Series to Watch: Mipcom 2024
At the end of the television industry’s annual Mipcom market, DQ picks out some of the new international series to look out for, from a British period drama and the first English-language Turkish drama to a “live-action anime” and a Danish crime mystery.
As the sun sets on Mipcom 2024, television industry executives are left to reflect on a week of premieres, screenings and series launches that accompanied the annual market in Cannes.
World premieres included 15th-century historical drama Rise of the Raven, the story of fearless army commander János Hunyadi and his lifelong attempt to defend Europe against an Ottoman invasion.
Spanish stars Kimberley Tell and Joan Amargós were also in town for Ena. La Reina Victoria Eugenia, the royal biopic of the woman who became Queen of Spain, while US star Morris Chestnut presented Watson, a modern-day medical drama that puts a new twist on the Sherlock Holmes story.
Here, DQ picks out a selection of other series worth looking out for.
A Better Place
From: Germany
Original broadcasters: ARD (Germany), Canal+ (France and Austria)
Producers: Komplizen Serien, Studiocanal Series, WDR and ARD Degeto
Distributor: StudioCanal
Starring: Maria Hofstätter, Steven Sowah and Katharina Schüttler
Imagining a world without prisons, this drama is set in the fictional city of Rheinstadt, where a liberal mayor and a scientist introduce a revolutionary rehabilitation programme that aims to close down the city jail and reintegrate its prisoners into society. But while there are strong supporters of the experiment, many others are wary or even scared. The eight-part series follows the lives of the criminals as they return to society, where they must face prejudice and overcome failures to obtain the redemption they were promised. It also tells the stories of the scientists, social workers and politicians working on the programme, and the victims and their families who are torn between the desire to forgive and the need for justice.
Ça, C’est Paris
From: France
Original broadcaster: France Télévsions
Producers: Federation Studios & Mon Voisin Productions
Distributor: Federation Studios
Starring: Alex Lutz, Charlotte de Turckheim, Nicolas Maury, Anne Marivin, Effy – Katarzyna Sawczuk, Nastasia Caruge, Salomé Dewaels and Monica Bellucci
From writer-director Marc Fitoussi and the team behind Call My Agent, this six-part series follows Gaspard Berthille (Lutz), the manager of Le Tout-Paris, a renowned cabaret that perpetuates the myth of wild Parisian nights. Unlike his father, the former director and legendary show leader of the cabaret, Gaspard has failed to continue the establishment’s success. But the arrival of a new investor, flanked by his son, will transform the life and the destiny of the entire Tout-Paris team.
Celeste
From: Spain
Original broadcaster: Movistar+
Producer: 100 Balas
Distributor: The Mediapro Studio
Starring: Carmen Machi, Manolo Solo, Andrea Bayardo, Antonio Durán ‘Morris’, Aixa Villagrán, Clara Sans, Jesús Noguero and Marc Soler
This six-part series introduces the title character, a star of the Latin music scene. But the central character is Sara Santano, a tax inspector devoted to her job who. On her final day before retirement, Sara is tasked with proving that Celeste lives in Spain and must pay her taxes there – a potential €20m windfall for the Spanish treasury. Sara will have to put her life to one side and delve into Celeste’s to prove that she spent 184 days in Spain, half a year plus one day.
Costiera
From: Italy
Original broadcaster: Prime Video Italy
Producer: Lux Vide
Distributor: Fremantle
Starring: Jesse Williams
This Italian-made, English-language series centres on Daniel De Luca (Williams), an Italian-American former marine and problem-solver who is staying in one of the most exclusive hotels in the world, in Positano. Daniel helps rich tourists get out of trouble and return home, while he spends his life in this paradise on Earth as a guest of the owner – because Daniel was the only person to catch a glimpse of the face of the man who may have kidnapped the owner’s daughter, and is therefore the only person who may be able to hunt him down.
Culte (Cult)
From: France
Original broadcaster: Prime Video France
Producers: Screenline, 27 Tribe
Distributor: Banijay
Starring: Anaide Rozam, César Domboy, Sami Outalbali, Nicolas Briançon and Marie Colomb
Inspired by true events, Culte is a fictionalised behind-the-scenes account of the phenomenon behind reality TV show Loft Story – the French version of Big Brother – in the early 2000s.
El Turco
From: Turkey
Original broadcaster: TBC
Producer: Ay Yapim
Distributor: Madd Entertainment
Starring: Can Yaman, Greta Ferro, Will Kemp, Sai Bennet, Kieran O’Reilly, Nigel Pilkington, Veronica Ferres, Magnus Samuelsson, Haluk Piyes, David Nykl and Madalena Aragao
Said to be the first English-language Turkish drama, this historical series stars Yaman as Balaban, a soldier of the Ottoman army who is condemned to death during the 1683 Battle of Vienna. He manages to escape but is gravely injured, and when he comes to, he is in the remote village of Moena, high in the Italian Alps. As he settles into his new home, Balaban becomes a protector of the village, but must soon confront an old enemy.
Generationer (Generations)
From: Denmark
Original broadcaster: DR
Producer: DR Drama
Distributor: DR Sales
Starring: Ulla Henningsen, Anette Støvelbæk and Alice Bier
Airing in Denmark in spring 2025, this “captivating” six-part drama intertwines crime and mystery, unfolding the complex tale of a family across multiple generations. A blend of crime and mystery, the story begins with the discovery of a mummified infant’s body during a renovation in a Frederiksberg apartment. Martha, an 87-year-old resident, unexpectedly confesses to the crime, triggering a journey into family secrets long buried.
Heart Attack
From: Japan
Original broadcaster: Fuji TV
Producers: Skybound, Robot
Distributor: Cineflix Rights
Starring: Kanichiro, Toko Miura and Goro Kishtani
Based on the graphic novel of the same name and pitched as a “live action anime” series, this eight-parter is set in a post-pandemic Japan and follows a segment of the population with supernatural abilities, known as Variants, who are persecuted by the government and struggling against oppression because of their power. When two Variants, Ema and Umin, meet, they make an unexpected connection that unlocks a secret power. Together, they fight for their existence and freedom, leading to a revolution.
Ladies in Black
From: Australia
Original broadcaster: ABC
Producer: Bunya Productions
Distributor: ABC Commercial
Starring: Debi Mazar, Miranda Otto, Jessica De Gouw, Clare Hughes and Azizi Donnelly
This six-part series picks up six months after Bruce Beresford’s 2018 film, based on Madeleine St John’s novel The Women in Black, and dives into the fashion, romance, excitement and challenges of women’s lives at a time of momentous transformation. In 1961, the women who work at luxury department store Goodes embrace their freedom and independence. But the revolution in both society and fashion divides the ‘ladies in black’ – testing their personal choices and casting shadows over their once cherished dreams.
Outrageous
From: UK
Original broadcasters: UKTV, BritBox International
Producer: Firebird Pictures
Distributor: BBC Studios
Starring: Bessie Carter, Joanna Vanderham, Isobel Jesper Jones, Shannon Watson, Zoe Brough, Toby Regbo, Anna Chancellor and James Purefoy
If you think you know the story of the Mitford sisters, think again. Outrageous is the story of these six aristocratic siblings who refused to play by the rules, with their often scandalous lives making headlines around the world. Set against the gathering storm clouds of the 1930s, masked by the decadence, frivolity and lavishness of British high society, the show explores how and why these women, unwilling to conform, were so ahead of their time – and what drove them to take their very different, complex and often dangerous paths.
Safe Harbor
From: The Netherlands
Original broadcasters: Videoland (Netherlands), Streamz (Belgium)
Producers: Submarine, Night Train Media
Distributor: Eccho Rights
Starring: Alfie Allen, Martijn Lakemeier, Charlie Murphy, Jack Gleeson and Colm Meaney
From creator Mark Wiliams (Ozark), this eight-part series sees misfits Marco (Allen) and Tobias (Lakemeier) offer their hacking services to help the Irish mob gain control of Rotterdam harbour, Europe’s largest port. But when they find themselves in the middle of a brutal turf war, the pair face challenges to maintain their romantic relationships and their friendship.
The Council
From: The Netherlands
Original broadcaster: NPO
Producers: Levitate Film, Caviar
Distributor: About Premium Content
Starring: Pierre Bokma, Claire Bender, Jack Wauterse, Tanya Zabarila and Monic Hendrickx
This five-part historical drama has already been named best drama series at the Netherlands Film Festival. Set in Amsterdam in 1941, it tells the tragic story of a father and daughter during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands as they each try to do the right thing but become increasingly opposed to each other. While David Cohen, chairman of the Jewish council, continues to cooperate with the Germans to prevent conditions worsening – but unintentionally contributing to the deportation of Jewish Dutch people – his daughter Virrie chooses to put her life at risk to save hundreds of Jewish children from being deported.
Weiss & Morales
From: Spain
Original broadcasters: RTVE (Spain), ZDF (Germany)
Producers: Portocabo, Nadcon
Distributor: ZDF Studios
Starring: Miguel Ángel Silvestre, Katia Fellin, Margarita Broich, Junjo Puigcorbé, Yaiza Guimaré and Valerie Huber
This Spanish-German coproduction is set in the Canary Islands, where BKA agent Nina Weiss (Fellin) arrives to visit her mother and find answers relating to her past. When a German citizen dies, she becomes involved in the case and teams up with Civil Guard sergeant Raúl Morales. But despite their personality clash, or perhaps because of it, the brilliant officers resolve the case and soon they investigate new cases involving the German community on the islands.
tagged in: A Better Place, Ça, Celeste, Costiera, Cult, Culte, C’est Paris, El Turco, Generationer, Generations, Heart Attack, Ladies in Black, Outrageous, Safe Harbor, The Council, Weiss & Morales