Last year proved transformational for television, and one of the most surprising outcomes is that North America is no longer the largest region globally for daily TV consumption. According to a Glance (Global Audience & Content Evolution) presentation at MipTV, both Europe and South America have now overtaken North America in this regard. “Globally you see
Television
Following on from dark Mipdrama thriller “The Winemaker,” Germany’s Goodfriends Filmproduktion, producer of recent HBO Max release “Arthur’s Law,” is re-teaming with Austria’s Satel Film, the company behind Netflix smash hit “Freud,” to produce “Mozart,” a limited series that casts Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in a new and revolutionary light. Andreas Prochaska, “The Winemaker” director and
Yes Studios, the Tel Aviv-based producer and distributor behind “Fauda” and “Shtisel,” is unveiling a first-look trailer for “The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem,” a sprawling family saga which marks its biggest investment to date. The multi-generational costume melodrama was adapted from the bestselling novel of the same name, written by author Sarit Yishai-Levy. The series
Rising Turkish star Burcu Biricik plays the lead in “Fatma,” the hotly anticipated new Turkish Netflix Original that will drop worldwide on April 27, for which Netflix is releasing the first trailer. This groundbreaking show produced by Basak Abacigil, and created and directed by up-and-coming multihyphenate Ozgur Onurme, is about an ordinary cleaning lady named
Disney Plus has acquired Latin American broadcast rights to animated musical “Turu and the Wackies,” a 26-episode CGI spin-off series from the hit 2019 toon movie “Turu, the Wacky Hen,” a Spanish Academy best animated feature winner that Filmax has sold to 75 countries. In further deals, Spanish public broadcaster RTVE has taken broadcast rights
About Premium Content (APC) has boarded “Ever After,” a relationship drama produced by the award-winning Italian banner Indigo Films (“La Grande Bellezza,” “Youth”) in the run up to MipTV. “Ever After,” created by Giacomo Bendotti (“The Stolen Caravaggio”), is a six-part Italian drama series portraying a broken couple. APC is repping ready-made and format rights
Germany is getting in “The Dog House.” The popular Channel 4 format, which pairs prospective dog owners with shelter pups looking for forever homes, has been snapped up for a local adaptation by leading broadcaster ZDF. Meanwhile, Five Mile Films’ original version of the human-hound matchmaking show for the U.K. broadcaster is also heading to
Buenos Aires-based FilmSharks Int’l has picked up worldwide rights to sci-fi-horror film “Virtual Reality” by Argentine terror meister Hernan Findling who has directed and produced a slew of genre films. “We’d been chasing this title ever since we saw it at the 2020 Sitges Film Festival’s Coming Soon section, a preview of upcoming genre films,
In a close-up shot at the start of the mini-series “Voltaire in Love,” a baby François Marie Arouet (also known as French philosopher Voltaire) is pushed out of his mother’s birth canal in a scene of intense labor. A graphic reference to Gustave Courbet’s famous painting The Origin of the World that continues to stir debate, this shot foretells
The pandemic has hit the supply of new shows in the factual and documentary space, as it has in the scripted arena, attendees of the virtual edition of TV conference MipTV heard Friday. During his presentation on trends in unscripted content, David Ciaramella, communications manager at research firm K7 Media, said: “There have been few
Chile’s BTF Media has unveiled its next project, “El Estallido,” a six-part docuseries telling the story of young psychology student Gustavo Villaroel, who lost both of his eyes after being shot twice with rubber bullets by the Chilean police while participating in the social uprising in Santiago in October 2019. In anticipation of pitching the
Keshet is pitching ZDF and Viaplay’s upcoming domestic terrorism thriller “Fury” to international buyers at MipTV, and series creator Gjermund S. Eriksen (“Mammon”) discussed his latest creation with Variety remotely from Norway as the Cannes-based event kicked off. Co-produced by Monster Scripted (“Nobel,” “For Life”) and “Babylon Berlin” producers X Filme, the Norwegian-set episodes of
At this year’s MipTV, The Wit hosted its first-ever presentation for a Fresh TV Lab, hosted by CEO and co-founder Virginia Mouseler and focused on Esports, podcasts and brands. “Esports is a growing entertainment option, not only for younger people but with a wider and wider audience. Of course, Esports is primarily about online gaming
“Agus and Monsters,” “Mironins” and “The Triplets” feature among five projects to be highlighted by promotion board Catalan Films at a Partner Content Showcase on April 12 focusing on animation, a burgeoning TV asset in Catalonia. More details: “Mironins” (Cornelius Films, Walking the Dog BVBA, Wuji House, Peekaboo Animation) A transmedia project made up of seven-minute
Chile’s BTF Media has unveiled its next project, “El Estallido,” a six-part docuseries telling the story of young psychology student Gustavo Gatica, who lost both of his eyes after being shot twice with rubber bullets by the Chilean police while participating in the social uprising in Santiago in October 2019. In anticipation of pitching the
Jan Mojto’s Munich-based production-distribution company Beta Film has boarded Nordic suspense thriller “Helsinki Syndrome,” the first common project with Finland’s Fisher King since Beta took a majority stake in the leading Finnish production company in 2019. Coinciding with the Fisher King deal, Beta launched the Sweden-based Beta Nordic Studios (BNS), a umbrella hub grouping its
Partners on “The Red Band Society,” “I Know Who You Are” and “Welcome to the Family,” Barcelona-based studio Filmax and writer-director Pau Freixas are set to re-team on “The New Thirties,” a sci-fi laced comedy set on the idyllic Mediterranean island of Formentera. Penned by Eric Navarro and Natalia Durán, the writing duo behind recent
Hitting MipTV with a bang, Globo is unveiling a new Globoplay Original, “A Woman’s Fate,” which traces a clear through line with banner Globo titles from “Aruanas” to “A Mother’s Love.” Globo’s biggest new offering at MipTV, “A Woman’s Fate” also heads up Brazilian TV giant’s market slate which primes gender issues, declaring emblazoned by
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched “Father Frank, Full of Grace,” the series finale of “Showtime,” available on-demand now. After 11 seasons of debauchery, drinking, and downright denial, “Shameless” and the Gallagher crew said farewell in the April 11 series finale, “Father Frank, Full of Grace” with an expected ending and
Latino-owned Fuse Media has marked its first foray into the global media marketplace on the eve of MipTV with licensing deals to language learning platform Lingopie and South Africa-based Telkom SA. “Today’s licensing agreements signify the early innings of Fuse Media’s global expansion,” said Fuse Media head of digital, Patrick Courtney, who added: “It is
The Oscar nominated Carey Mulligan was the “Saturday Night Live” host on the April 10 episode, but she didn’t do her opening monologue alone: her husband Marcus Mumford, of Mumford & Sons, joined her in Studio 8H (and eventually on stage) of the NBC late-night sketch comedy show. After talking about her time spent with
A day after the jury in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin heard testimony from a medical examiner and forensic pathologist, “Saturday Night Live” delivered a cold open sketch responding to the trial. Chauvin was not portrayed. Instead, Ego Nwodim, Kenan Thompson, Kate McKinnon and Alex Moffat played “Eye on Minnesota” news
“You can’t follow trends, you have to set them yourselves,” said Ziwe, actor, writer and star of the upcoming variety show “Ziwe.” Ziwe, along with Chelsea Devantez, London Hughes, Jana Schmieding and Rachel Sennott, gathered virtually at USC’s Women Creating Comedy panel, hosted by Shannon Hardy, to discuss carving their own paths and sexism in
After delivering the 12th Oakie Masters of Comedy Lecture virtually at USC School of Cinematic Arts, Bill Hader was honored with the Master of Comedy award, presented by the Jack Oakie & Victoria Horne Oakie Charitable Foundation. The honor, which has previously been shared by Judd Apatow, Lisa Kudrow, Steve Carell and more, is awarded
Nikki Grahame, star of “Big Brother” and “Princess Nikki,” died Friday morning. She was 38. The reality TV star’s death was confirmed to Variety by her agent, Freddy White. Her close friend Leon Dee first shared the news on a GoFundMe page set up to raise money for Grahame’s anorexia treatment. According to the GoFundMe,
A drive-in premiere of the new Amazon Prime horror anthology series “Them” was held Thursday night in the parking lot at the City of Compton Resource Center, and it paid tribute to the city of its setting in many ways. The Lena Waithe-produced show follows the Emorys, a middle-class Black family, who move into an
Variety took home 20 top honors at Friday’s National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards, including the wins for best entertainment website, podcast host, best headline and for music and theater criticism. The virtual ceremony was hosted by comedian Alonzo Bodden. This year’s Veritas Award for film from the Los Angeles Press Club went to Netflix’s
After 11 seasons of drinking, drugging, sex, and petty crime, it’s last call for “Shameless.” The Showtime series wraps up its run on April 11, ending the saga of the Gallaghers, a family of dreamers, strugglers, and grifters whose life on the margins provided so much memorable television. “Shameless” was also one of the rare
The BBC has set up a dedicated complaints page for viewers fed up with its own blanket coverage of the death of Prince Philip. “We’re receiving complaints about too much TV coverage of the death of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” reads a statement on the BBC Complaints page, which invites disgruntled viewers to
SPOILER WARNING: Do not read if you have not seen Season 1, Episode 4 of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” streaming now on Disney Plus. Arguably one of the grittiest moments in the MCU films — or what counts for gritty in this world, anyway — comes in the form of Steve Rogers, Bucky