Dr. Markus Schäfer, President and CEO
ZDF Studios presents a stellar lineup of scripted and unscripted content along with a range of junior titles at MIPTV 2023.
From thrillers to crime and suspense, several new dramas will be launched including the epic eco-thriller series The Swarm (8 x 45’) from six-time Emmy Award winning producer, Frank Doelger (Game of Thrones, John Adams, Rome, The Frankenstein Chronicles). The slate also features in depth and beautifully filmed factual programmes, covering the history and nature genres, as well as both live action and animated children’s series.
Dr. Markus Schäfer, President and CEO, ZDF Studios said: ‘Following what has been a very busy and successful winter, we’re looking forward to keeping up the momentum as we head into the next season with a strong lineup of top quality content. A huge thanks goes out to all the producers, film crews, animators and talent who are responsible for creating these exciting shows that we are proud to be launching at MIPTV and beyond. Our thanks also extends to our co-production partners for their invaluable support, we hope to see many of you in Cannes’.
Based on the best-selling book by German author Frank Schätzing, The Swarm (8 x 45’), recently premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, is a bold, ambitious production from Game of Thrones showrunner Frank Doelger. A story spanning the world’s oceans and featuring an international cast, The Swarm is a gripping eco thriller like no other.
The drama slate continues with a different type of thriller, Clean Sweep (6 x 52’). Shelly Mohan is a super mom. She juggles the complex lives and schedules of three kids and her days are filled with cleaning, shopping, chauffeuring, and preparing meals for them and her husband, a local detective.
A ratings winner with 21 million views online via ZDF mediathek and a primetime hit on ZDF with a market share of 20% is Dear Vivi (7 x 45’), a suspenseful drama that uncovers the mystery behind the shocking murder of a wife and mother. The Klettmanns are a family that fate has been extraordinarily kind to. Peter, the father and a successful lawyer, is married to his childhood sweetheart, Anna, who stays home to look after their well-bred children Vivi, Danny and Emmi. And yet beneath the surface of this seemingly idyllic happy family lurk secrets of days long past. And secrets always force their way to the surface. Produced by Seven Dogs Filmproduktion.
A brand new addition to the ZDF Studios Group unscripted catalogue is the superb thriller, Uncharted (6 x 45’), which recently swept the board at the prestigious Grimme-Preis, Germany’s equivalent to the BAFTAS, winning six awards.
The two factual titles on offer are the history series, The Six Continents Revealed (6 x 50’), and the nature documentary Bison – An American Icon (1 x 50’).
