DISCOP West Asia & Pre-MIPTV Issue 2013

THE MAGAZINE OF INTERNATIONAL MEDIA • MARCH 2013

www.worldscreen.com

DISCOP West Asia & Pre-MIPTV Edition

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MARCH 2013/DISCOP WEST ASIA & PRE-MIPTV EDITION

departmentsWORLD VIEW 16A note from the editor.

UPFRONT 20New shows on the market.

SPOTLIGHT 36Gillian Anderson, star of the new drama The Fall.

MARKET TRENDS 38Global Agency’sIzzet Pinto.

WORLD’S END 50In the stars.

special report

TURKISH TALESDrama series from Turkey’s top broadcasters are making their way to screens

across the globe.

—Jay Stuart

one-on-one

ITV’S MARIA KYRIACOUAs the managing director of ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVS GE), Kyriacou

manages a diverse portfolio of assets, including global formats and acclaimed dramas.

—Anna Carugati

on the record

EONE’S JOHN MORAYNISSThe CEO of Entertainment One (eOne) Television, Morayniss oversees day-to-day

activities that encompass development, production, financing and worldwide distribution.

—Anna Carugati

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PublisherRicardo Seguin Guise

EditorAnna Carugati

Executive EditorMansha Daswani

Managing EditorKristin Brzoznowski

Contributing EditorElizabeth Guider

Special Projects EditorJay Stuart

Associate EditorJoanna Padovano

Editor, Spanish-Language PublicationsElizabeth Bowen-Tombari

Executive Editor,Spanish-Language Publications

Rafael Blanco

Associate Editor,Spanish-Language Publications

Jessica Rodríguez

Online DirectorSimon Weaver

Production DirectorVictor Cuevas

Art DirectorPhyllis Q. Busell

Sales & Marketing DirectorCesar Suero

Sales & Marketing ManagerVanessa Brand

Business Affairs ManagerTerry Acunzo

Senior EditorsBill DunlapKate Norris

Contributing WritersChris ForresterBob Jenkins

Juliana KorantengJoanna StephensDavid Wood

Ricardo Seguin Guise, PresidentAnna Carugati, Executive VP &

Group Editorial DirectorMansha Daswani, Associate Publisher &

VP of Strategic Development

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14 World Screen 3/13

contents

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BY ANNA CARUGATI

In other words, it’s a fraction that represents a geo-metric relationship that is seen over and over and overagain in nature. Yes, this ratio can be found everywhere:in the proportions of the human body and of the humanface, in every single sea shell and sea creature, in thestructure of the inner ear, the spiral of a hurricane andthe petals of a flower. The Divine Proportion has beenapplied to classical architecture (in the Parthenon) andeven in design (in a bottle of Pepsi and the Nissan logo);1.618 is even present in the aspect ratio of your wide-screen TV set!I studied the Golden Ratio in college and rediscov-

ered it recently while browsing through art books inthe gift shop of The National Gallery in London. Thereis a lovely book called Divine Proportion: Phi in Art, Natureand Science, by Priya Hemenway, who states, “Not obvi-ous, and not hidden, the Divine Proportion is easilyexpressed in words: the whole is to the larger in exactlythe same proportion as the larger is to the smaller. It is

as easily described as a pattern ofnumbers that increases byadding the two previous num-bers.” 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21,34.... 0+1=1, 1+1=2, 1+2=3,2+3=5 and so on. The ratio ofeach successive pair of numbersin the series approximates Phi,1.618. Hemenway continues:“For those of us who find num-bers and abstractions difficult tounderstand, it means there is a

relationship that can be proven with numbers, that givesrise to a series of shapes and dynamics that appearthroughout nature.” In a world that so often seems to be spiraling out of

control, numbers can provide a sense of unity and order.How reassuring. I was always a dunce in math, but I havea newfound respect for numbers. Numbers, or the lackthereof, are, in fact, a hot topic among most televisionexecutives. Long gone are the days when viewerswatched a show on TV on the day it aired. Thanks toDVRs, catch-up TV services and on-demand menus,today we time-shift. In the U.S., Nielsen started measuring C3 numbers,

meaning ratings for a show, and its commercials, watchedlive on the day it aired but also watched up to three days

later on DVRs. Many in the TV industry are saying C7(measuring up to seven days after the show airs) wouldprovide more accurate numbers, and others still would likeC29, to take into account a month of time-shifted view-ing. Nielsen recently released The Cross-Platform Report:How Viewers Watch Time-Shifted Programming, which for thefirst time measures viewing behavior beyond seven days—up to 29 days past the live airing of a show.The results are interesting. According to the report,

“while the vast majority of shows are in fact viewedwithin the first seven days, a handful of programs—sci-ence fiction being the top Beyond 7 genre—get a size-able audience in days eight through 29. Respectively,among the top 10 shows in broadcast and cable to reportBeyond 7 figures, just over 5 percent of viewing happenswithin this time period, affecting ratings.”While this is definitely a step in the right direction,

there is still a whole lot of viewing that is not meas-ured—on cable and satellite on-demand menus, online,on tablets, on gaming consoles, on set-top boxes likeRoku or digital receivers like Apple TV. The televisionindustry is clamoring for a universal method of meas-uring all viewing. The way of counting how many peo-ple watch a show online is vastly different from how TVviewers are calculated. One-second clicks on a piece ofcontent online do not come close to measuring peoplewho watch an entire 30-minute or 60-minute show ona linear channel. And as Netflix launched its first origi-nal series, House of Cards, it steadfastly stuck to its posi-tion of not releasing any viewing data at all.It appears that television needs a version of the

Golden Ratio of its own—numbers that will bring unityand order. What is driving this demand for a more uni-form measurement of all screens? Producers, distribu-tors and networks in the business of providing qualityprogramming know that high-end shows are expen-sive. And they want precise ratings data, as do advertis-ers. No one ever knows when a show will become ahit, or when a genre will strike a chord with audiencesin multiple countries. We’ve seen it with British drama,with Danish cop series, and now with Turkish drama,which we examine in this issue. But when a show doestake off, everyone wants to see its numbers. Ratingsdata drives advertising and international distribution,and both drive revenues, which are essential to thehealth of this business.

Have you heard of the Golden Ratio, also known as the Divine Proportion? It’s

represented by the Greek number Phi, Φ, and simply defined it’s one plus the square

root of five, all divided by two, (1 + √5)/2, which equals 1.618.

The Beauty of Numbers

THE TELEVISION INDUSTRY

IS CLAMORING FOR A

UNIVERSAL METHOD OF

MEASURING ALL VIEWING.


world view

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Epic nonfiction series and specials are what A+E Networks isfocusing on for DISCOP West Asia. Marielle Zuccarelli, the man-aging director for international content distribution at the com-pany, points to The Men Who Built America as a particular highlight.The eight-hour piece spotlights Cornelius Vanderbilt, John D.Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, J. P. Morgan and Henry Ford, andlooks at how their industrial innovations and business empiresrevolutionized the U.S. at a pivotal time in the country’s history.From the producers of America: The Story of Us comes the epicMankind: The Story of All of Us. “With state-of-the-art graphics,cutting-edge production techniques and universally appealingstories, The Men Who Built America and Mankind: The Story of All ofUs have already made an impact with international broadcasters,”Zuccarelli says. “Series like this are paving the way forward for anew method of presenting history to television viewers, and thefeedback we’ve had so far has been extremely positive.”

Another centerpiece is Miracle Rising: South Africa, which tellsthe story of South Africa’s political transformation that culmi-nated in the first free and fair elections, in April 1994.

A+E Networks •The Men Who Built America •Mankind: The Story of All of Us •Miracle Rising: South Africa

upfront

“We look forward to the opportunities newmarkets like DISCOP West Asia offer by way offurther extending our reach and allowing us todeliver our content to new audiences. ”

—Marielle Zuccarelli

Mankind: The Story of All of Us

The factual highlights in ABC Commercial’s catalogue promiseto offer viewers something that is “unique, different and fresh,”according to Natalie Lawley, the company’s manager of contentsales. “Each title enables an audience to see something that theyhaven’t witnessed before.” In Shark Girl, viewers see a youngwoman’s close relationship with sharks and how she uses herbond to protect their habitat. In Stone Age Mystery, the audiencefollows the story of a new human species that scientists haveuncovered in China, including all the discoveries that unfoldduring filming. “This is an amazing story that has been highlypublicized around the world and has now been captured in onecomplete program,” says Lawley. Bench to Bedside features inspi-rational stories of people and animals living with serious illnessesand the biomedical research that could save their lives.

ABC Commercial has seen an increase in its U.S. sales inrecent months, a trend that Lawley believes will continue withits new releases at MIPTV and MIPDoc. “We really do expectthese new titles to be universally appealing, so we’ll be target-ing all territories.”

ABC Commercial•Shark Girl •Bench to Bedside •Stone Age Mystery

“This year, ABC ContentSales will be attendingits highest number ofmarkets to date.”

—Natalie Lawley

Shark Girl


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For broadcasters interested in Turkish content, the series PeaceStreet could be just what they’re looking for. “Peace Street letsus see Turkey in a very different way,” says Ziyad Varol, thedeputy manager for content sales at ATV, which sells the title.“It tells the story of two lovers stuck between two differentlifestyles who want to make their love possible. In a way, itshows us the clash between the West and the East, modernityand tradition.” The Cliff deals with an issue that has affectedmany countries: the illegal trafficking of women. It tells thestory of two Moldovian sisters who are captured, one ofwhom manages to escape and must find a way to free the other.Don’t Worry About Me is a large-scale production that featuresthe sorrow-filled lives of several different characters, all ofwhom are living in the Black Sea region.

Varol says that Turkish series are finding new markets all thetime, yet the Middle East, former Soviet countries, the Balkansand Eastern Europe continue to be the most important for sales.“The new markets that we would like to enter are SoutheastAsia, Africa, Northeastern Europe and Latin America,” he adds.

ATV•Peace Street •Don’t Worry About Me •The Cliff

“What made DISCOPin Istanbul popular isTurkish content, and inregard to this matter,we are the main actors,so this market is veryimportant for us.”

—Ziyad Varol

Don’t Worry About Me

Three new telenovelas headline the slate that Azteca brings tothis year’s DISCOP West Asia. “Each of the stories in our newtitles is very well written and has been excellently produced,”says Martha Contreras, the sales director for Asia at Comarex,which represents the Azteca catalogue. “The stories are easilyidentifiable and combine elements such as love, romance,intrigue, family values, a little mystery and a splash ofvengeance. [These are] ingredients that are universally appeal-ing to both broadcasters and audiences.”

The Kings focuses on a family that is fighting to defend what isrightfully theirs. Contreras describes the series as “an innovativetelenovela with a great story line.” La Otra Cara del Alma is aboutan orphan who is seeking revenge on the individuals responsiblefor the death of her parents. “It’s a captivating story full of retribu-tion,” says Contreras. The Lieutenant, which first aired in Mexico,revolves around a woman who is determined to prove herself inthe Navy, which is dominated by men. The show was created anddirected by Benjamin Salinas. “The Lieutenant is a thrilling dramaseries full of suspense and intrigue,” Contreras says.

Azteca•The Kings (Los Rey) •La Otra Cara del Alma •The Lieutenant (La Teniente)

“The successes ofthese high-qualityproductions fromAzteca speak forthemselves.”

—Martha ContrerasThe Lieutenant



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The main drama launch for Eccho Rights at DISCOPWest Asia is Karadayi, produced by Ay Yapim. The ratingsfor the first season of 85 episodes have been “fantastic andvery stable,” says Fredrik af Malmborg, the managingdirector at Eccho Rights. “We have already closed mostdeals in major terr itories but are looking at closing theremaining ones in the coming months.” The drama TheEnd is another key Turkish title on the Eccho Rights slate.The show has been a success on SVT in Sweden, and isoften credited as the first Turkish drama to travel to West-ern Europe. It also launched on Antenna in Greece. Dan-gerous Beauty, produced by Medyapim, had a very solidshowing on Show TV in Turkey last year, and Eccho Rightsbelieves the series can also travel well internationally. Af Malmborg says that he is constantly seeing new coun-

tries show an interest in Turkish dramas. “The latest countryto join the wave is Pakistan, where Turkish dramas in the lastyear have become a real hit, but we are also looking at newdeals in Western Europe and Latin America.”

Eccho Rights•Karadayi •The End •Dangerous Beauty

“We have an extremely strong slate ofTurkish drama series together with somehit formats to offer our clients.”

—Fredrik af Malmborg

The End

For DISCOP West Asia, which GMA Worldwide is attendingfor its fourth time, the company is primarily pushing its titlesthat have been dubbed into English. “Our programs highlightcompelling story lines, original themes and our country’s mosttalented artists,” says Roxanne Barcelona, the VP of GMAWorldwide. “These are backed by our skilled productionteams who resonate GMA’s high standards. GMA’s wideassortment of titles impart ideas, characters and settings thatreflect real life, which is why our diverse portfolio of clients areable to enjoy and identify with our shows.”The shows that GMA is highlighting this time around

include Forever, about a young plantation heiress who falls inlove with an ordinary farm boy. In Indio, the goddess of war,Ynaguiginid, is forced to sacrifice her own immortality in orderto save her newborn son from certain doom. Temptation of Wifeis the Filipino adaptation of the top-rating Korean novela of thesame name. “GMA’s ultimate goal, of course, is to expand ourreach into every territory through international channel sales,program syndication and online services,” says Barcelona.

GMA Worldwide•Forever •Indio •Temptation of Wife

“GMA’s titles appeal to international buyers,broadcasters and audiences because of thegrowing appreciation for high-quality Filipinoprogramming.”

—Roxanne Barcelona

Temptation of Wife


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Dan Negru is one Romania’s leading TV entertainmenthosts, linked to the biggest local and international formatsaired in the country. He is the host of Plasa de stele (TheStar Net), a local format that has developed loyal viewer-ship over the last four years. He also fronts Beat the Blondes,which was the number four entertainment show last yearin Romania. Negru leads the action in Romania’s Minuteto Win It as well as the Moldovian version of Deal or NoDeal. Negru also set a record with audience leadership forhis New Year’s Eve TV program 13 years in a row. Most ofhis shows have aired on Romania’s Antena 1, which is partof Intact Media Group.

“Antena offered me the chance of hosting powerful for-mats in early 2000 and I have been loyal to this TV brandever since,” says Negru. “I was included in each of the TVseasons, year after year, and have never missed a single oneof them. In the last 13 years the New Year’s Eve specialprograms hosted by me were market leaders all overRomania. And the best is yet to come.”

Intact Media Group

High production values, attractive stories and top-notch act-ing talent are among the reasons cited by ITV-Inter Medyafor the success of programming coming out of Turkey. “Theseries and telenovelas labeled ‘Made in Turkey’ became thenew trend among the international broadcasters all aroundthe globe...in the last couple of years [and] the number ofterritories that Turkish products are being broadcast in isincreasing every day,” says Can Okan, the president andCEO of ITV-Inter Medya. “Additionally, the popularity ofour stars in certain territories will be the most importantfactor that will appeal to broadcasters.” He highlights ForgetMe Not, Memories Still Hurt and Red Scarf as the company’stop titles for new sales.

“Our products are being sold in over 60 territories inCentral and Eastern Europe, CIS countries, Central Asia, theMiddle East and North Africa—and Turkey ranks secondbehind the U.S.A. in terms of TV-product export,” saysOkan. “As the next step, we are close to finalizing deals in theLatin American market and in Asia.”

ITV-Inter Medya•Forget Me Not •Memories Still Hurt •Red Scarf

“We are aiming and expecting to start business relationships with some new companies from Central and Southeast Asia.”

—Can Okan

Red Scarf


Dan Negru

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Made famous by the novels of Agatha Christie, the charac-ter of detective Hercule Poirot has gained recognition theworld over. In Agatha Christie’s Poirot, sold by ITV StudiosGlobal Entertainment (ITVS GE), the fictional detective isbrought to life by the renowned star David Suchet. “Thelong-running TV adaptation…is one of the U.K.’s mosttraveled and respected detective brands, airing in countriesacross the world, from the U.S. and Brazil to France, Russiaand Japan,” says Tobi de Graaff, the director of global tele-vision distr ibution for ITVS GE. “This MIPTV, we’rebringing the 13th and final series of the drama, which seesPoirot return to the scene of his first investigation to solvehis last ever case.”

Another title de Graaff highlights is Saturday Night Take-away, a prime-time entertainment format. The show is“packed with fast-paced games, big surprises, excitingchallenges and celebrity guests,” says de Graaff. There’salso Islands on the Edge (working title), which is set in theHebrides on the west coast of Scotland.

ITV Studios Global Entertainment•Agatha Christie’s Poirot •Saturday Night Takeaway •Islands on the Edge

“Saturday NightTakeaway has alreadyproven a major ratings success.”

—Tobi de GraaffSaturday Night Takeaway

The strength of Turkish drama series has been evidenced bythe success of shows such as Lost City and Kuzey Güney. Bothseries have been top performers in their native Turkey andhave also gained international recognition. Kanal D is offeringLost City and Kuzey Güney to global buyers at DISCOP WestAsia. There, the company will also be presenting the entertain-ment format My Partner Knows, which features couples whoare dating, engaged or married. The couples participating inthe show get to find out how much they really know abouteach other through a series of games. “We think this formatcan be adapted and played by any couple in any part of theworld and become a huge success, just like it has in Turkeysince the summer of 2012,” says Ozlem Ozsumbul, the headof sales and acquisitions at Kanal D. “The creative games andways in which the couples get themselves into funny situationskeeps the audience’s mind off the stresses of everyday life.”

Ozsumbul says that for Kanal D the “constant goal is toexpand more.” Toward this effort, the company is targeting LatinAmerica, the Far East and Western Europe, Ozsumbul adds.

Kanal D•Lost City •Kuzey Güney •My Partner Knows

“With Turkey being a multiculturalcountry, viewers in other territories canalso relate to our stories.”

—Ozlem Ozsumbul

Kuzey Güney



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While attending this year’s DISCOP West Asia market, KeshetInternational is looking to discuss collaborations with buyersfrom all around the globe. The company has a number of titleson offer, with genres ranging from reality to drama. Girlfri3ndsis “a reality dating show with a twist,” according to AlonShtruzman, the managing director of Keshet International.The program watches as three single women conduct anationwide hunt for love, hosting hundreds of auditions alongthe way. Girlfri3nds has enjoyed success on Channel 2 in Israeland was ordered for a second season on ITV2 in the U.K.,where the show is produced by Studio Lambert. The “A” Word is a drama that revolves around the family of a 5-

year-old who has just been diagnosed with Autism. There is alsoDear Neighbors, a docu-comedy format focused on the efforts of acouple in search of a romantic partner for their single daughter. “Aswe have realized, strong characters, good writing and compellingstorytelling have broad appeal worldwide,” says Shtruzman. “Wehave the ability to provide content that is usually tested on air onKeshet channels, and proves itself in different territories.”

Keshet International•Girlfri3nds •The “A” Word •Dear Neighbors

“We wish to develop relations with the creativecommunity, producers and broadcasters and getour shows on air.”

—Alon Shtruzman

Girlfri3nds

The story in the soap opera Jackpot! begins as a group offriends who have been playing the lottery for years win anextraordinary prize on New Year’s Eve. They all become mil-lionaires and make a pact that each one has a mission toaccomplish within one year and only those who accomplish itshall be entitled to the other half of the prize money. The con-flicts get worse when the winners start to die off mysteriously. In King David, the action is set in Bethlehem in the year

1045 B.C. It centers on David, the youngest of seven brotherswho is the household servant. He grows up to become a goodshepherd but still remains humble and loving. David becomesa confidant to the powerful King Saul, who has now fallen ill.Through a series of events, David is anointed as God’s chosenone to replace King Saul. River of Intrigues tells a contemporary story. It is set in a historic

town with a beautiful landscape and a river where people practicesports. When the town becomes the center of international tourismfor extreme sports, it stirs up conflicts between some of the localbusinessmen, among other changes that uproot the once-quiet city.

Record TV Network•King David •River of Intrigues •Jackpot!

King David



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The costume melodrama Secrets of the Institute for Noble Maidensis the big launch for SOVTELEEXPORT, the distributioncompany of Russia Television and Radio. In the story, the year is1880 and the Russian Empire is being shaken to its core by ter-rorism. Revolutionaries plant bombs everywhere, including theCzar’s palace. Only at the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidensdoes life go on as if nothing has changed. This place of educationfor girls of nobility is filled with curtsies, jokes, laughter andsecrets. The 259x44-minute piece is one of several period titlesin the company’s catalogue. The mini-series Life and Fate is set inthe 1940s. Based on the classic novel of the same name by VasilyGrossman that was banned in the Soviet Union, the charactersare involved in the Battle of Stalingrad. From the feature filmcatalogue comes The Spy, also set in the 1940s. Julia Matiash, the director of SOVTELEEXPORT, points

out that these titles have elaborate sets and decorations, givingthem a high-quality look. Also, says Matiash, many of theactors used are already well known in various countries aroundthe world, adding to the programs’ appeal.

Russia Television andRadio/SOVTELEEXPORT•Life and Fate •The Spy •Secrets of the Institute for Noble Maidens

“The first priorities are the territories of Latin America, theU.S., Canada, Australia and the Middle East.”

—Julia Matiash

Secrets of the Institute for Noble Maidens

The production output from Grupo Televisa is around 70,000hours a year of original content, spanning all types of entertain-ment. Through Televisa Internacional, it is able to offer thisunique programming to broadcasters around the world. From its catalogue, Televisa Internacional is highlighting True

Love, a 120x1-hour telenovela produced by Nicandro Diaz. Theseries revolves around the life of Victoria, the creative director ofa high-level advertising agency. After being attacked, Victoriahires protection for herself and her daughter, Nikki, who windsup falling in love with her bodyguard. The company is also pro-moting Crown of Tears, a 115x1-hour telenovela about a mothernamed Refugio, who endures harassment and humiliation forthe sake of her three sons. Carousel, a 200x1-hour children’sshow, unites boys and girls from different racial, religious andsocial backgrounds in one classroom, where a teacher namedHelena teaches them about the importance of equality.Additional Televisa titles on offer for the international market

are The Lady from Vendaval, a traditional telenovela, and LoveRules, a comedy.

Televisa Internacional•True Love •Crown of Tears •Carousel

Carousel


True Love


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Telenovelas are a major focus for Venevision International. “Inaddition to being dependable, the telenovela is an affordablemeans of producing great results, particularly when comparedto the ratio of prime-time programming and the high costs oflocal productions,” says Manuel Perez, the company’s VP andCFO. “We have established a longstanding reputation foroffering telenovelas with an international appeal, incorporat-ing captivating story lines that are universal, have excellentcasts with outstanding international stars, great scenery andoutstanding production elements.”

One of the telenovelas being presented by Venevision this year isLucia’s Secrets, featuring Iran Castillo, Juan Pablo Raba, Lucia Reinaand Miguel Gaitan. The action-packed series centers on the life ofa woman who is suffering from amnesia. Starring Guy Ecker,Itahisa Machado and Lorena Rojas, Rosario tells the story of a lawstudent who falls in love with her mother’s ex-fiancé. Then thereis The Love Curse, which is about a family of women who are inca-pable of choosing the right men due to a century-old curse. Sab-rina Seara, Eduardo Orozco and Ricardo Alamo lead the cast.

Venevision International•Lucia’s Secrets (Los Secretos de Lucia) •Rosario •The Love Curse (Válgame Dios)

“Although ourcatalogue is vastand diverse,telenovelas areour trademarkproduct.”

—Manuel Perez

Lucia’s Secrets

House Husbands, a family drama series about a group of stay-at-home fathers, is among the shows that ZDF Enterprises(ZDFE) is showcasing. “With their fabulously flawed wivesand partners, the House Husbands navigate their way throughthe craziness of modern parenting, relationships, friendshipsand careers... and try to get their kids to school on time,” saysTasja Abel, the VP of ZDFE.drama. Abel mentions that theshow has already rated highly in Australia. “We believe thatHouse Husbands is a universally appealing show that will find ahome in worldwide territories,” Abel adds.

Last Secrets of the Third Reich investigates the inner workings ofHitler’s regime. “It’s a ‘classical’ high-quality history documentaryin the best sense of the notion—and a constant interest in thesekinds of programs shows us they are still in demand—co-existingin the market with fashionable ‘histotainment’ formats and factualseries,” says Nikolas Huelbusch, the director of ZDFE.factual.Additionally, Mako Mermaids, a live-action kids’ series, is a spinoff ofthe hit H2O: Just Add Water. The show follows the adventures of atrio of mermaids living in the waters of Mako Island.

ZDF Enterprises•House Husbands •Last Secrets of the Third Reich •Mako Mermaids

“The tone [of House Husbands] is irreverent,the pace is fast and the drama is often funnyand always emotionally compelling.”

—Tasja Abel

House Husbands



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Over the course of nine seasons and two feature films, GillianAnderson established a global fan base for her portrayal of FBIagent Dana Scully on The X-Files. When the popular sci-fiseries ended its run on FOX in 2002, Anderson opted for a dra-matic change of pace, trading in 22-episode seasons filmed inVancouver and Los Angeles for a string of period drama mini-series in the U.K., among them Bleak House and Great Expec-tations, stage plays and a number of independent features. TheFall, commissioned by BBC Two, marks Anderson’s return tothe contemporary crime drama genre. Distributed globallyby ZDF Enterprises and Content Television, The Fall—whichalso counts Jamie Dornan and Archie Panjabi among its castmembers—follows the search for a serial killer in Belfast,Northern Ireland. Anderson recently told World Screenwhat attracted her to the project.

WS:Tell me about the character you portray in The Fall.ANDERSON: I play Detective Superintendant Stella Gib-son. She works for the Metropolitan Police in Londonand she’s sent up to Belfast to do a 28-day review on amurder case. That’s when we’re introduced to her. It turnsout the murder case is not a singular case, it ends up beinga serial case, and so she stays a lot longer than she hadanticipated. That’s the environment that you see her in.

WS: What was it about this script that spoke to you?

ANDERSON: The script is very well written, and I’m afan of good writing, so that’s always the first thing thatpiques my attention. And the character—I haven’t reallycome across someone like her before, or had the oppor-tunity to play someone like her. I genuinely like her agreat deal, which is really nice. That was probably it, themixture of falling in love with the character and just lov-ing the piece as a whole.

WS: You’ve worked in television on both sides of theAtlantic. Have you found that there are many differencesin working with broadcasters and producers in the U.K.versus in the U.S.?ANDERSON: There probably are quite a few differences,but nothing that I’m particularly privy to as an actor, otherthan timing—doing a one-hour drama in the U.S., a 42-minute hour, as opposed to the 59-minute hour at the BBC.So that is different just in the time that’s put into [a show]and the number of episodes that one can do per year. Mostof the differences are [found in] what lies behind the cameraand how things are approached and situations are dealt with.

WS: There are a lot of crime dramas out there. How doyou think The Fall approaches the genre in a new way?ANDERSON: I don’t know if this is the first time that thishas been done...but the character of the serial killer is asprevalent a character as the policewoman who is searchingfor him. So you have two different story lines runningsimultaneously. You see the serial killer at work from thevery beginning, so as the audience you are that much [fur-ther] ahead of the investigation than the investigators are; theway this is written, that is quite a compelling device. [Itgets] into the head of the serial killer in a different way andalso gets into Stella’s head. It’s a compelling story about twohuman beings and how close [they] are in various ways. Alot of the shots mirror each other, which is a very interestingway to shoot it when you have those opposing, simultane-ous story lines. It just feels quite different.

WS:You’ve done a lot of period dramas in the past; is theremore research for you as you prepare for a role in a showsuch as Bleak House than for something like The Fall?ANDERSON: Yes, definitely. It’s a lot of research and a lot ofwork, especially when they are historical or [based on] clas-sics like Dickens. Obviously there are certain expectations,and with iconic characters, no pun intended, really greatexpectations of how a character is portrayed. So yes, [thereare] different pressures, different levels of research.

By Mansha Daswani

Gillian Anderson

spotlight


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By Kristin Brzoznowski

Over the course of just a few short years,Global Agency has grown its business

tremendously. Having started as a boutiqueformat distributor out of Istanbul, the com-

pany now has international bases in Turkey, theNetherlands, the U.K. and the U.S., and sellsacross a range of genres, including prime-timeentertainment shows and high-profile dramas.Spearheading this growth is Izzet Pinto, thecompany’s founder and CEO. Pinto talks toWorld Screen about his passion for cutting-edge,buzz-generating content, and how this has con-tributed to Global Agency’s overall success.

WS: What has been the strategy behind thecompany’s aggressive expansion?PINTO: It is mainly because I am addicted

to growth. I am never satisfied with the posi-tion we reach and always have bigger goals. Each

time we attend major markets like DISCOP WestAsia, MIPCOM or MIPTV, I get ambitious andset bigger goals for every year. These goals includehiring more people, having bigger space at themarkets, spending more on marketing and achiev-ing greater sales. As you know, the sky is the limit,so we keep aiming to be one of the most impor-tant distributors in the market.

When I founded the company, we had only oneformat. After a while, we had five formats. The for-mat business was growing but I wanted to have anew division, so I opened a film section to exportTurkish movies abroad. It went pretty well, andlater on we opened a series-distribution division.The success was bigger than I had expected.

Recently, we decided to move into factualentertainment. We acquired the well-establishedbrand World Wide Entertainment from Australia.In the coming years, we may go into kids’ pro-gramming. Also, digital rights are growing thesedays, so we will be focusing on digital platforms.We prefer to grow carefully, so we would like tostep into new genres every two years.

WS: Have partnerships also been essential tothe company’s expansion?

PINTO: We have partnered with Coyotefrom France, Miditech from India,Zucchero Media from Romania, Costantinfrom Germany and SBT from Brazil. Webecame the exclusive distributor of theirformats. These deals with well-knowninternational companies help us not onlyto grow in numbers but to also have a bet-ter reputation in the market. We have

always wanted to be a global company, so these partnershipsmake us a global distributor rather than a local one. At themoment we represent projects from 15 countries. We arehoping to raise this number to 25 before the end of the year.

WS: Global Agency was one of the first companies tobegin exporting Turkish drama series; what value didyou see in these programs initially?PINTO: To be frank, I didn’t step into this business withbig expectations at first. I believed in the projects, but ittook us a long time to convince the buyers. I made the firstsale with a Bulgarian broadcaster. With the success inBulgaria, I was able to convince a buyer in Serbia, thenGreece, and then it had a domino effect. At the moment,Turkish series are being exported to more than 50 coun-tries. Turkish series are shot with big budgets. The stories areappealing and include great talent; they have all the ingre-dients for a successful project, therefore viewers love them.

WS: Have you been able to sell the formats of any ofthese Turkish dramas as well?PINTO: Selling the script rights has always been a chal-lenge. For entertainment programs, buyers prefer to buyformats, but for producing series, they prefer to workwith local scriptwriters. One of our strongest scriptedformats is Forbidden Love, which achieved more than a70-percent share with its finale. Telemundo licensed theformat and started airing it in January. We are very excitedwith this project since the script is based on a 100-year-old Turkish novel. I am sure more deals will follow afterits success in the U.S.A.

WS: What types of formats seem to be working best inthe market nowadays?PINTO: From our catalogue, shopping and cooking for-mats are doing very well lately. Shopping Monsters hasbeen optioned and licensed in over 25 countries. BlindTaste achieved similar success in less than a year. Still, ourwedding format Perfect Bride has the best track record ofsuccess, with deals done in more than 35 territories.

Reality shows are more likely to create buzz. In PerfectBride, the mother-in-law is choosing the bride for herson. This concept created huge buzz in each territory weentered. Since the concept is quite old-fashioned, every-body was talking about this format. In Turkey, the grandfinale achieved more than a 70-percent share. Formatswith controversy can still be successful.

Global Agency’sIzzet Pinto


markettrends

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he continuing expansion ofTurkish programming exports

reached a new milestone at thebeginning of this year. The dramaseries The End (Son) from ATVmade its Swedish debut in a Mon-day evening slot on SVT2 on Janu-ary 7, marking the first time a dramaseries from Turkey has been shownin Northern Europe.The Swedish public broadcaster

scheduled an opening doubleepisode of the mystery drama, pro-duced by Ay Yapim, at 7:30 p.m.against strong competition to starta ten-week run of the series withfive daily episodes per week. Theopening scored a 7.5-percent shareamong all viewers and a 9.5-percentshare among women, better thanthe channel’s average share inNovember of 6.4 percent.Anders Björkman, a leading critic

at the Swedish newspaper Expressen,named The End the best new foreigndrama series of the season. When theshow started on Swedish TV, he wel-comed it by saying (more or less), “Ifyou assume that Turkish television is

about rural life, old men with bigmoustaches and goats, you need totry this...”Fredrik af Malmborg, the man-

aging director of Eccho Rights,which is distributing the seriesglobally, notes, “We were a littledoubtful about whether we couldsell it, but it works. It hasn’t had asuper-strong start, but the audienceis well in line with any U.S. serieson a channel like SVT. WesternEurope has been so fixated onAmerican series. But the shape ofAmerican series is determined bythe tastes of the average American.The Western European may havemore in common with the MiddleEast or India or elsewhere.”The original episodes of the show

were 90 minutes long, like mostTurkish drama programs. Thatlength may be an obstacle to sales inmany markets. Eccho Rights solvedthe problem by cutting the episodesto 58 minutes each. A team of edi-tors in Sweden worked with TheEnd’s script writer, Berkun Oya, onthe shortened episodes.

Eccho Rights’ sister company,Sparks Network—both are divi-sions of Sparks Eccho—has beenworking with Ay Yapim,Turkey’smost successful producer, for sevenor eight years, on program devel-opment and collaboration. Eccho’sfirst Turkish success internationallywas the Show TV series Ezel,licensed into 45 countries. Thecrime series, along with 1001Nights and Magnificent Century,paved the way for the remarkablegrowth of Turkish exports in thepast few years.

STORIES THAT TRAVELBecause Turkey is a multiculturalcountry, viewers around the worldcan relate to the stories and charac-ters at the heart of these dramas,says Ozlem Ozsumbul, the head ofsales and acquisitions at Kanal D.“In Turkey, local production, espe-cially drama, is very important. LostCity and Kuzey Güney are local[productions], but the stories haveuniversal elements that can beenjoyed everywhere in the world.

The quality of production, casts andscripts are very high. All are HD.These factors are usually highly rec-ognized by the audiences aroundthe world. At least this is the feed-back that we have been gettingfrom our sales to more than 70 dif-ferent countries.”“The roots of the Turkish drama

series that are taking the MiddleEast, the Balkans and Central Asiaby storm really go back about 20years to the start of commercialbroadcasting in Turkey,” saysMeltem Tumturk Akyol, the headof international sales for TRT, thecountry’s public broadcaster. “Fromthe time the first private TV chan-nels opened their doors in 1990,the market started to see an ever-increasing competition. This rivalrypropelled the levels of quality tonew heights as the drama seriesbusiness became the main attrac-tion of the sector.“Bigger advertising budgets in the

past few years have supported amajor boom in drama production,”continues Akyol. “Turkish viewers

Drama series from Turkey’s topbroadcasters are making their way

to screens across the globe.By Jay Stuart

The Blue Mosque in Istanbul.


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hunger for prime-time series, anddrama has been the driving force.As advertising revenues beganreaching gigantic levels, the pro-ducers naturally headed towardsproductions with mega-budgets,and that itself meant even higherquality productions.”Izzet Pinto, the CEO of the

Istanbul-based Global Agency, alsomentions the big budgets that arebehind many Turkish dramas.“The stories are appealing andinclude great talent,” he adds.“They have all the ingredients fora successful project; thereforeviewers love them.” Global Agency, which at first

only sold formats and later openeda series-distribution division, sells anumber of Turkish dramas, includ-ing 1001 Nights, Game of Silenceand iffet, as well as the mega-hitMagnificent Century. Launched in 2011 and now in

its third season, Magnificent Centuryis probably the most successful ofall Turkish exports, with prime-time slots on a score of channels inEurope and the Middle East. InEurope, one of the reasons for theappetite may be that the 16th-century saga of Suleiman the

Magnificent is an intrinsic part ofthe history of the Balkan coun-tries that comprised the OttomanEmpire, such as Bulgaria and theformer Yugoslavian republics. Theprogram began a run on RTLKlub in Hungary at the start ofthis year.Another show that has been

making its way across the globe isTime Goes By, from Kanal D. In its

third season, the series recentlyrolled out in Serbia, where it beganairing on 1Prva this year. The seriesnow features the German actressWilma Elles in a leading role as afemme fatale. Unable to speakTurkish at first, she memorized herlines phonetically. Elles is not the only foreign actress

looking to opportunities in Turkishtelevision. The Lost City, a current

success on Kanal D, stars the Alban-ian actor Nik Xhelilaj, in a trend thathas seen Turkish producers increas-ingly using more performers fromtheir Balkan neighbors.

EPIC STORIESIn addition to the Balkan countries,the Middle East has developed apenchant for Turkish series. Abreakthrough was achieved in 2008when MBC, based in the UnitedArab Emirates and reaching 21countries in the Middle East, startedairing popular Turkish series likeSilver (Gümüs), Rose Lace In My Scarf(Çemberimde Gül Oya) and Underthe Linden Trees (Ihlamurlar Altında). “By the time the [last title] was

being aired, Turkish drama wasreaching record-breaking popular-ity in the region, scoring ratingsthat had never been seen before,”says TRT’s Akyol. “And this natu-rally led other TV channels anddistribution companies to buymore Turkish series.“Turkish actors have become

even more popular than they are inTurkey, especially in the MiddleEast region. Arab viewers are cur-rently seeing dozens of differentTurkish drama series. Today, Turkishdrama series are also aired inten-sively in the Balkans, Central Asiaand Eastern Europe. There areongoing discussions with theAmericas and the Far East regard-ing possible sales.” ATV’s latest international dis-

tribution projects are the current

The plot thickens: After developing a strong following from his starring role in Ezel, the Turkish actor Kenan Imirzalioglucan now be seen leading the series Karadayi, which is sold by Eccho Rights.

Embracing the moment: Kanal D has successfully exported a number of its top-rated Turkish dramas, including KuzeyGüney, which tells the story of two brothers struggling to survive in their own worlds.



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ratings successes Peace Street andDon’t Worry About Me.“We are the channel with the

most series in our library, and themost varied lineup,” says BurçinAkil, a content sales specialist atATV/Turkuvaz Media Group.“Most of our series are dramas, butwe also have historical, action,comedy-dramas and sitcoms. Hav-ing a wider range of series is animportant factor in buyers’ gravi-tating towards us.”

CROSSING BORDERSATV is mainly selling to the MiddleEast, Eastern Europe, the Balkansand Caucasia, covering over 40countries. “On top of that, every daywe are receiving more and moredemand from Asia and we’re verykeen to expand our sales in thatregion,” Akil says. “The latestdemand comes from Pakistan. Thechannels are ambitious buyers, whichmakes us very happy. We have nodoubt this is only the beginning forour sales in new territories.”Global Agency reports the

bulk of its Turkish drama salestaking place in the Middle Eastand Central and Eastern Europe,according to Pinto. He creditsthese robust sales to the manycultural similar ities betweenTurkey and terr itories in theseparts of the world. “We also lookalike, so viewers in these territo-ries feel like they are watching alocal ser ies when they watch

Turkish series. Since these showsare family-oriented, we capturemillions of viewers around theworld in prime time.”“We have been very successful

in the Balkan region—formerYugo slavia, Bulgaria, Greece,Romania and the neighboringcountries—then, of course, inthe Middle East,” says CanOkan, the president and CEO ofITV-Inter Medya, which sellssuch Turkish dramas as MemoriesStill Hurt (Mazi Kalbimde Yaradir),The Girl with the Red Scarf (Al Yaz-malim) and The Harem. “Next, wejumped to Central Asia, startingwith Tajikistan. We are spreadingtowards the West, with WesternEurope and Eastern Asia. Now,our aim is to also enter into theLatin American market, whichwe have already started doingwith our formats. I believe thatthe finished products will beshown on Latin American TVstations also pretty shortly.”Naturally the series that make

the biggest impact in the interna-tional market tend to be the onesthat have been successful inTurkey’s own competitive scram-ble for ratings. Knowing theTurkish hits probably gives apretty good indication of some ofthe foreign successes coming up.The country has recently

emerged from a ratings vacuum.Audience figures were unavailablefor most of 2012 after AGB

Nielsen lost the franchise on sup-plying data amid controversy overpossible manipulation of its panels.The new supplier, Kantar Media,cranked up its service in mid-September 2012. For this article, World Screen has

obtained a list of the ongoing per-formance of the top 20 Turkishdramas in the ratings—“the mostvaluable data in Turkey,” accord-ing to Basak Özkan, client servicesmanager at Kantar Media.“The Turkish industry evaluates

programs with their net ratings,excluding the commercial breaks,”she says. “Including the commer-cials in the rating calculation doesnot affect the first ten programs inthe rankings, but it does affect theorder of the others.”

RATINGS SUCCESSThe following commentary appliesto figures from September 17 toDecember 31 of 2012. The figures donot include repeats of the programs.Drama series shown on the Kanal D

network occupy seven spots in thetop 20 list. But the programs airedon ATV are the most successful,with four ranking among the firsteight, including number one, KurtlarVadisi Pusu (Valley of the Wolves). FoxTV has four series in the top 20,Star TV has two, Show TV has twoand international channel Saman -yolu TV has one.A characteristic of the Turkish

market that is quite different from

the American norm is a tendencyfor series to move from channel tochannel—competition over themis a bit like the fights for sportsrights. The autumn season was infact something of a slaughter inTurkey, with about 20 series can-celed. Among the most successful,meanwhile, was Valley of theWolves, which averaged a 13.03rating and a remarkable 34.47-percent share during the period.The action crime and politicsfranchise started on Show TV in2003 and then jumped to Kanal Dbefore arriving on ATV. It hasgenerated hit theatrical films too.In second place, Star TV’s Mag-

nificent Century (Muhtesem Yüzyil)averaged a rating of 10.81 and ashare of 27.74 percent for 15episodes. It was launched on ShowTV. A television version of TheConquest 1453 (Fetih 1453), themost successful Turkish movie everat the box office, aired on Fox,ranking third with an average TVR(television viewing rating) of 8.8and a share of 21.57 percent. Kanal D’sTime Goes By (Öyle Bir GeçerZaman Ki) ranks fourth with anaverage TVR of 8.28 and a share of21.05 percent for 14 episodes. Infifth place is ATV’s series Karadayi,averaging a rating of 8.03 and a 20-percent share for 12 episodes. Don’tWorry About Me (Benim IçinÜzülme), also on ATV, is sixth, witha 7.5 TVR and 18.48-percent sharefor eight episodes. A police comedy-

Fields of love: Based on a best-selling novel from Chingiz Aitmatov, Red Scarf, part of the ITV-Inter Medya catalogue, tells a story of love at first sight thatlater ends in heartache.



drama, Back Streets (Arka Sokaklar),on Kanal D since 2006, ranks sev-enth, with an average rating of 7.28and 18.77-percent share for 15episodes. In eighth place is PeaceStreet (Huzur Sokagi) on ATV, aver-aging a 6.24 rating and nearly 17-percent share for 14 episodes. Num-ber nine is The Lost City (KayipSehir), on Kanal D, with 14 episodesscoring an average 5.48 TVR and16-percent share. In tenth place isThe Tulip Era (Lâle Devri) on Fox TV,averaging a 5.41 rating and 15.25-percent share for 15 episodes. Theshow was launched on Show TV.Rounding out the top 20 are

Show TV’s Dirty Sevens (Pis Yedili),Kanal D’s Kuzey Güney, Compas-sion Peak (Sefkat Tepe) on Semany-olu TV, Lady Dila (Dila Hanim) onStar TV, the Turkish version of Des-perate Housewives (Umutsuz EvKadinlari) on Kanal D, Love in the Sky(Yer Gok Ask) on Fox TV, Kanal D’sFalse World (Yalan Dünya), Tulip EraLove (Lâle Devri Ask) on Fox TV,Razor Kemal (Ustura Kemal) onShow TV and Sultan on Kanal D.Eccho Rights’ Malmborg has clear

ideas on why Turkish series are enjoy-

ing so much successinternationally. “First,it’s a matter of thescale of the marketand the quality itgenerates. There areseven channels run-ning original dramaevery night. Thereare 80 to 100episodes being pro-duced every week.That’s huge. A lot ofit features actors anddirectors who arereally good. Theactors have plenty ofopportunity to getbetter, too. Whenyou are in all thoseepisodes of a show,that is a pretty goodacting school. Turkey is one of thebiggest production hubs in the worldalong with Hollywood, Bollywoodand South Korea.“Second, there is a new creative

generation. They are people whogrew up watching Latin Americantelenovelas on Turkish TV in the1980s and now they have made

the serial drama genre somethingof their own. “Third, the Turks dare to take the

family and human relationships seri-ously. They see relationships as thereal stuff of drama. In the U.S. showsare about the police or about doctors.If they’re about the family, they arecomedies. It’s really a very narrowrange. The taste of the average Amer-ican audience is pretty boring. TheTurkish take the human dimensionseriously.Again, when you have sucha large output, it gives you moreopportunity to stretch creatively.”TRT’s Akyol agrees on this point.

“What makes Turkish programsdesirable in the regions where theyare most successful are the family andman-woman relationships they show,and the depiction of independentcharacters against a social backdrop, aswell as the romantic and sentimen -tal orientation of the story lines.Undoubtedly, the magnificent loca-tions where all these series are shot areanother big reason for the popularity,Istanbul being first and foremost.”

QUALITY CONTROLITV-Inter Medya’s Okan says, “Theproduction quality is very good com-pared to other territories’ products.This is because of the competitionbetween broadcasters in the localmarket in Turkey. Now that they arein huge competition with each other[for ad revenues], they are trying tomake the best programs possible.” For Eccho Rights’ Malmborg,

another big contributing factor in

Turkey’s emergence is technology.“Making high-end drama today isnot that complicated in terms of pro-duction,” he says. He sees Turkey’ssuccess as part of the bigger develop-ment of globalizing creativity. “It’s aglobal market. New shows travel veryquickly. There is a lot of opportunityfor people doing top-notch stuff. Butthe market is small for the [lower-quality shows]. There are 800 or 900million people watching dubbeddrama. The Americans paved the waywith Desperate Housewives and Lost.Ugly Betty was adapted from aColombian series. There was anAmerican version and a German ver-sion; the latter became a hit in France.Imagine having a German seriesbased on a Colombian series dubbedin French and being a hit on TF1.That’s the world we’re living in.”But it’s the stories coming out of

Turkey that obviously have a specialhold on international buyers thesedays. Another one will be comingto Sweden soon. Eccho’s newTurkish series is one of the currentseason’s ratings winners, ATV’sKaradayi, starring Kenan Imirzali-oglu from Ezel and Bergüzar Korelfrom 1001 Nights.“The End was not a big ratings

winner in Turkey,” Malmborg says.“We are anxious to try a really topTurkish show internationally.”“I think we have reached a point

where ‘Turkish Drama’ has become abrand name,” says Akyol. “The atten-tion the programs receive in the inter-national market is proof of that.”


Royal ties: The period drama Magnificent Century, sold by Global Agency, has aired on broadcasters acrossEurope and the Middle East and is often credited with being one of the most successful Turkish exports.

Lifting the veil: ATV reports that the majority of its sales have been to the Middle Eastand Eastern Europe for its stable of Turkish dramas, which includes Life Goes On.


or the past decade orso, broadcasters havebeen challenged on a

number of fronts: cableand satellite channelscompeting for audiences and advertisers

while viewers are watching movies and series onscreens other than the TV set. Smart broadcast-ers, like ITV plc in the U.K., have responded bylaunching their own digital channels, but also,

most important, by producing must-see pro-gramming that has significantly boosted rat-

ings at home and generated much-needed additional revenues throughinternational sales.

Maria Kyriacou, the managingdirector of ITV Studios Global Enter-

tainment (ITVS GE), oversees the distribution of thousandsof hours of television series, movies and films from ITVStudios and independent producers to more than 200 coun-tries worldwide. Kyriacou talks to World Screen aboutthe staying power of beloved crime franchises, theappeal of hit factual formats, and new opportunitiesoffered by digital platforms.

Maria KyriacouITV Studios

Global Entertainment

WS: Many of ITV Studios’ showsnot only satisfy the British audiencebut also have international appeal. KYRIACOU: We’re a fortunatedistributor. We’ve benefited fromshows like Mr Selfridge, which is alarge volume order from a majorU.K. network, ITV. It’s done reallywell launching to 9.4 millionviewers (which is a huge numberfor a show in the U.K.) [It hassince been re-commissioned for asecond season.] A show like thisfrom a well-respected writer likeAndrew Davies, (everyone knowshis reputation from shows he’swritten [Pride and Prejudice, LittleDorrit] in the past), and with JeremyPiven in the lead, in addition tothe high-volume order and theability for it to return year afteryear, attracts attention everywhere.We’ve announced a number ofsales already and we’ll announce afew more before MIPTV.

WS: And the fact that it has alonger order is very important toa distributor.KYRIACOU: There is nothing bet-ter than returning shows. We’ll betalking a lot at MIPTV about ourcrime franchises. Our shows maynot have large individual seasonorders, but they come back year afteryear and they combine to become insome cases over 100 hours. Oneshow we are highlighting this mar-ket is Agatha Christie’s Poirot. Welaunch the final season at MIPTVand are promoting it by bringingDavid Suchet, the star of the series,

to mark the end of a chapter, quiteliterally, for Hercule Poirot.

We are known for our crimefranchises. As well as Poirot wehave new seasons of AgathaChristie’s Marple. Agatha Christieis loved the world over.

From the Inspector Morse franchisewe have the 2013 season of Lewisand full season of Endeavour. Fans ofMorse have responded very posi-tively to the prequel, [which takes]Morse back to his youth.

WS: ITVS GE secured the inter-national distribution rights for Rec-tify, Sundance Channel’s first orig-inal production. Is ITVS GEsearching for more product fromoutside of the U.K.?KYRIACOU: Yes, we are lookingfor more. We are a growing busi-ness and you should expect to seemore U.S.-originated content. Weare attracted to what we view asquality drama and Rectify is justthat, a beautifully executed showand different to the mainstream. Itchallenges its audience. It’s a showwe feel can become a real brand-builder for broadcasters. Interest-ingly, there is a single writer on thepiece, Ray McKinnon, which ismore of a European approach thanAmerican. Our strategy in selling ashow such as this is to find theright broadcasters who value theshow’s uniqueness.

WS: Are you looking to do moreinternational co-productions likethe Titanic mini-series?�

one-on-one


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KYRIACOU: Yes, we are. Werespond to what broadcasterswant, and there is an appetite forhigh-end drama and for events.And that’s what Titanic was—itwas an event. But these are fewand far between. When we have agood creative idea that fits thebill we will deliver. We are look-ing at a few ideas right now, butnothing to announce yet.

WS: Come Dine with Me has beenone of the top-selling formats inEurope. What appetite are youfinding for formats?KYRIACOU: We celebrated our4,000th episode of Come Dine withMe last year! We see broadcasterslooking for tried and tested factual-entertainment shows that theyknow will deliver. Come Dine withMe does that because every episodeis a different story. Come Dine withMe is a format that sustains its rat-ings over multiple episodes andseasons. Other shows that work in asimilar way are Four Weddings andMay the Best House Win. We’ve alsoseen a resurgence of older formatslike Popstar to Operastar, whichrecently was acquired in Vietnam andis in its second season in Korea.

The growth of our format-distr ibution business in Asia,

Central and Eastern Europe andLatin America is very exciting.We have recently sold Hell’sKitchen to Romania, Ukraine andRussia; Come Dine with Me hasbeen re-commissioned by Globoin Brazil and we secured our firstCome Dine with Me deal in Asiawith Star India, produced byMiditech.

WS: What opportunities are dig-ital platforms offering you? KYRIACOU: They are impor-tant clients. Digital platformsbroaden our audience reach. Forexample, in Asia they are buyingdramas that you normally wouldn’tsell to the linear networks. That’strue even in the largest commer-cial digital market, the U.S. Welaunched Coronation Street—theworld’s most successful serializeddrama going strong for over 50years—on Hulu in January.

And where our shows arealready popular on linear televi-sion, digital platforms give fansmore flexible access. For instancein Scandinavia, where our showsperform well in the ratings, werecently signed deals with bothNetflix and SF Anytime. Netflixfor a range of drama titles such asAgatha Christie’s Poirot, Agatha

Christie’s Marple and Prime Suspectand SF Anytime for a package ofour long–running crime dramas,including Touch of Frost andInspector Morse, to name a few.

WS: What other areas are allow-ing you to generate revenues,whether it’s consumer products orthe DVD market?KYRIACOU: We announced aDVD and download-to-own dealwith NBCUniversal for Mr Selfridgelast month. The home-entertainmentmarket is critical to the commercialsuccess of serialized dramas.

WS: Looking ahead 12 to 24months, in what areas do you seethe most potential for growth? KYRIACOU: We’re very strongin drama, we’re really proud ofthat and we are going to continueto invest in this genre. We’vealways been strong in formatsand factual and we are going tocontinue to invest in this area.You will see us increasingly glob-alize our presence, which meanswe will be more active in mar-kets outside the U.K. and notonly in selling but in creating andacquiring content.

A sign of the times: One of the stand-out dramas on ITVS GE’s slate is Mr Selfridge, which launched on ITV inJanuary to an average audience of 7.3 million viewers and was promptly renewed for a second season.


Criminal minds: ITVS GE’s strong library of crime dramas includes Agatha Christie’sPoirot, starring David Suchet, which comes to an end after its 13th season.

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WS:You are expanding eOne’s scriptedbusiness. What opportunities are youseeing across the TV landscape?MORAYNISS: We’re growing our scriptedbusiness because we think there are a lot ofopportunities in North America. There arenow more than 30 networks in the U.S.that are commissioning original scriptedprogramming. In the international marketthere are also networks that are commis-sioning original scripted programming.

You’re also seeing more co-productions,co-financing models, just more partner-ships. Part of it has to do with digitalplatforms that are growing over-the-topservices like Netflix. So we’re seeing moredemand for high-end programming andwe want to meet that demand.

WS: Since a lot of companies that tradi-tionally haven’t been in scripted arestarting to commission now, are youfinding it harder to get the actors andwriters that you want? Or, because ofeOne’s reputation, are you able to findthe talent you need for your projects?MORAYNISS: Part of it has to do withour reputation; part has to do with theshows that we’re involved in. Obviously,good scripts, good auspices attract talent.I also think that the U.S. marketplace ismore open to global talent: writers out ofthe U.K., out of Canada, out of the rest ofEurope, and the same with [actors]. Sowe’re seeing more and more British writ-ers and Canadian writers working onAmerican shows. Same with the talent; ashow like Rogue, which we’re doing forDIRECTV, stars Thandie Newton andMarton Csokas. While it’s more competi-tive, there are more opportunities tosource talent from around the world.

WS: When did that opening take place?Ten to fifteen years ago, the U.S. networksdidn’t want anybody who hadn’t beentested in the American market.MORAYNISS: It’s been gradual. It’s partlyout of necessity and partly because the tal-ent is there and is contributing to makinggreat TV shows. Over time, as networkshave started to acquire or be involved inco-productions, they’re seeing the value of

shows coming from all over the world—especially [from] the U.K. and Canada—they’re seeing these shows work. Theresult is that [U.S. networks] are nowopen to this talent not only beinginvolved in co-productions and showsthat come from overseas, but also in theshows that they’re commissioning.

WS: eOne has been a pioneer in co-financing models. Are you still using them? MORAYNISS:Yes. “Co-finance” is sucha broad term, but generally speaking, asan independent, we’re all about partner-ships, we’re all about co-productionmodels, co-financing models. So almosteverything we do has some componentof that. Our goal is, obviously, to hold onto the international distribution rights. Sohow we get those rights can take onmany different forms. It can be throughour own internal development that wesell and then produce on our own. Itcould be through shows like Klondike,that we’re doing for Discovery, which wasdeveloped by Scott Free and thenbrought to us. In that case, it’s really apartnership between eOne andDiscovery on the financing side, and thena creative partnership with Scott Free. So,yes, more and more we see these oppor-tunities to co-finance, co-produce, andpartly it’s how the shows originate.They’re coming from financing entities,just other distributors that want to part-ner with us, production companies thatwant to get involved in the financing.We’re open to all different models.

WS:Tell us about Klondike.MORAYNISS: Klondike’s very exciting.It’s a big action-adventure six-hour

s a leading indepen -dent production-and-distribution company,Entertainment One(eOne) Television has been involved in a wide

range of series and successfully placed themin the competitive yet lucrative U.S. market:the mystery drama Haven and the sci-fi

thriller Primeval: New World on Syfy; the cop drama RookieBlue on ABC; the medical show Saving Hope on NBC; thedark comedy Call Me Fitz on DIRECTV; and the contemporarywestern Hell on Wheels on AMC.

While producing for the NorthAmerican market, eOne also has avibrant international-distributionbusiness, working with more than

500 broadcasters in 150 countries, selling not only series—among them The Walking Dead—but also TV movies.

John Morayniss, eOne Television’s CEO, is a seasonedexecutive with extensive experience in forming partnershipsand crafting co-financing and co-production models, whichare becoming essential these days as broadcaster licensefees diminish and viewer demand for quality—thereforehigh-budget—programming increases.

John MoraynissEntertainment One

on therecord


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mini-series that was commissionedby Discovery Channel in the U.S.,developed by Scott Free. It’s set inthe Klondike during the GoldRush. Our show is set in 1897 andit’s an exciting rags-to-riches-to-rags and then back to riches story,and there’s a mystery element in it.It’s really quite thrilling. We’re reallyexcited to be involved because, one,it’s Discovery’s first big scriptedevent, and two, we’re excited to bein business with Scott Free. They’rejust a great and talented company inthe film and television world.

WS: What appealed to you aboutthe series Rogue?MORAYNISS:Well, we were fortu-nate with Rogue. When it wasbrought to us by a company calledGreenroom, run by a British pro-ducer named Nick Hamm, wealready had a script that they haddeveloped. We had a first episode thatwas just terrific. We loved all thecharacters, but especially the femalecharacter, which was complex anddark. It was just a great thriller/mystery cop show. We loved thescript and we thought it was some-thing in line with what eOne waslooking to develop, which is some-thing a little more pay-cable, serial-ized, just interesting. So we gotinvolved, and we liked the partner-ship, and the show was pitched to a

number of platforms in the U.S.,and ultimately DIRECTV came onboard and now we’ve shot the firstseason and are excited for the launch.

WS: eOne has been able to keep thecost per hour on dramas a little lowerthan some other series and yet youdeliver all that quality on screen. Howare you able to accomplish that?MORAYNISS: It’s never easy, andI’ve noticed over the years, as we getinvolved in higher-end program-ming, it’s tougher and tougher whenthe next show comes around torevert back to a lower-budget model.So part of it has to do with expecta-tions and who our broadcasters areand the kinds of shows that wedevelop. Some shows just warrant alower budget and, actually, creativelyand organically work better thatway, and on other shows you needto spend money. On a show likeKlondike, we’re spending a lot ofmoney. We’re starting to spendmore money for the bigger-budgetevent-type series and then when itmakes sense with the more con-tained character pieces that don’thave a lot of action or special effects,we can still control those budgets.We’re doing lower-budget TVmovies for Hallmark Channel andLifetime, but when Discovery wants abig event mini-series like Klondike,we’re going to spend the money.

WS: Writers in the U.K. usuallywrite six or eight episodes per series.Do they have a hard time adaptingfrom one person writing six episodesto working in the American formatof a writers’ room? MORAYNISS: It really depends onthe show and, obviously, the order.For shows that have lower-episodeorders, you said six or eight, maybeeven ten, and if you have enoughflexibility and enough time in yourschedule, you can get a writer ortwo writers to write all thoseepisodes. And it’s very different thanthe American approach, whereyou’ve got that strong showrunnerand you’re barely being able to keepup with the schedule of deliveries.It’s starting to change, because,again, as more and more U.K. writ-ers start working in the U.S. envi-ronment, we’re seeing a shift inmethodology. It works in a numberof ways. I don’t think any model isbetter than the other. I think thereare some benefits to writing yourscripts up front. Certainly there areproduction efficiencies that you canhave. On the other hand, series areorganic; characters come alive onceyou shoot them. And sometimescertain actors pop and others don’t.And you want to be a little in frontof that and be able to write as thesestories unfold, as these charactersdevelop on screen. I don’t think

there’s a right or wrong way ofdoing it, it’s just different, and some-times there are cultural clashes,which are challenging [when youare] working with one methodologybut [have] writers or producers thatare used to a different methodology.

WS: You and eOne have a longtrack record of bringing culturestogether, whether it be in financ-ing or on the creative side. Are youa diplomat at heart?MORAYNISS:You kind of have tobe. Necessity is the mother of inven-tion, and for many years in the U.S.you didn’t need to co-produce,because the market could sustain,from an economic standpoint, anoriginal program without going out-side its borders. Things have changed.Growing up in the Canadian systemcertainly has helped because youjust had to do more of these co-productions. But now you’re seeingthis on a worldwide basis, and cer-tainly, some of the most successfulshows on a global basis are beingdone through co-financing models.Look at a show like The WalkingDead. Three key partners all cametogether on that show—AMC, FOXInternational Channels and eOne. Soyou’re seeing more and more broad-caster partnerships, broadcaster-distribution-producer partnerships.It’s the way of the world now.

Where the action is: Primeval: New World, the North American spin-off of the hit British series Primeval, has been licensed by eOne to Syfy and Hulu inthe U.S., among other international deals.


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IN THE STARS

Beyoncé KnowlesGlobal distinction: Musical superstar.Sign:Virgo (b. September 4, 1981)Significant date: January 21, 2013Noteworthy activity: The Grammy-winning singergenerates criticism after her not-so-live rendition of “TheStar-Spangled Banner” during U.S. President BarackObama’s second inauguration ceremony. A last-minutedecision was made for the wife of Jay-Z to lip-synchalong to a previously recorded version of her singing theNational Anthem.Horoscope: “Don’t be a pretender, a phony or fake—keep it real.” (serendipity-astrolovers.com)

Lance ArmstrongGlobal distinction: Former professional cyclist.Sign:Virgo (b. September 18, 1971)Significant date: January 17, 2013Noteworthy activity:The seven-time Tour de Francewinner was previously stripped of his medals and bannedfrom cycling for life for doping offenses. Despite havingmade many denials, the pro road-racing cyclist finallycomes clean in a two-part television interview withOprah Winfrey. In it, he admits to doping since the mid-90s, saying he took EPO, blood transfusions and testos-terone until 2005. Horoscope: “You might have to make a choice betweentelling the truth and a lie. Sometimes this can be a difficultchoice.... However, a lie can take far more energy than thetruth.” (glo.msn.com/horoscopes)

Donald TrumpGlobal distinction: Litigious business magnate.Sign: Gemini (b. June 14, 1946)Significant date: February 4, 2013Noteworthy activity:The real-estate mogul files a $5million lawsuit against Bill Maher, after the televisionhost does not hold up his end of the deal when ask-ing Trump to prove that he is not a “spawn of anorangutan.” Maher had previously joked that ifTrump could prove he wasn’t, he would make a gen-erous donation to charity. Horoscope: “You should be aware of critics, but stick toyour guns. Try to laugh at yourself occasionally, it will helpget you through your day.” (gotohoroscope.com)

Sylvester Stallone

Jodie FosterGlobal distinction: Hollywood veteran.Sign: Scorpio (b. November 19, 1962)Significant date: January 13, 2013Noteworthy activity:The issue of the actress’s sexualityhas been in question for many years, yet the notoriouslyprivate star has always remained mum. However, whilebeing honored with a lifetime achievement award at thisyear’s Golden Globes, Foster alludes to the fact that she is alesbian. In her acceptance speech she gives a shout-out toher ex-partner, who is a woman, and stresses the impor-tance of privacy.Horoscope:“You might question the way you have beenportraying yourself to the rest of the world and becomeincreasingly willing to be who you are, without shameor apology.” (oranum.com)

Rob LoweGlobal distinction:TV and film star.Sign: Pisces (b. March 17, 1964)Significant date: January 24, 2013Noteworthy activity: After a strong financial earningsreport, shares in Netflix skyrocket. However, the 48-year-old actor says he knows the real reason for the spike in thestock prices. He tweets: “Hmmm, I wonder why Netflixjust posted a surprise profit report? #WestWing ???” Theactor, who played Sam Seaborn in the TV series from 1999to 2006, was alluding to the fact that The West Wing startedstreaming on Netflix earlier that month. Horoscope: “Instead of hogging the attention, be sure togive credit where credit’s due.” (mylifetime.com)

Sylvester StalloneGlobal distinction: Muscular action star.Sign: Cancer (b. July 6, 1946)Significant date: January 24, 2013Noteworthy activity: The NewYork Post uncovers papersthat show that Toni-Ann Filiti, Stallone’s half-sister, black-mailed him in 1987 over abuse allegations. The documentsreveal that he agreed to give Filiti $2 million, in additionto $16,666.66 per month for the rest of her life and a trustworth $50,000 per year for her psychiatric and medicalexpenses, though he denies all her claims.Horoscope: “Family troubles will be on your mind all daylong.You will be unfairly accused.” (minihoroscope.com)

Almost every national constitution

forbids the establishment of an

official state religion. But this sec-

ular bent doesn’t stop people from

looking to the heavens for answers

to life’s most troublesome questions:

Will I succeed? Will I find love? Will

Lance Armstrong make any confes-

sions to me?

Every day, papers and magazines

worldwide print horoscopes—projec-

tions for people born in a specific

month, based on the positions of

the stars and planets. While many

people rely on these daily, weekly or

monthly messages for guidance in

their lives, some readers skip over

them entirely.

The editors of WS recognize that

these little pearls of random fore-

sight occasionally prove pro phetic.

But rather than poring over charts

of the zodiac to predict world events,

our staff prefers to use past horo-

scopes in an attempt to legitimate

the science.

As you can see here, had some of

these media figures remembered to

consult their horoscopes on signif-

icant days, they could have avoided

a few surprises.

Jodie Foster Rob LoweBeyoncé Knowles


world’s end

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