Finland’s pool of writing talents is feeling the heat from world platforms hungry for quality scripted formats of successful local shows.

UK-based Magnify Media has scored its first scripted licence deal with French pubcaster France Televisions’s VOD platform Slash, on the youth-oriented show Mental, originally created by It’s Alive’s Teemu Nikki and Jani Pösö for Yle. The French version will be co-produced by Paris-based Sheep Films and Endemol Shine.  A German remake under the title Freaks had been licensed earlier to Germany’s ARD/ZDF youth web/TV service funk.net.

The UK production company Various Artists Limited specialised in comedies has also optioned the rights for an English language remake, negotiated by Magnify Media, making it the first scripted option deal for the new company, owned at 20% by BBC Worldwide.

Andrea Jackson, managing director of Magnify Media said: “For our first move into scripted formats, we wanted something special, a show with meaning, depth and purpose, as well as commercial potential. The moment we saw Mental, we knew we’d found that something. The calibre of producers from around the world who have bought into YLE’s vision is not only a testament to Mental’s editorial strength, but confirmation that mental health affects us all, regardless of age, social background or nationality. Securing its first license just before MIPTV gives us the extra backing to know this format has real strength.”

Mental which tells the real-life stories of four teenagers in a secure psychiatric unit, has also been recommissioned for a second season in Finland and is set to premiere in the fall 2019 on Yle Areena.  Originally conceived by Yle with support from medical consultants specialised in mental illnesses, the fiction series became a viral phenomenon, watched by millions on Youtube and Yle Areena. It also played an important role in Finnish society by raising awareness on the important issue of teen youth mental health.

The series won several awards such as the Prix Jeunesse International-Interactive Prize 2018 and Finnish TV Venla Award for Best Children and Youth Series. The original Finnish show is handled by Yle Sales. 

 Meanwhile the crime drama Black Widows originally created by producer Roope Lehtinen and writer Mikko Pöllä for Finnish broadcaster Nelonen, continues its global remake expansion under DRG’s care. After remakes in nearly a dozen territories including Scandinavia via Moskito/TV3, the Baltics, Middle East, and more recently the Czech Republic, DRG just inked a deal with STB in Ukraine. The 12x60’ Ukrainian version of the crime show is being produced by STB affiliate Star Light Media Productions.  The darkly humorous show about three women who try to kill their husbands has also been optioned by Big Synergy in India and the series was licenced to Zespa Media in China.

DRG’s commercial director Adam Barth said: “At a time when everyone is looking for the big new drama, Black Widows serves as a brilliant reminder that great scripted content can be found in many countries around the world, not just the US and US”.  Sometimes the cultural nuances or perspective of another territory can put a unique take on a storyline and, as with this series, really deliver an idea that proves fresh and exciting – in addition to it already being tried and tested.“