Takeaway themes from Göteborg Film Festival’s TV Drama Vision 2025

“Our industry has been through a significant decline in commissioning activity and production, now stabilised with an output 25% lower than our golden peak years,” the Executive director of Ampere Analysis, Guy Bisson, said as he once again set the scene at Göteborg Film Festival’s TV Drama Vision (28-29 January), sharing insights into global content production and commissioning trends.

The “peak TV period”, which dominated the entertainment industry until late 2022, is over. There has been a sharp global decline in commissioning activity throughout 2023, exacerbated by industrial action in Hollywood. Globally, the production industry established a steady level in 2024, as a limited recovery stabilised production and commissioning volume.

Production output at 75% of the golden years sounds reasonable, Bisson said, but the production industry is hurting because it is scaled for 100% production output.

“Yet, things are still getting commissioned. While the total market is down to 75% of peak, the global big-six streamers’ first run shows activity was up 16% in 2024. Driven by crime, drama, comedy, and romance,” he said.

Bisson suggested that the industry needs to rethink scale, how they define their market, and how they compete and collaborate across sectors.

Alliances - financial benefits, creative strength

Thus, Guy Bisson introduced one of the main themes through TV Drama; financial benefits and creative strengths through alliances, established relations, and potentially new alliances across industry borders.

The Scandi Alliance - TV4 Sweden, TV 2 Norway, and TV 2 Denmark – took the opportunity to announce its first project, the historical series Royal Blood (Blått Blod), following a highly competitive pitch of 75 projects from across the Nordics. Royal Blood, produced by Miso Film Norway, is a six-part miniseries that unravels the power struggles between the Nordic royal houses in a turbulent time during the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815), when Europe’s great powers clashed. The three commercial pubcasters also invited pitches for their next big drama effort, which is set to premiere in 2029.

The New8 alliance, formed in 2023, unites ZDF (Germany), NPO (The Netherlands), VRT (Belgium), SVT, DR, Yle, RÚV, and NRK in a financial and creative alliance. The goal is to deliver eight projects per year, the arenas of which in early 2025 stretch from Kabul to the Oslo suburb of Holmlia.

The European Alliance is on board ZDF’s ongoing production Kabul (6x52’) about the sudden fall of Kabul in 2021, produced by 2425 and Cinétévé, and directed by Kasia Adamik and Olga Chajdas. Meanwhile, NRK is in post-production with the social drama Holmlia Love (6x45’), produced by Monster Scripted and based on real events, involving a racist crime that happened in the Oslo multicultural neighbourhood Holmlia. The series is supported by Nordisk Film & TV Fond.

Looking back at the northern European collaboration, Yle’s Head of Drama Jarmo Lampela dryly noted that eight broadcasters working together involves a lot of people in the decision-making.

“The New8 is an important strategic project for all of us, but collaborating across many different organisations can collide with daily work and cause difficulties. It takes time and patience,” Drama executive Elly Vervloet from VRT said.

The challenges and opportunities of co-production were also on the table when moderator Marike Muselaers, Head of International Financing and Co-production at Nordisk Film, headed a discussion on ways to adapt to economic pressures, shifting audience demands, and the need for sustainability.

Nathalie Perus, general manager of Atlantique Productions, described a contracting market that presents both risks and opportunities. Timo Argillander, Managing Partner at IPR.VC, highlighted the role of private equity in filling funding gaps for co-productions. SVP of International Fiction at ZDF, Jasmin Maeda, accentuated joint ventures such as the European Alliance and New8 Alliance, which pool resources. Alex Traila, programme manager at the Council of Europe’s Pilot Programme for Series Co-Productions, reminded the industry that true collaboration extends beyond financial contributions.

Balancing cost with licensing and unscripted content

On the need to lower costs, Guy Bisson called attention to streamers drifting into classic broadcast content diversifying into unscripted content, sports, and regular programming to attract broader audiences and advertising revenue, and the resurgence of licensing as streamers seek profitability. Platforms like Netflix increasingly feature licensed shows prominently, balancing costs and expanding content.

Great diversity in Nordic themes, stories and characters

The two-day programme highlighted a curated lineup of more than 50 new and upcoming Nordic and European series. Despite falling output compared to a few years ago, TV Drama Vision demonstrated the diversity of new themes, environments, storylines, and characters, as well as broadcasters-streamers reevaluating their slates and market positions. For example, SVT and TV4 are both underway with sci-fi series.

SVT is looking to broaden its footprint in genres, according to the newly appointed Head of Drama Johanna Gårdare.

“Now we are looking for new content that gives us a wider range – a broader repertoire with more genres,” Johanna Gårdare said, introducing a prime example; the horror-drama The Cruise (Färjan) (6x45’) that clearly widens the range. The show features stowaway vampires, and is to premiere in late 2025.

Netflix reiterated a key strategy change adopted by most international streamers.

“We seek relatable stories that resonate in the country of origin. A Swedish series, for example, must first of all work for Swedes,” said the director of series Håkon Briseid, Netflix. “That’s a key insight for Netflix. Success builds at home and spreads to the world,” added Netflix’ Jenny Stjernströmer Björk.

Meet the upcoming talents

Bringing up new talents that can navigate current and future market conditions is perhaps the best industry remedy. The audience in Draken got a chance to meet three Nordic producers from a new generation. Anna-Klara Carlsten, Media Res, Max Malka, Banijay Finland, and Ida Håndlykken Kvernstrøm, Eldorado Content Club, discussed how they navigate an ever-evolving landscape to create successful, compelling series.

TV Drama also introduced upcoming Finnish talents and their stories currently in early development, facilitated by The Audiovisual Producers Finland. Interestingly, the upcoming talents presented two World War Two projects; Theatre of War, presented by Mia Palmgren and Grace Maharaj, and Helsinki 1939 from Take Two Studios, creators Eero Hietala and Sara Norberg. Among other projects were Disqualified from Banijay Finland, presented by Minna Virkajärvi, and It’s Alive Films’ Dorm Number 13, presented by Jani Pösö and Teemu Nikki.

New and Renewed Awards

As earlier reported, Nordisk Film & TV Fond presented a renewed version of its series script award in Gothenburg, while also introducing the new Creative Courage award for brave producer-commissioner collaboration.

Info on the 2025 awards and winners: CLICK HERE.