French TV Rides Wave of ‘Light’ Crime Series and Original Concepts Into Mipcom
variety.comBen Croll Gallic TV has cause to celebrate. French broadcast hit world records with this year’s Summer Olympics opening ceremony, for instance.
Drawing 1.5 billion global views, the locally produced television event was the centerpiece of the global broadcast year, carrying viewers on an ornate Seine cruise (granted, with a few controversial pit stops along the route).
The subsequent, record-breaking games then cemented Paris as 2024’s premier TV destination — while encouraging hometown producers and international distributors to act on such familiarity.
Indeed, from fizzy procedurals to frosty whodunits, much of the scripted fare hitting this year’s Mipcom shares a passion for local terroir and a belief that such specificity can offer programing a competitive advantage. “France’s great locations can be real assets,” says Newen Connect CCO Leona Connell, pointing towards South of France set procedurals like “Carpe Diem” and “Panda.” “We often refer to such series as ‘blue sky procedurals,’ as they are sunny in both location and disposition,” Connell continues. “We’re very much in the world of sunlight, and that allows for a lighter touch with more humor.
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