K7 Media's latest “Tracking the Giants: The Top 100 Travelling Scripted Formats 2023-2024” report, launched at MIPCOM in Cannes, unveiled the scripted series that are finding global audiences via adaptation as formats. Leading the charge is BBC Studios’ “Doctor Foster” - which continues to travel with five new adaptations launching across Japan, Thailand, Germany, Slovakia and the Middle East - cementing its status as the top-selling scripted format of the 2020s.
Elsewhere, French formats have also found major recent success. Three new versions each of Newen Connect’s showbiz dramedy “Call My Agent!” and TF1 Studio/France TV Distribution’s comedic crime procedural “High Intellectual Potential (HIP)” launched within the report’s window of focus. An additional U.S. adaptation of the latter also launched last month.
During a time when a format’s strong performance elsewhere in the world can be reassuring to risk-averse commissions - other formats to find success include Korean supernatural detective series “Signal” (CJ ENM), Argentine parenting comedy “Dear Daddies” (Paramount Global Content Distribution), and British mystery thriller “Liar” (All3Media International). All three have launched two new adaptations apiece.
Richard O’Meara, Associate Director: Drama and Insight at K7 Media, explained: "The market may have contracted, but the diversity of scripted formats crossing borders is remarkable. Audiences continue to gravitate toward character-driven stories, be they domestic thrillers like ‘Doctor Foster’ or comedic explorations of the entertainment industry like ‘Call My Agent!.’ As the TV industry navigates ongoing challenges, the ability of these formats to transcend cultural boundaries is a testament to their universal appeal."
The report also highlighted a significant rise in Asian and Middle Eastern buyers, with Thailand emerging as the leading buyer of scripted formats, primarily driven by collaborations with South Korea’s CJ ENM. The latter is highlighted in the report as the most successful current distributor of scripted formats. The shift reflects a growing interest in genre hybrids, including romance and family dramas, which are gaining traction in these regions.
As global production strategies shift in response to economic pressures, scripted formats are proving resilient, with the most successful formats adapting seamlessly to new audiences. This trend is expected to continue as more regional platforms develop their content strategies, creating fertile ground for proven scripted IPs to find new homes.