Series Mania Highlights International Dramas Set for Success at Its Buyers Upfront
Series Mania to Showcase Promising International Drama Series
Ten international drama series have been spotlighted as potential global hits at this year’s Series Mania, blending a diverse array of themes including gnomes, Nazis, gamers, fertility clinics, and even the British Prime Minister. Among the lineup are productions from the creators of Sherlock and a project backed by HBO, alongside a mix of European works, a Japan-Singapore co-production, and an Australian comedy.
Traditionally, the Series Mania Forum served as a co-production-focused gathering parallel to the Series Mania festival. However, as the Forum has increasingly attracted the international scripted television community, it has evolved to include a market segment where shows are actively bought and sold. An invitation-only event for buyers was introduced last year, emphasizing series with international appeal. Last year’s Buyers Choice Award was presented to The Deal, a drama exploring nuclear negotiations.
This year’s selection features ten shows in total. One highlight is Number 10, from Hartswood Films, the production company behind Sherlock. The series, penned by Steven Moffat—who will also offer a masterclass at the festival—delves into life at 10 Downing Street, home of the British Prime Minister. Sales for this program are handled by ITV Studios. Additionally, the UK presents Counsels, a legal drama set in Scotland, produced for the BBC and Germany’s ZDF Neo, with All3Media facilitating sales. Notably, this could be the final appearance of All3Media International as a standalone distributor, as it is merging with Banijay.
Several dramas distributed from France will also be featured. Alice, a Franco-Belgian series produced by Wild Bunch, highlights cinema’s first female filmmaker, Alice Guy. SND Groupe M6 will present R91, a French crime thriller set aboard a nuclear aircraft carrier, while Studio TF1 showcases The Dark Book: The Secret of the Egerias, a Spanish thriller centering on a criminal profiler.
Further international works include In Vitro, a Spanish project from Germany’s Beta Film, which follows a microbiologist at a fertility clinic and is backed by HBO Max. The Japan-Singapore collaboration, Lost and Found, unveils a storyline set in the gaming world. Australia contributes with the comedy Gnomes, centered on a potential gnome apocalypse and sold by Happy Accidents.
Showcasing the strength of Scandinavian dramas, Fremantle will present The Traitor Within, based on the true story of Norway’s most infamous Nazi collaborator and the person assigned to eliminate him. Additionally, OneGate Media will feature Blind, a crime drama beginning with a blind bartender named Nathaniel who arrives at a police station covered in blood, claiming a pregnant woman has been kidnapped from his bar.
The Buyers’ event is scheduled to occur at the Lille Chamber of Commerce on March 23.
