production company The Dreaming Sheep Company. Bavaria Media International is distributing the project, which is led by showrunner by

in a world of imperial and musical intrigue. Andreas Gutzeit. Clara Zoë My-Linh von Arnim directs.

L-R: Adolescence

director Philip Barantini with stars Owen Cooper, Ashley Walters and Stephen Graham

FROM THE DIRECTOR OF ONE-SHOT FEATURE FILM BOILINGPOINT,THIS FOUR-PART NETFLIX SERIES WAS PITCHED AS THE FIRST TV DRAMA TO FILM EACH EPISODE IN ONE CONTINUOUS TAKE. Released in March to enormous acclaim and international success, it tells the story of how a family’s world is turned upside down when 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) is arrested for the murder of a teenage girl who goes to his school. Boiling alum Stephen Graham plays Jamie’s father and ‘appropriate adult’ Eddie Miller, Ashley Walters is Detective Inspector Luke Bascombe, and Erin Doherty is Briony Ariston, the clinical psychologist assigned to Jamie’s case. Philip Barantini directed from a script by Graham and Jack Thorne (Help), while production was hanled by Warp Films, Matriarch Productions and Plan B. Point

ADOLESCENCE

HAVING STARTED OUT IN MUSIC VIDEOS AND SHORT FILMS, French actor Colomb is a rising star in Paris and beyond. She made her feature film debut in 2017 before starring in France 2 series Laëtitia as the title character, Laëtitia Perrais, in the retelling of the true story of a young woman’s murder that shocked the country. She went on to appear in sci-fi dramedy OVNI(s) (UFOs) and took the lead role in 2023 miniseries Follow, playing a character who joins the Paris police department on a mission to update its image, just as a serial killer is on the loose. Last year, she starred in Prime Video’s Culte (pictured), a fictionalised behind-the-scenes account of the phenomenon behind reality TV show Loft Story – the French version of Big Brother –in the early 2000s. Colomb was presented with the Canneseries Madame Figaro Rising Star Award at this spring’s event, while she also served on the Panorama competition jury at Series Mania.

MARIE COLOMB

PRESSURE POINT

THE NORDIC SERIES SCRIPT AWARD 2025, WHICH IS PRESENTED ANNUALLY AT THE GÖTEBORG FILM FESTIVAL, was presented to this fact-based drama (locally titled Smärtpunkten) written by Pelle Rädström. Produced by Kärnfilm and Art & Bob for Sweden’s SVT and distributed by Reinvent Studios, it is based on the true story of how playwright Lars Norén and producer Isa Stenberg partnered with the inmates of a maximum-security prison to create a new play. However, amid a contentious debate on freedom of speech and government oversight lapses, the prisoners exploit their freedom, leading to bank robberies and the emergence of a neo-Nazi organisation. Tragically, their actions result in a double police murder, causing a national scandal and lasting trauma.

Actors

Engin Akyürek ï Bérénice Bejo ï Ebba Katrín Finnsdóttir ï Julie Gayet

Fabrizio Gifuni ï Harriet Herbig-Matten ï Izuka Hoyle ï Pascale Kaan

Alex Lawther ï Matthew Lewis ï Andrew Lincoln ï Lila McGuire

Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout & Arabella Stanton ï Fotinì Peluso ï Narges Rashidi

Jessica Reynolds ï Ioane Sa’ula ï Tom Sainsbury ï Gustaf Skarsgård ï Nicole Wallace

Directors

Benedict Andrews ï Enrico Maria Artale ï Robyn Butler & Wayne Hope

Malin-Sarah Gozin ï Daisy Haggard ï Hans Herbots ï Felix Herngren

Tinna Hrafnsdóttir ï Justin Kurzel ï Susanna Lira ï Molly Manning Walker

Janus Metz ï Jason Momoa ï Lisa Mulcahy ï Caleb Azumah Nelson

Alberto Rodríguez ï Storm Saulter ï Michele Soavi ï Jacob Tierney ï Nikki Toscano

Writers

Ragnar Bragason ï Constance Cheng ï Mackenzie Crook ï Urður Egilsdóttir

Tina Gharavi ï Sophie Goodhart ï Alex Haridi ï Dennis Kelly ï Maja Jul Larsen

Karianne Lund ï Meredith MacNeill & Jennifer Whalen ï Imran Mahmood

Paul Mayhew Archer ï Stefanie Preissner ï Leo Reich ï Diego San José

Ursula Rani Sarma ï Sarah Scheller ï Anita Vettesse ï Aimee Lou Wood

Series

Amsterdam Empire ï Bust Up ï California Avenue ï Ciudad de Sombras (City of Shadows)

Danefæ (The Excavation) ï Death of a Horse ï Etty ï El Futuro es Nuestro (The Future is Ours) Lord of the Flies ï Lume ï Montmartre ï Reunion ï Riot Women ï The Seduction Those Who Lived ï Tills Döden Skiljer Oss (Till Death Do Us Part) ï Tip Toe Trion (The Trio) ï Twenty Twenty Six ï We Come in Peace

Trends & Trailblazers

Adolescence ï Babylon Berlin ï Beth ï Biblical series ï Deaf dramas making noise Dreamers ï Hollyoaks ï The Leftovers ï Lost & Found ï Marie Colomb ï Mozart North of North ï Peaky Blinders ï Play for Today ï Smärtpunkten (Pressure Point) Soap crossovers ï Star Trek ï Stranger Things ï Theatre to TV ï Vertical microdramas

EDITORIAL: Editorial director Ed Waller Editor of C21Media.net Jonathan Webdale Chief sub-editor Gary Smitherman Head of design & DQ chief sub-editor John Winfield Senior sub-editor Steve Warrington News editor Clive Whittingham, Channel21 International editor Nico Franks DQ editor Michael Pickard Research

editor Gün Akyuz North American editor Jordan Pinto C21Kids editor Karolina Kaminska Senior reporter Neil Batey Special projects editor Louise Bateman

C21TV: Head of C21TV Jason Olive Video editor/motion designer Adrian Ruiz Martin SALES: Founding partner & commercial director Odiri Iwuji Sales director Peter Treacher Business development director Patricia Arescy Senior sales executives Richard Segal Yasmin Connolly

EVENTS: Group programming director Ruth Palmer Head of events Gemma Burt Programming director Adam Webb Deputy head of event programming Stephanie Boffa Events manager Mia Hodgson Events coordinator Lily Miller OPERATIONS: Operations director Lucy Scott Head of digital Laura Stevens Office manager Katie Reilly PRODUCTION: Production manager Courtney Brewster Digital content coordinator Sashka Wickramasinghe Events and production assistant Caitlin Wren

Production assistant Rory Mullan Wilkinson FINANCE: Group CFO Ravi Ruparel Finance director Susan Dean Finance assistants Marilyn Assan Marianne Pang

Editor-in-chief & managing director David Jenkinson