Yesteday, the first day of Series Mania Forum 2026, confirmed that Spain and France are moving in a similar strategic direction, bringing scripted content focused on recognizable human conflict, female-driven narratives, and subjects that connect directly with today's challenges and concerns.

The screenings and showcases from both countries reflected a production logic aligned with current viewing trends, within an ecosystem that continues to invest in scripted content. Across both territories, the selection pointed to a sustained commitment to drama with international potential, highlighting Europe's flexibility in moving across melodrama, thriller, dramedy, true crime, and suspense.

A framework for supporting that argument came from Glance's presentation, which suggested that many fiction launches are rooted in the realities of the current moment. As Xavier Rambert noted, ‘These programs were engaging directly with the topics dominating today's headlines’. That was evident throughout the programming. Across the French and Spanish titles featured in the showcases, recurring concerns included class, institutional distrust, digital exposure, family secrets, gendered power structures, cultural memory, and the pressure to update traditional storytelling models for today's audiences.

France's showcase, organized by Unifrance, made clear that drama remains central to its export strategy, packaged with genre hooks and emotional stakes. Historical drama, biographical storytelling, female-centered narratives, crime, family secrets, and recognizable IP all played a role in the projects presented.

Female perspectives were also central, where several projects revolved around women reclaiming erased histories, confronting institutional systems, or navigating structures of class, family, and power. This was presented as a core part of the commercial language of scripted television.

Spain, meanwhile, the event by ICEX Audiovisual From Spain, presented a slate with industrial intent. Its showcase moved from literary melodrama and urban social thriller to technological suspense, family drama, true-story comedy, and generational comedy with format potential.

A common trait was territorial identity. Galicia, Barcelona, rural landscapes, family settings, and university life were all used as narrative assets. Spanish projects continue to position local specificity as a strength, pairing it with universal themes such as inheritance, social mobility, and family fracture.

Spain continues to embrace melodrama as an engine for contemporary scripted production, with stories that aim to balance cultural specificity and international appeal. These projects are rooted in local realities, packaged around themes and genres that make them accessible to buyers worldwide. A takeaway from the day was a broader editorial pattern. The fiction now being produced is designed to entertain and process the pressures of the present, in formats that buyers can position, schedule, and sell.

The absentee in the showcases was vertical micro-drama. Even so, the format continues to surface in industry conversations. Olivia Deane, Research Manager at Ampere Analysis, identified it as a trend likely to shape the next cycle. In her view, it is a signal of where audience attention is heading. Ampere argued that the post-Peak TV market is defined by the ability to connect with viewing habits that are faster, more mobile, and fragmented. In that context, the conversation expands to include how scripted storytelling can remain relevant in a market where attention is being redistributed across new screens and consumption behaviors.

To close the day, CJ ENM presented the screening of The Legend of Kitchen Soldier, a South Korean dramedy with a blend of military comedy, adaptation, and quest-driven storytelling. The series stood out for its pace and tone. For the international market, it underscored how Korean scripted content continues to evolve beyond conventional drama formulas, combining webtoon-based IP with character-driven storytelling and global potential.

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