All3Media International

All3Media International Formats Stay on Script

The increased demand for scripted formats globally is significant, according to All3Media International’s executive VPs of sales, with adaptations tripling between 2021 and 2022 and success continuing into 2023 and beyond.

“As production costs seem to be generally increasing, scripted formats are ever more attractive to producers and broadcasters as they present a more efficient and economical route to bring stories to the screen, saving a good percentage of a budget’s development costs and time,” says Stephen Driscoll, executive VP for EMEA at All3Media International.

Notably, scripted formats are more prevalent now in high-end, prime-time adaptations, says Sally Habbershaw, executive VP for the Americas, pointing to several examples where the local adaptation has been planned as a premium show for specific talent, both in front of and behind the camera. This was the case with Accused; the original version of the crime anthology for BBC One, written by Jimmy McGovern with RSJ Films, starred A-list talent such as Sean Bean and Olivia Colman. In the U.S., equally impressive talent came on board the version developed by Homeland and 24 creator Howard Gordon, with FOX’s version starring Emmy winners Michael Chiklis and Rhea Perlman, Oscar nominee Abigail Breslin, The OC’s Rachel Bilson and The Wire’s Wendell Pierce. This is also the case in AsiaPac, where the award-winning Tiz Zaqyah was cast as the female lead in Double Vision and Astro’s Liar. In Europe, Two Brothers Pictures’ Liar attracted Oscar-winning producer Indigo Film to adapt the Italian version, and TF1 in France aired a treatment led by celebrated French actress Audrey Fleurot.

“While Asia remains our standout region for scripted format demand, we have also seen increased productions in Central and Eastern Europe, with Greece recently launching a local version of Liar and Poland adapting West Road Pictures’ acclaimed drama Blood,” says Driscoll.

As for the types of scripted stories traveling best at the moment as formats, Driscoll says that “clients are often drawn to genre pieces, domestic thrillers or crime stories such as Liar, The Missing, Informer, Innocent, Angela Black and Cheat—stories from renowned writers that explore compelling universal themes such as consent, betrayal and family.”

“We’ve also seen diversification in the kind of stories our clients are looking for,” Habbershaw adds. “Historically, we saw less demand for dramas with comedic slants, but our catalog hosts two standout successes for those looking for more lighthearted, feel-good fare, in South Pacific Pictures’ Step Dave and Company Pictures’ Shameless.”

Step Dave has been adapted in Greece, Hungary, Ukraine and China. The format captures the realities of modern family life, when a man in his early twenties meets the love of his life—and her kids. Shameless originally ran for over ten years on Showtime in the U.S., following the roller-coaster lives and loves of a dysfunctional family. It has also attracted commissions in Ukraine and Turkey. All3Media International recently secured a new deal in India, where it is being produced by BBC Studios. “These successes have [led to] increased inquiries for other lighthearted content from our catalogs such as Detectorists, a character-based drama created by award-winning actor Mackenzie Crook for BBC,” Driscoll says.

As for other scripted format successes, Germany’s filmpool fiction recently wrapped production on a second season of Innocent, known locally as Unschuldig, for ARD Degeto. The political thriller Informer, based on the BBC One and Prime Video original by Sam Mendes’s Neal Street Productions, is in production in Hamburg with All3Media Deutschland for NDR, known locally as Informant. In India, Applause Entertainment is producing an award-winning version of Cheat for ZEE5, and a version of Dark Money, known locally as Kafas, for Sony LIV, based on the original series from the team behind Help and National Treasure at The Forge.

“What is so exciting about our scripted format partnerships is that the majority of format owners are very flexible and interested to see different approaches taken by producers and broadcasters around the world,” says Sabrina Duguet, executive VP for AsiaPac. “Every production has its own flavor while respecting the DNA of the original format.”

A prime example is Double Vision and Astro’s adaptation of Liar in Malaysia. “Throughout most of Malaysia, alcohol is not a normal part of the country’s religious and cultural sensibilities, so this had to be taken into account when adapting the story for Malaysian audiences,” Duguet explains. “Character adjustments are quite common to reflect local nuances, and we have found the key to a successful adaptation is to utilize the uniqueness of the story while delivering a production that understands its audience and territory. With anthology projects, the local broadcasters may well add new stories that fit the original storytelling structure, such as with Accused in the U.S.”

Additional points to consider for local adaptations, according to these sales execs, include run time and number of episodes, which can vary across territories. For example, in China, Tencent’s Miss S—an adaptation of the original Australian series Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries—doubled the length by adapting one script over two episodes and fleshing out minor characters.

“We are fortunate to have a wide scripted catalog providing a large recourse for potential collaborations going forward,” says Duguet. “Successful collaborations with our partners lead to new productions, and it is that repeat business that we are very encouraged by this year. As the volume of scripted format deals increases, we learn, adapt and develop as a business, but are thrilled to see so many of our partners returning to work with us through new seasons, such as Liar and Innocent and new productions, such as India’s Applause Entertainment, which has produced both Cheat and Dark Money locally.”

Duguet adds that an “exciting, interesting shift we’re seeing, particularly in Asia, is interest in a wider range of scripted formats, especially from our back catalog or where the tape edition did not sell. As long as a format has reputable writers and relevance for the territory, our clients are open to conversations,” as recently seen with Strangers, which BBC Studios will produce for India.

All3Media International’s LatAm & AsiaPac Ambitions

Basking in a post-MIPCOM glow, All3Media International is getting ready for what it believes will be a busy MIP Cancun for the company and a fruitful Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF).

“Across the market, interest in our wide-ranging, high-quality catalog has never been higher,” says Yari Torres, VP for Latin America. “Our top priorities remain to provide high-quality content to our clients while also finding the perfect homes for our titles.” 

Torres adds that the company is excited to see international streaming services opening up across the LatAm region, “meaning there is more space to build new partnerships and more interest in a variety of content, which we can’t wait to introduce to our clients.”

Looking at trends in scripted, Torres says that “intelligently written, beautifully shot thrillers are always popular in the region, and we’re delighted to continue to offer high-quality titles to buyers.” From Clapperboard Studios, Night Train Media and BlackBox Multimedia, the company is offering The Ex-Wife, a psychological thriller full of twists and turns and cliff-hanger endings in each episode.

Additionally, there is Witness Number 3, a thriller from Story Films, producer of the acclaimed, ratings-winning series The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe. There is also Drama Republic’s hotly anticipated drama The Confessions of Frannie Langton, which follows 20-year-old former slave girl Frannie Langton, who finds herself the prime suspect in a double murder after she journeys from a Jamaican plantation to the grand mansion of George Benham and his beautiful wife, Madame Marguerite.

“Premium factual remains a key focus in our non-scripted strategy, and we are delighted to showcase such an impressive raft of premium factual content,” Torres says. On All3Media International’s MIP Cancun slate, Lion TV’s Stolen: Catching The Art Thieves follows how audacious heists, priceless masterpieces and the criminal underworld are connected. Meanwhile, 72 Films’ Rise of the Billionaires is a four-part factual series that explores the origin stories of entrepreneurs such as Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, who have built the modern world. 

Torres also notes strong interest in true-crime content in the region, with All3Media International introducing Story Films’ How to Hire a Hitman, which offers an exploration of the dark web. 

And clients across the LatAm region continue to have an appetite for the high-energy and compelling drama of Gordon Ramsay’s catalog. At MIP Cancun, the company is presenting Gordon Ramsay’s Future Food Stars, Studio Ramsay’s competition format that follows the famous chef’s search for entrepreneurs who will revolutionize the food industry. Another food-focused entertainment format, Triple Brew Media’s Cooking Up Love follows a celebrity chef as they invite three food-loving single students to a beautiful setting to help them find love through cooking—and eating.

All3Media International is also gearing up to attend ATF in Singapore. “We are looking forward to reconnecting with clients and friends at ATF,” says Sabrina Duguet, executive VP for the Asia Pacific. “A lot has changed in the past two to three years since the last market, and All3Media International has also grown a lot and diversified our content even more.” 

The company’s scripted formats have been successful in the AsiaPac region, Duguet notes. “We now have ten scripted formats adapted in Asia with another five in development. We have seen a significant rise in production budgets to compete with the content seen on the global streamers, and so format adaptation has presented a more creatively and economically efficient route to production for our clients, which has been extremely successful.” 

An example is Masoom, an Indian adaptation of the drama series Blood that launched on Disney+ Hotstar as the platform’s number one Hindi series. Liar is in production with Astro in Malaysia, and there’s an award-winning Indian version of Two Brothers Pictures’ Cheat that launched as Mithya on ZEE5 earlier this year. An adaptation of the comedy series Step Dave is in production in the region as well.

Additionally, high-end international dramas from leading producers are always in demand across the Asia Pacific, according to Duguet. “Clients are looking for series with strong production value, excellent storytelling and stellar casts, and we’re excited to offer this.” She highlights Indigo Film’s Italian thriller The Gymnasts and Drama Republic’s high-octane western The English.

Escapist scripted content also remains popular with All3Media International’s AsiaPac clients. Highlights include Playground’s global drama All Creatures Great and Small and Objective Fiction and Genial Productions’ The Larkins.

“We have seen rising demand across the region for high-end factual content, so we are delighted to offer a raft of tentpole titles from award-winning premium factual producers that present unmissable real-life stories with global appeal, engrossing narratives and high-end production values,” Duguet adds. Highlights include the aforementioned Rise of the Billionaires; Lion TV’s Saving Venice, which presents first-person stories at the heart of the battle to save the city from rising seas and over-commercialization; and Obsessively Creative’s blue-chip nature documentary Wild Oman: Wonder of Arabia. An upcoming highlight is The Real Crown (w.t.) from 72 Films, presenting a forensic exploration of the British Royal family’s reign under the late Queen Elizabeth II.

On the entertainment side, there is Future Food Stars Australia, which will see global superstar chef Gordon Ramsay pair up with Australian business mogul Janine Allis in the hopes of finding innovative new food ideas and the most exciting Australian food star to receive cash investments. Also on the entertainment formats slate, idtv’s psychological adventure reality series The Traitors, which has sold into 11 territories in 11 months, and The Unknown stand out. Another reality game show is Maverick TV’s Don’t Scream. “Our established format brands also remain popular across our territories, and we continue to see titles such as Kitchen Nightmares, Cash Cab and Undercover Boss traveling well,” Duguet says.

SHOWCASE: All3Media International Puts Quality at a Premium

Investing in quality content is central to All3Media International’s strategy, and its fall slate is testament to this—across scripted, factual and entertainment.  

“We are looking to work with the world’s leading creative talent to bring a diverse slate of high-quality programming to our buyers across all genres,” says Maartje Horchner, EVP of content. 

“Across our scripted slate, we’ve seen phenomenal growth in high-quality programming, with a fantastic range of new content joining our catalog, ranging from high-end, big-budget shows like The English to our latest detective drama Ridley from West Road Pictures, which features an outstanding performance from Adrian Dunbar, who joins our slate of iconic detectives. 

“On the non-scripted slate, we’re excited to continue building relationships with leading premium factual producers, such as multi-award-winning Roast Beef TV and Top Hat Productions, which are producing bold, contemporary and forensically told factual content and providing exceptional, premium content to our catalog.”

The market for scripted content remains strong, according to David Swetman, SVP of content and commercial strategy, who notes an unprecedented breadth of demand. “In terms of drama trends, true crime, epic and domestic style thrillers as well as established returning franchises, particularly our detective series, have strong international appeal,” he says. 

Detective dramas are, indeed, a bright spot, with the Dunbar-led Ridley seeing a ratings-winning premiere on ITV. There’s also a new season of the crime procedural Dalgliesh, based on the novels by P.D. James and starring Bertie Carvel for Channel 5 and Acorn TV. 

Successful launches at the start of 2022 included the outback-set thriller The Tourist from Two Brothers Pictures for BBC One, HBO Max, Stan and ZDF; and Story Films’ stranger-than-fiction true-crime drama The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe. Fall highlights include Hugo Blick’s expansive western revenge thriller The English, starring Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer, produced by Drama Republic for the BBC and Amazon Prime Video (North America and Australasia). There’s also the domestic thriller The Ex-Wife, based on the best-selling novel of the same name, which stars Céline Buckens and is being produced for Paramount+ UK by Clapperboard Studios, Night Train Media and BlackBox Multimedia. 

With feel-good entertainment in high demand from buyers, Nick Smith, EVP of formats, points to the success of Sort Your Life Out and The Dog House. “We, therefore, have high hopes for our MIPCOM launch of The Dog Academy, which aims to fix badly behaved dogs. Spoiler alert: the issue is normally with the owners!”

All3Media International’s biggest format success over the last year, though, is The Traitors, which has been licensed into 11 territories in 11 months. “It is a very different proposition for audiences,” says Smith. “I like to think of it as a new genre: intelligent reality—a reality show you don’t feel embarrassed to admit to watching.” The adaptations are performing, as is the Dutch original. 

This success bodes well in anticipation for the new “intelligent reality” format from The Traitors creator idtv: The Unknown, which will launch at MIPCOM. 

“The Dutch have been one of the leading format creators for many years, but I’d tip their neighbors Belgium as a territory to watch,” says Smith. The production values are high, he adds, as is their creativity, which led All3Media to launch a production company in the country last year.

In the non-scripted space, the market is in the “middle of a premium-factual tidal wave,” says Rachel Job, SVP of non-scripted. This has been driven by buyer demand, she adds, “as they’ve seen how great stories told well can attract broad audiences and create conversation. Good premium factual content makes clever use of creative tropes borrowed from scripted content, with sophisticated opening titles, a present-tense narrative and a thriller-esque style approach on the back of well-researched archive and first-person testimony.” 

She points to 72 Films’ The Royal Family (also known as The Real Crown) as an example of how this type of “purposeful filmmaking can deliver an extraordinarily good and gripping series.” 

The high bar in content production has led to a surge in budgets, Job points out, but All3Media International’s partnership with Paramount+ UK on titles such as Rise of the Billionaires, Paranormal (also known as Haunted) and The Box is allowing the company to bring some very strong series to the market to meet growing buyer demand. 

Beyond the premium space in factual, buyers are increasingly focused on building recognizable and long-running brands that audiences can easily find and return, says Job, highlighting continuing series such as Escape to the Chateau. There’s also keen interest in new brands, she adds, with strong potential in titles such as The Dog Academy. As A-list talent is always a draw, Wonderhood Studios’ My Grandparents’ War, featuring the likes of Keira Knightley and Kit Harington, is a top pick.

Across all these genres, All3Media International has an investment strategy focused on building successful and sustainable partnerships between itself, its producers and buyers. “We often play a central role in curating direct relationships between producers and broadcasters, which can result in securing co-production partners and closing finance gaps, with the ultimate goal of making the production as successful as possible,” Horchner says.

SHOWCASE: All3Media International Touts Success of Scripted Formats

All3Media International has a wide range of new and existing drama titles that offer viable global opportunities for scripted format success. This includes the thriller Liar, which has now played in ten markets, the latest being Spain, and the more lighthearted romance title Step Dave, which has had successful iterations in Central Europe and Greece. Further abroad, the AsiaPac office has seen a huge increase in interest in this route to production. Their latest license, Blood, is presently the number one show on Disney+ Hotstar in India as Masoom. China, meanwhile, produced a local version of the long-running Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries a few years ago under the name of Miss S. In the U.S., the new iteration of Russell T Davies’ Queer as Folk is garnering praise as a positive LGBTQ juggernaut for Peacock.

The breadth of series available has enabled both broadcasters and producers in varied territories to find a story with resonance—and big PR value—in their market. And the adaptation process has proven seamless. In addition to the obvious reduction in cost and time in development, the shows are proving a useful solution for star casting. For example, in France, Camille Cottin was the local star of Fleabag, a range of brilliant talent has appeared in Liar across Europe, and there are several fantastic Doc Martins around the world.
 
In this video interview, we hear from the EMEA, AsiaPac and U.S. offices of All3Media International, with their local executive VPs of sales—Stephen Driscoll, Sabrina Duguet and Sally Habbershaw, respectively—elaborating on the opportunities in their markets and sharing some clips from several adaptations that are making their mark around the world. Through the acquisition of the NENT Studios UK (formerly known as DRG) catalog, there are now more opportunities than ever, and All3Media International refreshes its catalog regularly thanks to pipelines with leading talent in production and writing.
 
All3Media International has presented its scripted format catalog at Berlinale, Conecta FICTION & Entertainment and Series Mania and is always keen to meet with producers to discuss which of these shows would best sit with the approach they are seeking to take locally.