MIPCOM 2025_NEWS 1

FILM CLUB

Starring and co-written by BAFTA winner and Emmy-nominated Aimee Lou Wood (The White Lotus).

NEW Drama

KILL JACKIE

Starring Academy Award-winning Catherine Zeta-Jones (Wednesday), from the creator of Gangs of London and director of Killing Eve.

From the BAFTA-nominated writer of The Responder and Academy Award-winning producers of Normal People and The Tourist.

The Iris Affair

Starring Niamh Algar (Mary & George) and Emmy-nominated Tom Hollander (The White Lotus), from the creator of Luther and director of Breaking Bad.

October 13, 2025 1

MIPJUNIOR P8

Including: Toys‘‘R’’Us keynote; Ki & Hi World Premiere TV Screening; Real-Time kids animation is here; YouTube and Miraculous Corp; K-Animation Global Showcase;The MIPJUNIOR Pitch; and more...

PRODUCT NEWS P52

Content from around the world for sale in Cannes

MARKET NEWS P28

Including: Grupo Globo celebrates 100 years; Japan Ministry on selling content globally; market deals, including Warner Bros., BBC and All3Media; and other early MIPCOM CANNES business...

Members of the cast of Paramount Global Content Distribution’s new series Boston Blue were in town for the MIPCOM CANNES World Premiere Screening of the show. Pictured from the left are: Lucy Smith, Entertainment Division director, RX France; actor Sonequa Martin-Green; Lisa Kramer, president, international content licensing, Paramount Global Content Distribution; and actor and executive producer Donnie Wahlberg. Boston Blue sees Donnie Wahlberg reprise his role as Danny Reagan, and follows the NYPD Detective from long-running drama Blue Bloods, as he relocates to the Boston Police Department. In the US Boston Blue premieres on CBS, then is available for streaming on Paramount+. Boston Blue is produced by CBS Studios and Jerry Bruckheimer Television; Branldon Sonnier and Brandon Margolis are showrunners and executive producers; Jerry Bruckheimer, KristieAnne Reed and Wahlberg also serve as executive producers.

DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS Michel Filzi MANAGEMENT TEAM Entertainment Division Director + MIPCOM CANNES

Director: Lucy Smith; TV Division Sales Director: Brice Dieulot; SVP Sales & Business Development: Robert Marking; Director UK Sales: Vanessa Van Santen Smith; Vice President of Sales: Louis Hilleson, Director of Sales EMEA APAC, Timothée Parent Sales Director Hicran Lefort; Marketing Director: Amanda Baird; Conference Director: Tania Dugaro EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Editor in Chief: Julian Newby; Deputy Editor: Debbie Lincoln; Contributors: Claire Atkinson, Clive Bull, Ben Cooper, Stuart Dredge, Andy Fry, Isobel Lee, Max Leonard, Jo Stephens; Editorial Management: Boutique Media International; Graphic Studio: studioA Design; Graphic Designers: Harriet Palmer, Sunnie Newby Photography: 360 Media/Yann Coatsaliou; Photographers: Frederic Dides, Olivier Houeix, Patrick Frega, Phyrass Haidar PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Publishing Director: Martin Screpel; Publishing Manager: Amrane Lamiri; Printer: Creamania, Fréjus (France). RX France, a French joint stock company with a capital of 90,000,000 euros, having its registered offices at 52 Quai de Dion Bouton 92800 Puteaux, France, registered with the Nanterre Trade and Companies register under n°410 219 364 - VAT number: FR92 410 219 364. Contents © 2025, RX France Market.

‘We are definitely looking to have some fun with partners’

Co-productions are us

KIM MILLER OLKO, global CMO of Toys“R”Us and president Toys“R”Us Studios, used her MIPJUNIOR Keynote to announce that the iconic kids retail brand is open to forging new content.

“We’d love to talk to anybody about any ideas,” the Emmy Award winner told delegates. “We are definitely looking to co-produce and have some fun with partners.”

As a retailer, Toys“R”Us has been through a major restructuring since WHP Global took control of the company in 2021. Now back in growth, the new brand is encapsulated by the phrase “same magic, new method”, Miller Olko said.

The centrepiece of the Toys“R”Us content strategy is brand mascot

Geoffrey The Giraffe, who features in both call-to-action marketing and brand-building content initiatives: “With our marketing activities, the ultimate goal is to sell,” Miller Olko said. “But what we’re doing with some of our other content activities is inviting audiences to look at a brand’s soul, to be inspired and excited by it.”

Unpacking a wide array of content-led initiatives, Miller Olko said Geoffrey has featured in content promotions involving YouTube star MrBeast and Broadway stars Blue Man Group. He appears briefly in the

movie Kinda Pregnant and is being lined up as the star of his own feature film — with casting to be announced soon.

In digital, Miller Olko said Geoffrey features in YouTube series Geoffrey Vision and Geoffrey’s World Tour, both on the company’s YouTube channel. Geoffrey Vision is up to 48 episodes and she said the company is “definitely looking to distribute them internationally”, an ambition helped by the fact that Geoffery is non-verbal.

As for Geoffrey’s World Tour, which sees the mascot meet children from around the world, segments were used as part of the Nickelodeon series WhAM: What a Mess! There are also plans for “a 2.0 version of World Tour, which will expand the concept”.

In terms of the characteristics that define Toys“R”Us content, she said play and imagination are at the core of the brand’s DNA. Human development, mental health and togetherness are also key themes she is focusing on.

Toys“R”Us is also keen to embrace the potential of new tech. Last year, the company created the first-ever branded video with OpenAI Sora in partnership with production company Native Foreign. ”We’re not changing into an AI studio,” Miller Olko said, “but it is definitely great to have it in our toolbox.”

Multiplatform miracle workers

MIRACULOUS: Tales Of Ladybug & Cat Noir is a global TV sensation, with more than 140 episodes having played out on TF1 France and Disney platforms around the world. At MIPJUNIOR delegates heard how the show has now been transformed into a multiplatform megabrand, with help from YouTube.

On stage discussing their partnership were Alexis Rice, YouTube’s global youth partnerships lead, and Andy Yeatman, CEO of Miraculous Corp — a joint venture between Mediawan and the show’s creators ZAG Entertainment. Asked about the brand’s first 10 years, Yeatman said the shift in the show’s centre of gravity has been a key development: “The show, which is now in production on season seven, would not have existed without our broadcaster commissioning partners. But today we think of our strategy as multiplatform. Miraculous is one of the most watched kids shows on TF1, Disney, Netflix, YouTube, Roblox, and many other platforms.”

Another significant landmark of the first decade has been the recent creation of Miraculous Corp, a centre of excellence which handles everything to do with the brand. “That’s when I joined, with the goal of building this super popular show into a franchise universe of strong teen female superheroes based in iconic cities around the world.”

Asked why the show has done so well, Yeatman cited the visual imagery, the way the show handles emotions and the fact that the creative team has stayed the same since the start. “The combination of relatability and aspiration also resonates with kids,” he said. “The central character Marinette is kind, endearing and awkward in a way kids relate to. But when she turns into Ladybug, she’s confident and powerful.”

Forthcoming plans include a movie, a podcast and content for Miraculous fans that have aged up. Looking specifically at YouTube, Yeatman explained how the use of clips and compilations have played a key part in building audience on the platform. More recently, Miraculous has started publishing full episodes of the show — in a way that complements windowing arrangements with pre-existing partners.

Working with YouTube, the studio is exploring digital-first original content. Coming up is a 2D animation series called Miraculous Chibi (52 x 3 mins), which will feature on YouTube, TFI and Disney platforms. There are also plans for a crafting/makeover spin-off series and a project called Malicious Secrets. “Here, we are retelling episodes in a three-minute version, with a mysterious narrator doing a voiceover,” Yeatman said. “It’s a little bit like Ladybug’s answer to Bridgerton or Gossip Girl.”

Rice also shared insights into what YouTube is witnessing in kids and family. She said: “TV has been a big part of YouTube’s message this year. The full-length episode, whole-family experience is something I’m seeing in a way I haven’t in past years.”

She also said parents are looking for content that supports different day parts for their children. As an example, “we’re seeing parents looking for relaxing, calming audio, which enables them to create some screen-free time. That’s part of why podcasts have been an incredible growth area for YouTube Kids.”

Angus Ashwooh’s Yorkshire Country House Weekend

Duration: 8 x 60’

Producer: Air TV

Sixteen South pitch wows MIPJUNIOR judges

THE RETRIEVERS, a mystery comedy adventure being produced by Northern Ireland’s Sixteen South, has won the MIPJUNIOR Pitch Kids–Tweens 2025.

The 26 x 22 mins CGI-animated show stars Molly, a typically messy and impatient 11-year-old, who discovers that she can talk to animals — including her loyal canine friend, Otis. Otis also happens to be her policeman father’s police dog, and he is pleased that he can now communicate all the clues he’s found to crimes that are as yet unsolved. Together they team up with a gang of ‘retrievers’ — undesirable urban animals including a rat, a seagull, a stray cat and a maggot, each with their own special ability, and each keen to erase their bad reputation — and take to the streets of Paris to solve crimes.

Development producer Stephen Coulter described it as “Scooby-Doo meets Ocean’s Eleven, all set in a beautiful CGI world like Ratatouille.” He added that a 22-minute show for seven- to 11-year-olds was a departure for Sixteen South, which cut its teeth making seven-minute preschool 2D animations. “We want to push ourselves,” he said.

The show was praised by the judges, with Disney’s Rick Clodfelter commenting that the “mystery trope is very on trend right now”.

Sixteen South’s first CGI animated series, The Coop Troop, now delighting five- to nine-year-olds globally, was first presented to the international market at MIPJUNIOR in 2021, and the company is looking for broadcast partners and co-producers for The Retrievers.

The Retrievers beat a distinguished and international slate of finalists to the prize. Fox Fairy (12 x 20–26 mins) from China’s Buddha Studio was a beautiful painterly animation following the fortunes of fox demons drawn from Chinese mythology as they made their way through the human world. Izzi’s Super Fan Club from Brazil-based Birdo told the story of a young girl who becomes the head of the local superheroes’ fan club and goes to work in their HQ, meeting their sidekicks and having mishaps along the way. Ubuntu – Les Ambassadeurs de la Paix, from Armada Studio in the Ivory Coast, had a modern African setting and aimed to break stereotypes and educate. Its four-minute episodes featured four young

children confronting modern issues, who exemplified the spirit of ubuntu: “I am because we are.” Last but not least, Yugi Bao (39 x 7 mins), from Spain’s Digitoonz Entertainment, took place in the “Baoverse”, a home to tasty bao buns who, after the evil Count Tofu stole the steam of life, had to armour themselves to prevent from

drying out. It was a story designed to teach kids that being vulnerable is cool and that it’s OK to show your true feelings. The concept began with NFTs but will expand to encompass a cartoon, trading cards and more. The finalists were selected by the judging panel from 68 entries submitted from 32 countries.

SONY PICTURES

JOIN US FOR AN ADVANCE SCREENING AND Q&A

Elizabeth Banks Matthew Macfadyen

TODAY, 13 OCTOBER - 18:00

GRAND AUDITORIUM, PALAIS DES FESTIVALS

Followed by a Q&A with stars: Matthew Macfadyen, Sian Clifford, and O-T Fagbenle

OPEN TO ALL DELEGATES

PLEASE NOTE:

While this special preview screening is open to all MIPCOM delegates, it is not for review purposes.

K-Animation showcase

THE DEBUSSY Theatre played host to the 2025 K-Animation Global Showcase on Sunday as five cutting-edge Korean kids animations were given an exclusive MIPJUNIOR presentation. New stories and characters were unveiled and the people behind the creative visions outlined the growing impact Korea is having on the global kids content market. The Fresh Content, Fresh Connections session was presented by Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) and was followed by a Snack & Screen networking lunch.

Jeongyi Yoon, manager at Pingo Entertainment was first up with the debut pitch for Pingo’s latest project Ghost Grandma. The 50 x 3 mins series is also being developed for short-form social-media content.

Inchan Park, CEO, Studio W.Baba shared insight into their latest venture Dr Robot Teo, based on a popular and much beloved science and adventure book. “When the Earth faces fiascos like natural disasters, runaway science or monster mayhem there’s only one pint-sized prodigy to call: Doctor

Teo!” the audience was told. The new IP follows W.Baba’s hit animated series Hello Carbot which has run for 600 episodes across a decade in Korea. Sunwoo & Company’s WishPop was the next project to be unveiled.

Steve Cho, senior vice-president of strategic affairs, explained the premise of the 3D full-HD CGI series, which is based around a girl band whose members also have individual superpowers, and is aimed mainly at nine- to 12-year-old girls.

Jungwoo Yang, CEO, Studio Shelter showcased its latest work Maru Is A Puppy. The story centres on Maru, who wishes on a star and changes from a puppy into a five-year-old. The moment this causes trouble has become a viral meme in Korea.

Finally, Hwa Jeong Lee, CEO, WeNobs Co. presented the innovative animation Hotel Penni which takes micro-organisms as its inspiration. The ancient Hotel Penni is run by the Penicillium family and plays host to a variety of microbial guests.

MIPCOM 2025

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HEIN S2

DIRECTED BY ARNE TOONEN & MARGIEN ROGAAR SALES BY SKOOP MEDIA

KABAM! S2

DIRECTED BY ELISABETH HESEMANS

SALES BY DUTCH CORE

CHILDHOOD DREAMS

DIRECTED BY BRAM SCHOUW & SIMONE VAN DUSSELDORP

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DIRECTED BY MAURICE TROUWBORST SALES BY DUTCH CORE

IGNITION POINT

DIRECTED BY LOURENS BLOK SALES BY DUTCH CORE

LAURA H.

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MIPJUNIOR World Premiere

MEDIAWAN Kids & Family hosted the MIPJUNIOR World Premiere Screening of its new animated series Ki & Hi In The Panda Kingdom in the Debussy Theatre. Based on France’s biggest-selling manga, written by Fanny Antigny and Kevin Tran, the show for six- to 10-year-olds follows the ups and downs of two brothers. Frequently fighting with each other, it’s often up to their best friend, Sha, to mediate and ensure a happy ending.

It is brought to screen by a host of co-producers and funders, including home broadcast partner Canal+, whose Géraldine Soto called it a “great story with relatable characters”. “We tried to paint all the nuances of a relationship,” said co-creator Kevin Tran. “There are disputes and mischief, but most often there is love.” Ki & Hi In The Panda Kingdom debuts on Canal+ in France and RTBF in Belgium this month, and on Italy’s DeAKids in December.

Making light work of kids animation

FROM games such as Fortnite and Streetfighter V to films and TV including Westworld and The Mandalorian, the power of Unreal Engine (UE), Epic Games’ realtime 3D creation platform, is well known. However, the company’s business development director, Rob Di Figlia, was at MIPJUNIOR’s Fast, Fresh, Unreal: Real-Time Kids Animation Is Here session promoting its capabilities in animation. Above all, he claimed, UE boosts the creative process and enables significant production efficiencies. “Your whole process becomes this creative sandbox where all your departments start working earlier and in parallel,” he said. “It’s a whole new level of collaboration.” Removing long render times allowed for fast, iterative creative work, in any animation style. “No two Unreal animation projects are the same,” he added. Typically, said Di Figlia, people think of UE as a tool for lighting, rendering and compositing (LRC), but he

pointed to its capabilities in storyboarding, visualisation and layout, and animation in particular. Bringing characters to life in context — for example not animating faces that will be in shadow — was a significant time saving. In a case study of a project by Pure Imagination and Zebu, Di Figlia reported a 20% time saving, a 65% reduction in hardware (storage and render farm) costs and a 75% reduction in LRC team size when producing an average 22-minute series. Looking ahead, he staked a claim to UE’s role in a future of interactive and immersive content that’s interoperable across multiple platforms. “It’s all portable,” he said. “One asset to rule them all.”

There are now more than a hundred animation studios with UE licences. Four features animated with UE were released in 2024 and 2025, and the UE-animated War Is Over won Best Short Film (Animated) at the 2024 Oscars.

Community-building ‘is the key to IP success in a digital world’

MIPJUNIOR’s Case Studies Of Success In The Digital Arena session was a guide for traditional producers aiming to launch or develop IP across digital channels. The overriding message was to focus on community. “Community-building is half the worth of your brand. Raising funds to build community is the way forward for us,” said Aisling Zubizarreta of new IP incubator company Kaizen Pop. “Know your audience. That’s your data, those are your numbers: ultimately, that’s how you monetise.”

“Get audience validation as soon as possible and be nimble enough to pivot around,” said

Patrik Wilkens of TheSoul Publishing. His company’s strategy was not to front-load production, allowing it to change scripts and boost the role of characters that became popular. It also could mitigate risk by dropping properties that didn’t catch on, with minimal wasted time and money.

“Fail fast and fail a lot,” he said.

TheSoul Publishing’s ‘long-form’ content landed at eight to 10 minutes, to optimise for ad slots, but it was also doubling down on short-form of less than three minutes. Every minute was sliced and packaged into shorts, compilations and livestreams, to maximise reach and coverage.

Darran Garnham of Toikido spoke about meeting the community where they were. YouTube was a linchpin but he also highlighted Facebook, TikTok and Discord, as well as digital collectables including NFTs, as ways to engage and connect with fans. He advised not to silo different communities. “I love crossing the streams,” he said. “How do we put Bad Egg into our girl IP?” Of the three companies represented, Toikido retained the biggest links to traditional merchandising. “Everything we do has a toy at its heart,” he said. “I want the companies that will bring the extra revenue around the table before we launch content.”

Why children need to go on ‘flights of fancy’

THE MOST empowering children’s content is shows, games and experiences that encourage their creativity, according to Amanda Gummer, CEO of research firm Fundamentally Children.

“What is it that you can give them that empowers them? Things like building and storytelling, daydreaming and drawing,” Gummer said during her Designing With Purpose MIPJUNIOR session.

“That imaginative angle is how kids make sense of the world. It’s about giving them the opportunity to go on flights of fancy.”

Gummer’s session tackled “the elephant in the room” for children’s content: the fact that kids spend so much of their time in a social, algorithm-driven digital world.

“65% of eight- to 11-year-olds have their own social-media ac -

counts,” she said. “The average screen time for a three- to eightyear-old is over five-and-a-half hours a day. It is a scary place, but we can do something about it.”

Gummer encouraged attendees to focus on playful interactions that prioritise children’s wellbeing, including physical play.

“TV content can encourage play.

We’ve seen it with Bluey. It can help children thrive in a digital world, but also in the physical world,” she said.

“Children today move fluidly between physical and digital play,” Gummer said. “You can learn a lot on the screen, but there are times when you need to be off the screen to learn other things.”

Gummer also acknowledged the commercial challenges facing children’s content makers who want to be responsible.

“It’s a balancing act. You can’t do any good if you go out of business. You’ve got to balance the commercials with the willingness to do good,” she said.

“We need to make a world where people aren’t having to choose between making money or doing the right thing by kids.”

Kids rebooted: keeping in touch with the touch-screen generation

GENERATION Alpha’s “touchscreen first” approach is creating winners and losers in children’s content, according to data intelligence experts

The Insights Family and Omdia.

“We are seeing a complete reboot of how kids’ content is created, distributed and monetised,” said Adam Woodgate, vice-president, research solutions, The Insights Family, during a MIPJUNIOR session.

Tim Westcott, practice lead, digital content & channels, Omdia, added: “Today’s children watch less linear TV than ever.”

Woodgate noted that “if kids don’t discover your content, nothing else matters”, pointing out that today’s young viewers are most influenced by friends, online video and TV

adverts when choosing what to watch. “If their favourite influencer recommends something, that is a trusted voice,” he said.

Westcott said first-run children’s commissions were declining, with Netflix now the largest commissioner of new content.

Woodgate suggested the industry might want to reassess its view of gaming in the content race. He reported that Roblox and Minecraft are the top two most popular gaming brands in a selection of seven markets surveyed, noting that “they are not just games but creation platforms and social spaces”. A Minecraft Movie, produced with a budget of $150m, generated worldwide box-office receipts of almost $1bn.

He added: “Old thinking says ‘I need to get commissioned by a network to succeed’. The new reality is that traditional commissioning is under

Creative communities ‘are the future’

SUCCESSFUL kids IP will increasingly be powered by the communities who love its characters, according to Nicholas Cabana, co-founder and chief creative officer of Claynosaurz.

“Community-driven franchising is the future,” he said du-

ring MIPJUNIOR’s Storytelling Beyond Borders session, before highlighting the importance of user-generated content (UGC).

“UGC is something that every company needs to be really looking at, and allowing and enabling. It’s co-creation: allowing fans to make

duress, it makes sense to build your own IP on digital platforms first.” Founded in 2017, Manchester-based The Insights Family provides realtime market intelligence on kids, young people and parents across six continents and 22 countries. Omdia’s intelligence and advice derives from decades of global expertise and coverage of the tech markets.

memes, write stuff about the brand or invent stories,” Cabana said.

“It’s very empowering: fans can find their own niches within a brand that they might not have found otherwise.”

Claynosaurz started as a web3 project: NFTs of animated dinosaurs. Selling those digital collectibles brought in money to invest in short-form content production for social media.

The franchise has generated revenues of $11m in its first three years, while its digital collectibles ecosystem is valued at just over $30m.

“We pre-package a brand with an audience and we de-risk IP because we monetise early in our development cycle,” Cabana said.

He was joined in the session by Sadaf Cohen Muncy, senior vice-president, head of development & production at HappyNest Entertain-

ment. She talked about Paris & Pups, a show starring an animated Paris Hilton and her five dogs that was made for YouTube.

“We created this show with the idea that we were going to launch on YouTube … All the kids in my life, that’s primarily where they watch everything,” Muncy said.

“We wanted to make sure that the quality is excellent. There is a perception sometimes that if something is made for YouTube it’s not well-produced. That is not true.”

External partnerships have been important for the show too. Understood, a non-profit focusing on ADHD and other learning and thinking differences, and SignUp Media, which provides sign language interpretation, were both key. “There are opportunities to reach out beyond just the content and consumer products, and really be thoughtful about how you can truly build a community,” Muncy said.

Where’s the next breakout for kids coming from? Try Roblox

THE NEXT runaway children’s hit will not come from the TV industry, according to Animaj co-founder Gregory Dray.

“I’m absolutely convinced that the next big children’s IP will come from a platform like Roblox,” said Dray during MIPJUNIOR’s Knowing The Digital Youth session.

“This is the place where kids are spending an increasing amount of time. What I see today in Roblox is exactly what I was seeing when I was working for YouTube in 2014 and 2015 … we are seeing some numbers that are absolutely astonishing.”

Fellow panelist Chris M Williams, CEO of pocket.watch, said YouTube is still a powerful launchpad.

“When channels grow on YouTube,

they are coming through the most competitive environment in the history of time for content and IP — competing with 20 million videos uploaded every day, and 4.2 billion videos on that library,” he said.

“When they come through the other side as creators, with millions of fans globally who love them, it is not luck.

It’s not timing. It’s not because they gamed an algorithm. It’s magic. The same type of magic that would lead to massive success for a movie or TV show, except in an environment that is fundamentally more competitive.”

The session was led by Lea Karam, founder of behavioural science consultancy Mindscope, who talked about the creative instincts of Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha kids.

Glance: K-Pop and YouTube set trends

INTERNATIONAL research company Glance kicked off MIPJUNIOR by providing delegates with a snapshot of key trends and hot properties in the kids genre at a session in the Debussy theatre. Regional sales director, Americas, UK, Nordics, Laura Freydier Dubreul, opened by noting “the enduring appeal of K-Pop for children. Last year, we highlighted the Canadian series, Gangnam Project, and this series has continued to travel. This year there is K-Pop Demon Hunters, one of Netflix’s latest global hits.”

Freydier Dubreul also drilled down into viewing trends in the UK, pointing out that YouTube is growing rapidly among children aged four to 15. For the first half of this year, YouTube viewing was

almost the same as the viewing for broadcast and SVODs — a very different situation compared to older demographics.

Interestingly, she also noted that five of the top 10 YouTube channels for kids in key European markets were based on TV IP, including Peppa Pig and Numberblocks. In other words, the growth of YouTube is not entirely at the expense of traditional TV IP.

Freydier Dubreul handed the baton to Glance senior research analyst Romy Nicolas who presented around 20 shows highlighting key editorial trends.

These included the migration of digital formats to TV, the subject of AI and the use of sport as a subject for kids series. She also discussed “programmes that emphasise inter-ge-

“They watch content, but then they edit, they mash up, they transform the content. They create new narratives and new formats, they push into your IP, and they distribute the content across their communities,” she said.

The potential impact of AI on kids’ content loomed large during the panel.

“I am very hopeful we’re going to start using AI for good. It’s a fantastic tool,” said Patricia Hidalgo, director of children’s & education at the BBC.

“I can’t wait to see what children start creating. AI is a really powerful tool that they’re going to be using themselves, and they’re probably going to take over — being the storytellers of tomorrow!”

nerational connections, the return of major franchises, series with a touch of absurd humour and shows that centre on cosmic adventures.”

Among digital to TV series, she picked out Nickelodeon’s Kid Cowboy. High-profile reboots included Winx Club: The Magic Is Back. She also noted that Disney has created a Marvel pre-school series: Iron Man And His Awesome Friends.

HTI completes Play Time deal with Nanny Caddie

HAT TRICK International (HTI) has snapped up the international rights for Play Time, a new format from production firm Nannie Caddie that celebrates neurodiversity and children’s creativity.

The show sees six neurodivergent comedians working with a group of neurodiverse six- to eight-yearold children to create and perform an original stage play within a single day.

Nanny Caddie’s founders, Céin McGillicuddy and Andy Kinnear, created the format, and secured a commission from UK broadcaster ITV’s Fresh Cuts initiative.

The show will air on ITV1 in November and will also be made available to stream on ITVX and YouTube. HTI has also signed its first representation deal with Nanny Cad-

die to roll the format out worldwide.

“This show immediately caught our collective eye due to its ability to capture some of the timeless beats and laughs that come through viewing the world

through children’s eyes, combined with a completely fresh approach to finding fun and creativity with a neurodivergent group,” said Sarah Tong, HTI’s director of sales. McGillicuddy added: “Play Time

listens to children, reminding us of the important things. And Andy and I really believe that’s the sort of TV the world needs and wants right now: positive, feel-good, inspiring and empowering. With universal themes of humanity, community, creativity and comedy, this is truly something everyone can enjoy anywhere in the world, no matter your age or background.”

Daewon’s Armorsaurs re-imagined

CAKE has announced a global deal with Disney Branded Television for two seasons of live-action VFX series Armorsaurs, produced by MGA Entertainment.

The first 13 x 22 mins season pre-

mieres on Disney XD in the US today and will roll out on Disney+ in February. The deal also includes select full episodes, shorts and exclusive content to launch on Disney’s YouTube channel. Next year, MGA will

expand the Armorsaurs universe across toys, digital content, lifestyle products and games, building a multiplatform brand with a global reach. Aimed at kids aged six and up and with strong family co-viewing ap-

peal, Armorsaurs re-imagines the 2021 South Korean television series Armored Saurus, originally developed by Daewon Media. Mixing live action, visual effects and animation, the new Armorsaurs follows a team of teen pilots and their armoured dinosaurs, who are humanity’s last line of defence against an advanced alien race intent on returning to Earth to replenish their army of prehistoric fighting dinosaurs.

“One of our greatest opportunities was to take a show originally created in Korea, honour the core concept that proved its potential and expand it into an experience that resonates with audiences everywhere,” said Dong-Hoon Jung, CEO of Daewon Media. “With visionary partners like MGA, Disney Branded Television and Cake, true global leaders in kids’ and family entertainment, Armorsaurs is poised to grow into a worldwide franchise that reaches far beyond the TV series.”

Media I.M.’s Zola, Tatty, Misifu & Sunny Bunnies come out to play

MEDIA I.M., the London-based content distribution company that specialises in animation and family entertainment, has announced the first sales for its pre-school series Tatty And Misifu, along with a string of new deals for its legacy property Sunny Bunnies. All five seasons of Tatty And Misifu (57 x 5 mins) have been licenced to Janson Media for Amazon Prime, as well as US AVOD platform HappyKids and Canadian children’s streaming service Kidoodle.TV. The 2D animated series, produced by Barcelona-based Toy Town Kids, chronicles the adventures of a little witch and her faithful kitten companion Misifu. In time for MIPCOM CANNES, deals have also been signed for preschool brand Sunny Bunnies with Viaplay for Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland; Animeta for India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka; Sensical US; Pro TV Romania; Nelonen Finland; and BabyFirst for the US and Latin America.

Irina Nazarenko, co-founder of Media I.M., said: “At their heart, both Tatty And Misifu and Sunny Bunnies deliver simple, joyful fun. They blend vibrant animation with heartwarming antics that spark the imagination while teaching important life lessons.”

Media I.M. is also showcasing its latest acquisition in Cannes: the 3D animated series Zola And Friends, co-produced

by New Delhi-based Wordsword Creations and Ontario-based Double Dot Studios. The 25 x 11 mins series is set in Tanzania’s Serengeti nature reserve and targeted at three- to six-year-olds. The action centres on a loveable white rhino called Zola, who lives in a treehouse with her chums Mosi the monkey, Kito the lizard and Shani the snake.

Stinetingling spooky tales from Limestone

LIMESTONE Animation, a new Canadian animation and digital-media studio based in Ontario, has launched alongside its first project in development: RL Stine’s Stinetinglers. Stine, the mastermind behind the Goosebumps and Fear Street book series, has amassed more than 500 million global book sales to date. Co-founded by industry veterans Sean Connolly and Donnie MacIntyre, who will also serve as co-CEOs, Limestone is “designed from the ground up to embrace modern production technologies while championing the creativity of its team and collaborators”, according to the company.

Stinetinglers is adapted from Stine’s latest horror anthology series, which has already seen four volumes released

MINIKA AND ÁNIMA KITCHENT EXPAND PARTNERSHIP

SPANISH animation studio

Ánima Kitchent has renewed and expanded its partnership with Turkish children’s channel Minika for pre-school series Cleo & Cuquín. Minika originally licensed the first two seasons of Cleo & Cuquín in 2021. Under the new four-year deal, Minika will retain the rights to both seasons. As part of the expanded agreement, Minika has also acquired 30 episodes of spin-off series Cuquín: Discover & Explore. Initially released as digitalfirst content, this is the first time these episodes will be broadcast on Turkish TV and VOD platforms, significantly expanding the brand’s presence in the region.

with a fifth scheduled for 2026. The series is set in the seemingly idyllic town of Blooming Hills, where unknown forces unleash chilling terrors on local teens. The project is the first time one of the author’s properties is being adapted exclusively for animation, following decades of live action.

“Animation is the perfect medium to tell the twisted tales of Stinetinglers,” Stine said. “But more than that, I was blown away by the unique spin the team at Limestone proposed and I immediately knew they were the right partners.”

Connolly and MacIntyre said that Stinetinglers was the perfect project to mark the launch of their studio because “it represents everything we want Limestone Animation to be: the home of creative storytelling that is bold, imaginative and designed to bring audiences of all ages together. There’s nothing like a little spooky fun to unite generations.”

Elçin Koyuncu, Minika’s chief content editor, said: “We are dedicated to curating content that truly connects with audiences, and Cleo & Cuquín is a shining example of that vision.” He added that the addition of Cuquín: Discover & Explore “further enriches our line-up, inviting children to learn, play and grow through discoverydriven adventures”.

Miguel Aldasoro, Ánima Kitchent’s international sales and co-production director, added: “This extended partnership not only highlights the strong connection the show has built with audiences in Turkey but also opens a new chapter with the introduction of Cuquín: Discover & Explore to TV and VOD.”

Globo brings centennial celebrations to Cannes

GRUPO Globo continued its year-round 100-year anniversary celebrations with a special showcase on the eve of MIPCOM CANNES at the Carlton hotel last night. The company unveiled new partnerships with major global players and presented a portfolio that included new series Perfect Days and Red Blood – Under The Moonlight, along with both scripted and unscripted formats.

The group turned 100 on July 29 this year; TV Globo turns 60 in April 2026.

Globo started out as a newspaper publisher and first gained international recognition as a producer of telenovelas — which remain “one of the most relevant and highest-rated genres on our platforms, whether on free-to-air TV, pay TV or [SVOD service] Globoplay”, according to Angela Colla, Globo’s head of international business.

“Brazilian telenovelas reflect the country, creating a national identity with engaging storylines that go beyond our screens and become some of the most talked-about topics on social media,” Colla said. “An example is Anything Goes, a telenovela currently airing in our primetime slot and breaking records across all fronts. It has already reached over 141 million Brazilians and is the highest-grossing soap opera in Globo’s history.”

Globo is the largest producer of audiovisual content in Brazil; and the largest producer of premium Portuguese-language content in the world, exporting over 19,000 hours of content annually.

The group’s content has been licensed internationally for some 50 years; it has a presence in more than 160 territories and its content, spanning dramas and other genres, is translated into more than 70 lan-

guages: “The film I’m Still Here is an excellent example, a Globoplay Original production [from director Walter Salles] that symbolises Globo’s role in expanding Brazilian audiovisual content, winning global audiences and awards for Brazilian productions.”

Grupo Globo was built on “the legacy of Irineu and Roberto Marinho — two visionaries”, Colla said.

‘Grupo Globo was built on the legacy of Irineu and Roberto Marinho — two visionaries’

“It is what remains unchanged as the company transforms to adapt to new times. Globo’s essence is guided by a pursuit of quality, innovation, appreciation of talent, a passion for communication, and an unwavering commitment to ethics and Brazilian identity. Roberto Marinho used to say that a company is never finished. What began as the newsroom of a newspaper, above a shop in downtown Rio de Janeiro, has become the largest media and communications conglomerate in Latin America.”

But Globo is “more than a media group”, Colla said. “We want to tell great stories. Our mission is to bring these stories to as many people as possible, and we know that strategic partnerships are essential for that.” She added: “Events like MIPCOM CANNES are key to sparking market interest in our products, opening conversations and strengthening relationships with our partners.”

BBC session to focus on the next big thing in TV formats

BBC STUDIOS is presenting an exclusive showcase of breakthrough unscripted formats — from global hits to future trailblazers — today in Cannes. The session will include sneak previews of new BBC game shows The Inner Circle and Wisdom Of The Crowd, the latter from the creators of the global hit format The 1% Club.

Sumi Connock, executive vice-president of BBC Studios’ Global Creative Network, spoke to the MIPCOM CANNES Daily News about what makes a hit format: the key ingredient, she said, is “universal appeal. It needs to speak to audiences in every part of the world — so themes like dating, reality,

celebrity-driven shows and largescale event entertainment.”

“Humour is also playing an increasingly bigger role — probably due to the state of the world … let’s face it, we all need a laugh,” she said. ”Comedic clips really cut through on social media and are more likely to go viral as we have a tendency to share the content that makes us laugh.”

And in this genre, “hits create hits”, Connock said. “A big successful brand opens the door for more success from brand extensions.” She cites Dancing With The Stars and Bake Off as examples. And The 1% Club, which became an instant hit “because of its sheer scale — 100 contestants — which will launch a

Banijay ball game set for US rollout

BANIJAY Entertainment has announced a second series of Let’s Play Ball, the comedy game show co-developed by Banijay Benelux label EndemolShine Nederland, Talpa Studios and Signal.Stream, for Dutch broadcaster SBS6. And Bunim/Murray Productions, part of Banijay Americas, is set to introduce the format to US buyers later this month.

Following its breakout success this summer, Let’s Play Ball, became SBS6’s strongest new launch of the year for the 25-44 demographic. The show was initially piloted on YouTube via StukTV, where it drew over 1.2 million views, and has since evolved into a flagship format for Banijay Entertainment. The show is leading the com -

pany’s format line-up at MIPCOM CANNES and is already attracting international interest, with Banijay UK co-developing an English-language version.

Let’s Play Ball is a physical game show that becomes a race across regional landscapes — from narrow city streets to rivers and fields — with two celebrity-led teams rolling a gigantic ball as they go. What begins as a seemingly straightforward task, unravels into comedic chaos and strategic gameplay. And what began as a digital-first format, could well enjoy further online exposure down the line.

“There’s a huge opportunity around it,” James Townley, chief content officer, development, Banijay Entertainment, said.

“Actually having these infamous supersized balls rolling through your town or city, it can bring quite a lot of attention in a way that you have with, say, the Tour de France where people wait along roads for it to come their way. There’s a real social-media opportunity there; get people to spot them, film them and post them. We’ve got lots of ideas, but what I particularly love about it is that, in my naive head, it’s so simple.”

Townley added: “The fact it began in the creator economy, was piloted on YouTube, and is now a broadcast success, proves how adaptable and scalable this format is. Appealing to all ages, it really has great potential for further international rollout.”

BBC Studios Premium Unscripted Formats, presented by BBC Studios Auditorium K, Monday, October 13, 15:30 - 16:30

rollover daily stripped primetime event later this year.”

Existing IP can work well in this space, with brands including Uno, Trivial Pursuit and Monopoly converting into TV formats. “But the landscape is really varied, with lots of trends coming through — reality, fact-ent, game and humour are all thriving — which is great for broadcasters as there’s such a wealth of top-quality formats on offer.”

She said there is already a lot of interest in Wisdom Of The Crowd: “I have high hopes for that one. Plus there are several more territories looking at Nation’s Dumbest too because as I said before, we all need a laugh right now, more than ever!”

Ninja Warrior leaps into new era as Banijay and TBS scale format

BANIJAY Entertainment and Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) continue build on their strategic partnership. Banijay has acquired the worldwide distribution rights (excluding Asia, the US, Germany, France and Poland) to Ninja Warrior, the legendary sportainment franchise created by TBS. The format showcases extraordinary strength, speed, agility and mental toughness, as everyday competitors push their limits on demanding obstacle courses. Currently airing in five markets, the new deal enables Banijay to scale and relaunch the format through its global network of labels.

Katsuaki Setoguchi, executive officer for global business at TBS Holdings, told MIPCOM Daily News it was a significant deal. “This new partnership is an exciting step for our signature format,” he said. “With Banijay Entertainment’s amazing expertise in

development, production and distribution, we are confident about the format’s continued growth and global reach. Guided by our business purpose — Inspiring Global Love for Japan through Timeless Moments — we look forward to delivering this iconic physical game show to even more countries and audiences.” The deal was brokered by Helen

Greatorex, head of format acquisitions at Banijay Entertainment. “It’s really special for us to find a show that has such a history but still has potential to move further,” she said. “It felt like the perfect time to talk with TBS again and find a way to work together on this. We are incredibly excited to have another superbrand in our catalogue.”

New FAST channel for ZDF’s Legacy

GLOBAL free ad-supported streaming platform wedotv has partnered with ZDF Studios to launch a new FAST channel dedicated to South African drama series Legacy. Entitled wedotv: Legacy, the channel is created and distributed by wedotv, with ZDF Studios handling global representation. Legacy (104 x 45 mins) dives into

the glamorous yet cutthroat world of investment billionaires, where power struggles, family feuds and dark secrets collide within the elite Price dynasty. The series has garnered critical acclaim for its gripping storytelling, high production values and binge appeal.

“When ZDF Studios came to us with the idea of a channel dedi-

OTF UNVEILS NEW CONTENT PARTNERSHIPS

cated to Legacy, we wanted to make sure the key elements of a successful single-IP channel were in place: quality, story and a proven audience-ratings generator — Legacy has all of those key qualities in spades” said Philipp Rotermund, CEO of wedotv. “It’s also incredibly compelling and binge-worthy, which helps keep viewers engaged within the platform ecosystem, which is essential for advertisers.”

Florian Streit, director of drama at ZDF Studios, added that Legacy has a built-in fan base: “Single-IP channels work well because they are immediately identifiable to fans. Legacy is also a long-running series that maintains an exceptional level of quality across all episodes.”

Produced in South Africa by M-Net, a division of Canal+ company MultiChoice, Legacy was created by Gwydion Beynon and Phathutshedzo Makwarela, and stars Dawid Minnaar, Sean-Marco Vorster and Michelle Botes.

OFF THE Fence Media (OTF) has announced new content partnerships with WildBear Entertainment, Enderley Pictures and Afanti Media. With Welsh prodco Afanti, OTF is launching Dark Waters. The in-production documentary for S4C and BBC Wales will deliver in January 2026, just ahead of the 30-year anniversary of the Sea Empress oil disaster. Enderley, meanwhile, has awarded OTF the rights to its upcoming docuseries Staged: Deadly Deceptions, pre-sold to Hearst’s A+E, which examines cases that look like accidents, suicides or random acts of violence — until investigators start pulling at the seams. Also on offer is the second season of Wild Battleground. Originally produced by WildBear for RTL Germany. Loren Baxter, OTF’s vicepresident of acquisitions, noted that the company is making its first trip to Cannes as part of newly-formed World Storytelling Media Group, created after Insight TV’s recent acquisition of OTF. “A heartfelt thank you to our partners for their trust and support as we embark on this exciting new chapter,” she said.

Fboy and Fgirl lead Warner’s rush of day one format deals

WARNER BROS. International Television Production (WBITVP) has announced a series of format deals on the opening day of MIPCOM CANNES. In India, Discovery Communications has commissioned FBoy Island, to be called FBoy Survival, for both Discovery Channel and the D+ platform. Produced by Fox6 Media, the 20-episode Indian version will blend adventure-survival with the evergreen reality dating genre. Created by STX Entertainment and TheYearOfElan for HBO Max in the US, FBoy Island has local versions in Australia, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Sweden. The format has also inspired spin-off FGirl Island for The CW in the US. FBoy Island has also been commissioned in Germany, with a nine-part series produced by WBITVP Germany set to debut later this

month on Amazon Prime Video.

The new Indian commission continues the relationship between WBITVP and Discovery India, which has also ordered a second season of Reality Queens Of The Jungle, known locally as Reality Ranis Of The Jungle and produced by Endemol India. Created by WBITVP Netherlands, the format has now been produced in eight territories, including Poland and Germany, and has run for six seasons in the Netherlands for RTL5/Videoland. This year’s new addition to the franchise, Reality Kings On Safari, is launching to the international market at MIPCOM CANNES.

In the factual entertainment genre, ZDF’s Cash Or Trash has been licensed to Central and Eastern Europe. Croatian national broadcaster Nova TV will produce a 20-episode run, while in

Scripted series top Viaplay’s bill

NORDIC media powerhouse Viaplay has arrived at MIPCOM CANNES with a strong slate of scripted and non-scripted titles rooted in European storytelling.

Headlining is scripted series Vanguard (5 x 45 mins), which has so far sold to 30 markets. The prestige series tells the story of Jan Stenbeck, the rebel tycoon who broke Swedish state monopolies in telecoms and television.

Vanda Rapti, executive vice-president Viaplay Select & Content Distribution, said recent deals on the title include Filmin (Spain), Sky (Switzerland) and Canal+ (Poland).

Sharing top billing is A Life’s Worth (6 x 44 mins), a drama which follows four young Swe -

dish soldiers on their first UN mission in Bosnia in 1993: “They went as UN peacekeepers but became caught up in extraordinary circumstances,” Rapti said.

She added that the series has proved popular with young audiences, “because they are learning about a war they never knew about. It also received a boost because one of the cast, Edvin Ryding, built up a huge fanbase after The Young Royals.”

Viaplay has a strong position in sport, and this has helped it build a slate of sports-themed factual series. Launching at MIPCOM CANNES is Sport Vs. Money, a deep-dive into how football became a billion-dollar business.

Viaplay underwent a major res-

Serbia, Nova will produce a 60-episode series. In the format, a panel of expert dealers attempt to outbid each other to buy extraordinary items brought in by members of the public. These new deals mark the 12th and 13th local versions of Cash Or Trash. The format is known as The Bidding Room in the UK, where its seventh series recently aired on BBC One, and it has also enjoyed an eight-season run on France2. Finally, WBITVP confirms the first international commission of Inside Therapy. France Télévisions has ordered a five-part series known as Rendez-vous Chez Le Psy, tied to Mental Health Awareness Week. Produced by WBITVP France, the series is accompanied by a social and digital campaign, including podcast episodes and Q&As with therapists. The format was created by WBITVP group company Twenty Twenty for BBC One/BBC iPlayer. André Renaud, WBITVP’s global vice-president of format and finished sales, said: “WBITVP remains the home for franchises that scale and travel.”

tructuring in 2023/24 which saw it scale back its direct-to-consumer business internationally. “But our business-to-business offering remains strong across content sales, our Viaplay SVOD channel and Viaplay Select,” Rapti said. The latter offers a curated line-up of productions to partner platforms. Rapti said Viaplay is also seeing strong demand for its scripted format portfolio, led by titles including Call Me Dad and The Beach Hotel. The company also continues to represent third-party content. It recently unveiled a new partnership with SkyShowtime which gives it international rights to 20 new titles, including Beartown and Hackerville.

DELIVERING THE BEST IN ENTERTAINMENT TO AUDIENCES EVERYWHERE

MACKENZIE Crook, creator and star of off-beat BBC comedy series Detectorists — also known the world over for his role as Ragetti in the Hollywood blockbuster Pirates Of The Caribbean — is making his first visit to Cannes with new series Small Prophets.

Written and directed by Crook, it tells the story of Michael Sleep, a man on a mission to find his missing partner Clea. A journey of ordinary lives and everyday people, it incorporates both the magical and the mundane, echoing the style of Crook’s past work. “This is the first adult comedy drama I’ve done since Detectorists,” he told the MIPCOM CANNES Daily News. “It has a similar tone and humour and goes at the same sort of pace.”

Set in suburban Manchester, the story has a supernatural twist and at times combines some visually stunning animation with live action. Sleep’s quest to find Clea is aided by an old recipe from his father Brian, played by Sir Michael Palin. A mix of rainwater, horse manure and a touch of alchemy, it can conjure up magical prophesying spirits that can predict the future in the hope of an answer to the question: ‘Will I ever see Clea again?’

Despite the story’s darker elements, Crook said it is still principally a comedy: “It straddles the line, but there are a lot of laughs in it. I’m

‘I’m really happy with the jokes’

really happy with the jokes.”

Crook said he’s tested the series out on people he trusts, “two of whom are my children, my 22-year-old and my 17-year-old. They can be a cynical audience, and they’re laughing out loud, properly — and tearing-up at the poignant bits, too. So I’m happy that it’s going to appeal to the same audience as Detectorists.”

While Crook plays an on-screen role in the series, the dislikeable store manager Gordon, he is not the central character; that goes to British actor Pearce Quigley, whose many TV roles include Russell in Detectorists. “I wrote it very specifically for Pearce to play the lead, and that was sort of a non-negotiable,” he said.

Casting Monty Python legend Michael Palin “was a no-brainer. We sent him the script and he enjoyed it and said he wanted to do it, and that was a joy. That was a real scoop, to get him involved.”

Rising star Lauren Patel plays the second lead: “Pearce had previously worked with Lauren, and they had such a beautiful chemistry and such a wonderful friendship, straight off, that it was a joy to behold them acting together,” Crook said.

The 6 x 30 mins scripted comedy drama is a Treasure Trove and Blue House Production, commissioned by the BBC and distributed by Sphere Abacus.

Foxtel books The Librarians for brand new chapter in Australia

INDEPENDENT

production and distribution company Electric Entertainment is in Cannes celebrating its 25th year of operations along with the signing of a distribution deal to take its hit The Librarians franchise to the Australian market.

The Los Angeles-based independent has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with subscription and streaming provider Foxtel Group to launch the franchise on Foxtel’s Binge streaming service in Australia.

The deal sees Foxtel Group take all four original seasons — 42 one-hour episodes — of the original series, along with spin-off series The Librarians: The Next Chapter.

It was sealed by Nolan Pielak, senior vice-president for international distribution and co-production at Electric Entertainment, and Fleur Fahey, director of content acquisitions at Foxtel Group. The show will also be streamed on Fox-

tel Group’s subscription service. Starring Emmy Award-winner Noah Wyle, the original made-forTV movie, The Librarian, explores a mysterious repository of mystical treasures offering corporeal powers to those who wield them. The first iteration of the franchise, The Librarian: Quest For The Spear, was produced by Electric and released on US cable channel TNT in 2004.

The release marked a major moment in the early days of Electric Entertainment, which was founded by Dean Devlin and partners Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan three years previously, and has since made a name for developing strong franchises from original concepts.

With the company now in its 25th year and still independent, Devlin is at MIPCOM CANNES to meet potential partners for further sales and distribution deals, and to launch a new wave of original scripted content.

GenAI raises wrecks from the depths

Speaking to the MIPCOM Daily News, Devlin said he was proud to have kept Electric true to its original independent model, adding that it was “remarkable for a company to stay independent for so long.

“I’m also incredibly grateful to all the wonderful partners we’ve

had over the years,” he added.

The company is open to talks with potential buyers for its new series including original scripted sci-fi animation Sloane And The Cosmic Schlep, and The Poly Couple, based around the real lives of a polyamorous musician and music producer couple.

Original Electric productions are currently available on its own FAST channel and streaming app ElectricNow alongside a wide range of third-party film and TV content.

MYSTERIOUS sunken ships and submarines will be raised from the seabed using cutting-edge generative-AI technologies in documentary series Deep Blue CSI.

The show is a co-production between UK indie Woodcut Media and Los Angeles genAI studio Gennie, and will blend the latter’s technology with eyewitness accounts, naval experts and archive documents to tell the tales of the stricken vessels.

Each of the show’s six episodes will be themed around the various reasons for their demise, including attacks from aircraft or submarines, freak accidents and storms.

While AI is being used to create the show, Genie and Woodcut stress that human filmmakers are designing and directing all the sequences, and that the AI models

being used have not been trained on any copyright-infringing material.

The project follows Gennie’s role in First Look TV’s Killer Kings, which premiered in June this year on Sky History as the first documentary series to include fully AI-generated re-enactments.

Woodcut and Gennie see strong potential for future series of Deep Blue CSI, citing the fact that less than 1% of the estimated three million shipwrecks on the ocean floor have been discovered so far.

“Deep Blue CSI is a returnable franchise that marks Woodcut’s first foray into AI production,” said Woodcut Media senior development producer Aidan Dunford.

“The opportunity to harness Gennie’s pioneering technology to bring maritime mysteries to life is hugely exciting.”

ABC seeks international partners to help it realise ‘major hit shows’

AS AN Osaka TV station, Asahi Television Broadcasting Corporation (ABC TV) has had to compete with broadcasters in Tokyo, the centre of Japan’s media universe, for nationwide audience attention in Japan. So it has been actively pursuing collaborations to realise its goal of becoming one of the best producers of variety shows in the country.

“We are always looking for solutions for how to make major hit shows,” said Takeshi Inokuchi, president and CEO of ABC Frontier, ABC TV’s international arm.

“That’s where collaboration comes in — we cannot achieve what we want by ourselves.”

ABC TV plans to extend this bu-

siness model to its overseas ventures at MIPCOM CANNES this year. Though the main mission will be sales, Inokuchi said he will also be looking for new partners.

“When we look for international partners, we always ask ourselves: how can we complement each other?” he said. “We can bring strong planning and production capabilities, and so we look for partners who can provide a deep understanding of global audience needs, strong marketing experience and established international distribution networks.”

Inokuchi said that ABC TV’s roots in the Kansai region of Japan, traditionally the heart of the country’s comedy scene, gives it a unique

advantage when producing variety TV shows. Kansai, he said, is known for its “humour, warmth and strong sense of humanity”.

Though sales of existing shows are always being pursued, Inokuchi believes that format sales are just as important. “There are always hurdles when crossing borders,” he said. “Global audiences have no problem accepting Asian talent, but it is often more useful to adapt ideas developed by ABC TV for local consumption elsewhere.” He added: “Here at ABC TV, when we see something we haven’t seen before, our thought is, ‘Why not?’ You have to try. That’s the spirit we want to convey to potential partners.”

Unscripted satisfaction guaranteed

FRANCE’s Satisfaction Group is back at MIPCOM CANNES with fresh unscripted formats, a new commission and a distribution deal.

The Final Circle, according to Nassima Boudi, the group’s director of international, “tests the brain from a holistic perspective — the first time a game show is testing the brain’s whole cognitive capacity”.

At the outset 50 contestants stand in the outer circle of six concentric rings. As the rounds advance, they undergo different mental challenges designed to test different mind skills and some will be eliminated: who will reach the host in the middle?

Having aired on TF1 this summer

and been recommissioned for a second series, The Final Circle is now being produced for the German market by Tresor TV, part of Keshet International. The deal was the first fruit of the creative alliance Satisfaction forged with Keshet, Yes Yes Media and Fulwell 73 last year.

Satisfaction also announced just before MIPCOM CANNES that Warner Bros. International Television Production will be distributing the format worldwide. Intuition, meanwhile, is a game show co-produced by Satisfaction’s Ah! Production and Cyril Prod, the production company of famous French presenter Cyril Féraud, in which contestants must go with their gut feeling

when guessing the answer to general-knowledge questions. The domestic version, fronted by Féraud, debuted in September on France 2.

Boudi also said that Satisfaction is showcasing Villa Of The Broken Hearts this week. The format, which is now in its 10th season on TF1, humanises former reality-TV ‘baddies’ by trying to find the root cause of their behaviour. Satisfaction is soon to announce a new format sale of the show in Western Europe, Boudi added.

Boudi will be participating in the A Conversation: How To Make Magic In Formatland In 2025 round table at the MIP Creative Hub on Tuesday.

Buyers wild for BBC Studios’ landmark new nature series

BBC STUDIOS has secured a slew of pre-sales for its major Natural History Unit (NHU) series, Kingdom, on the eve of MIPCOM CANNES 2025. The co-production with BBC America, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, has pre-sold to markets including Australasia (Nine and TVNZ), Asia (Shanghai Media Group’s Dragon TV, China and Wowow, Japan) and EMEA (Movistar Plus+, Spain and NPO, Netherlands).

Janet Brown, president, global content sales, BBC Studios said:

“The early demand for Kingdom speaks to the NHU’s continued innovation in the natural history space, taking viewers to extraordinary places and telling thrilling, perspective-shifting stories.” Kingdom (6 x 60 mins) chronicles the sagas of four African animal families. Filmed across five years, the fates of the four families — leopards, hyenas, wild dogs and lions — are inextricably linked as they strive for a foothold in a remote

river valley in Zambia. As well as the power struggles between these predators, the series shows how a supporting cast, from elephant herds to marauding baboons, impact the central characters.

BBC Studios has also unveiled its unscripted slate for MIPCOM CANNES. Titles include Matriarch (w/t), Free Nelson Mandela (w/t),

Civilisations: Rise And Fall, Rob & Rylan’s Passage To India, Pete Wicks: For Dog’s Sake and Nisha Katona’s Home Kitchen.

Free Nelson Mandela (3 x 60 mins/1 x 90 mins) documents Mandela’s journey from activist to revolutionary, from prisoner to negotiator and how he led South Africa to democracy.

Lineup format deal sees SRF adapt NHK’s Emergency Call

INDEPENDENT international distribution company Lineup Industries has signed a deal, announced at MIPCOM CANNES today, to bring documentary format Emergency Call to Switzerland in a local version commissioned and produced by SRF. In Japan, where the show airs

on NHK, the series has been recommissioned for a fourth season.

The format was originally created by De Chinezen for Belgium broadcaster VRT Eén, the Flemish public channel. Lineup Industries handles global distribution for the series. The US version of the for-

NTV ACQUIRES USS COLE DOC

RTL DEUTSCHLAND’s free-to-air channel NTV has picked up Big Media’s limited series Cole: Al Qaeda’s Strike Before 9/11, in a deal announced today at MIPCOM CANNES. Since being introduced to the international market a year ago, the documentary (3 x 60 mins) has been licensed to platforms in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Slovakia, and now, Germany. Marking the 25th anniversary of the deadly bomb attack on the USS Cole in Yemen, the series will premiere on most platforms this month.

mat, produced by 8 Hours Television and hosted by actor Luke Wilson, also sold to Australia’s Nine Network, New Zealand’s TV3 and Talpa TV in the Netherlands. Emergency Call tells the story of the call-centre operators on the frontline, who handle the critical first minutes of an emergency and expect the unexpected every time they answer the phone.

Ed Louwerse, co-founder of Lineup Industries, said: “There are numerous ‘blue light’ formats but the people who field the initial call must make critical decisions under pressure as well as managing fraught and sometimes bizarre conversations with calmness, clarity and perception.”

“The attack on the USS Cole in October 2000 was a devastating event for the US Navy,” said Jon Loew, CEO, Big Media. “It means a lot to the crew of the Cole, the family of the victims and to the Big Media production team that this documentary is being broadcast around the world on not only the 25th anniversary of the attack, but also the 250th anniversary of the US Navy.”

Christian Hensgens, channel manager NTV at RTL Deutschland said: “This story, in light of 9/11, is largely unknown and makes it a captivating piece of contemporary history, thanks to high-profile insiders and officials.”

Glance offers glimpse into new rules of audience engagement

INTERNATIONAL research company Glance examines audience habits, content trends and successful new launches in today’s session Unlocking Audience & Content Dynamics: Who Is Watching, What, How And Why.

Lead by Glance’s senior vice-president, Frédéric Vaulpré, and international research director, Maryam Ramassamy, the presentation draws on Glance’s access to audience data across more than 120 territories.

Glance’s analysis examines BVOD platform strategies, including TF1+’s remarkable digital ad revenue growth and the strategic partnerships emerging between traditional broadcasters and global streaming platforms. With Netflix and YouTube controlling almost half of all streaming hours in the US, and advertisers increasingly focused

on the coveted 25-to-49 demographic, Glance’s research highlights what experts are calling ‘hyper distribution’ and ‘co-petition’ — the need to distribute content everywhere while collaborating with rivals.

The analysis also examines how to use first-party viewership data as negotiation leverage, understand the shift towards advertising-focused models targeting the crucial 25-to-49 demographic and discover practical approaches to hyper distribution across AVOD, FAST, SVOD and linear channels simultaneously.

Aside from IP-related success, content is also drawing on current societal issues to captivate audiences. Glance highlights thrillers and ways in which they are delving into our increasingly complex geopolitical context, as well as series exploring the change

in the perception of gender and sexual norms, driven by a new generation. Glance’s data also looks at entertainment formats and how they are banking on early 2000s nostalgia, as well as new high-

Blue Ant showcases star docs in Cannes

TAYLOR Swift and the late Friends star Matthew Perry are the subjects of two new documentaries from Toronto’s Blue Ant Rights, the distribution arm of Blue Ant Studios. The two-part documentary Taylor premiered on Channel 4 in the UK last month.

Mark Bishop, co-president of Blue Ant Studios, is already in discussions about the company’s newest offerings at MIPCOM CANNES.

Taylor includes authentic video interviews of the superstar per-

former from her younger years and turns over some of the feuds with Kanye West and manager Scooter Braun. Meanwhile, Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy has revealing details about his untimely death and the doctors who treated him at the end. Bishop said it was “a great example of our ability to find great, timely documentaries”. The company previously sold the international documentary, Stormy, about Stormy Daniels, the former stripper who alleged a one-night stand

with US president, Donald Trump. He denied the accusation. “They don’t have to be celebrities but they have to be topical to attract audiences worldwide,” Bishop said.

It’s been a banner year for parent company Blue Ant Media, which began trading on public markets earlier this month. It is boosting its investment in content and rights and is bringing its broadest slate to MIPCOM CANNES.

Blue Ant Media has also recently acquired a new factual streamer called MagellanTV for $12m (€10.3m). It already operates a series of international channels including Love Nature, Cottage Life, Smithsonian Channel Canada and BBC Earth Canada.

concept shows adopting innovative technology, including AI. “Our industry is trying to cope with a fundamental change in how audiences consume TV, in both substance and form,” Ramassamy said. “Aside from changing ways to deliver content, the storytelling also needs to be closer to audiences’ current state of mind, even if it sometimes feels contradictory to delve into nostalgia.”

Japanese ministry encourages broadcasters to look overseas

JAPANESE broadcasters and TV programme makers made ¥835bn (€5bn) in 2023 in overseas exports, according to a survey carried out by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Motonobu Toyoshima, head of the ministry’s Information Distribution Administration, is at MIPCOM CANNES to build on that success. “Revenue for exported content from Japan in 2015 amounted to ¥288bn,” Toyoshima said. Year-on-year growth has averaged 110% in recent years. “What’s significant is that more than 80% of that content is anime,” he added. The largest growth has been in Europe.

Toyoshima said part of his job has been to advise broadcasters on how to gain a foothold in foreign markets. Cool Japan, the government scheme to promote Japan’s soft power abroad, started more than 10 years ago, helping to develop success in anime. “And we want broadcasters to be more proactive in these efforts,” Toyoshima said. And the ministry provides subsidies and useful research towards that aim.

The Japanese government has learned how to build on past achievements. “When there is a hit product, can it be repeated and sustained?” Toyoshima asked. The key is to pass on valuable knowhow. Many issues are connected to tight budgets. “The broadcast advertising market isn’t growing. That’s why content sales are so important — more character development, more merchandise, expanding IP,” he said. The ministry insists broadcasters must continue to pursue partnerships with international players.

As part of this strategy, the ministry is launching a study group to support the international promotion of content. And such a strategy will require the assistance of other sectors, including finance. It also means partnering with over-the-top streaming services, a growing focus for

Japanese broadcasters. Overseas, consumption of content has shifted decisively to streaming, so Japanese broadcasters need to align with this trend. “The audience is already there waiting,” Toyoshima said. “And not just for anime.” Toyoshima sees promise in Japanese dramas and factual programming about Japan, particularly travel and lifestyle. “More people are visiting Japan,” he says. “They want to know about the country.” Broadcasters know how to present such infor-

‘Content sales are so important – more character development, more merchandise, expanding IP’

mation in a concise, coherent visual form that can appeal to people overseas. “The same is true of documentaries,” he said. “History, current events — but more money is needed for these products.”

In that regard, Toyoshima sees MIPCOM CANNES as a valuable resource. “Personal contact is important,” he said. “That reality has become clear ever since the COVID pandemic. Meet face-to-face, discuss common interests, get feedback.” It’s one of the best ways Japanese broadcasters can learn about world trends and the kind of content that sells.

Japan’s advantage in the past was its huge domestic market, but now that market is splintering and shrinking. “Japanese broadcasters need to study foreign content,” Toyoshima said. “They have to improve the quality of their own content, and we will help them do that by stimulating their passion and imagination.”

Kazakh streamer buys 110 hours of All3Media unscripted content

LEADING Kazakhstan streaming platform Freedom Media has acquired 110 hours of premium scripted content from All3Media International.

The app-based streamer, one of the first of its kind in the country, is “seeking to invest in the future of content”, according to Freedom’s Bekzat Kaldygaliyeva, director of acquisitions, and digital producer Railana Zhanibekova.

“We were looking for some big series around the world that hadn’t yet reached Kazakhstan. This package includes some incredible household names, from Emily Blunt to Hugh Laurie.”

Acquisitions include both seasons of Travis Fimmel-led mystery drama Black Snow from Goalpost Pictures, plus both seasons of Two Brothers Pictures’ action-packed Jamie Dornan-led thriller The

Tourist. The Forge’s four-part fictional thriller Roadkill stars Hugh Laurie as a self-made, forceful and charismatic politician, whose life seems to be falling apart.

Also headed to Kazakhstan is The English, an epic Western starring Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer, created by Emmy-nominated writer and director Hugo Blick and produced by Drama Republic. The series follows the quests of an aristocratic Englishwoman (Blunt) and an American Indian (Spencer) in 1890’s mid-America.

“This deal builds on our budding partnership with Freedom Media, as the platform goes from strength to strength,” said All3Media International’s Gabriel Andrews, sales executive for the Balkans, Greece, Turkey, CIS and Russia. Last year, the platform adapted three scripted

formats from All3Media International’s catalogue, including local versions of Two Brothers Pictures’ dramatic relationship

thriller The Missing; HTM Television’s high-octane Trigger Point, which follows bomb disposal officers; and anthology series Accused. “We picked those plotlines and adapted them for Kazakhstani audiences, as we felt that they have universal and local appeal,” Kaldygaliyeva and Zhanibekova said.

FAST forward for Just For Laughs

FAST channels are the next frontier for comedy brand Just For Laughs — and it is embracing the opportunity with Stingray, the global music, media and technology company.

The partners are developing a slate of FAST channels with Just For Laughs’ library of stand-up specials, festival performances and other comedy programming, to roll out globally.

“What I love about the partnership is that it’s two great Québec-based companies coming together,” said David Purdy, Stingray’s chief revenue officer. “We’ve always admired what they do.”

“Just For Laughs is an iconic brand around the world and we are the key distribution partner. The two joined together? It’s a real force!” added Valérie Héroux, Stingray’s vice-president of content acquisition. The partnership will include FAST audio channels as well as video.

Alex Avon, chief marketing officer at Just For Laughs, said that the alliance is not just about his company’s archives: “Yes, we have 40 years of catalogue in audio and video — all the greatest comedians from around the globe. But our

mandate for this partnership is also to create and produce more content to bring to the pipeline.”

Purdy said the partnership has been struck with one eye on the next evolution of the big FAST platforms. “Samsung, LG, Roku and Amazon already have billing platforms they are connecting to their FAST platforms,” he added.

“We’re in the first or second year of this evolution but, if you take a three- to four-year view, there’s a lot we can explore together, using AVOD to drive to FAST and FAST to drive to SVOD.”

He also noted positive signs of FAST growth globally, despite the US still dominating revenues in the sector.

“My CEO tells me: ‘Dave, your top three priorities are the US, the USA and America!’ That said, in the last couple of months we’ve seen revenue-per-hour in the EU5 [markets] matching revenue-per-hour in the US, so that bodes well,” he said.

BossaNova closes pre-sales for Days That Shocked The World

BOSSANOVA Media, the content creation, funding and distribution company, has announced pre-sales to three global broadcasters for Days That Shocked The World, a new series marking the anniversaries of some of the world’s worst disasters. Produced by UK factual specialist BriteSpark Film, part of Argonon Group, the series explores catastrophic events from the past 40 years, retelling each disaster through eye-witness testimony and powerful archive footage.

SBS Australia, Channel 4 in the UK and TV2 Denmark have all invested in Days That Shocked The World, which was originally pitched to broadcasters at BossaNova’s 2024 Development Day. This programme aims to fasttrack the commissioning and production of projects with global potential. Stories in the series include the disintegration of the Challenger Space Shuttle in 1986 (1 x 60 mins); the Chernobyl meltdown (2 x 60 mins);

the ‘crash that killed Concorde’ (1 x 60 mins); the terrorist attacks of 9/11 (2 x 60 mins); and 2011’s Fukushima earthquake, which resulted in a tsunami and nuclear disaster (2 x 60 mins).

“These are subjects that have considerable appeal,” said Paul Heaney, BossaNova’s CEO. “Viewers are more and more aware of these stories, but they want new angles and better access to the storytellers.”

Last year, BriteSpark’s Tsunami: The Day The Wave Hit featured never-before-seen footage of the 2004 disaster, sparking appetite for further gripping stories of human interest and heroism.

Natalie Edgar, channel manager at SBS, added: “SBS network is always in need of seminal storytelling and these anniversary specials fit the bill, especially after how well Tsunami: The Day The Wave Hit worked for us.”

Couple Next Door travel the world

IN THE run-up to MIPCOM CANNES, Beta Film has sold thriller series The Couple Next Door: Deadly Attraction to more than 50 territories.

Key markets to have signed up for the series, produced by Eagle Eye Drama for Channel 4, include Australia (Foxtel Group), New Zealand (TVNZ), Latin America (NBCUniversal), the Middle East (Safe Media) and South Korea (LG Uplus).

In Europe, Rai has acquired the rights to the series for Italy, while Canal+ has bought the drama for Poland and VTM for Belgium.

Across Scandinavia, DR Denmark, SVT Sweden and YLE Finland have picked up the show.

The Couple Next Door: Deadly Attraction focuses on hospital doctors Charlotte and Jacob, whose lives and careers have proceeded exactly as they always expected. But when

LOOKING FOR A GOOD LAUGH? CHECK OUT

YOSHIMOTO KOGYO

JAPAN’S Yoshimoto Kogyo is seeking international partners and buyers for some of its comedy formats ahead of the launch of a new series from the creator of hit show LOL: Last One Laughing. Yoshimoto Kogyo is prioritising comedy formats likely to be a hit outside Japan, including The Laughing Throne, which matches comedy with the chaos of musical chairs, and LockMates, in which two challengers are handcuffed together for long periods of time with no break, even for the toilet.

Charlotte’s old flame Leo is revealed to be a potential investor in their hospital, Jacob’s worries about his work and marriage bubble to the surface. Then mysterious nurse Mia comes into their lives, working her way into their confidence — and even their bed. But is Mia the bright nurse she appears to be? And why do patients at the hospital start dying?

The series stars Sam Palladio (Nashville), Annabel Scholey (Being Human), Aggy Adams (The Witcher), Sendhil Ramamurthy (Heroes) and Hugh Dennis (Fleabag). It is a loose adaptation of Scandinavian drama Fatal Injections by Kamikaze Film.

Eagle Eye Drama also produced a predecessor series for Channel 4 called The Couple Next Door, based on Dutch format The Neighbours by Millstreet Films. Beta Film holds the distribution rights to both.

The company is behind the hugely successful format LOL: Last One Laughing, created by Japanese comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto, in which contestants are challenged to be the last person to laugh in a series of funny situations. The show has been distributed to multiple markets under various titles, most commonly LOL: Last One Laughing.

Matsumoto is one half of the popular Downtown comedy duo, after which a soon-tolaunch Yoshimoto Kogyoled subscription service, Downtown+, is named. Downtown+ will stream a range of content, including new shows created by Matsumoto. Yoshimoto Kogyo’s global content manager and producer Sakura Wang said: “If you ever want to see the craziest, funniest shows, come to Yoshimoto.”

SUMMIT

Created to unite brands, digital content creators and television executives. A place where innovative storytelling is celebrated and fresh opportunities for funding, co-production and brand-led distribution deals are unlocked.

Monday 13 October 09.00 – 13.30

Hi5 Studio

Tuesday 14 October 14.00 – 17.00 MIP Creative Hub In Partnership with

SUMMIT

Monday 13 October Programme

09:00 – 09:30

Welcome Coffee FOYER

09:30 – 10:10

Brand Entertainment - Why now?

Janett Haas (Forbes), Brendan Gaul (McCann Worldgroup & TRAVERSE32), Catherine Boxall (Dentsu)

10:15 – 10:35

MIP HEADLINER - Kim Miller Olko, CMO (Toys”R”Us) and President (Toys”R”Us Studios)

Jeanie Pyun (The Hollywood Reporter)

10:40 – 11:00

Discovering: Robbie Lyle. A Journey from Football to Family Roots

Robbie Lyle (GFN Ltd), Brad Argent (Ancestry), Iain Thompson (Appeal TV)

Tuesday 14 October Programme

14:00 – 14:20

Branded Entertainment Landscape by K7 Media

Clare Thompson (K7 Media)

14:25 – 14:45

The New Playbook: Building Premium Originals at the Intersection of Brands, Talent, and Platforms

Javier Martinez (YOU FIRST ORIGINALS)

14:50 – 15:15

Keynote: The Great Content ReckoningNavigating a New Era of Value, Volume & Vision

Douglas Scott (UNXNOWN)

15:20 – 15:40

Beyond labels: A Fresh RomCom and a Groundbreaking Co-Production Model, with IPG Mediabrands Entertainment Moderated by Andrew Canter (Branded Content Marketing Association)

11:05 – 11:45

Brand-Funded Entertainment - What’s the Deal?

Mark Book (Digitas), Sam Glynne (United Talent Agency), Brian Newman (Sub-Genre Media), Isidoor Roebers (Scenery BV)

11:50 – 12:25

Measuring ROI - What’s in it for the Brand?

Adam Puchalsky (Blink49 Studios), Aidan McLaughlin (Indeed), Farra Kober (BBC Studios), Megan Wells (Exec Producer & Filmmaker)

12:30 – 13:30

BrandStorytelling Networking Lunch FOYER

15:45 – 16:05

Legends and Legacies: Storytelling Through Sport and Safari, with Fell & Company

Greg Fell (Fell and Company), Tlhopane Motsepe (Mamelodi Sundowns FC), Amanda Ritchie (Londolozi Game Reserve)

16:10 – 16:30

Taming Brand Film Krakens: How Mission Driven Story Meets Journalist Meets Brand, with StoryBones Media

Derek Hubbard (BrandStorytelling), Heidi Collins (Storybones Media), Michael Trott (Four Branches Bourbon)

16:35 – 17:00

Panel: What’s Next in Brand Storytelling?

Jordan Kelley (BrandStorytelling), Carlotta Rossi Spencer (Banijay Entertainment), Roberta Zamboni (Fremantle)

MIPCOM CANNES Product News

Content in all formats and genres, is brought to Cannes by companies from all over the world. On the following pages we highlight some productions on offer to international buyers at MIPCOM CANNES

MERZIGO X MIPCOM CANNES OPENING PARTY

HOTEL BARRIERE LE MAJESTIC CANNES

MONDAY 13 OCTOBER

19.00 - 22.00

ÁNIMA KITCHENT

INDEPENDENT Spanish animation company Ánima Kitchent offers musical comedy series Lea & Pop (29 x 5 mins + 62 x 2 mins music videos) at MIPCOM CANNES. The CGI series for kids aged three to five follows the imaginative brother and sister, their friends and their quirky band of musical toy friends, as together they explore big ideas and solve little challenges with creativity.

STUDIO 100 INTERNATIONAL

At MIPCOM CANNES Munich-based Studio 100 International presents Gifted (10 x 28 mins), a live-action series, aimed at eight- to 14-year-olds, commissioned by CBBC in association with NDR/ARD. The first episodes of this light-hearted mystery are set to premiere on the BBC in the UK this year. Based on novels by Marilyn Kaye and set in modern-day Edinburgh, the series follows a diverse group of young Scottish teens who discover that they have superpowers. When they realise they are being targeted by an organisation known as the Bodkin, they must join forces to protect themselves.

NOVOCOMEDY

FRENCH and US-based producer and distributor specialising in mostly non-verbal, humerous content, Novocomedy, brings a catalogue to MIPCOM CANNES of more than 1,000 hours of HD programming. The company is unveiling its brand-new slate of 100% series debuting in Cannes. The line-up includes 100% Crazy Home Video, 100% Funny Prank, 100% Insane Fails and 100% Incredible Magic, four compilation shows bringing together the best funny moments, wildest stunts and most jaw-dropping illusions from around the world. Each title comprises 26 x 22 mins.

BBC STUDIOS

A BBC Studios priority for MIPCOM CANNES is Crookhaven (8 x 45 mins), a gripping and witty coming-of-age story about trust, identity and the nature of right and wrong. Based on J.J. Arcanjo’s book series, the drama follows Gabriel, a gifted pickpocket, and his rival Penelope, who attend a secret school where young crooks are trained to use their skills for good. The cast includes Dougray Scott, who plays the headmaster, Claire Forlani and Keith Allen. Crookhaven is made by BBC Studios Kids & Family Productions for the BBC, with support from Northern Ireland Screen. It is distributed internationally by BBC Studios and premieres on BBC iPlayer in the UK in early 2026.

DANDELOOO

PRODUCED by Copa Studio, Brazil, Tuiga (39 x 7 mins) is an animation series, aimed at four- to seven-year-olds, in which Tuiga the giraffe, accompanied by Amelia a girl pilot, makes deliveries around the world using a balloon. Paris-based Dandelooo also brings the 78-minute, 2D feature My Life In Versailles – The Movie, produced by Films Grand Huit, Mélusine Productions, Miyu Productions and Xilam Animation. Aimed at children aged six to 10, the film is a heart-warming story of resilience set against the iconic backdrop of the Palace of Versailles. After her parents’ passing, eight-year-old Violet goes to live with her uncle, a gruff maintenance worker at the Palace, where over time they learn to live happily with each other and face all of life’s challenges together.

SPHERE ABACUS

BASED on a Rachel Reid novel, Heated Rivalry (6 x 60 mins) is a steamy romance set in the world of ice hockey. Starring Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, the story follows two of the biggest stars in Major League Hockey, drawn together by ambition, rivalry and a magnetic attraction who begin a secret fling which evolves into a long journey of love, denial and self-discovery. Another highlight for Sphere Abacus is Small Prophets, (6 x 30 mins), a comedy drama from Treasure Trove Productions and Blue House Productions for the BBC. Created, written and directed by Mackenzie Crook (Detectorists, Worzel Gummidge), the dark comedy, which includes animation elements, is about a man who tries to find his missing partner with the enigmatic guidance of a magical spirit conjured up with a recipe involving rainwater, horse manure and a little alchemy. The story of friendships and hope, the magical and the mundane, all in a suburban cul-de-sac, stars Pearce Quigley, Sir Michael Palin and Lauren Patel, alongside Mackenzie Crook.

GAUMONT

PRODUCED by Les Films Pelléas in partnership with Gaumont, The Deal (6 x 60 mins) is suspenseful thriller, set in the world of diplomacy, against the backdrop of the 2015 nuclear talks between the US and Iran. The narrative combines the world of nuclear geopolitics with a moving love story. The series stars Veerle Baetens, Juliet Stevenson, Arash Marandi and Fenella Woolgar, and is brought to the international market by Gaumont.

YES STUDIOS

DARK, coming-of-age comedy Little Fucker (7 x 30 mins), from yes Studios, features themes of family dysfunction, generational feuds and blurred morality. 12-year-old Shay is bullied at school, mocked at home and ignored by adults — until he catches his dad, Yaki, cheating. Shay blackmails him, flipping the family hierarchy. However, Yaki — a vain wannabe author — doesn’t take blackmail lying down. Shay basks in his newfound power, triggering a father-son feud. The series was produced by Tedy TV for yes TV. The company also brings Canteen Commando (8 x 35 mins), a sharp comedy in which a self-important, rule-dodging sergeant’s cushy life is thrown into chaos when his son comes under his command.

DAEHAN MEDIAWORLD

THROUGHOUT history walls have divided lands, defined communities, defended against opponents and fostered civilization. The series The Walls (6 x 30 mins), brought to Cannes by Korea’s Daehan Mediaworld, traces not only beautiful architecture, but also the history, geography and culture of human civilisation with relation to walls. The series explores the fact that, unlike in the past, countries now control territories with fixed borders that most other governments respect, rendering the use of walls to mark territorial control often obsolete.

NEW FROM WildBear International at MIPCOM CANNES is Inside Dogs (6 x 60 mins), a journey into the incredible world of humanity’s four-legged friends, shining a light on the fascinating evolutionary journey of the dog, exploring their unique physiology, revealing their extraordinary super senses, and decoding how they think and why they behave the way they do. Each episode begins with an evocative recent story of a dog that highlights the episode’s theme and questions, featuring original footage, wildlife archive and GFX.

KESHET INTERNATIONAL

THE MIPCOM CANNES slate for producer and distributor Keshet International is headlined by Nutuk (8 x 60 mins) — from Ketshet 12 and told in Arabic and Hebrew — a suspense drama centred in the Druze community in which a sevenyear-old boy’s memories of another life are key to solving a murder mystery. Other priorities include: drama Red Alert (4 x 60 mins), depicting powerful real stories against the backdrop of terror attacks; mockumentary comedy Messiah Superstar; formats BOOM! Heist Mode and The Seach Kids; and from the factual genre Should I Have Children?, Hitler’s Favourite Royals and Secret Royal Homes.

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BOMANBRIDGE MEDIA

CANADA faces an ecological crisis as hybrid ‘superpigs’ devastate farmland, wildlife and ecosystems. Bred from wild boars and domestic pigs, these intelligent, resilient animals reproduce rapidly and are able to survive the harshest of winters. Also, across Europe and parts of Asia — including Singapore and Japan — wild pig populations are exploding. In the film Invasion Of The Super Pigs (1 x 60 mins) natural-history expert Dr. Ryan Brook tracks and studies the crisis, connecting Canada’s struggle to a global battle. Produced by Nüman Films, the special is brought to Cannes by Bomanbridge Media.

NIPPON TV

NIPPON TV returns to MIPCOM CANNES with a full slate including: Secret Little Assistant, which begins under the guise of a workplace documentary, but secretly children step into the workplace to support their hardworking moms and dads without being spotted — until they are revealed; unscripted fairytale-inspired format Big Bad Bluff, in which celebrities compete in, for instance, Snow White’s Poisoned Apple, The Honest Woodcutter or The Three Little Pigs, where they must secure a spot in one of the three houses, avoiding overcrowding and being blown down; and scripted format Murderous Encounter, a romantic crime thriller format centered on a TV director who falls into a dangerous romance with a freelance reporter with a dark secret.

ZED

IN CANNES France’s ZED spotlights Quincy Jones, Music Man, a freshly released documentary that pays tribute to one of the greatest icons of the music industry, in time for the first anniversary of his passing in November this year. Entirely built on exceptional archives, this 52-minute documentary portrait retraces Quincy Jones’ extraordinary artistic journey: a seven-decade career that saw him break boundaries, re-invent genres and collaborate with Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Donna Summer, Steven Spielberg and The Weeknd, among many more. The film is produced by Effervescence and Musicamour for France Télévisions, NITV and Radio-Canada.

ORANGE SMARTY

BRITISH distributor Orange Smarty brings Michael Palin In Venezuela (3 x 60 mins) to the international market in Cannes. This latest journey sees Michael Palin travel to the often troubled, but little-explored Venezuela. Under authoritarian rule, financially in meltdown and facing massive social challenges, Michael arrives as Venezuela is still reeling from the controversial re-election of Nicolás Maduro, a man whose style is often more showbiz than presidential. The series is from ITN Productions for UK broadcaster Channel 5.

09:00 - 09:45

Unlocking Audience & Content Dynamics: Who is Watching, What, How & Why?

Presented by Glance

09:45 - 10:15

Balancing Risk, Reach & Resilience in International Drama

10:30 - 11:00

The BBC: Powerful Storytelling for a Global Stage

11:45 - 12:15 MIP Headliner Studios, Broadcasters & YouTube: The changing video landscape and how to best work with streaming platforms

13:00 - 14:00 Fresh TV Formats

Presented by The WIT

09:30 - 09:45 Applied AI Presenting Partner: Luma AI

09:45 - 10:10 MIP Headliner

Infinite Creativity: Storytelling in the Imagination Age

Presented by Adrienne Lahens

10:20 - 10:50 Hit or Miss? Live Audience Predictions with AI

Presented by Largo.ai

11:00 - 11:45 Monetizing Content in The Age of AI

12:30 - 13:00

Entertainment, Flipped: Vertical Series and the Future of Global Storytelling Presented by Holywater

14:15 - 15:15 FRAPA Formats Summit

15:15 - 17:15 MIP Headliner C-Suite Conversations Presented by MIPCOM CANNES & Variety

15:15 - 15:45

Elisabeth d’Arvieu, CEO, Mediawan Pictures

15:50 - 16:20 Keith Le Goy, Chairman of Sony Pictures Television

16:35 - 17:15 Variety Vanguard Award & Fireside Chat Marco Bassetti, CEO, Banijay Entertainment & Banijay Live

18:00 - 19:15 The Miniature Wife MIPCOM CANNES Exclusive Screening Presented by Sony

17:30 - 18:00 Freedom Reimagined: AI, Vertical Drama & the Turkish Wave Presented by Vitpepper Studios

18:00 - 19:00 Creator Economy Happy Hour In partnership with Tubefilter

14:30 - 15:15

Boost Your Audience by Crafting Compelling Content on YouTube Workshop hosted by YouTube

15:30 - 16:20 Next in AI: Creative Innovation Showcase Presented by Kling AI, Luma AI, Mantis-AI

16:45 - 18:00 Happy Hour Reception Hosted by VIMEO

10:15 - 11:00 Verrière Grand Auditorium Global FAST & AVOD Roundtables Pre-registration Required

15:30 - 16:30

PASSION DISTRIBUTION

THE PASSION Distribution slate covers history, true crime and formats. Leading the factual line-up are: The White House (4 x 60 mins), a docu-drama exploring the origins of the US presidency; What Happens In Vegas (2 x 60 mins), which challenges the glossy image of modern Las Vegas; The Quest For Camelot (1 x 60 mins), investigating the truth behind the Arthurian legend; and documentary series In Real Life (45 x 30 mins). A lifestyle highlight is I Bought It At Auction With Sarah Beeny (6 x 60 mins). Returning true-crime titles include a second season of I Met My Murderer Online and the fourth season of Killer At The Crime Scene. The Cannes priority list also includes two formats, #CoupleChallenge and World Of Wonders.

ZONE3

ZONE3 is at MIPCOM CANNES with two new dramas. Psychological thriller Drifting (8 x 60 mins) follows a renowned pianist who is haunted by childhood trauma. After collapsing on stage, he returns to his family’s country house, only to spiral into unsettling revelations. In Getting Under Your Skin (8 x 30 mins), a queer teen seeking emancipation gets involved in an undercover operation targeting synthetic opioids in his school. Montrealbased Zone3 also brings two returning competition formats. Epic (12 x 60 mins) sees teams face grueling challenges in breathtaking natural landscapes, and in Build It To Win It (40 x 30 mins) 12 couples take part in a two-house renovation where the winning couple’s dream to become homeowners is realised.

STUDIOCANAL

STUDIOCANAL presents A Prophet (8 x 60 mins) in Cannes, a visceral prison drama, inspired by Jacques Audiard’s feature film. The French-language thriller features Malik, who is convicted for drug smuggling and finds himself at the bottom of the prison hierarchy. When a powerful inmate offers protection, Malik accepts, but discovers that he is a pawn in a much bigger game. Further titles from SudioCanal include: adventure animation The Scarlet Rose (20 x 22 mins), for ages eight to 12 and set in 18th-century France, where young Maud, after witnessing her father’s murder, flees to Paris to stay with her strict grandfather in Versailles; new animation series Miffy And Friends (78 x 7 mins), a co-production between StudioCanal, Mercis and Superprod Animation, in partnership with Canal+; and This Is Not A Murder Mystery (6 x 60 mins), a visually stunning ‘whodunit’ drama set against the vibrant backdrop of the art world during the rise of surrealism and featuring a young Réne Magritte.

KICKING OFF LONDON’S BIGGEST CONTENT WEEK.

YOMIURI TV

JAPAN’s Yomiuri TV is at MIPCOM CANNES with a new format, 6 Gens Game. From teenagers to sexagenarians, family members join forces in the game show where their collaboration is key. Each challenge draws from different eras, testing knowledge and teamwork. Fogdog (10 x 30 mins) is a stylish mystery drama featuring Kiri — a brilliant investigator with face blindness and a photographic memory — and Hibiki — a hot-headed but dedicated detective — as an unlikely detective duo solving cold cases.

CORUS STUDIOS

ON THE slate from Canada’s Corus Studios are three food-based competition series that offer cash prizes: Big Burger Battle, hosted by actor and comedian Andrew Phung, in which chefs give hamburgers mouthwatering makeovers; Halloween Bakeshop, hosted by actress and comedian Lauren Ash, which sees eight talented bakers race against the clock and the threat of elimination to complete two Halloween-themed bakes; and Holiday Bakeshop, also hosted by Ash, who is joined by chefs Jordan Andino and James Beard, and TV personality, Kareem ‘Mr. Bake’ Queeman. The company also brings the series Rentovation, which features inspiring projects completed without big-budget, invasive construction.

TVP IS presenting a line-up of premieres, including: mini-series Drelich, which follows a devoted father and elite burglar whose double life unravels when a gangster threatens his family; Variola Vera, set in Wroclaw in 1963, in which intelligence officer Łucja Winter returns from a secret mission in India, only to face a deadly smallpox outbreak; and Gingerbread Heart, a heart-warming Christmas tale in which 16-yearold Janek’s holiday takes a magical turn when he meets Zuzanna and as secrets surface and tensions rise, the spirit of Christmas offers hope for reconciliation.

BIG TIME DECENT INTERNATIONAL

UNDERDOG Inc. (8 x 60 mins, with a second 8 x 60 mins series in production), is an observational-documentary series that follows four-foot-tall trucker, handyman and all-around problem-solver Dale Kristensen, a man who takes on the jobs that others avoid in the wilds of Western Canada. Determined to build a better life for his young son, he tackles dangerous, high-stakes work, including hauling wrecked vehicles up sheer cliffs, racing wildfire smoke to deliver lifesaving firefighting gear and rescuing stranded travellers. Underdog Inc. debuted on AMI in Canada and is brought to Cannes by Canada’s Big Time Decent International.

MOO AM

FEATURE film Genfluencer is produced by Korea’s Moo Am, blending live-action and generative AI. The story begins with Lee Jin, a brilliant songwriter scarred by an injury, who creates a flawless AI K-pop idol named Gina. Both Gina and Jin are portrayed by the same actress, with AI synthesis transforming the dual performance into the lifelike presence of a virtual K-pop star. By training on the actress’s facial data, the film employs face-swap techniques and constructs surreal environments by expanding real spaces through AI.

POORHOUSE INTERNATIONAL

NEW DOCUMENTARY Hollywood Exiles (1 x 59 mins/HD) covers the fascinating story of a group from the cream of American cinema who went into exile in Europe after they were effectively expelled from Hollywood by the McCarthy witch hunt, accused of un-American activities and being communist sympathisers. In the 1950s and 60s this group of blacklisted screenwriters worked in Italy, Paris and London, and actors found roles in the films of Sergio Leone, Clouzot and Polanski. Europe had become a lifeline. Directors Marie-Dominique Montel and Christopher Jones base their film on a multi-voiced narrative, made possible by the discovery of never-before-seen archive footage, supplemented by film clips and interviews. Other contributors include film historian Pat McGilligan, organiser of the 1983 ‘Blacklist’ reunion dinner in LA, and Rebecca Prime, author of the book Hollywood Exiles In Europe.

SHORT FILM Enormous (1 x 8 mins) will make its industry debut at MIPCOM CANNES. Brought to the international market by Cookbook Media, the upcoming CG-animated film has been greenlit for production at Digitoonz Animation Studio in India. The heartfelt comedy was written and created by actor, writer, musician and comedian Stephen Kramer Glickman, with a voice cast including Mel Brooks, Spencer Grammer, Tony Hale, Ming-Na Wen and Ghostface Killah. Enormous, inspired by Glickman’s personal story, follows Stephen, a man devastated after a break-up, sinking into sadness with only his pug, Jelly Donut, to keep him company until Jelly Donut finds an unexpected way to help him rediscover joy.

TVF

HIGHLIGHTS from London-based TVF’s Cannes line-up include: Escape From Chernobyl: 48 Hours That Changed The World (1 x 47 mins /1 x 90 mins), charting the first 48 hours of the disaster, from the fateful safety test that led to the explosion and the heroic divers who risked their lives to prevent a second, to the evacuation of Pripyat, the city of 50,000 inhabitants who were forced to leave everything behind; The Ozempic Effect: Beyond the Waistline (1 x 60 mins) exploring the seismic health and social impacts of the new wonder drug; and Great British Train Journeys From Above (4 x 47 mins).

New York City november 24

Honoring

DANA WALDEN

JOÃO ROBERTO MARINHO & Co-Chairman

Disney Entertainment Chairman & President Grupo Globo

CANADA’s Prestigo brings two new series to Cannes. Your Life Without It (40 x 3 mins) mixes animation and live action in interviews with everyday objects while they share their stories and perspectives. Campfire Lodge (11 x 22 mins) is a mix of scripted content, games and testimonials featuring a group of youngsters in a camp setting. Kid-relatable themes are explored in the series with a focus on nurturing critical thinking.

TERRANOA

TERRANOA announces two documentaries due for delivery in December: Wind, The Breath Of The Earth (1 x 52/90 mins), looking at new understandings on wind dynamics and supported by cutting-edge VFX and the latest science; and in Faces Of War In Ukraine (1 x 52 mins) an international medical team works hand-in-hand with Ukrainian surgeons in facial reconstruction. Coming up next year from Terranoa is The Miracle Of Venice (1 x 52/90 mins), using AI-driven animation and 3D VFX, exploring the rise to power of the city and how it out-maneuvered neighbouring cities to conquer the world.

Josefa’s Return (Bavaria Media)

BAVARIA MEDIA

BAVARIA Media returns to MIPCOM CANNES with a packed drama roster including: Mozart Mozart, bringing to light the sister of the musical genius; Josefa’s Return, about a trans woman who returns to her deceased parent’s farm; four new 90-minute episodes of Modern Murder; 21 seasons of European telenovela Storm Of Love; Cold Valleys, featuring two Austrian police officers from very different sides of the tracks who solve twisted rural crimes in the Alpine countryside; 27 seasons of Einstein High, about a boarding school; legal series Law And No Order; crime thriller Deadly Whispers – Beneath The Surface (1 x 90 mins); family saga Where We Come From; and animation Pumuckl’s First Adventures (26 x 25 mins).

HG DISTRIBUION

HG Distribution presents powerful new documentary Lady Everest – An Ode To The Mountains (1 x 60 mins), available for distribution on International Mountain Day, December 11, 2025. Blending live-action footage with striking animation, the film retraces the journey of Junko Tabei, the trailblazing Japanese mountaineer who became the first woman to conquer Mount Everest. HG is also highlighting a co-production opportunity as they are developing the third season of fantasy series 422 (10 x 30 mins).

WHERE LATAM MEETS THE WORLD.

DCD RIGHTS

LONDON-based DCD Rights brings new documentary William & Kate: Royal Wedding Minute By Minute (1 x 60 mins) to the international market in Cannes. From Kalel Productions for Channel 5 in the UK, the special follows the spectacular wedding, watched by two billion people worldwide. The documentary takes a forensic, minute-by-minute look at the most anticipated royal wedding of modern times, featuring insiders, fashion experts, royal commentators and superfans.

INCANDESCENT DISTRIBUTION

NEW FORMAT Life’s No Joke (But They Try) (11 x 120 mins) is a mix of comedy and social reality that features 10 up-and-coming comedians who take on a real job each week, and then have 24 hours to turn their experience into a stand-up routine. They then perform live for the people they have worked alongside. The format is brought to MIPCOM CANNES by Bulgaria’s Incandescent Distribution.

BOAT ROCKER STUDIOS

AT THE height of her fame on CSI: Miami, Eva LaRue received a handwritten letter on set signed Freddie Krueger. It was the first of many violent threats that would torment Eva and her daughter for more than a decade. My Nightmare Stalker (1 x 90 mins/2 x 45 mins) is a true-crime docudrama that tells the story of a family hunted by an anonymous predator — and the groundbreaking FBI investigation that finally brought him to justice. The show uses cinematic recreations, personal archives, and interviews with Eva and her daughter and the agents who cracked the case.

LET’S GO FROGGY!

PVP MEDIA and Jonas & Co are in partnership to develop Let’s Go Froggy!, a new pre-school CGI animated series based on a popular book series. In his vibrant small town, Froggy, the pond’s most enthusiastic and exceptional amphibian, embraces daily adventures with humour and music. Alongside family and friends, he navigates childhood’s ups and downs. Each episode combines comedy and music while addressing socially relevant issues in a light-hearted way.

LOOKS INTERNATIONAL

HANNAH Arendt – Facing Tyranny (1 x 90 mins), presented in Cannes by history specialist Looks International, explores the extraordinary life and work of one of the most influential and fearless political thinkers of the 20th century. Arendt’s experience as a political prisoner, Jewish refugee and survivor informed her breath-taking insights into the human condition, the rise of totalitarianism, the banality of evil and the crisis of democracy. Now, 50 years after her death, her story is more relevant than ever. Supported by the award-winning PBS series, American Masters, the film tells Arendt’s life story through a rich and immersive visual palette of archival film and photographs.

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ITV STUDIOS

HIGHLIGHTS from the UK’s ITV Studios includes Ages Of Ice, which follows polarnauts, the scientists pushing the boundaries of exploration and human endeavour at Earth’s coldest frontiers, to understand how all humans are tied to these frozen extremes. On the format slate is Celebrity Sabotage, from the creators of Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, in which contestants believe they are competing in a reality game show, but hidden away Celebrity Saboteurs are watching their every move and carrying out missions designed to disrupt the action. From the scripted genre comes Betrayal, starring Shaun Evans as MI5 operative John Hughes, at the forefront of preventing the biggest terrorist plots on UK soil for over 20 years. But now in his mid-40s and married with two children, he’s struggling to navigate the evolving world of espionage. John meets a source who tells him about an international plot unfolding on UK soil that could lead to a significant loss of life. John must convince his resistant colleagues that there is a genuine threat to national security.

AMC NETWORKS

PROGRAMMING offered by AMC Networks (AMCN) in Cannes includes: Irish Blood (6 x 60 mins), in which Fiona (Alicia Silverstone) investigates her father’s disappearance, only to discover a web of family secrets; The Audacity (8 x 60 mins), a Silicon Valley drama set in the world of jaded billionaires, psychiatrist-gurus and tech bros; cosy crime Murder Before Evensong (6 x 60 mins), based on the first novel by Reverend Richard Coles; four seasons of Western noir Dark Winds; three seasons of Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale; spy thriller Anne Rice’s Talamasca (6 x 60 mins); anthology horror The Terror: Devil In Silver (6 x 60 mins); and reality series Love After Lockup and The Braxtons.

ALBATROSS WORLD SALES

FACTUAL titles from Albatross World Sales include: Portugal’s Wild Wonders (2 x 52 mins), an immersive journey through Portugal’s diverse ecosystems, showcasing the stunning beauty and rich biodiversity of the country’s protected landscapes; Wild Bali (1 x 52 mins), exploring the island’s extraordinary wildlife and the mounting challenges it faces, while highlighting inspiring conservation efforts, from habitat restoration to community-led initiatives; Dirty Chocolate (1 x 52 mins), about how much suffering is hidden behind the pleasure of chocolate; and Piranesi – Visionary Of Shadow And Stone (1 x 52 mins), about Giovanni Battista Piranesi, the legendary Italian architect, engraver and archaeologist.

BELIANE

PARIS-based Beliane returns to MIPCOM CANNES with a line-up of new documentaries, including: Pleiades, Victims Of A Serial Killer (7 x 52 mins), about the arrest of the first serial killer on Cyprus, who preyed on vulnerable migrant women; and Georges De La Tour, The Shadow And The Flame (1 x 52 mins), a celebration of the painter as a landmark exhibition is due in Paris next year.

FIFTH SEASON

BLACK Gold (6 x 60 mins) is a drama series set, at the turn of the 20th century, in a quiet village where the lives of a family of farmers are transformed by the discovery of oil beneath their fields. This discovery eventually threatens to tear the farming community apart. Another highlight from the company is Death Cap: The Mushroom Murders (3 x 60 mins), a documentary series featuring the Australian case of a seemingly ordinary family lunch which became a global media story when four guests fell critically ill, with three later dying. The host of the lunch was arrested and charged with triple homicide. Another priority from Fifth Season is Untitled Earth, Wind & Fire Film, an exploration of one of the first Black bands to have mass crossover appeal, directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson.

FRED MEDIA

FRED Media is at MIPCOM CANNES with a slate of home-renovation titles: Holiday Home Makeover with Rachel and Ryan (6 x 60 mins) follows the husband and wife duo from The Block 2022, as they take on the challenge of transforming a sprawling property into their dream holiday home; Beyond The Build (5 x 60 mins) follows families as they design and create their own dream homes; Cherie Barber’s Tiny Home Reno (1 x 60 mins) follows the transformation of a tiny Sydney apartment into a high-end home; Epic Builds – The 90 Day Challenge (8 x 60 mins) follows Australia’s top prefab modular builders; Renovate Or Rebuild (16 x 60 mins) takes homeowners through the key steps to consider ahead of any big project; and the second season of Budget Battlers (6 x 60 mins), features renovating homes for deserving people in under a week.

Innate (Dynamic Television)

DYNAMIC TELEVISION

CRIME drama Ms X (8 x 45 mins) stars Melissa George as Mia, a suburban mother whose plan to scare her cheating husband takes a deadly turn, and she is thrust into a dangerous underworld where she must navigate warring cops, a ruthless cartel and even her local PTA. The series is produced by Plus6Four and South Pacific Pictures in association with Dynamic Television. Another highlight for Dynamic Television in Cannes is psychological thriller Innate (8 x 45 mins). The series follows Sara (Elena Anaya), a psychologist who has left behind a traumatic past as the daughter of a serial killer. Her life spirals down when he is released from prison and a new wave of similar crimes begins. Sara must collaborate with the police to solve the case. Produced by Plano a Plano Bilbao, the series is distributed worldwide by Dynamic Television. The company also brings the fourth season of mystery series Harry Wild (6 x 45 mins).

A+E GLOBAL MEDIA

WITH Tom Hanks as guide, a gripping series brought to MIPCOM CANNES by A+E

Global Media offers a comprehensive view of World War II, that makes use of new research and rarely seen archive that illuminates both the causes and pivotal moments of the war, one of the most deadly in human history.

WWII With Tom Hanks (20 x 60 mins) tackles topics ranging from the invasion of the Soviet Union and the bloody and brutal battles in the Pacific to Hitler’s response to Pearl Harbor and D-day. The company also spotlights 12 seasons of Ice Road Truckers — totalling 152 episodes — about the drivers who take heavily loaded vehicles across frozen lakes to deliver supplies to remote locations in Canada and Alaska.

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SERIOUS KIDS

THE THOMAS family tabby cat Mog always finds herself in big trouble in Mog’s Bad Thing (1 x 24 mins), brought to MIPCOM CANNES by London-based Serious Kids. The family is hosting a cat show in their garden which should be Mog’s chance to shine, but in all the excitement she does a bad thing which means she hides in the attic feeling sorry for herself. The animation special from Lupus Films — the team behind The Tiger Who Came To Tea — is adapted from Judith Kerr’s classic picture book.

THE PINKFONG Company, the outfit behind Baby Shark, has released the first-ever theatrical film in its Bebefinn franchise. Bebefinn SingAlong Movie: Into The Pinkfong World premiered in the UK and Ireland and has rolled out across global markets. The film unites characters from the Pinkfong Universe in an interactive sing-along adventure featuring 11 songs, from Baby Shark classics to brand-new tracks, with a heart-warming storyline and a vibrant mix of 2D and 3D animation.

SEOUL-based CJ ENM brings a suspenseful romantic series to Cannes, Dear X (12 x 70 mins). The melodrama follows the rise and fall of a badly-behaved woman, Baek Ah-jin, who dreams of becoming a great actress and uses others to achieve her ambitions. However, the more she has, the more she wants. When Joon-seo falls in love with her, he desperately tries to stop her descending into further evil behaviour.

NEXTKEY

NEXTKEY is a Seoul-based studio specialising in unscripted formats, made using digital and AI-driven innovation and designed for global adaptability. In Cannes the company presents The Fact House, a reality game show that turns fake news into competition. Inside the house contestants are confronted with news headlines — one fact, the rest fake. Some are crafted by AI, others are designed to look like credible journalism. The stories appear in newspapers and TV reports or viral posts and online clips. As though gambling, contestants wager chips on the story they believe is real, sometimes playing solo, sometimes forming alliances. With each round, the stakes rise, and the drama escalates. But hidden among them is a secret Faker, whose mission is to mislead, confuse and push others toward the wrong choice.

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ESCAPADE MEDIA

SHOWCASING conservation in Southern Africa from a unique vantage point, Untamed (6 x 60 mins/4K) follows Dr Ben Muller and Dr Joel Alves, two conservation wildlife veterinarians, and helicopter pilot Gerry

ANIMAJ

PRODUCTION on a sixth season of Pocoyo has begun, and the project is brought to MIPCOM CANNES by Paris-based Animaj. The series, aimed at three- to five-year-olds, is set for a 2026 release, while a new digital-first season is already rolling out. Another project highlighted by Animaj is its alliance with Studio 100 International to re-imagine a classic character celebrating its 50th anniversary, Maya the Bee, for a new generation of four- to seven-year-olds. Animaj will lead digital strategy, series content development and international expansion (beyond DACH & Benelux), while both partners will shape Maya’s creative evolution. New broadcast episodes will be complemented by short-form and digital-first formats across streaming and social platforms.

NBCU GLOBAL TV DISTRIBUTION

ONE OF the highlights from the programming brought to market by NBCU Global Distribution is suspenseful drama Ponies (8 x 60 mins), set in 1970s Moscow and starring Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson as two secretaries in the American Embassy. When their husbands are mysteriously killed, they become CIA operatives who work together to uncover a vast Cold War conspiracy. The ‘Burbs (8 x 60 mins) is a modern-day adaptation of the 1980s film that starred Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher. The new series follows a young couple who have reluctantly relocated to the husband’s childhood home. When a new neighbour moves in across the street, their world is upended as old secrets of the cul-de-sac are brought to light. The Dream Lands (6 x 60 mins) is a coming-of-age thriller set in the near future, a story of the power of love in a world spinning out of control. The series is produced by Sister and Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studios Group, for BBC iPlayer and BBC One.

3BOXMEDIA

THREE new titles are brought to MIPCOM CANNES by Spanish-German distributor 3boxmedia. Two Penguins (1 x 52 mins/4K) follows a pair of chinstrap penguins as they raise their two chicks in Antarctica, one of the harshest environments on the planet. The documentary reveals the latest scientific behavioural research from studies spanning more than 30 years. Iberia: Infinite Nature (1 x 50 mins/6K) tells the story of a golden eagle that has been expelled from its territory and embarks on an epic adventure to survive across the Iberian Peninsula, where it encounters bears, wolves, otters, genets, bearded vultures and minks. Masai Mara: Kingdom Of The Wild (1 x 45 mins/4K) is an exploration of Africa’s greatest wilderness.

MIP. FOR THE LOVE OF STORYTELLING.