TV DRAMA SCREENINGS FESTIVAL 2023
The third edition of the TV Drama Screenings Festival spotlights some of the hottest new and returning scripted properties available today. Hailing from across the globe, these selections span the breadth of the landscape, from crime and suspense to romance, lighthearted comedy and more.
Clicking on each show title below will take you directly to the trailer.
Fresh off its strong ratings debut, The Swarm leads off ZDF Studios’ highlights in the latest edition of the TV Drama Screenings Festival. “Based on Frank Schätzing’s international bestseller of the same title, The Swarm is an eight-part thriller series from Emmy Award-winning showrunner Frank Doelger (Game of Thrones),” notes Mirela Nastase, Director Drama at ZDF Studios. The high-profile international co-production follows a group of scientists investigating strange happenings in the ocean. ZDF Studios is also highlighting new installments in the English-language adaptation of Before We Die, which has been a hit for Channel 4, and the Spanish anthology Stories to Stay Awake. “Four top Spanish directors (Rodrigo Cortés, Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Paula Ortiz, Paco Plaza) bring Chicho Ibáñez Serrador’s iconic horror series back to life with a modern cinematic edge,” Nastase says.
The All3Media International lineup in the TV Drama Screenings Festival speaks to the diversity of the company’s scripted offering. On the thriller front, there’s Better, which David Swetman, senior VP of content and commercial strategy, bills as a “messy, human, crime-filled story from the award-winning team at Sister, set in the atmospheric Leeds and led by gripping performances from BAFTA-nominated Leila Farzad and Andrew Buchan.” Swetman also highlights the cast and creatives behind Mayflies, which stars Martin Compston and is produced by Synchronicity Films, adapted from Andrew O’Hagan’s best-selling novel, presenting “a powerful look at a male friendship that faces the ultimate test.” All3Media is also showcasing the Australian crime drama Black Snow, set in two different time periods as it follows a murder investigation. Meanwhile, the lush The Confessions of Frannie Langton is set in Georgian London and hails from the team at Drama Republic. “Adapted by author Sara Collins from her celebrated novel, this acclaimed series combines a compelling murder mystery with a searing depiction of race, class and oppression,” Swetman notes. Rounding out the slate are two comedies: Detectorists, with three seasons available, and Plebs, with five seasons on offer.
From the Philippines, ABS-CBN Corporation is touting two new offerings for global buyers. Dirty Linen is a thriller that “tackles poverty and inequality and does not shy away from portraying horrific acts that the powerful and wealthy feel privileged to carry out against ordinary people,” says Pia Bacungan-Laurel, department head for international sales and distribution. “We’re very proud to tell this story together with such fantastic actors, including the first Filipino Volpi Cup winner, John Arcilla, and Golden Globe and BAFTA nominee Dolly de Leon.” 2 Good 2 Be True, meanwhile, is a romance series with 70 episodes available focused on the love story between Eloy and Ali. “2 Good 2 Be True was one of our most successful projects in 2022,” Bacungan-Laurel says. “It dominated online viewership in the Philippines for 26 straight weeks. With its highly entertaining story, viewers get to enjoy a good mix of romance, drama, comedy and light action.”
Global Agency is also offering international buyers a slate of successful romance dramas, including One Love, which “tells the captivating story of the idealistic Doga falling hopelessly in love with a charming man from a devout family whose values clash with those of her mother, creating a powerful drama as they seek to overcome their differences and find harmony,” says Izzet Pinto, CEO. Pinto also highlights Vendetta, which “tells the moving story of Dilan and Baran and the marriage they are forced into to end a blood feud, despite the hostility of those around them, igniting a passion that will either blossom into love or bring devastation.”
