Nordic TV outlook: Expect great variety in genres and stories
The boom is over, so what is happening in the Nordic TV industry - scripted and unscripted? International buyers came to Den Sorte Diamant in Copenhagen to find out.
The Nordic TV production industry remains hungover after a slowdown in production volume during 2022-23, but this was not apparent in the ‘Scandinavian Screening’ in May, according to Nordisk Film & TV Fund News.
At Scandinavian Screening 2024 in Copenhagen, thirty yet unannounced projects took the stage and were granted ten minutes each to pitch their show.
As the new executive director, Pernille Munk Skydsgaard from DR Sales looked back at the two-day slate, she saw great variety in genres and stories.
“We saw an impressive variety. That said, crime remains a dominating genre. No surprise, our special brand, Nordic Noir crime, in many variants, was very much present in the program,” Skydsgaard told NFTVF, adding:
“I believe the international buyers noticed the core public service quality that we strive for. Not just from pubcasters, but also from commercial players. Always entertaining to watch, and always aiming to unfold relevant topics, new arenas, and relatable characters initiating important conversations,” she said.
Head of international financing and co-production at Nordisk Film Production, Marike Muselaers, was in Copenhagen. She is widely respected in the business as a moderator for Gothenburg’s TV Drama Vision and other events.
“I saw many different genres and bold stories. No surprise, lots of crime stories as always, but perhaps fewer with a classic detective as the main character. There seemed to be more shows in play this year, with the potential of many episodes and seasons,” Muselaers told NFTVF.
Highlights
Some pitches stood out from the others. Noticeably, the plug-and-play offer from Yellow Film and TV in Finland invited broadcasters to fly to Helsinki and produce their version of the medical drama Nurses (Syke), with their main actors on a ready-to-shoot set. Sweden and France have already signed up.
“I love it. Talk about a very cost-effective remake. Come up and produce your show with us. I think we will see more of those remakes,” Muselaers said.
Also, an ambitious Danish documentary filmed over 14 years that unveils a sometimes grim family saga, and a poignant Swedish investigative documentary looks at how deep the online stalker culture goes and how extreme it can be.
Highlighting creative writing, attendees saw several intriguing projects in early development, such as a Finnish series transporting viewers on a highly dramatic journey back and forth in time, exploring untold Namibia-Finland relations.
Uma Film presented a tale of an archeological murder investigation that introduces crazy plot twists in an unexplored environment.
Attendees also saw an upcoming show testing different settings and plots that delve into themes such as farming and family life, history, and heritage, as a family patriarch unexpectedly chooses to pass the large family farm on to his youngest daughter.
No talk of AI
The “AI elephant in the room” was remarkably absent on stage during the two days in Copenhagen.
“It was actually a relief that AI for once played no part in the various pitches and sessions – except for the breathtaking documentary ‘The Whale Mystery’, that specifically uses AI to decode the whales’ communication and living,” Skydsgaard admitted.
Reflecting on the Scandinavian Screenings 2024, Pernille Munk Skydsgaard said:
“I believe the attendees appreciated three days in Copenhagen which radiated creative optimism after a couple of difficult years for the industry”.