BBC Studios Brings Popular Danish Teen Series ‘Klassen’ to Germany and Plans a French Adaptation

BBC Studios is set to transform one of Denmark’s most enduring television series for German audiences. The teen drama Klassen, which explores the everyday challenges faced by students and teachers, will be remade by BBC Studios Germany for the WDR network. Additionally, the studio is considering a French version of the show.

Klassen has garnered significant acclaim, airing over 1,000 episodes on Denmark’s DR and inspiring remakes in both Norway and Sweden. The announcement came during the Series Mania festival, where Eva Holtmann, head of fiction at BBC Studios Germany, confirmed that filming for the German adaptation is scheduled to begin this summer. Léa Gimonneau-Sorel, a producer at BBC Studios France, expressed interest in developing a French adaptation as well.

Holtmann emphasized the desire to involve "young fresh talent behind the camera" in the Klassen project. She recalled that the idea originated during a scripted exchange among BBC Studios’ various labels, where creative development discussions took place over two days. “We are super happy this worked out and will be on in Germany too,” she said.

In addition to Klassen, Holtmann announced a second season of the German adaptation of the popular UK comedy Ghosts, which also airs on WDR. Furthermore, her team is reimagining the UK series Ladhood in Germany under the title Chabos, noting that the second season will explore a female perspective, distinguishing it as an “inspired by” show rather than a straightforward adaptation.

Matt Forde, who leads BBC Studios Global Productions, commented on the scripted exchanges, suggesting that while the process isn’t complicated, the success relies on a creative mindset. He noted a recent collaboration formed during one of these exchanges between Clerkenwell Films, known for Baby Reindeer, and BBC Studios in Australia for the upcoming Netflix surfing drama Breakers. Forde highlighted that Netflix seeks trusted partners in both the UK and Australia, enabling efficient production.

Forde also revealed plans to recruit a European IP scout to discover new scripted formats, indicating that the search is ongoing. He mentioned the possibility of hiring additional support for the co-production side as well.