The Best Scripted Series Heading to Cannes in 2024

The glory days of peak TV, of clean cheque commissioning, open-ended collection orders and blockbuster budgets, are nicely and actually behind us. However even with consumers tightening their purse strings, there’s nonetheless a starvation, and with the every-expanding international streaming market, a continually-growing demand for top-notch drama.

Forward of MIPCOM Cannes — the primary international tv market which runs October 21-24 —  the availability facet of the scripted enterprise can be trying robust. From big-budget interval items to quirky indie gems, from shiny interval items to gritty city drama, the choices this yr are broad and deep.

Price range constraints imply there might be fewer moon-shot offers at this yr’s MIPCOM — proceedurals, thrillers and star-driven tasks could have an edge over riskier, niche-focused fare — however for producers who know how one can crunch the numbers, there may be enterprise to be accomplished.

Right here is The Hollywood Reporter‘s scorching record of the highest 15 scripted exhibits heading to the Croissette.

World Divided
Pitch A must-watch for public broadcasters and different high-minded consumers, World Divided combines historic drama with uncommon colorized archival footage in an exhaustingly-researched retelling of main world occasions from WWII to the Sixties, advised by means of the lives of six key figures: Nikita Khrushchev, Wernher von Braun, Golda Meir, Hedwig Höß, Joan Hinton and Frantz Fanon. Their private and political struggles illuminate the divisions that formed the post-war world.
Commissioning Broadcasters ARTE, ARD, ORF, CT
Gross sales Appears to be like Worldwide

Fits: L.A.
Pitch The spin-off collection to one of many world’s largest exhibits might be a real non-brainer for broadcast consumers. The La-La Land model follows Ted Black (Inexperienced Arrow star Stephen Amell), a former prosecutor who reinvents himself as a strong Los Angeles lawyer with a agency specializing in felony and leisure regulation. Josh McDermitt, Lex Scott Davis, Bryan Greenberg and Troy Winbush co-star.
Commissioning Broadcaster NBC
Gross sales NBCUniversal International TV Distribution

The Sanctuary
Pitch A high-concept comedy that might appeal to consideration from streamers or area of interest networks, The Sanctuary, developed by L.A.’s Completely happy Accidents and New Zealand’s Kevin & Co for Warner Bros. Discovery NZ follows an eccentric American tech billionaire who goes into hiding in New Zealand after discovering his app was purchased by Russian-affiliated army contractors.
Commissioning Broadcaster None
Gross sales Completely happy Accidents

Icebreaker
Pitch Pay-TV and streamer consumers might heat to this Finnish supernatural thriller, winner of the MIPDRAMA 2024 high collection honor. The plot follows Finnish coast guard officer Sanna Tanner as he leads rescue mission to a stranded icebreaker, solely to find a collection of mysterious deaths and disappearances doubtlessly linked to vengeful sea spirits.
Commissioning Broadcaster Elisa Viihde
Gross sales About Premium Content material (APC)

Outrageous
Pitch Networks on the lookout for a contact of posh might do worse than take a look at this 6-part BBC drama. Based mostly on Mary Lovell’s biography The Mitford Women, Outrageous follows the scandalous lives of six aristocratic sisters in Nineteen Thirties British excessive society who will cross paths with among the most acclaimed, and infamous figures in historical past. Created by Sarah Williams, it stars Bessie Carter, Joanna Vanderham, Joshua Sasse and James Purefoy.
Commissioning Broadcasters UKTV, Britbox Worldwide
Gross sales BBC Studios

Saint-Pierre
Pitch A police procedural set on French islands of Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, the tiny French-owned islands off the southern coast of Newfoundland. Exiled Inspector Donny Fitzpatrick solves crimes on this remoted fishing group along with native deputy Geneviève Archambault. Produced by Hawco Productions for CBC Canada.
Commissioning Broadcaster CBC
Gross sales Fifth Season

The Embers
Pitch A twisty French crime collection for the high-end binge crowd. In 1995, Lidia, a pushed younger detective, is shipped to the small city of Péranne within the French Riviera and groups up with Jean, a disillusioned native cop haunted by reminiscences of the Algerian battle, to analyze the brutal homicide of an imam, who was discovered scalped in his mosque. Twenty-five years later, Lidia, now a strong politician in Paris, returns to Péranne to search out Jean has vanished and there’s a brand new homicide, eerily just like the primary — with Jean because the prime suspect.
Commissioning Broadcaster CANAL+
Gross sales Studiocanal

Sk8 or Die
Pitch This drama anthology collection is focusing on streamers and area of interest networks on the lookout for extra avenue cred. Every Sk8 or Die season will discover skateboarding tradition by means of the life tales of a few of its most compelling personalities, beginning with the lifetime of New Zealand grinder Lee Ralph, who rocketed to the highest of the game within the Nineteen Eighties solely to shortly vanish from the scene. F9 actor Vinnie Bennett and Keisha Fortress-Hughes of FBI: Most Needed are set to star within the in-development challenge that has skating legend Tony Hawk and Jackass alum Steve-O on board as government producers. It’s created by Tom Hern and Halaifonua Finau. Administrators Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe be a part of for the 6-episode first season, commissioned by Sky New Zealand Originals.
Commissioning Broadcaster Sky New Zealand Originals
Gross sales Tavake

Iris
Pitch Created by Neil Cross (Luther), and directed by Terry McDonough and Sarah O’Gorman, this Sky Authentic thriller stars Niamh Algar (Raised by Wolves) as enigmatic genius Iris Nixon, who steals a world-changing code from philanthropist Cameron McIntyre (The White Lotus‘ Tom Hollander) and goes on the run.
Commissioning Broadcaster Sky
Gross sales Fremantle

Scrublands: Silver
Pitch Based mostly on Chris Hammer’s novel, Scrublands: Silver is a strong bread-and-butter crime drama with an Aussie contact, as we comply with journalist Martin Scarsden (Luke Arnold), who returns to his coastal hometown to search out his accomplice Mandy (Bella Heathcote) suspected of murdering his childhood buddy. As Martin investigates, he uncovers long-buried secrets and techniques about Port Silver and his previous. Produced by Straightforward Tiger (Colin from Accounts) and Third Act Tales.
Commissioning Broadcasters Stan Australia / 9 Community
Gross sales Sphere Media

Lockerbie: A Seek for Fact
Pitch Networks and streamers can’t get sufficient of the based-on-a-true-story historic drama and this one, which follows the relentless journey of Dr. Jim Swire (Colin Firth), who fought for reality and justice after dropping his daughter within the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, combines a political drama with a deeply private story.
Commissioning Broadcasters Sky, Peacock
Gross sales NBCUniversal International TV Distribution

Cat’s Eyes
Pitch This French artwork thief thriller follows three sisters who reunite to steal a portray linked to their father’s mysterious disappearance. As they develop into artwork thieves, they’re pursued by police captain Quentin Chapuis, unaware one sister is his misplaced love.
Commissioning Broadcaster TF1
Gross sales Newen Content material

Reunion
Pitch This extra emotional tackle the thriller style might have broad enchantment, notably for public broadcasters and streamers. The BBC manufacturing tracks Daniel Brennan (Matthew Gurney), a deaf man searching for redemption and reality after being abruptly free of jail after committing a horrible crime. Set in Sheffield and created by deaf author William Mager, it’s a bilingual collection in BSL and English and co-star Anne-Marie Duff, Eddie Marsan, and Rose Ayling-Ellis.
Commissioning Broadcaster BBC
Gross sales BBC Studios

Era Z
Pitch Ben Wheatley, director of Meg 2 and Free Hearth, brings his darkly comedian sensibilities to the small display screen on this coming-of-age story set in a world the place the previous actually eat the younger. Starring Sue Johnston, Anita Dobson, and Robert Lindsay.
Commissioning Broadcasters Channel 4, ZDF Neo
Gross sales All3Media Worldwide

Wolf Corridor: The Mirror and the Gentle
Pitch When solely the best possible will do: This six-part historic drama, the sequel to 2015 multi-Emmy nominated miniseries reteams Oscar-winner Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell with Damian Lewis’ King Henry VIII within the last entry in Hillary Mantel’s acclaimed historic trilogy. Jonathan Pryce, Timothy Spall, Hannah Steele and Harry Melling co-star.
Commissioning Broadcasters BBC, PBS
Gross sales Banijay Leisure