"African Royale"
Fred Media reveals its 2023 MIPTV slate, featuring a range of new and returning series from factual, reality, lifestyle, food and travel genres, totalling almost 130 hours of programming. Recently acquired from The Africa Channel, "African Royale" (6x30') leads the new reality titles. The series follows Her Imperial Highness Abimbola “Bim” Fernandez, a wealthy heiress with Nigerian royal lineage, as she flees New York for Los Angeles, where she encounters toxic beauty standards, an unfamiliar dating scene and the culture of today’s Black America – all while attempting to honour her family’s legacy. "Snow Crew" (10x30'), produced by Stripe Media, follows the lives of the people who work on the ski slopes in Queenstown, New Zealand’s most iconic winter playground. The final new reality title is "East Coast Rising" (4x30'), produced by Pango Productions, and follows a rugby team in a small, isolated community in New Zealand that hasn’t won a single game in eight years.
"First on Scene" (20x30'), produced by WTFN Entertainment, leads the new factual titles. It uses expert commentary and clever storytelling to unpack heart-stopping and raw moments caught on film by video journalists in Los Angeles. "Planet Shapers" (6x30'), produced by Meridian Green, follows presenters Laura Wells and Jo Taranto as they travel across Australia to discover sustainability stories about people who are innovating, adapting, and changing the way we live and work.
The new food titles are "4 Ingredients: The Easiest Cooking Show Ever" (6x30-) from Wild Bunch Media, where the focus is on simple and delicious home-cooked family meals created by best-selling cookery book author Kim McCosker; "Big Appetite" (5x30'), acquired from Tastemade, which follows Ben Hundreds as he searches for restaurants creating one-of-a-kind experiences by curating unique concepts through their food and design; and "The Curious Chef" (5x30'), also from Tastemade, which follows Stephanie Izard as she finds new inspiration from visiting fellow chefs in their kitchens.
The two new lifestyle titles are "Weekend Refresh" (6x30') from Tastemade, which sees Tia Mowry help homeowners transform sad spaces into rooms they will love and "Carlos’ Reno Rescue" (8x30'), produced by Pango Productions, which tracks All Blacks Rugby star Carlos Spencer as he undertakes renovation projects for deserving New Zealanders. The final new title is travel show "Piri’s Tiki Tour" (63x30'), also produced by Pango Productions and follows former professional rugby player and All Blacks star Piri Weepu as he indulges in his new-found passions – diving, hunting and fishing - around Aotearoa.
RETURNING SERIES
The returning series for MIPTV are "Space Invaders" S3 (10x60'), "Code 1: Minute By Minute" S2 (7x60' & 1x90'), "Emergency" S3 (10x60'), "Paramedics" S4 (10x60') and "Bondi Vet" S12(10x60') – all produced by WTFN. There is also a third season series of "The Circus" (10x30') from Stripe Media and a second season of "Never Too Small" (12x30'), produced by New Mac.
Courtney Hicks, Fred Media’s acquisitions manager, comments: “As an independent and boutique distributor, we know that size isn’t everything – however, we are certainly proud to be delivering both quality and quantity for this year’s MIPTV slate. Our new programming, from parent company WTFN Entertainment, existing partners such as Stripe Media, Tastemade and The Africa Channel, plus new production partners such as Pango Productions, Wild Bunch Media or Meridian Green, ensures we can offer content buyers a greater choice than ever before, especially in those genres for which we are best known, such as reality, factual, lifestyle and food.”