CALL FOR SERIES, PROJECT

Following a successful in-person and online 2021 edition, Laurence Herszberg, founder and general director of​​ Series Mania,​​ has​​ announced the​​ call for​​ series for the​​ Series Mania Festival​​ (March 18-25, 2022), while at the same time announcing the​​ call for​​ projects​​ for the industry arm of the​​ festival, the​​ Series Mania Forum​​ (March 22-24, 2022). Both have a deadline of January 6, 2022. On the​​ festival side, 60 series will be selected to be part of the​​ Series Mania​​ program. At the end of the eight-day​​ festival, 13 prizes will be awarded by the various juries during the closing ceremony.​​ To submit online, please go to​​ https://film.series-mania.festicine.fr/en.​​ On the​​ forum side, producers can submit their projects for the annual​​ Co-Pro Pitching Sessions, the founding premise and most anticipated event of the​​ Series Mania Forum. From these submissions, 15 projects will be selected to participate and to be pitched in front of decision-makers of the​​ television​​ industry. The best project will be awarded a 50,000€ prize, as determined by a professional jury of leading industry executives.​​ 

CONTACT: Series Mania/Forum des Images, Paris, France.​​ Tel. 33-1-44-76-63-07. Email: diana-odile.lestage@forumdesimages.fr   Web: www.series-mania.fr

VICENTE FERNÁNDEZ BIOGRAPHY

Caracol Television​​ has announced a biographical series profiling​​ Vicente Fernández,​​ the greatest living legend in the history of Latin music.​​ Two years​​ in the making, series​​ is​​ a story packed with memorable and significant moments,​​ offering audiences an in-depth look at​​ the life of the Ranchera music icon.​​ Produced with the full participation of​​ Vicente Fernández,​​ series is​​ a moving, entertaining story full of inspiration for all generations.​​ In 36 episodes,​​ featuring​​ emblematic locations in Mexico and the United States, this super series will tell us the story from​​ the time​​ when "Chente" was a kid in Jalisco, full of needs and wants until he turned into a world icon of Ranchera music​​ (36​​ x​​ 30’).

CONTACT:​​ Caracol International, Bogatá, Colombia. Tel. 571-643-0430. Email:​​ kjuliaom@caracoltv.com.co​​  ​​​​ Web: ​​ www.caracolinternacional.com

SURVIVING MIDDLE SCHOOL

Leading kids’ and family entertainment specialist,​​ CAKE​​ has announced a deal with​​ WarnerMedia Kids & Family​​ for​​ Wildseed Studios’​​ animated kids’ comedy series​​ “Dodo.”​​ Based on the multi-award-winning short film and​​ YouTube​​ hit​​ “Not​​ the End​​ of​​ the World”​​ by British creator and series director Jack Bennett,​​ “Dodo”​​ perfectly depicts the drama and unwieldy memories every child experiences during middle school. The series will air on​​ HBO Max​​ and​​ Cartoon Network​​ in 2022.​​ “Dodo”​​ is a funny, heart-warming portrayal of everyday school life through the eyes of 11-year-old Joe Connolly as he navigates the pitfalls of his first year at high school. The smallest events mean big drama for Joe who is just trying to fit in. He may have lost his school trousers or sent a text message to the wrong girl, but with his friends Frisbo, Pete and Lily at his side he somehow triumphs over adversity and lives to see another school day​​ (20​​ x 11’).

CONTACT:​​ Cake Entertainment, London, UK. Tel. 44-0-207-307-3230. Email:​​ tpeck@cakeentertainment.com ​​ ​​​​ Web: ​​ www.cakeentertainment.com

ZDF ACQUIRES STAKE IN REAL FILM BERLIN

ZDF Enterprises​​ and the​​ Studio Hamburg Production Group​​ are planning to work together more closely in the fictional area starting January 2022. Subject to the approval of the antitrust authorities,​​ ZDF Enterprises​​ will acquire a 49% stake in​​ REAL FILM Berlin GmbH.​​ REAL FILM​​ is a subsidiary of the​​ Studio Hamburg Production Group.​​ Its​​ production portfolio includes the​​ ARD​​ event movie​​ “3 ½ Hours,”​​ marking​​ the 60th anniversary of the building of the Berlin Wall;​​ the multiple award-winning​​ Netflix​​ series,​​ “Unorthodox;”​​ together with​​ Studio Airlift​​ and the​​ ZDF​​ crime series​​ “Against Angst”​​ with Nadja Uhl and​​ “Colleagues”​​ with Caroline Peters. Other productions in recent years are​​ rbb's​​ “Tatort”​​ and​​ “Polizeiruf: 110;”​​ the successful​​ ARD Degeto​​ series​​ “Doctor's Office with Sea View”​​ with Tanja Wedhorn;​​ “Soko Wismar”​​ and the New Zealand-German coproduction​​ “Auckland Detectives”​​ for​​ ZDF. In addition,​​ REAL FILM​​ has acquired several development contracts for signature series for​​ Netflix,​​ Sky​​ and​​ ARD, among others.

CONTACT:​​ ZDF Enterprises, Mainz, Germany. Tel. 49-6131-991-1601. Fax 49-6131-991-1612. Web:​​ www.zdf-enterprises.de

NEW FORMATS​​ 

Nippon TV, Japan's leading multiplatform entertainment powerhouse,​​ has​​ announced that the company will head into fall with two new formats. First up is​​ “Money or Junk”​​ (60’-105’​​ episodes), an unscripted business survival game show format where contestants are sent to remote locations and compete by creating new value out of​​ what appears to be​​ junk. Next is​​ “Life’s Punchline”​​ (10 × 60’), a scripted dramedy series that tells the story of three young comedians who face many obstacles after they decide to give up on their dream of pursuing comedy and sisters who cross paths with them through their skits. Both formats just recently aired on​​ Nippon TV​​ to stellar ratings.​​ 

CONTACT:​​ Nippon Television, Tokyo, Japan.​​ Tel. 81-3-5275-4139. Fax 81-3-5275-4008. Web:​​ http://www.ntv.co.jp/english/

OLD HOME​​ RENOVATIONS

“Fixer​​ to Fabulous,”​​ HGTV’s​​ popular hit series featuring home renovators Dave and Jenny Marrs who bring worn-out, older homes in Northwest Arkansas back to life, will return with 16 new episodes beginning November​​ 16. Stories of the husband-wife duo who renovate and design warm, welcoming spaces for families while raising their five young children and managing a family farm attracted more than 35 million viewers during season two and fueled viewer anticipation for the upcoming season premiere. The couple shares a passion for reviving old homes, with Jenny as the creative influence behind the personalized renovations, while Dave manages construction with unmatched skill and confidence​​ (16​​ x​​ 30’).​​ 

CONTACT:​​ Discovery Networks, Silver Spring, MD, USA. Tel. 1-240-662-5900. Fax 1-240-662-1986. Web ​​ www.discovery.com​​ 

MAKING MODELS​​ 

“Hornby: A Model Empire,”​​ a​​ Rare TV​​ production for​​ UKTV,​​ is a nostalgic look at the world’s most famous modelling company, home to Hornby Railways as well as the Corgi, Airfix and Scalextric brands. ​​ With multiple new product launches, this immersive series documents the ups and downs of trying to get these much-loved collector’s pieces to their customers on time and on budget, exploring how, by studying the original full-sized machines these replicas are faithfully reproduced in miniature with incredible attention to​​ detail​​ (10 x 60’).

CONTACT:​​ Flame Distribution, Artarmon, NSW, Australia. Tel. 61-2-8065-4899. Email:​​ sales@flamedistribution.com ​​​​ Web:​​ www.flamemedia.tv