Exclusive: Studiocanal announces slew of sales on The Orchestra, Elvira

Paris-based sales arm of French group Canal+ has inked multiple deals on two Danish series from its Scandi label SAM Productions.

The tragi-comedy The Orchestra commissioned by DR, was sold by Studiocanal to France Televisions, SBS for Australia, Lumiere Group for the Benelux, Filmin for Spain/Portugal, RTV for Slovenia, with further deals pending.

“I had an absolute ‘coup de coeur’ when I first saw the series,” Studiocanal’s executive managing director TV Series Françoise Guyonnet told us. “It is an excellent heart-warming workplace comedy, with universal appeal and we’re anxiously waiting for the second season.”

Created by Mikkel Munch-Fals and executive produced by SAM Productions’ co-founders Meta Louise Foldager Sørensen and Adam Price,The Orchestra scooped four statuettes at the last Aarhus Series Festival (including best comedy series) and three Robert awards including Best Short TV series and Best Actor-TV series (Frederik Cilius).

Meanwhile the black comedy crime series Elvira (8x60’) ordered by Viaplay was sold to Canal+ France for its specialised strand Polar+ and to BeTV for Belgium.

The series co-produced with ZDFneo in association with Studiocanal was selected in competition at the last Festival de la Fiction de la Rochelle.

For Guyonnet, the sales reflect the everlasting interest of global buyers - traditional broadcasters, pay TV stations and platforms-for quality Scandi series, and new trend for flexible deal-making.

“All business models are valid today,” she said. “In TV drama, under Studiocanal’s production arm, we work with global streamers, with local streaming services, as a complement, and thirdly with traditional broadcasters and private channels. In that case, we intervene more heavily on the distribution side. But we are open to all collaborations, and prioritise the best tailor-made partnership. Our prime concern is to support talent and enable them to create the show they want. We have a very pragmatic and case by case approach,” underscored the French TV Executive.

Regarding Nordic series, Guyonnet said she is extremely pleased with Studiocanal’s long-time collaboration with its Scandi label SAM Productions - initiated almost a decade ago, looking at their slate and global distribution potential on a project-by-project basis.

“We now have a stake in 13 European production companies” she noted, mentioning Studiocanal’s latest investment in UK scripted brand Strong Film & Television, announced at MIPTV.

“We are also open to co-productions - including with the Nordics, if the story allows for such partnerships, and the co-pro is both artistically and financially-driven,” continues Guyonnet, mentioning Thomas Vinterberg’s upcoming debut series Families like Ours, a TV2 Denmark and Canal+ Création Originale production, co-produced by Canal+ Poland among others.

“We are attached to long-time partnerships, such as with Zentropa and Vinterberg whose Oscar-winning Another Round was released by Studiocanal in the UK. This is how we started discussing Families like Ours with them,” Guyonnet explains.

Currently filming in the Czech Republic and soon to come to France for a few shooting days, Families like Ours is sold globally by Studiocanal, outside Scandinavia and Benelux, handled by TrustNordisk.

Regarding third-party pick-ups, Guyonnet said her company is always looking for the best projects, whatever the genre. “We are not driven by quantity but quality,” insists the sales executive who is currently discussing a Finnish drama series.

Other Nordic series under Studiocanal’s banner include The Lawyer, Moscow Noir and Below the Surface.​