Series Mania Spotlights Global TV Trends: ‘The Testaments’ Kicks Off with Strong Contributions from Belgium, Poland, and the UK
Series Mania Faces Changing Landscape as Submissions Decline
Series Mania, the prominent television festival in Lille, France, reflects a shift in the TV industry as it prepares to welcome a notable roster of international submissions, albeit at a reduced volume. The festival has a rich history with AMC, famously showcasing Season 2 of Mad Men in its inaugural edition in 2010. Matthew Weiner delivered a Masterclass on the series in 2015, and Christina Hendricks attended last year with Small Town, Big Story.
Fréderic Lavigne, a representative of the festival, noted that the current landscape differs significantly from the earlier days of Mad Men. “Instead of 450 applications, we are around 380,” he said. “It’s the first time we have a concrete sign that the end of the bubble arrived, the end of the peak TV is really there. I think it’s quite related to the decrease of the production.”
Executive director Lavigne’s observations coincide with insights from Herszberg, who mentioned, “We have five months to receive 380 shows, and that’s fine to make a selection, but it shows something about production. People are more careful about releasing shows, and it takes more time because they want to produce less.”
Despite the overall decrease in submissions, Lavigne emphasized the festival’s broad international reach, with entries from over 60 countries. “We have still a huge number of countries applying,” he said, asserting that this demonstrates the global nature of the industry, aided by U.S. platforms that are increasingly investing in local productions.
Among the noteworthy international submissions is Proud, a Polish series for HBO Max by Karol Klementewicz. The show features a young gay man who finds his life upended when he unexpectedly becomes responsible for a baby. “It’s a daring subject for Poland and is really also possible because it’s for a platform,” Lavigne explained.
Other prominent entries include the period political thriller Variola Vera, also from Poland, and three Belgian productions, including Best Immigrant, which explores the harsh realities of a couple competing in a ruthless reality show for a residency permit. Herszberg remarked, “It’s not a ‘dystopia’ because it is what we’re looking at. There are so many connections with what has happened in the world.”
The United Kingdom is well-represented with shows like Waiting for the Out and Major Players in the International Competition, along with several entries in the Panorama category. The collaboration between British and European creators appears to be on the rise as financial resources become more limited on the American side of the Atlantic.
Herszberg noted, “The British people are very creative, and… they are now, again, more interested in producing with Western Europe and the rest of Europe.” For this year’s festival, two celebrated British drama figures, Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffat, are scheduled to lead Masterclasses.
The festival is known for balancing serious content with lighter fare. This year, it will close with the Quebec comedy-drama Vitrerie Joyal (The Glass House), a story of a glass shop owner grappling with familial and business challenges in a fast-evolving world.
As Series Mania approaches, it stands out as both a public festival and a major industry event. Herszberg reflects on this dual focus: “Fréderic and I are coming from the cinema industry… we were always so interested in the stories being told and the atmosphere and the screenwriters and the directors.” Lavigne added, “It’s a festival state of mind.”
