Banijay Group is the world's largest independent content creation Group for television and multimedia platforms. Banijay Group is present in 16 territories.
Banijay Group is the world's largest independent content creation Group for television and multimedia platforms. Banijay Group is present in 16 territories.

Tag Archive: Cathy Payne

  1. Banijay Unveils Compelling Slate Ahead of London TV Screenings

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    Media and entertainment powerhouse, Banijay, today announces a compelling offering for its dedicated London TV Screenings event – Banijay @ BAFTA.

    Hitting the 2024 line-up is the highly-anticipated high-end scripted series Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light; and premium documentary Front Row. Elsewhere, the powerhouse will also be celebrating travelling formats with adventure reality, The Summit; and spin-off, Deal or No Deal Island. Packed with distinct, high-quality programming across all genres, the group’s event will span three sessions on Wednesday 28 February.

    On the scripted front, Banijay’s premium offering includes UK dramas Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light for the BBC and Masterpiece PBS, based on the final novel of Hilary Mantel’s multi award-winning trilogy; The Hardacres for Channel 5; Steven Knight’s This Town for the BBC; Welsh drama The One That Got Away (Cleddau) for S4C; and Invisible Boys for Stan. Buyers can also expect a preview of eagerly-awaited second seasons of Marie Antoinette for Canal+ and the BBC, and Rogue Heroes for the BBC and MGM+.

    Supercharging its documentary offering, Front Row takes centre stage with Anatomy of a Murder and Four Kings for Prime Video.

    To complement the scripted and documentary offering, Banijay will showcase a blend of fresh and highly-entertaining formats including adrenaline-fuelled travelling success The Summit for Nine Network; new spin-off, Deal or No Deal Island created for NBC; adventure reality format and ratings winner Shaolin Heroes for TV2; recent Channel 4 factual reality VOD hit Banged Up; innovative game show Upside Down for RTL4 and The Fortune Hotel for ITV1 and ITVX. A light will also be shone on global superbrands and prized returning formats like Survivor, Big Brother, Star Academy, and reality formats Love Triangle and The Fifty.

    Cathy Payne, CEO at Banijay Rights says: “This year’s line-up for Banijay @ BAFTA truly illuminates the breadth of our catalogue and ability to showcase outstanding content across multiple genres. From high-end dramas to acclaimed factual series, we look forward to coming together later this month to celebrate great talent, captivating storytelling and stand-out IP. We really do have something for everyone…”

    James Townley, Chief Content Officer, Development and Lucas Green, Chief Content Officer, Operations at Banijay comment: “The London TV Screenings provides an incredible opportunity for Banijay to demonstrate its commitment to delivering exciting emerging IP as well as tried and tested formats and reboots, which continue to compel audiences globally. From Shaolin Heroes to The Summit, and iconic format Deal or No Deal, we are sure to enthral buyers seeking fresh, innovative, and proven formats.”

    For its scripted slate, Banijay Rights is highlighting Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, a Playground and Company Pictures co-production directed by Peter Kosminsky, and adapted for television by Peter Straughan, which follows Thomas Cromwell as he navigates the moral complexities of the Tudor court following the execution of Anne Boleyn. Another period drama from Playground in association with Screen Ireland, Red Berry Productions and Newgrange Pictures is new returnable six-part series –The Hardacres- based on CL Skelton’s novel series, The Hardacre Saga.

    Meanwhile, from Kudos and Nebulastar, and co-produced with Mercury Studios, in association with Kudos North, Stigma Films, and Nick Angel for the BBC, the much-anticipated This Town tells the story of an extended family and four young people who are drawn into the world of the ska movement and two-tone music.

    BlackLight Television (a Banijay UK company), in collaboration with Banijay Rights and Creative Wales for S4C, are delving into Welsh drama with The One That Got Away (Cleddau), which combines a gripping murder mystery with an electrifying love story.

    Crossing over to Australia, Invisible Boys from Feisty Dame Productions, Screenwest and Lotterywest, WA Regional Film Fund, Screen Australia, and Banijay Rights for Stan Originals, is a powerful drama created for television by director Nicholas Verso on the challenges faced by a group of gay teens in the remote coastal town of Geraldton.

    In factual, the feature-length premium documentary from Scenery and Pretty Matches, Front Row, Executive Produced by award-winning actor and producer Sarah Jessica Parker, and directed by Miriam Guttmann (Sundance Film Festival selection Seeds of Deceit), highlights the resilience of Ukrainian ballet dancers during wartime, where an unlikely friendship forms between a dancer and a front-line soldier.

    From Workerbee comes two gripping documentaries, Anatomy of a Murder, a feature length true-crime story centring around the daughter of an Iranian family, who has spent over thirty years and millions of her fortune to try and find her mother’s killer; and Four Kings for Prime Video, exploring the history of British boxing through four men coming from the same London neighbourhood who heralded a golden era and changed the way Britain viewed its black athletes.

    Meanwhile, on the reality competition front, The Summit, a 9Network and Endemol Shine Australia original series, produced by Endemol Shine Australia, continues to climb through the ranks with a second season in the works, and a first international adaptation for CBS by Endemol Shine North America with more to come soon.

    From Endemol Shine North America, Deal or No Deal Island completely reimagines the iconic game show as an epic adventure. This new spin-off series for NBC is set on the Banker’s private island as he searches for his ultimate opponent in a high stakes competition with over $200,000,000 up for grabs.

    From Metronome is Shaolin Heroes for TV2 Denmark, where celebrities undertake the ultimate test by embarking on a transformational journey alongside world-class Shaolin Masters.

    Joining Banijay’s factual offering is Banged Up, created by Shine TV for Channel 4. In this fact-ent format social experiment, which veers into the documentary space, six male celebrity inmates are incarcerated in a UK prison environment alongside their reformed criminal cellmates. The series explores the question, ‘does prison work’?

    From EndemolShine Nederland, Upside Down sees two celebrity teams undertake all kinds of topsy turvy challenges and Q&A games unlike anything they have seen before, because everything in this innovative format, is upside down.

    Highly-anticipated reality series The Fortune Hotel from Tuesday’s Child for ITV1 and ITVX invites viewers into a luxury Caribbean resort filled with glamour, opulence and deception. Contestants are paired up and compete to win a briefcase, one holding the ultimate cash prize and another an Early Checkout Card.

  2. Global Buyers Have Fallen for Filmlance’s Sofia Helin & Camilla Ahlgren Crime Drama

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    Banijay Rights today announces the first international sales of Fallen, the new crime drama from Banijay Nordic label Filmlance and Bron (The Bridge) screenwriter Camilla Ahlgren and actor Sofia Helin, as this week’s Göteborg Film Festival TV Drama Vision conference gets under way.

    In deals negotiated across the Banijay Rights global sales team, Fallen has been acquired by CANAL+ Group’s POLAR+ channel in France, MHz Choice in the US, NPO in the Netherlands, SBS in Australia, ERTin Greece and Syn hf in Iceland.

    Created and written by Ahlgren along with Martin Asphaug and Alex Haridi, the six-part series stars Helin (The Bridge, Lust, Emmy-winner Atlantic Crossing) and Hedda Stiernstedt (The Restaurant, Wallander, Beforeigners) and is a co-production between, TV4, Film i Skåne and Filmlance, in collaboration with ZDF.

    Fallen sees Helin play Iris Broman – the new head of Kalla Fall, a group solving cold cases in Malmö – who due to a tragedy moves from Stockholm down to the small southern town of Ystad, where she lives in her half-sister Kattis’ (Stiernstedt) house by the sea. But when Iris arrives in Skåne, a cold case becomes topical again and everything is turned upside down, intertwining the lives of several characters.

    Cathy Payne, CEO, Banijay Rights, said: “As this week’s Göteborg Film Festival begins, we are thrilled to announce that Camilla Ahlgren’s latest riveting drama has been acquired across Europe, the US and Australia. With a stellar cast fronted by Sofia Helin and Hedda Stiernstedt, this new Filmlance series delivers incredible suspense and excitement for international buyers and we can’t wait to continue expanding its presence worldwide.”

    Camilla Ahlgren, Creator and Head Writer, says: “Since 2017 when we began developing Fallen, our journey has been nothing short of extraordinary, and it’s been fantastic to collaborate with Sofia Helin and Filmlance once again. It’s affirming to see the series find its audience, and I’m proud that people around the world will now be able to watch it too.” 

    Fallen is produced by Filmlance’s Anna Wallmark, and Lisa Dahlberg serves as executive producer at TV4. The lead director is Linnea Roxeheim (Portkod), working with Olof Spaak.

    Led by Hanne Palmquist, Filmlance is part of Banijay’s unrivalled network of over 60 scripted labels. The company is behind critically-acclaimed drama and films for the local and international market including Ronja the Robber’s Daughter with Viaplay for Netflix, Top Dog for CMore/ TV4, as well as long-running hit Beck(CMore/ TV4), and international successes JJ+E (Netflix) and Caliphate (SVT/Netflix).

  3. Bean is Back

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    Tiger Aspect Kids & Family (a Banijay Kids & Family company), today announces its hit comedy, Mr Bean: The Animated Series, has been commissioned for a fourth run, in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery and ITVX, through deals agreed by Banijay Rights.

    Executive produced and voiced by Rowan Atkinson, season 4 will comprise 52 x 11’ episodes, bringing the total number of episodes across all series to 182 x 11-minutes. It will air on Cartoonito and HBO Max across EMEA, on Warner Bros. Discovery’s kids channels and streaming services across South East Asia and South Asia, and on ITVX Kids in the UK and Eire from 2025, which will be the 35th anniversary of the first live-action episode. The animation follows the antics of Mr Bean and of course Teddy, as they embark on a series of adventures, making plenty of mischief along the way.

    Rowan Atkinson says: “I have always enjoyed this iteration of the Mr Bean character and the particular freedoms he has in animated form. We can take him into space or down a tin mine, without me personally having to suffer the consequences. The animation process creatively is always fascinating and I’m looking forward to getting stuck into the new series very much.”

    Tom Beattie, MD Tiger Aspect Kids & Family/Series Producer says: “It’s a real pleasure to have the opportunity to go back to such a special series. Mr Bean is an iconic comedy legend and it’s an honour to work with Rowan to create this physically funny series.” 

    Cathy Payne, CEO Banijay Rights says: “One of the most loved characters in television comedy history, Mr Bean’s amusing escapades are cherished by children and families across the world. So we’re thrilled to continue our long-standing partnership with Warner Bros Discovery and ITV on this wonderful animated series which captures Bean’s world so brilliantly.”

    Zia Sands, Lead Content Acquisitions, Partnerships & Co-productions, KIDS, EMEA, Warner Bros Discovery says: “We’re thrilled to continue our long standing partnership with Mr Bean, making Cartoonito its home across EMEA  alongside our kids channels and streaming services in South and South-East Asia. Mr Bean’s comedy antics continue to resonate universally, and we are excited to bring our audiences more of what they love.”

    Darren Nartey, Senior Acquisitions Manager for Film and Kids at ITVX says: “We are so looking forward to welcoming back a British icon to ITVX Kids in 2025, and can’t wait to share more of Mr Bean’s unique sense of humour with the young and the young-at-heart.”

    Mr Bean is a British icon, with the original live-action series first hitting screens in 1990. It has since been broadcast in 195 territories, with the series in continual distribution for over 30 years. Co-created by Rowan Atkinson and Richard Curtis, the eponymous hero was played by Rowan Atkinson, who now voices the globally successful animated series, which launched in 2002. The brand also attracts significant digital audiences, with over 140 million followers on Meta, making it the biggest TV brand on the platform; over 72 million subscribers and 19 billion lifetime views across official YouTube channels; 10 million followers on Instagram; and 14.2 million likes on TikTok.

    Produced by Tiger Aspect Kids & Family (part of Banijay Kids & Family), MD Tom Beattie is Exec Producer along with Rowan Atkinson. Dave Osborne will direct the series, Arnold Widdowson is producer and the head writers are Ciaran Murtagh and Andrew Barnett Jones.

    Led by Benoît Di Sabatino, Banijay Kids & Family is part of media and entertainment powerhouse Banijay.

  4. Banijay Rights to represent music documentary features The Musical Mind: A Portrait in Process and My Name’s Ben Folds, I Play Piano

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    Banijay Rights today announces it has the global distribution rights to theatrical feature documentary The Musical Mind: A Portrait in Process and feature concert film My Name’s Ben Folds, I Play Piano, as MIPCOM 2023 gets underway this week.

    Both films come from powerhouse South Australian team of Oscar-nominated director Scott Hicks and celebrated producers Kerry Heysen and Jett Heysen-Hicks, with their world premieres set for this month’s prestigious Adelaide Film Festival.

    The Musical Mind: A Portrait in Process explores the power of the musical brain. Inspired by the 25th anniversary of his movie Shine, director Scott Hicks reveals the creative process of elite international musicians, with unprecedented access to their private worlds, processes, and obsessions. The film Shine is the linking device between four musicians /contributors: David Helfgott (subject of the original movie), celebrated musician Ben Folds, Australian rock star Daniel Johns, and Simon Tedeschi, who was hand double for the young David in the original movie.

    My Name’s Ben Folds, I Play Piano is a symphonic concert spectacle featuring Emmy award-nominated composer and rock maestro Ben Folds with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. The film offers unique coverage of the rock pianist including the remarkable creation of a new song from scratch, live onstage, via audience participation when Folds achieves the extraordinary feat of inducing the crowd to sing a choral refrain in three-part harmony.

    Both documentary features are Beyond May 30 Entertainment productions in association with Banijay Rights.

    Cathy Payne, CEO, Banijay Rights, said: “These are two unique and highly entertaining premium documentary features that showcase world class musical talent and the inner workings of their craft. Both are excellent additions to our MIPCOM line-up and we’re in no doubt they will be highly sought after by international buyers in Cannes.”

    Scott Hicks added: “I’m delighted to be working with Banijay Rights on the release of my latest music-based documentary features, celebrating superstar musicians in their private worlds and exploring their unique creative processes.”

    Both features join Banijay’s outstanding slate of titles at MIPCOM including documentary highlights Four Kings (w/t) and Moulin Rouge: Yes We Can Can, as well as The Other Mrs Jordan, Sharon and Ozzy: Home to Roost, Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico, Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy and The Rise and Fall of Boris Johnson. These autumn highlights complement the 172,000 hours of globally renowned, stand-out IP within Banijay’s catalogue.

     

    Visit us at C.20 in front of the steps of the Palais des Festivals.

  5. Banijay Reveals Premium Scripted Slate for MIPCOM 2023

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    Media and entertainment powerhouse Banijay today reveals its array of stellar scripted titles for MIPCOM 2023 with This Town, Three Little Birds, Fallen, Murder in Hanko, Brocéliande, and Rivière-Perdue, headlining the offering for international buyers.

    Cathy Payne, CEO Banijay Rights says: “With new angles, gripping scripts, and clever character development, we are heading into MIPCOM with a strong slate which is sure to capture the attention of broadcasters and platforms worldwide. These titles are great additions to our rich catalogue, reflecting the evolving market and our commitment to representing the best content out there.”

    Christian Wikander, Global Head of Scripted at Banijay comments: “This portfolio of fantastic stories is a testament to the distinct identities and unrivalled creativity of the talent and labels across the Banijay footprint. As well as resonating with a wide audience, scripted titles like La Caza. Monteperdido which is being adapted for France as Rivière-Perdue, are perfect for local remakes with their compelling narratives and universal themes. Collaboration continues to be at the heart of what we do, and with multiple co-productions amongst this offering, it is great to see our companies partnering with those in the wider industry to maximise and ensure the reach of innovative, original ideas.”

    The UK continues to offer a strong slate of premium scripted with This Town, a major new drama from Peaky Blinders and SAS Rogue Heroes creator, Steven Knight, set in a world of family ties, teenage kicks and the exhilarating music of a generation. This Town tells the story of a band’s formation against a backdrop of violence, capturing how creative genius can emerge from a time of madness. The series is produced by Kudos, part of Banijay UK, and Nebulastar for the BBC, and co-produced with Mercury Studios, in association with Kudos North.

    In addition, Three Little Birds, from Tiger Aspect, in association with Douglas Road Productions (both Banijay UK companies), for ITV and BritBox International, tells the story of three woman who travel to Britain from Jamaica in the late 1950s to start a new life in the ‘mother country’. It is a triumphant celebration of immigration, community and the strength of Black womanhood inspired by the story of writer and Executive Producer Sir Lenny Henry’s mother and all those who have travelled from one country to another to make a new home.

    From the producers of Bron (The Bridge), Top Dog, and Beck, is Fallen, the highly-anticipated crime drama created and written by Camilla Ahlgren, the screenwriter behind iconic series Bron (The Bridge), along withMartin Asphaug and Alex Haridi. Starring Sofia Helin and Hedda Stiernstedt, it is produced by Filmlance, co-produced with C More, TV4, ZDF, and Film i Skåne.

    Jarowskij Finland is also meeting the demand for strong crime series with Murder in Hanko. Set for Nelonen and Ruutu, it sees Vera, a police officer, become entangled in a murder investigation and the return of her estranged father, Ruben. Exploring familial ties amidst a shocking and tense backdrop, the gripping series is based on author Matti Remes’ Ruben Waara novels.

    Banijay is also highlighting Brocéliande, the latest thriller from Banijay France’s Shine Fiction in co-production with Les Films du Printemps for TF1. Is it just a coincidence that renowned biologist Fanny Legoff is the last person to see two people before they disappear? Will she be able to prove her innocence and find out who is really behind these crimes?

    Rivière-Perdue, a co-production between Terence Films and Gétévé Productions, along with TF1, is the first adaptation of La Caza. Monteperdido, the hit drama based on Agustín Martínez’s best-selling novel of the same name, which Banijay Iberia’s DLO Producciones created. With tremendous casting the series centres around the mysterious reappearance of Anna five years after going missing. Commissioner Balthus and Captain Alix Stern must embark on a race against time to piece together what happened and find Lucie who disappeared at the same time.

    With over 60 scripted production labels within Banijay, these titles join a strong slate of premium diverse fiction that includes drama, series, and feature films. The portfolio includes critically-acclaimed hits including The Sixth Commandment, streamer commissions like Carême and Billionaire Island, and returners including Rogue Heroes, Marie Antoinette, Anonymous, The Rig, Beck, Domina and more. Banijay also represents scripted formats available for adaptation including familiar titles such as Bron (The Bridge), Penoza,Broadchurch, Younger, and newer titles including Anonymous, Fallen, Dance Brothers, Soul Sister and Then You Run. 2023’s hot picks follow a strong year of around 130 launches for Banijay in 2022, of which 70% were non-English language.

  6. Marie Antoinette’s Reign Extended with CANAL+

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    Content powerhouse Banijay and Newen today announce the landmark historical drama, Marie Antoinette, has been ordered for a second series by CANAL+, with filming expected to begin in autumn.

    Created by Deborah Davis (The Favourite), the new series of Marie Antoinette will continue the extraordinary story of the incredibly modern and avant-garde young queen, played by Emilia Schüle (Ku’damm 56/ 63), with Louis Cunningham (Bridgerton) as the king of France, Louis XVI.

    At the height of their power, while Marie-Antoinette and Louis face an unprecedented financial crisis. The incessant attacks of Provence and Chartres against the royal couple stir up the hatred of the nobles while disastrous consequences are looming with The Affair of the Necklace. From Versailles to the Palais-Royal, the revolt rumbles…

    The season two writing team is led by Louise Ironside, joined by Charlotte Wolf, Francesca Forristal and Andrew Bampfield. Ed Bazalgette will direct the first four episodes.

    The  CANAL+ Creation Originale, produced by Capa Drama, Banijay Studios France, will once again be distributed globally by Banijay Rights. The first series has been sold to over 70 territories, including PBS Distribution in the US,  BBC First in Australia and BBC Two and iPlayer in the UK, which reported consolidated viewing figures of 2.1 million for its premiere in 2022, and a raft of broadcasters across Europe and LatAm.

    Cathy Payne, CEO of Banijay Rights says: “Without a doubt, Marie Antoinette has been a popular drama with our buyers worldwide, and this is testament to the world-class producers in France who have created a premium, returning series for the international market. The flawless, high-quality production is filled with glamourous talent and lavish locations, and we’re thrilled to offer a landmark new season of this unique interpretation of the fashionable French queen to global audiences.”

    Marie Antoinette is produced by Claude Chelli and Margaux Balsan for Capa Drama, Stéphanie Chartreux for Banijay Studios France.

  7. Banijay Spotlights Premium Portfolio for London TV Screenings

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    Content powerhouse, Banijay, today confirms the line-up for its bespoke London TV Screenings event on Wednesday 1 March at BAFTA. It marks the second physical participation in the wider annual distribution gathering, which runs from Monday 27 February to Friday 3 March.

     Shining a light on scripted, Banijay Rights’ premium offering includes UK dramas Three Little Birds for ITV and BritBox International, This Town and The Sixth Commandment for the BBC, Domina for MGM+ and Sky, Safe Home for SBS, as well as feature documentary LARA (w/t).

     This year’s stellar scripted offering will be complemented by Banijay’s unscripted formats fronted by its Creative Networks team. Included are fresh interior design competition, The Big Interiors Battle; addictive dating and relationship shows, Love Triangle, Date My Mate, Save the Date; entertainment newcomers,Boomerissima and Cover Night; competition titles Blow Up and MasterChef Young Talent; and sneak peeks will be on offer for much-anticipated adventure reality, The Summit, and comedy entertainment, No Strings Attached.

     As part of the exclusive, invite-only event, This Town creator, writer and executive producer, Steven Knight, stars of Three Little Birds Rochelle Neil, Yazmin Belo, and Saffron Coomber, will be interviewed live on the BAFTA stage, as well as The Sixth Commandment writer Sarah Phelps and director Saul Dibb; Safe Home star Aisha Dee, Domina creator Simon Burke and award-winning LARA (w/t) director Mags Gavan.

     Cathy Payne, CEO at Banijay Rights says: “This year’s Banijay at BAFTA event is set to have the strongest line-up yet, and we’re proud to create a truly must-attend showcase for international buyers, with a high-calibre of talent supporting us on stage. With an extensive range of genres, bringing globally relevant themes to audiences, we expect our eclectic roster of content to be immensely popular.”

     James Townley, Global Head of Content Development & Lucas Green, Global Head of Content Operations at Banijay comment: “From Love Triangle to Blow Up and No Strings Attached, at Banijay, we have a strong pipeline of emerging IP that we’re proud to present. This is down to our creatives who we are delighted to support in super-charging their ambitious ideas and getting them on-screen and travelling the world.”

    Banijay Rights’ footprint in the premium documentary space has expanded over the last year, and  along with Banijay Benelux joint venture Scenery, it’s lining up LARA (w/t). Directed by the BAFTA and Emmy award-winning Mags Gavan, the film recounts an extraordinary reconciliation story between Jorge Lara and Juan Pablo Escobar – the son of notorious Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.

    On the scripted front, Banijay Rights is highlighting Three Little Birds, the six-part drama created by Sir Lenny Henry which depicts his mother’s stories of leaving Jamaica in the 1950s. The project is produced by Tiger Aspect Productions in association with Douglas Road Productions – both Banijay UK companies. Meanwhile, from Kudos, (a Banijay UK company) and Nebulastar, and co-produced with Mercury Studios, in association with Kudos North, Stigma Films, and Nick Angel for the BBC, This Town tells the story of an extended family and four young people who are drawn into the world of ska and two-tone music. This marks the first project of the Kudos-Knight creative partnership deal which supports the Birmingham film and TV industry.

    The Sixth Commandment, from Wild Mercury Productions (a Banijay UK company) and True Vision Productions, is a true crime drama which explores the deaths of Peter Farquhar and Anne Moore-Martin in a small English village, while Domina returns for a second season, from Tiger Aspect Productions in association with MGM+ Studios, continuing the epic sweeping drama series that takes place during one of the most provocative periods in Roman history.

    In addition, thriller Safe Home, the first commission for Imogen Banks’ new production company Kindling Pictures, which follows Phoebe, played by Aisha Dee, a 20-something professional who leaves her job at a prestigious law firm to work at a struggling family violence legal centre. As interconnecting stories unfold, relationships are tested and pressure mounts to save the centre.

     Joining Banijay’s factual competition offering is brand-new interior design format, The

    Big Interiors Battle from Banijay UK’s Remarkable Factual. Eight people with an eye for design receive the keys to an apartment where they are challenged to transform a different room each week. Will their key card work when they next try to enter or have, they been locked out the competition?

     Love Triangle is a bold new relationship show created by the producers of Married at First Sight Australia, Endemol Shine Australia. It challenges a group of singles to relinquish their grasp on what they think their perfect partner should look like and instead choose, sight unseen. Following its successful first season on Stan, it has been recommissioned for a second series. Produced by Dragonfly in the UK, Date My Mate also explores modern dating. Based on the Endemol Shine Australia format Date Night, singles swipe through prospective suitors on the formats’ dedicated real-life app and then watch the subsequent dates unfold. In addition, in Save the Date single women tired of the dating world gain total control of their love life by setting a wedding date, before they have even begun to search for their partner. Will setting a love deadline help them find the one? Created by Endemol Shine Israel, Endemol Shine Finland produced the first series for Nelonen.

    Boomerissima, created by Banijay Italia, is all about proving the superiority of your generation.  Each episode sees celebrities from different eras pitted against each other highlighting TV shows, movies, music, famous names, adverts, etc to refute stereotypes and highlight whether things were better in the past or the present. The first series concluded on Rai 2 this month, outperforming the channels slot average across all demographics. Next up, how would Flowers by Miley Cyrus sound as rap or Beyonce’s Crazy in Love as a ballad? Cover Night is the singing contest from Shine Iberia that sees young talented singers (16+) go head-to-head as they transform hit songs into different genres and add their own twist to covers, accompanied by a live band.

    Elsewhere, there are strong signs competition entertainment combos are here to stay with brand new formats from the Netherlands, and the Nordics. Amongst Banijay’s successful formats is Blow Up, created by EndemolShine Nederland and now commissioned in four territories. The first season which aired in the Netherlands last summer was the number one show in the slot on all commercial key demos with the slot average up 168% for 6-12-year-olds.  Banijay also has the latest spin-off from MasterChef, the world’s most successful cookery television format which was created by Franc Roddam, starring a new generation of promising chefs, aged 13 to 18. Created by Danish company Metronome, and Nordisk Banijay in Norway, for Viaplay Group, this exciting and authentic new iteration aims to equip a future generation with the best tools within the industry, providing them with the platform and experience to one day, hopefully, fulfil their chef dreams.

    On the first-look side, The Summit is a new and highly anticipated blockbuster adventure reality series created and developed exclusively with the 9Network by Endemol Shine Australia. Set in New Zealand’s rugged southern Alps, a group of strangers carrying an equal share of 1 million Australian dollars must reach the peak of a distant mountain in just 14 days to win the cash. All that stands in the way are a series of adrenaline-charged challenges and human nature.  In a thrilling tale of endurance, survival, and greed; morals will be tested, physical limits pushed, and bonds broken. Will they work together or turn on each other as the going gets tough? And if they reach the summit in time…who will walk away with the money? Combining comedy with entertainment, RDF Television’s No Strings Attached invites a different celebrity in each episode to read an erotic piece of creative writing where they are the lead role. The adult fan fiction brought to life by puppet versions of the stars will encounter romance, scandal, mystery, intrigue, and farce.

    More than 20 distributors join founder members Banijay Rights, Alll3Media International, Entertainment One, Fremantle and ITV Studios in showcasing their catalogues at this year’s London TV Screenings.

  8. Banijay Rights Takes Marie Antoinette Worldwide

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    Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of content powerhouse Banijay, today announces further landmark sales of historical drama Marie Antoinette.

    Produced by Banijay Studios France, CAPA Drama and Les Gens, this CANAL+ Creation Originale eight-part series – created and written by Deborah Davis (The Favourite) – has been acquired by Antenna Plus (Ant1+) in Greece, Ceska Televize in the Czech Republic, DIRECTV in Latin America and Canada’s national public broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada for CBC Gem (English) and ICI Télé and ICI Tou.tv (French).

    Meanwhile, RTÉ in Ireland, Sky Italia, Radio & Television Slovakia – RTVS and Viaplay across all Nordic and Baltic countries and the Netherlands, have all acquired the drama.

    These agreements follow previous sales of Marie Antoinette to BBC First in Australia, PBS Distribution in the US, and BBC Two and iPlayer in the UK, which reported consolidated viewing figures of 2.1 million for its premiere last month.

    Claire Jago, EVP Sales and Acquisitions, EMEA, Banijay Rights, said: “Boasting tour-de-force performances, beautiful scenery and powerful writing from Deborah Davis, Marie Antoinette is an extraordinary drama that continues to appeal to broadcasters and streaming services worldwide. We’re extremely pleased that so many new buyers have acquired this series, which gives one of the most comprehensive accounts of this unique woman to date.”

    Marie Antoinette tells the story of the incredibly modern and avant-garde young queen, played by Emilia Schüle (Ku’damm 56/ 63), with Louis Cunningham (Bridgerton) as the Dauphin of France, Louis XVI.

    The series is produced by Claude Chelli and Margaux Balsan for CAPA Drama, Stéphanie Chartreux for Banijay Studios France, and Christophe Toulemonde for Les Gens. Filming took place in many prestigious historical places including the Châteaux of Versailles, Vaux-le-Vicomte, Lésigny, Champs, Voisins, and in the emblematic studios of Bry-sur-Marne.

    Joining Davis in writing the ambitious drama is Louise Ironside (The Split), Avril E. Russell (All on a Summer’s Day) and Chloë Moss (Run Sister Run). The series is directed by Pete Travis (Bloodlands) and Geoffrey Enthoven (Children of Love).

    Marie Antoinette was a young teenager when she left Austria to marry the Dauphin of France. Growing from a stubborn young princess navigating the rules of the French court under pressure to continue the Bourbon line, to a true fashion icon, she impressed with her natural charisma, and recreated life in Versailles in her image: free, independent and feminist ahead of time. Even with rumours undermining her reputation, the notorious figure would defeat the enemies of the Versailles court with courage and dignity.

  9. Banijay Rights Sends Rogue Heroes to China and the Middle East

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    Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of Banijay, today announces further landmark sales of Rogue Heroes, following the gripping World War Two drama’s renewal by the BBC last night.

     In deals negotiated across the Banijay Rights global sales team, the first season of Rogue Heroes has been picked up by Wing Sight Culture & Media Co for streaming in China and STARZPLAY in the Middle East.

    Meanwhile, TVNZ in New Zealand, Paramount+ in Germany, and DIRECTV in Latin America have all acquired the series.

    These new agreements follow previous sales of the drama to premium network EPIX (soon to be known as MGM+) for the US, HBO Max in Europe, Prime Video in Canada, SBS in Australia and Canal+ in France.

    Produced by Kudos (a Banijay UK company) and Nebulastar for the BBC – and entitled SAS Rogue Heroes in the UK market – the series is a dramatized account of how the world’s greatest Special Forces unit, the SAS, was formed under extraordinary circumstances in the darkest days of World War Two.

    Cathy Payne, CEO, Banijay Rights, said: “These latest global deals cap off an exceptional couple of months for Rogue Heroes, with a recent BBC renewal a fantastic way to end the year. We’re excited to extend the reach of Steven Knight’s and Kudos’ epic drama to several new territories, including China and the Middle East for the very first time.”

     Martin Haines, Joint MD, Kudos, said: “The series has been a huge global hit, with audiences captivated by the incredible world that Steven Knight has brought to life for our Rogue Heroes. We’re thrilled that even more people will now get the chance to watch.”  

     Based on Ben Macintyre’s best-selling book, Rogue Heroes centres on David Stirling, an eccentric young officer, who is hospitalized after a training exercise gone wrong. Convinced that traditional commando units don’t work, Stirling creates a radical plan that flies in the face of all accepted rules of modern warfare. He fights for permission to recruit the toughest, boldest, and brightest soldiers for a small undercover unit that will create mayhem behind enemy lines. More rebels than soldiers, Stirling’s team is every bit as complicated, flawed, and reckless as it is brave and heroic.

    Rogue Heroes was developed for television and written by Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders, Taboo, A Christmas Carol) and is directed by Tom Shankland (The Serpent, The Missing), with Stephen Smallwood (The Serpent, Patrick Melrose) as producer. Knight also executive produces the series alongside Karen Wilson, Martin Haines and Emma Kingsman-Lloyd for Kudos, and Tommy Bulfin for the BBC.

    Connor Swindells (Sex Education, Vigil) plays David Stirling, with Jack O’Connell (Skins, The North Water) as Paddy Mayne, Alfie Allen (Jojo Rabbit, Game of Thrones) as Jock Lewes, Tom Glynn-Carney (Dunkirk, The King) as SAS Founding member Mike Sadler, and Sofia Boutella (Modern Love, Atomic Blonde) as Eve Mansour. Dominic West (The Wire, Appropriate Adult) plays Lieutenant Colonel Wrangel Clarke.

    Commissioned by the BBC, SAS Rogue Heroes premiered on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK in October 2022. Filming on season two will take place in 2023. Banijay Rights is also global distributor for This Town, a major upcoming six-part BBC drama from Steven Knight and Kudos which tells the story of a family and four young people who are drawn into the world of ska and two-tone music.

  10. Big Brother Reaches 65th Market

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    Banijay Rights today announces Big Brother VIP will be adapted for the Republic of Kosovo. Co-produced byKlan Kosova and Artmotion, the new series will air on Klan Kosova from the 5th of December, bringing the Banijay format to 65 countries.

    Originally created by EndemolShine Nederland, Big Brother recently returned to Telefe in Argentina after five years. The reboot was a huge success with a 70% share on its launch. This follows the recent news of the format’s return to the UK with ITV2 and ITVX, and Banijay UK-owned Initial lined up to produce. The global reality hit is going from strength to strength, with 32 productions airing across 25 markets this year, up from 2021. Big Brother’s celebrity spin-off was named K7 Media’s spin-off of the year in 2021 with 17 active markets.

    Samia Moktar, VP CEE & Airlines, Banijay Rights, who negotiated the deal, said: “Big Brother VIP is a fantastic spin-off, a tried and tested hit which has attracted large audiences around the world, from Australia to Italy. We’re looking forward to building on this international success and bringing Big Brother to its 65thmarket, working with Klan Kosova and Artmotion to showcase iconic celebrity reality content for the Kosovan audience.”

    Big Brother VIP is the all-seeing, all-powerful format that follows a group of celebrities living together in a house fitted with cameras recording their every move. With no contact from the outside world, celebrity participants must learn how to co-habit with their new housemates whilst competing against them every week in physical and mental challenges. Watching the celebrities 24/7 they must decide who should be evicted and who ultimately should be crowned the winner of Big Brother VIP.

  11. Banijay Rights Secures First Bali 2002 Deal

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    Banijay Rights today announces ITV in the UK has acquired Bali 2002, the new four-part drama that explores the everyday heroes directly impacted by the terrorist attacks on the Indonesian island 20 years ago. The drama will air on new streaming service ITVX next year.

    Co-produced by Banijay labels Endemol Shine Australia and Screentime for Stan and 9Network in Australia, the deal marks the first international sale for this powerful drama series – struck ahead of the final day of MIPCOM in Cannes today.

    Premiering last month on Stan, and featuring a stellar cast led by Rachel Griffiths (Total Control), Richard Roxburgh (Rake) and Claudia Jesse (Bridgerton), Bali 2002 recounts the tragic events of October 12, 2002 – when the island was shattered by a terrorist attack on two of Kuta Beach’s busiest nightclubs.

    Local Balinese and Australian and British tourists scrambled to rescue the injured, whilst the Australian and Indonesian authorities mobilised to evacuate survivors, identify victims and investigate what really took place. Amidst this chaos, heroes arose from the most unlikely places and cultures united in the search for healing and meaning.

    Chris Stewart, SVP Sales UK & Eire, Banijay Rights, who negotiated the deal with ITV, said: “It was exactly 20 years ago last week when these devastating terrorist attacks rocked the paradise island of Bali – the impact of which is still being felt by victims, survivors and their families today. Bali 2002 is a tribute to them – sensitively capturing those inspirational stories to emerge out of the darkest of days. It’s an honour to be able to take this landmark series to a wider audience through this deal with ITV and ITVX.”

     

    Sasha Breslau, ITV’s Head of Content Acquisitions, said: “It’s a privilege to bring these personal stories of the brave people of Bali to UK viewers, and we look forward to premiering the series on ITVX in 2023.”

     

    Peter Newman, CEO, Endemol Shine Australia, added: “Twenty years on from an event that shocked the world, Bali 2002 is a story of resilience and heroism born from the darkest tragedy. This is a gripping four-part series that is evocative, sensitive and reflective of the stories that have been told directly from those impacted by this event.”

     

    The first original drama co-commission between 9Network and Stan, Bali 2002 was written by Justin Monjo (Storm Boy), Kris Wyld (Pulse), Marcia Gardner (Wentworth) and emerging screenwriter Michael Toisuta – with Balinese writer, actor and musician Ketut Yuliarsa (Janggan) on board as story editor.

    Produced by Kerrie Mainwaring for Screentime, Tim Pye executive produces Bali 2002 alongside Sara Richardson for Endemol Shine Australia, Michael Healy and Andy Ryan for the 9Network and Amanda Duthie and Cailah Scobie for Stan. Peter Andrikidis and Katrina Irawati Graham direct the series.

    The series received major production investment from Screen Australia, in association with Screen NSW. Banijay Rights is responsible for international distribution.

  12. Banijay Unveils Eco-Friendly Stand for MIPCOM 2022

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    Leading producer-distributor Banijay today reveals its innovative, new eco-friendly stand ahead of MIPCOM 2022, where the company will have an expanded market presence following a three-year hiatus.

    Located at C.20 in a prime location in front of Cannes’ famous Palais des Festivals, the two-floor structure – a responsibly built, re-usable and unique construction made of wood – comprises more than 500m2 of floor space complete with meeting rooms, reception area, multiple terraces and hospitality areas.

    Created by Romain Larue from Orati and designed by architect Nicola Spinetto, the entire build uses Cross Laminated Timber – an innovative technology that stands out for its strength, versatility and sustainability.

    The construction will completely optimise brightness throughout its central patio area and terraces and will be home to Banijay’s 250+ MIPCOM team; with the sales division on hand to offer stand-out titles to clients from a catalogue of more than 130,000 hours.

    Cathy Payne, CEO of Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of Banijay, said: “It has been three years since Banijay has exhibited at MIPCOM and our first major market since the acquisition of Endemol Shine, so we felt it important to present ourselves in a very prominent way.

     “This ground-breaking, eco-friendly project truly represents Banijay’s commitment to sustainability, re-enforcing our mission to reduce our carbon footprint and overall impact on the environment.

     “It’s the perfect engine room for our supersized team who will arrive at MIPCOM 2022 as one of the world’s biggest producers and distributors of TV content.”

     All panels have been flat-packed with a minimum of trucks required to transport the construction. To complement the eco-theme, the stand will feature many plants sourced from a local nursery, the programme catalogues and merchandise for clients are recyclable, and post-market, the stand will be stored less than 50km from Cannes.

    At MIPCOM, Banijay will unveil an impressive range of titles for its autumn slate including format highlights Starstruck, Blow Up, Love Triangle, Le Plus Grand Karaoké de France and MasterChef: Young Talent and Banijay Rights-fronted premium scripted titles: Marie Antoinette, Rogue Heroes, Bali 2002, Serial Lover, and third-party dramas Stonehouse and Riches. These break-out autumn highlights complement the 130,000 hours of globally renowned, stand-out IP within Banijay’s expansive travelling catalogue.

     Visit us at C.20 in front of the steps of the Palais des Festivals.