AB, Moonscoop and Zed notch top French program exports

French TV exports group TVFI has revealed the top three French TV exports this year. AB International’s drama Mafiosa, Moonscoop’s kid series SamSam and Zed’s doc Becoming a Woman in Zanskar were the top three French TV shows overseas in 2009.

TVFI recognises the most successful shows across the three categories every year and awarding this year’s winners said their three shows had a combined global audience of 270.5 million viewers. TVFI selects the winners based on the number of territories a show has sold to, with a weighting towards the larger TV territories and free-to-air channels, and the ratings success of the French shows.

Mafiosa was sold to a host of broadcasters in the 2008/2009 TV year. It is coproduced by Image&Compagnie, Fontana, RTL-TVI and Canal Plus.

SamSam is coproduced by Bayard Jeunesse, Araneo, France 5, Gulli and Canal J. Moonscoop has sold it to Rai (Italy) and GMTV (UK) among others.

Becoming a Woman in Zanskar is a one-off doc produced by Zed for France 5, SWR, Equator, RTBF, RTSI, SF DRS and YLE. The French producer/distributor has sold it into over 50 territories and buyers include Discovery and Rai.