Fiction Experts Annual Meeting 2018

On Wednesday, 27 June, 40 Heads of Drama and Drama Commissioners from our Members met in Fontainebleau at the kind invitation of Série Series, a high-level festival for TV professionals from Europe and further afield, both business and creatively oriented.

This year has already shown that, in the time of global VOD services, it is more important than ever for PSM drama departments to enhance their co-operation.

In late April, the Nordic countries agreed to co-produce a minimum of 12 series annually. In early May, Italy's RAI, Germany's ZDF and France Télévisions formed a European co-production alliance.

The morning session consisted of an introduction about the EBU and its activities in the field of fiction by Liselott Forsman (Chairperson / YLE) and Jeroen Depraetere, Head of TV and Future Media, followed by a debate during which Heads of Drama from DR (Denmark), YLE (Finland), RTS (Switzerland) and VRT Belgium tackled and discussed PSM distinctiveness in an ultra-competitive landscape.

In a world governed by images, where communication plays a predominant role and where financial investments are on the rise, where do public broadcasters stand? What content, what stories can and should they tell? Does drama have a cultural role? A responsibility? If so, what is it? What audience should it be aimed at? Do public television services have the necessary weapons to continue to attract talent, to remain appealing to their public and to face the challenges of a globalised economy?

The afternoon sessions were more about content with concrete case studies, models of cooperation, examples of the latest successes in the field of fiction and drama series, challenges to be faced and lessons to be learnt.

The meeting was covered by entertaiment trade publication C21 here.

The hugely successful Dutch series "Lice Mother" was also presented in Fontainebleu. The trailer can be viewed here.

For a complete overview of the topics discussed you can download the agenda (.PDF).

Accommodation

Hotel booking information are available upon request to Louise Devaux (louise@serieseries.fr) and Karen Simha (simha@ebu.ch).

To avoid any misunderstanding we draw your attention on the fact that despite Series Series has negotiated some special rates and may help you to book your hotel, the accommodation costs remain yours.

Venues

From 8:30: joint EBU and Séries Series sessions starting at the Théâtre Municipal de Fontainebleau 
Théâtre Municipal de Fontainebleau 
6, rue Denecourt
77300 Fontainebleau (website)

From 11:40: start of the confidential EBU meeting at Hotel La Demeure du Parc
La Demeure du Parc
36 Rue Paul Séramy
Fontainebleau, France (website)

Download

EBU Fiction Experts Meeting 2018 - Agenda (.PDF)

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