Series Mania Booms, Grows Market Edge, Anticipates New U.S.-Europe Tensions: These and Other Takeaways from the 2025 Edition

Yahoo

28-03-2025

LILLE, France 2025 looks set to go down in history as the year that Series Mania, already the biggest TV festival in Europe, stepped up to another level.
Exhibition booths at the Grand Palais' newly expanded second floor stretched from one side of its second floor – and the Palais is very grand – to another. Floor traffic was packed, charging up from second to third and fourth floors with more exhibition space with an energy reminiscent of Mipcom back in the day. Multiple keynotes, especially those made available to the public, were sold out. Charlie Brooker's could have given his 'Black Mirror' Masterclass twice over and still have had SRO.
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Amanda Seyfried, in town for 'Long Bright River,' Pamela Adlon, Series Mania's jury president, and Christina Hendricks, teasing 'Good American Family' and presenting 'Small Town, Big Story,' added star dazzle to this year's edition.
The Series Mania lineup came in for large praise as well.
'The selection of series that I saw here is amazing,' said U.S. filmmaker and series creator Jennifer Fox, at Series Mania with 'Ruth's Ghosts' AT its prestigious Co-Pro Pitching Sessions. 'We aren't getting that quality of series in America. You're seeing much smaller countries produce these diamonds. And the sad thing is that most of these series I'll never see in America. Now I want to come every year!'
What happened to Series Mania and other takeaways:
Series Mania Gears Up as a Market
Series Mania, Europe's foremost TV co-production forum, is shaping up as a true-blue TV market. Some tell-tale signs:
*Attendance at the Series Mania Forum, the festival's industry zone, was tracking for 4,600 a week before the event. Walk-through traffic at the actual event looks like final figures could best significantly higher.
*Led by AGC TV's Kaley Cuoco starrer 'Vanished,' multiple international distributors used Series Mania to bring new shows to market.
*Others – Sony Pictures Television's with 'Long, Bright River,' All3Media's with 'Protection' – announced worldwide sales on flagship titles.
So What's Happened to Series Mania?
Explanations cut various ways. Multiple companies have looked to Series Mania, not Mip London, to take up the slack of MipTV Cannes' demise.
Also, this year's event coincides with a consolidation of an old new normal. Pubcasters and private-sector networks accounted for over 80% of European series commissions in 2023, according to figures aired by the European Audiovisual Observatory at Series Mania Forum's opening session. That figure was still over 70% 2H 2024, Ampere Analysis reports. So companies which spent much of the peak TV boom snagging streamer orders have now turned to selling their property on the open market or are looking abroad for partners, or working new market dynamics. 'A key market trend is a desire for producers and networks to work toward more flexible distribution models and windowing, especially within Europe,' ex Netflix international head Erik Barmack, at Series Mania with Icelandic series 'Fusion,' told Variety. Again, that requires negotiations best made face-to-face at markets.
Where was the U.S.?
The other contributing factor to Series Mania's burgeoning market profile is of course the relative pull back in global streamer commissions. In recent Series Mania editions, the global streamers – Netflix, WBD, Prime Video – galvanised the Forum with new project slate announcements. With Gerhard Zeiler, WBD president of international, pulling out of a session because of ill-heath and Netflix and Prime Video fielding creatives and European execs for their sessions, it was left to Paramount Global Content Distribution's Lisa Kramer, and CBS Studios' Lindsey Martin to fly the U.S. studio honcho flag at Series Mania. 'Vanished' looks like a text book example of how to structure a series with Europe. As the U.S shows urgently need to tap European soft moneys for shows, expect a tsunami of stateside execs to hit the French festival next year.
Europe Goes It Alone?
Just a few years ago, high-end U.S.-U.K. co-productions were all the rage. This year at Series Mania, the mother of all deal announcements was made by two of the biggest public broadcasters in Europe. Building on 'Honey' and 'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder' deals, the U.K.'s BBC and Germany's ZDF unveiled a partnership to produce together premium drama series. U.S. President Donald Trump complained in February about what he called unfair tax regimes and U.S. streamer investment quotas in Europe. In one Forum session, Olivier Henrard, at French film-TV agency CNC, said he expected a 'much more aggressive' U.S. stance on such obligations. 'What we see happening across the Atlantic, there is a strange alliance between those who have been elected by promoting fake news and those who make the real disappear,' Bruno Patino, head of pubcaster Arte France, said at Lille, urging for 'collaboration' between European players. As Europe debates new global streaming regulation in Europe as part of an E.U. Directive for 2026, its relations with the U.S government may be in for a rocky ride.
The Downside
For all its vibrancy, 2025's Series Mania still unspooled in a post-Peak TV environment. Producers and international distributors are now chasing 75% of the peak-TV market, Ampere Analysis' Guy Bisson observed at Series Mania, Though bossing Europe, factoring in inflation, pubcaster and commercial broadcaster revenues are both edging down, observed Gilles Fontaine, from the European Audiovisual Observatory, as the Series Mania Forum's opening panel on Tuesday. 'I wouldn't talk about crisis, but I'm saying it's tough. There's no money to throw away,' said Mediaset's Carolina Lorenzon. That realism ran through Series Mania panels. 'We all feel there's less money,' Isabelle Degeorges, Series Mania's Woman in Series, told Variety. The major narrative of Series Mania is how the industry is reacting to such straightened times.
AI Comes to the Rescue
Companies embrace of AI can only be understood in such a context. 'The fear of of disintermediation is so great in Hollywood. There's an existential challenge in Hollywood with TV production right now. There's a fear of people losing their jobs and a fear of television going away altogether for user generated content and other things,' Erik Barmack said at a panel during Thursday's Lille Dialogues at Series Mania. 'The only way to sink those fears is by using AI ethically and responsibly, to bring the cost of television down without permanently destroying what it means to be in a creative industry.'
Co-Production
The major reaction from most companies to tougher market conditions is, however, co-production. There are signs also that international co-production is now kicking in. 20 in 2015, TV co-productions between different-language countries grew to 60 in 2023, the EAO estimates. 'There's a real willingness among the creative community and producers to find series which are organically international and that's very fresh. Public broadcasters can go in directions which are not that obvious in terms of commercial success,' France Televisions' Manuel Alduy said at a Forum panel, citing Series Mania competition player 'Kabul.'
The Market Paradox
''Top End Bub' feels like a hug. It's everything we need right now: a series that is about love, family, friendship, community and offers the escapism that everyone is seeking for. A perfect show for the whole family set in a tropical place. And let's be honest, who doesn't need a hug these days?' ZDF Studios Director of Drama Yi Qiao said at Series Mania. Concurrently, other shows – 'M. Son of the Century,' Jennifer Fox's well-received 'Ruth's Ghosts' – were hailed for their compelling timeliness. The market is ever clearer what it wants. Escapism and social relevance both rank high in appeal.
Relevance Noir
'You've put crime thriller in the title, could you make that crime drama thriller?' Many journalists at Series Mania will be familiar with this request from PRs. And the PRs will be right. Crime ruled at Series Mania in terms of market offer, from 'Long Bright River' to the announcement of a new season of 'Midsomer Murders' to ZDF Studios's 'Weiss & Morales,' a big poster emblazoning the outside wall of the Grand Palais. The titles are more than just thrillers, however. 'Reunion' is a thriller that then focuses on the deaf community. 'Long Bright River' uses a murder mystery to talk about addiction and family. Even 'Weiss & Morales,' an escapist blue sea procedural immersing viewers in the sun and stunning landscapes of the Canary Islands posits a happily assumed modern masculinity on the part of Spanish cop Raúl Morales. In this, creators, often schooled years ago on arthouse, have their cake and eat it too making crime dramas which are also about something.
The Deals
Deals announced by Variety at this year's Series Mania.
*U.K. TV network BBC and German broadcaster ZDF have forged a partnership to produce premium drama series together. Kicking off the deal, the partners have ordered comedic Cold War thriller 'Honey,' from Sally Woodward Gentle's Sid Gentle Films, best known for 'Killing Eve.'
*Making it one of the hottest properties at Series Mania, Sony Pictures Television's 'Long Bright River' has nearly sold out all major markets worldwide, SPT revealed at Series Mania.
*James Norton will lead and produce a miniseries, 'Wavewalker,' adapted by 'Adolescence' writer Jack Thorne.
*Kaley Cuoco, Sam Claflin, Karin Viard and Matthias Schweighofer are set to star in suspense thriller 'Vanished' from AGC Television, which launched sales at Lille.
*European TV giant Beta Film announced it had boarded crime series 'Cecilie Mars,' created-helmed by Christoffer Boe ('Warrior') and produced by Karoline Leth ('The Dreamer – Becoming Karen Blixen') for Zentropa Entertainments ('In a Better World,' 'Another Drink').
*Arte France, the French part of the pan-European public broadcaster, has boarded 'The Anatomy of a Moment' ('Anatomía de un Instante') the upcoming Movistar Plus+ series from Spain's Alberto Rodríguez ('The Plague').
*All3Media revealed legendary detective drama 'Midsomer Murders' is initiating production on Season 25. The show airs in nearly 200 territories.
*Series Mania development program Seriesmakers unveiled new projects from 'Pusher,' 'Blackport,' 'The Cakemaker' creatives in a high-caliber lineup.
*Fifth Season has secured global distribution rights, excluding the Nordics, to 'Vaka,' a six-part dystopian thriller series from Skybound Entertainment, the company behind 'Invincible' and 'The Walking Dead.' The show premieres on Prime Video in the Nordics.
*M-K Kennedy, Studiocanal's executive managing director of TV series, revealed new details of 'Apollo Has Fallen,' which will hop from country to country and star Ritu Arya and Tewfik Jallab, alongside Jacek Koman and Richard Dormer, among others.
*'Gulliver's Travels' is set for 'fun' TV series adaptation with 'Full Monty' producer Uberto Pasolini serving as showrunner. World sales will be jointly handled by Germany's Beta Film and ZDF Studios.
*Studiocanal brought to market Canal+ gritty mafia thriller 'The Corsican Line' with 'Furies' star Lina El Arabi, '24: Legacy' Lead Raphaël Acloque. Pierre Leccia writes-directs, reuniting with 'Mafiosa' producer Nicole Collet at Image et Compagnie.
*All3Media International, which has sold 'Fleabag' and 'Midsomer Murders,' has struck key deals in multiple territories for New Pictures' six-part witness protection thriller, 'Protection.'
*The Duplass Brothers Productions' 'Penelope,' an acclaimed coming of age drama, is heading to Sky in U.K., Ireland after a Fremantle deal.
*'Yours, Margot,' by 'Compartment No. 6' director Juho Kuosmanen, a 2023 Seriesmakers winner, has been boarded by Elisa Viihde.moving a late step towards production.
*Former Studiocanal boss Didier Lupfer has teamed with Édouard Boccon-Gibod and Tariq Krim to launch The Media Company with AI-enhanced projects.
*France TV Distribution's Corsica blood feud thriller 'Vendetta,' from 'A Prophet' producer Marco Cherqui, will launch at Series Mania
*Vivica A. Fox, Lynn Chen, Dwayne Perkins have boarded multicultural rom-com 'Love Bait,' as producer Quentin Lee of Margin Films brigs onto the market rom-com TV series 'Morning, Paris!' at the Series Mania Forum.
*Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha are set to lead BBC Drama 'The Cage' from Element Pictures.
*Federation Studios and TAICCA inked a strategic partnership at Series Mania to bridge European and Asian content markets.
*Banijay's producers of Prime Video Hit 'Cult' are allying for true story 'The Kiabi Scammer.'
*REinvent International Sales has boarded crime series 'The Pushover' from 'Fatal Crossing' creators.
*About Premium Content (APC) has acquired international rights to Norwegian drama 'Requiem for Selina,' a hot property on the pre-sales market before its premiere at Series Mania International Panorama.
*MFF & CO has expanded its series slate with espionage thriller 'Pegasus' and psychological horror 'Lusus.'
*Nordisk Film Production's Marike Muselaers drilled down on its new production slate, including the unannounced Norwegian blue-sky crime 'Sogn Murders,' commissioned by TV 2 Norway.
*Viaplay Content Distribution has pre-sold 'A Life's Worth' to Spain and Greece. Produced by Yellowbird in co-production with Viaplay and Arte France, the International Panorama title has also licensed to Arte for France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg and Austria; Viaplay holds other world rights.
*British network Channel 4 has commissioned its first digital original drama, 'Beth,' a three-part sci-fi thriller starring Nicholas Pinnock, Abbey Lee.
*At Series Mania's Co-Pro Pitching Sessions, Australia's Wooden Horse, behind Disney+'s 'The Clearing,' will unveil new project 'The Chaplain,' which promises a potentially captivating blend of drama and comedy, set against the bustling backdrop of an international airport.
*Dario Argento's 1985 horror classic 'Phenomena' — 'Creepers' in the U.S. — is getting a series adaptation from Italy's Titanus Production, to be revealed at Series Mania's Pitching Sessions.
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