Banijay Entertainment announced this year’s standout titles across all genres for MIPCOM 2024. Leading the charge is the re-imagining of iconic detective drama “Bergerac”; original new competition format, “Three Are The Champions”; Dutch reboot “By Land, Air and Sea”; and high-end travelogue series, “Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain.” Additionally, the powerhouse will celebrate its latest travelling formats launched last MIPCOM, including “The Summit” and “Deal or No Deal Island.”
This year’s premium UK scripted offering includes the revival of Bergerac for UKTV’s U&DRAMA and free streaming service, U; the much-awaited “Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light” for the BBC and Masterpiece PBS; Welsh crime drama “The One that Got Away” for S4C; “We Go Again” (w/t), a comedy drama for BBC Three and BBC iPlayer; and “The Feud,” a domestic thriller for Channel 5. From New Zealand is new returnable crime procedural “A Remarkable Place to Die” for TVNZ, ZDF, and Acorn TV, and crossing over to Europe, is Italy’s pop band drama “Accidentally Famous” for Sky Italia; Dutch thriller “Elixir” for NPO and New8, and French crime drama “The Family Detective” for TF1. Anticipated returners “Marie Antoinette” for Canal+, PBS, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer and “SAS Rogue Heroes” for BBC iPlayer and MGM+ will also be highlighted.
New formats making their international debut include the Dutch reboot of entertainment programme “By Land, Air and Sea,” and Germany’s ratings success “Three Are The Champions” for RTL. Australia brings competitive renovation show Dream Home, insightful comedy travelogue “Origin Odyssey,” and music themed social experiment “Headliners”; the US launches new dating series “The Never Ever Mets,” and from the UK is strategic reality format, “The Fortune Hotel.” Building the next generation of superbrands, Banijay Entertainment will also highlight its successful travelling formats, including blockbuster adventure reality series “The Summit”; latest “MasterChef” iteration, “Dessert Masters”; and spin-off “Deal or No Deal Island.”
On the factual front, CNN Original travelogue series “Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain” will headline, alongside feature-length documentary, “Atomic People” for the BBC, as well as docu-series “7/7: Three Weeks in July” for the BBC and BBC iPlayer. In addition, two feature-length premium documentaries from Scenery, a joint venture with Banijay Benelux, are available to buyers in Cannes: “Front Row” and “LARA: The Man Who Tried to Save Colombia.”
Cathy Payne, CEO Banijay Rights, said: “Our dynamic line-up for this year’s MIPCOM truly highlights the continued growth and global appeal of our catalogue. From riveting dramas such as ‘Bergerac’ and ‘Wolf Hall,’ to high-end factual series like ‘Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain,’ we are eager to present a diverse and competitive slate that celebrates the power of storymaking and the outstanding talent behind our IP.”
James Townley, Chief Content Officer, Development and Lucas Green, Chief Content Officer, Operations at Banijay, added: “Our offering of distinctive and fresh formats coming from the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, UK, and the US, underscores our commitment to creating popular IP like ‘Three Are The Champions,’ and evolving classic favourites like ‘By Land, Air and Sea.’ The success of our new travelling hits, ‘The Summit’ and ‘Deal or No Deal Island,’ speaks to the creativity of our talented teams across the footprint, and illustrates our expertise in building the next generation of superbrands.”
The UK continues to offer strong premium scripted content, including the modern re-imagining of “Bergerac,” based on the original series created by Robert Banks Stewart and starring Damien Molony (“The Split,” “Brassic”), produced by Blacklight TV, a Banijay UK company. Blacklight TV also brings “The One That Got Away,” a thriller about a nurse’s murder that questions a historic conviction. Additionally, The Forge, recently acquired by Banijay UK, presents “We Go Again” (w/t), a new comedy drama from Janice Okoh about three stubbornly optimistic siblings with a dark secret.
Launching this year, “Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light,” a Playground Entertainment and Company Pictures co-production, continues the Tudor saga of Thomas Cromwell’s complex journey. Additionally, “The Feud,” a Lonesome Pine Productions title in association with Banijay Rights and Northeast Screen, uncovers dark secrets through a family’s contentious home renovation, leading to a spiral of paranoia and fear.
Screentime New Zealand’s "A Remarkable Place to Die," features a detective facing a series of intriguing local homicides, and from Groenlandia, a Banijay Italia company, and Sky Studios, comes “Accidentally Famous,” depicting the rise of Italian pop band 883. “Elixir,” a thriller from Banijay Benelux label Topkapi Films, along with NTR and BNNVARRA, revolves around a pharmaceutical scandal, while “The Family Detective,” from Banijay France’s Shine Fiction, brings a new crime drama about a family immersed in solving police cases. Finally, the group celebrates eagerly awaited second seasons of “Marie Antoinette,” The CANAL+ Creation Originale, produced by Capa Drama, Banijay Studios France and Beside Production; and “SAS Rogue Heroes” produced by Kudos (a Banijay UK company) and created, written and executive produced by Steven Knight.
Banijay Entertainment will showcase an array of formats available for adaptation globally. “Three Are The Champions” from EndemolShine Germany and Potatohead Pictures (part of Banijay Germany), has a second season greenlit, and spotlights three celebrities as they compete in challenges against top champions. Adrenaline-fuelled reboot “By Land, Air and Sea” from EndemolShine Nederland (part of Banijay Benelux) features contestants navigating creative obstacle courses using custom-built vehicles. “Dream Home” from Endemol Shine Australia for Channel 7 sees six teams face-off in an epic renovation showdown, while “Origin Odyssey” for SBS explores cultural roots in a new comedy travelogue, and “Headliners” for SBS, is a celebration of music and inclusion. Elsewhere, the US brings “The Never Ever Mets” from Bunim/Murray Productions (part of Banijay Americas), a returning series for OWN, where online dating comes to life. And from Tuesday’s Child, the producer behind hit competition reality series, “LEGO Masters,” is strategy gameshow The Fortune Hotel for ITV.
Banijay Entertainment’s travelling formats will be celebrated with the 9Network and Endemol Shine Australia original series, “The Summit,” which has travelled to three territories, including the US, with more to be announced; spin-off “Deal Or No Deal Island” by Endemol Shine North America, which has been renewed for by NBC; and Endemol Shine Australia’s “MasterChef” spin-off, “Dessert Masters,” which has recently launched in Brazil, showcasing top pastry chefs competing in high-stakes challenges.
Crossing over to factual with “Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain” from Hyphenate Media Group, takes viewers on a delectable culinary journey in Spain. Minnow Films’ Atomic People explores the human fallout from atomic bombs, while Slate Work’s “7/7: Three Weeks in July,” explores the 2005 UK terrorist attacks in a compelling docu-series. Meanwhile, “Front Row,” from Scenery and Pretty Matches and Executive Produced by award-winning actor and producer Sarah Jessica Parker, highlights the resilience of Ukrainian ballet dancers during wartime where an unlikely friendship forms between a dancer and a front-line soldier, while “LARA: The Man Who Tried to Save Colombia” recounts the extraordinary reconciliation story behind Pablo Escobar’s most famous assassination.
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