Today at Content London, the New8 drama collaboration, which brings together eight public service broadcasters from North-Western Europe, unveiled its first slate of drama series. The collaboration, which includes ZDF (Germany), NPO (The Netherlands), VRT (Belgium), SVT (Sweden), DR (Denmark), YLE (Finland), RÚV (Iceland) and NRK (Norway), will broadcast the series in their respective countries starting 2025.
The first-year slate of dramas has a wide span, featuring stories that range from heart-touching topics to series playing with European arts and culture. Hans-Jørgen Osnes, Head of International Financing Drama at NRK, said of the lineup: “We are proud to present this wide range of high-end dramas, a varied bouquet of stories that we strongly believe will become important and appreciated by European audiences.”
The eight titles showcased include a range of stories that are intended to entertain and shed light on European societies. The dramas deal with ethical dilemmas in our commercially driven world, as well as high-end dramas on events that have changed the world as we see it.
The European drama collaboration New8 was unveiled at the Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo (MIA) in Rome last month. Its aim is to strengthen the offer of public service broadcasters to local audiences, building on a shared public mission and creating a bigger impact in the international media sector. The collaboration is trust-based, with each broadcaster deciding which series they bring in. Through New8, partners can build on each other’s knowledge and experience to bring top drama to a wide audience.
Today, the New8 drama collaboration announced its first lineup of drama series, which will be broadcast in North-Western European countries starting in 2025. The eight titles, which focus on stories that entertain and shed light on European societies, were showcased at Content London and have been met with high praise from Hans-Jørgen Osnes, Head of International Financing Drama at NRK. The collaboration, which was unveiled last month at MIA, was established to strengthen public service broadcasters’ offer to local audiences and create a bigger impact in the international media sector.