TV2 Norway’s Head of Drama:”We have upped our game and invested profusely since 2021”

Alice Sommer who has a background as a screenwriter, director and producer, has been heading TV2’s Drama’s department since June 2021, after five years as Head of Humour for Egmont-owned commercial pubcaster.

Before joining TV2 Norway, she worked 16 years as producer for Rubicon TV.

We spoke to her.

What is TV 2 Norway’s DNA and drama mandate?
Alice Sommer: TV 2 is Norway’s largest commercial public service broadcaster and has a clear societal mission, providing relevant local content for a Norwegian audience and diverse target groups. This is by proxy also TV 2 Drama’s mission. Our aim is to target our audience widely with stories that engage, inspire, challenge our beliefs and bring people together. This entails that we have a commitment to our viewers and society, and this commitment is solid. We will never abandon Norwegian productions due to an international merger. We aspire to carry ourselves as a stable partner for the creatives and producers in the industry, and we are in it for the long run.

Being globally independent and a part of a foundation such as Egmont gives us longevity, autonomy and stability. Our long-term strategy is neither dependent on the fluctuations of Nasdaq, nor the demands of international stock holders.

Could you detail your editorial strategy and ambitions?
AS: Our two main ambitions as per today, are to pursue a number one position in comedy (both of a wide scoped nature and more edgy content), and to strengthen our slate of crime, suspense and big drama. In addition we have ramped up a solid slate of young adult content.

Whereas comedy in most cases has a distinct local appeal, suspense and large scale drama is predominantly global-facing and can go into the ring – or even into cahoots – with the international streamers.

The main challenge for us is to make our content stand out, both in terms of drawing attention and to be perceived by the audience as recognisable and credible TV 2 content.

We seek to strengthen our position as an attractive provider of quality scripted content with a strong local relevance. If the projects also have an international potential, that’s a great bonus, as was the case for Witch Hunt, Acquitted, Girl from Oslo and Ammo.

This is also the case of upcoming drama series such as The Adrenalist (True Content Production/ Pål Sletaune), E14-Section for Special Intel (Rubicon/ G. Hummelvoll, I.Køhn, S. Wartin) and Escaping Bolivia (4 ½ & Fremantle/ Emilie Beck). But our allegiance is to the Norwegian audience.

How many exec producers/ development executives do you have in your department and how fast are you in your decision-making process?
AS: Our drama team consists of three execs and one consultant in addition to myself: Rasmus Børja Øyen, project manager and head of scripted comedy, Mimi Cejka, project manager scripted, Ingrid Festøy Ottesen, project manager scripted and head of contracting, and Margrete Kåset, drama consultant/ story editor. We have put this team together solely over the past year, and I am humbly proud for having recruited what is probably the most competent drama team in Norway.

We are as a team, responsible for receiving and evaluating pitches, taking concepts through development, facilitating the commissioning process, supervising the productions and assuring that our qualitative criteria are met in order to reach our quantitative goals.

We also work closely with TV 2’s Development Team, Production Team, Programming Editor and our Department for Content Strategy and Publishing to make sure our commissions are in accordance with TV 2’s strategy and ambitions, and to ensure a successful collaboration with the production companies and series creators.

In terms of decision-making, I would say that we work fast and in a forthcoming manner. Our aim is to connect with creatives and producers in an efficient, distinct, competent and accommodating way.

Having worked as a writer and a producer for a number of years, I know that few things are more frustrating than never receiving any kind of clear response. An early «no» is far better than a prolonged «maybe».

At Scandinavian Screening in September, you said that TV 2 has tripled its investment in drama between 2021-22. What is your share of TV 2’s overall budget for content programming - and how does your budget look like for 2023?
AS: Scripted shows are part of TV 2’s programming department, which commissions a wide array of content in the field of factual, entertainment and drama. Out of our yearly programming budget for factual/entertainment/drama, I would estimate that about 15-20 percent is invested in scripted content. That was the investment level in 2022, and appears to be the prognosis for 2023 as well.

We have indeed upped our game and invested profusely. Since I took over as Head of Drama, we have commissioned a considerable number of exciting projects of various scope and genres. (see projects mentioned CLICK HERE).

Whereas Escaping Bolivia, E14, The Adrenalist and False Nine could be our next big event series, other strong smaller projects such as Kids in Crime [Einar Film], the dark crime Cop in pre-production [The Oslo Company], plus a line of brand new scripted comedy shows, have the potential of breaking the sound barrier and grabbing the viewers’ attention.

How flexible are you with rights exclusivity/length of exploitation? Can you give examples of co-production/co-financing partnerships on some of your shows?
AS: We have witnessed a massive inflation in budgets and costs. It is therefore paramount to sport flexibility in terms of windowing and rights. There are as many kinds of partnerships as there are projects. On several occasions, we have co-financed our drama series by offering second SVOD windows in our home territory after a defined holdback. We are depending on SVOD exclusivity for a certain period in order to capitalise on our investments.

Exclusive content is decisive for our streaming service, but we are both flexible and pragmatic in terms of collaborations with partners and frenemies. When a large gap needs to be closed after we have committed and contributed with our base investment, we mostly prefer the “classical way” of financing, which relies on distribution, pre-buys and co-production/co-investments with broadcasters and/or streamers in other territories. This allows the home territory to be of sole exclusivity to TV 2.

However, as this cannot always be achieved, we are willing to share our rights when needed. In recent times, this was the case with our thriller Ammo which follows a sort of “hybrid” financing model. TV 2 is the primary commissioner with exclusive rights on linear and non-linear platforms, Disney+ has acquired a license for the Nordics and for the second window in Norway (co-exclusive with TV 2 Play after a 6-months holdback), and Newen Connect holds the distribution for the rest of the world.

How is the current instability in the streaming space and the micro-economic environment impacting you?
AS: The recent recession times obviously affect us all on a master level. What makes this extraordinarily challenging in the field of scripted content, is that the budgets have become heavily inflated over a number of years. This is in part a consequence of the business models that have grown from global streaming, with buyouts driving international rights to a sky-scraping cost level.

The rise in budgets is moving in the opposite direction of the current investment power held by both national and international commissioners. The toughened competition and need for cost-cutting has resulted in an upsurge of mergers and acquisitions. We will see a lot more of consolidations and M & As in the global media market.

The willingness to take risks is at a more sober level, and investments and budgets will probably be pushed down as a result to inevitable cut backs. It will demand an increased flexibility on our part in terms of partnership and windowing.

We are all bound to make sensible choices and tough priorities by betting on fewer, bigger, better projects. However, I find it crucial to not lose track of the long term objective. If we turn down the heat completely, it will take us ages to get the water kettle boiling again. The creators and producers need our reliable and sustained cooperation, and TV 2 has a non-faltering commitment to our audience and our collaborators.

How do you make sure you attract top talent (writers, directors, actors) and how do you nurture them?
AS: Talent is cardinal to success. Without creative talent behind and in front of the camera, all that’s left is a glossy pitch deck. We are continuously in dialogue with both Norwegian and Nordic creatives and executives in the industry.

As far as scripted comedy is concerned, we are in various processes and development stages with both on-screen talent and skilled writers with a demonstrable track record. There are millions of ideas out there, but only a select number of talents to carry them out in a way that leaves a mark.

Regarding the aforementioned upcoming drama series E 14, The Adrenalist and Escaping Bolivia, you will find that they share a two-fold strength: exceptional talent and rock solid execution.

We depend on top talents and their desire to work with us. I believe the key to attracting them is early involvement, mutual trust and a lasting commitment, from idea to premiere. When we go into production, it’s to make the projects happen, not to pull out because something else comes along, or to write them off for tax reasons.

Headhunters was C More’s first Norwegian original show co-commissioned with you. How was this collaboration and will you increase this type of co-commissioning with C More and other Nordic players?
AS: In the field of scripted content, we are competing not only locally, but in a continuous World Cup. We need to look into various partnerships to muscle up against the global streamers, and co-producing/ co-commissioning with C More or other Nordic broadcasters and media companies is one of the feasible options we are looking into. We are highly pragmatic and open-minded in that respect, and are welcoming all kinds of initiatives to reinforce Nordic joint ventures.

What were your biggest drama successes in 2022 and what’s lined up for 2023?
AS: Looking back on 2022, our thriller Ammo has made an impact with its fictionalized-yet-probable account of what the AI revolution in the arms industry may lead to. We have also reached a surprisingly wide audience with our edgy and honest coming-of-age drama Kids in Crime, and the scripted comedy Kasko [Series Mania comedy competition entry] drew attention both nationally and internationally.

In 2023, we will see quite a number of new scripted comedies and young adult shows, as well as a suspense drama series early 2023, to be announced at a later stage.