Spain’s drama production sector is moving swiftly towards international television’s top tier, fuelled by the SVOD global boom. Emiliano de Pablos reports. Not so long ago, Spain’s TV drama production sector was completely driven by free-to-air TV broadcasters Mediaset España, Atresmedia and state-owned TVE. However, weighty new players, led by telco giant Telefonica’s pay TV […]
French commercial broadcaster Canal+ has taken a 50% stake in Kissman Production Group. Kissman is the prodco of Jamel Debbouze, whose comedy-entertainment series Jamel Comedy Club is a fixture on Canal+. Following the investment, financial terms of which were not disclosed, Canal+ and Kissman will work to develop new TV and digital projects in the […]
Egyptian channel CBC is today launching a remake of Spanish period drama Grand Hotel following a deal with German distributor Beta Films. The show will debut today in the Ramadan ‘super-primetime’ period – when fasting Muslims in the Middle East and North Africa region deliver networks massive ratings spikes. It will also launch on other […]
French production and distribution group Studiocanal has strengthened its TV assets by taking minority shares into three Europe-based indies, including Benedict Cumberbatch’s new indie. The group, which intends to raise its revenues from television from 13% of overall sales to 25% in the two or three years term, has taken 33% of Bambù Producciones in […]
The US arm of Mexican media giant Televisa is adapting hit Spanish drama Gran Hotel, with Stephen Kronish (24) attached as showrunner. Televisa USA is seeking to harness the production might and connections of its parent group in Latin America as part of a new initiative from Chris Philip, head of production and distribution. Its […]
Beta Film has sealed a raft of Asian sales including shopping a pair of drama series to China’s CCTV, TBI understands. The German-based distributor, which was meeting Asian buyers at the Busan Contents Market last week, has sold Spanish period drama Velvet (left) to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. The series, which has been called the ‘Spanish […]
A trio of Spanish primetime dramas are set to make international headlines. Spain’s TV advertising slump has hit local fiction budgets hard, but with US imports banished from the primetime schedules of the main broadcasters, local drama continues to connect strongly with audiences. In the cutthroat world of Spanish free TV primetime, three new series […]
German distributor Beta Film will launch buzzy Italian drama 1992 and Spanish drama hit Under Suspicion at MIPTV. Political thriller 1992 is an original for Sky in Italy and has been picked up by its pay TV counterparts in the UK and Germany. Beta will be shopping the Wildside-produced doc at the market. Bambú Producciones-produced […]
BBC Worldwide is working on an English-language science fiction drama with Atresmedia, marking the first time the UK pubcaster’s commercial arm has coproduced with a European partner. The series, The Refugees (Refugiados), will broadcast on Atresmedia’s commercial channel laSexta in the autumn. BBCWW is a coproducer, commissioner for international channels and global distributor. Grand Hotel […]
Spain’s crisis has forced TV producers to seek international business. Local fiction continues to dominate Spanish primetime, but the dramatic fall in investment in TV advertising has obliged broadcasters to cut their budgets for originals. Creating virtue out of necessity, an increasing number of drama producers are looking beyond Spanish border and beginning to reap […]
