Paramount Global Content Distribution took over London’s Soho district yesterday for the London TV Screenings, hosting an exclusive, standing-room-only screening that drew top-tier buyers from the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and across Europe. Set against the bustling backdrop of London’s premiere television market week, the studio unveiled a dynamic 2026 slate that leans heavily into its successful procedural and espionage scripted lines, while aggressively expanding its roster of star-led unscripted formats.
The Scripted Slate: High-Stakes Action and Espionage
Paramount continues to build on its legacy of gripping, high-octane dramas, showcasing two major series that plunge viewers into the dangerous worlds of cartels and clandestine operations.
CIA: Produced by Universal Television in association with Wolf Entertainment and CBS Studios, this highly anticipated procedural brings the spy game to the streets of New York. The series stars Nick Gehlfuss as a by-the-book FBI Special Agent who is loaned out to a covert task force, teaming up with a secretive and roguish CIA case officer played by Tom Ellis (Lucifer). Together, they navigate murky international plots and geopolitical secrets, operating in the shadows to keep the country safe.
M.I.A.: Produced by MRC, this neon-drenched crime thriller heads to the sub-tropical kingdom of the Florida Keys and Miami. The series follows Etta Tiger Jonze, whose dreams of a glamorous life are shattered when her family’s drug-running business ends in tragedy. Driven by revenge, Etta plunges into Miami’s criminal underbelly to take down one of the city’s most powerful cartels, pushing her own limits as internal rivalries threaten to tear the city apart.
Unscripted Formats: True Crime and Culinary Powerhouses
Beyond its scripted offerings, Paramount’s screening highlighted a massive push into premium entertainment formats, leveraging globally recognized talent across true crime, culinary arts, and travel.
Harlan Coben’s Final Twist: In a major crossover event, the world’s best-selling mystery author, Harlan Coben—known for massive scripted hits like Fool Me Once and The Stranger—is stepping into the true-crime genre. In this one-hour episodic series, Coben will use his signature storytelling mastery to guide audiences through real-life tales of murder and high-profile deceptions. Utilizing exclusive interviews and archival materials, the show promises to meticulously unravel cases where nothing is as it seems.
America’s Culinary Cup: Emmy-nominated food expert Padma Lakshmi (Top Chef, Taste the Nation) returns to the screen as creator and host of this elite new format. The series features an invitation-only cast of the United States’ most decorated chefs, putting them through a grueling, one-of-a-kind competition designed to test their culinary creativity, endurance, and leadership.
Everything on the Menu with Braun Strowman: Produced by WWE Studios and Bright North Studios, this unique food-travel series takes Adam Scherr—better known as WWE legend Braun Strowman—out of the wrestling ring and into kitchens across America. Season one follows Strowman through eight major cities, from New Orleans to Chicago, as he dives into signature local dishes and meets the people who bring the culinary heart of each city to life.
