MIPCOM kicked off on Monday with the conference programme focused on this year’s honorary country Canada as well as digital developments and Russian period drama “18*12” opening the screenings.

 

Central Partnership presented 19th century drama “18*12”, set against the backdrop of Napoleon’s attempted invasion of Russia in a midday screening. Fox TV’s Cold War spy drama The Americans starring Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys premiered in the evening.
 
Irish producer James Flynn of Octagon Films Limited and Morgan O’Sullivan, managing director of World 2000, joined Canadian producer John Weber on a stage to discuss their co-production Viking as a part of case studies discussion on co-producing with Canada.
 
“Europe and Canada make a perfect fit for co-producing global-focused programmes,” commented O’Sullivan.
 
Keynote speakers included Google/YouTube global head of content Robert Kyncl, who discussed the platform’s plans to invest in 60 new channels in Europe (full story here); reality TV guru Mark Burnett, who revealed details of his new ten-hour docu-drama based on the bible, and Andrea Wong, who talked about her first year on the job as London-based president of International production at Sony Pictures Television.
 
Marcel Fenez, Global leader of Entertainment and Media at PricewaterhouseCoopers detailed PWC Global Entertainment & Media Outlook. He predicted 5-6% compound growth in the sector globally to 2014. He also declared that the industry was in the “end of the digital beginning.”
 
Deal and new production announcements flew thick and fast.
 
German producer and distributor EOS/Beta Film unveiled an eight-episode, English-language adaptation of Thomas Weber’s Hitler biography Hitler’s First War about the dictator’s time as a soldier in World War One, a co-production with teamWorx Fernesehen & Film.
 
“Eight years after Bernd Eichinger’s and Oliver Hirschbiegel’s feature and miniseries Downfall we will now go to the origins. I think the time is right to create a series on Hitler out of Germany in English for the international audience,” commented EOS/Beta managing director Jan Mojto.
 
ZDF Enterprises announced a slew of additions to its international distribution slate including the pre-school series adaptation of friendly alien tale Q Pootle 5, produced by best-selling author Nick Butterworth’s UK-based Snapper Productions in partnership with Bafta-winning Blue Zoo. The show has been pre-sold to CBeebies.
 
At its annual MIPCOM press lunch Disney made a slew of announcements, notably a Turkish version of the hit US series Revenge, transposing the original setting of the Hamptons to the waterfront houses in Istanbul. The series is being produced with Turkey’s biggest free to air network Kanal D and will hit screens in early 2013.
 
Disney also announced Telemundo Media had acquired the rights to make a Mexican version of ABC’s hit series Brothers & Sisters and was launching a Portuguese version of Disney Movies on Demand with local pay-TV operator broadcaster ZON.
 
Blink TV announced it was acting as exclusive distributor of the post-produced edit of Robbie William’s live show at O2 Arena on October 24 which is due to be broadcast live. The live event is being produced by Done and Dusted.

 

The post-produced edit will be available in mid-December, in time for Christmas and New Year TV schedules. Williams will perform music from his highly anticipated new album Take The Crown. BlinkTV have started pre-sales on the series at MIPCOM and the Asian TV Forum in Singapore. 

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