Welcome to Deadline’s London TV Screenings Hot List, our definitive look at next week’s buzzy event taking Soho by storm. If you’re wondering who’s exhibiting, what’s on offer and want to dive deeper into the distribs’ strategy, we’ve done the hard work for you, presenting profiles from more than 30 exhibiting sales houses. Below, check out our first set of profiles for all the London TV Screenings founders, along with the outfits based in the UK. Read on, and find all our London TV Screenings content here.
THE FOUNDERS
All3Media International
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
Getty Images
Key Shows
Diddy: In Plain Sight – Channel 4 doc going inside the horrific allegations against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.
Chess Masters – Primetime BBC competition format in which amateur players will battle it out across a series of rapid chess games.
Trespasses – Gillian Anderson-starring adaptation of the Louise Kennedy book set in 1970s Belfast against backdrop of the Northern Irish Troubles.
Strategy: All3 Media International (All3MI)’s event at the Odeon Leicester continues to offer its clients an opportunity to see its future-facing key titles and investments – at a stage where they are seeking pre-sales and co production partnerships. The strategy is distinct from All3MI’s market approach, where the focus is more on shows that are delivering imminently. The essence of the Odeon screening is to showcase “new to market” shows – more than 35 new titles will fall into that category across all genres – in a VIP closed room environment. Buyers can choose to attend scripted, unscripted or formats events. The structure is geared to the best use of the buyers’ time. In addition to attending increasingly important local markets — and genre- focused events around the world — the All3MI sales team visit their territories on a regular basis, they said.
Key Genres: Drama, docs, formats.
Screening: 12pm-5pm (GMT), Thursday, Odeon Leicester Square.
Banijay Entertainment
‘Maigret’
Banijay
Key Shows
Maigret – Contemporary adaptation of Georges Simenon’s beloved novels about the Parisian Chief Inspector Jules Maigret with Benjamin Wainwright in the lead role.
7/7: The London Bombings – Doc chronicling the events and investigation into one of the UK’s largest terrorist attacks and the tense days that followed.
30 Dates and 30 Nights – Reality dating format in which a celebrity embarks on 30 dates over 30 nights while also facing unexpected challenges.
Key Genres: Scripted, documentary, entertainment, reality, formats.
Strategy: Banijay says its mission is to deliver an “exceptional event” for international buyers at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly, showcasing its own titles and third-party acquisitions. Its screening event runs across three dedicated sessions for factual, scripted and formats and Banijay will give clients a deep look inside its content line-up for 2025 and onwards.
Screening: 9am factual; 11am scripted; 2.30pm formats, Wednesday, BAFTA 195 Piccadilly.
BBC Studios
DI Tommy Lynley (Leo Suter) & DS Barbara Havers (Sofia Barclay) in ‘Lynley’. Image: BBC
Key Shows
Lynley – Mystery crime series starring Leo Suter and Sofia Barclay as an unconventional detective duo in a new reimagining of the bestselling books.
Kingdom – Landmark series from BBC Studios Natural History Unit which dramatically chronicles the real-life sagas of four African animal families.
Honesty Box – Reality dating experiment leveraging AI in which a group of single people take part in the most honest dating show ever to find true love.
Key genres: Scripted, unscripted, formats, kids & family.
Strategy: Taking place in The Strand, BBC Studios (BBCS) continues to run its Showcase in London concurrent with the Screenings since the move from Liverpool. This year’s edition will bring global customers together with British creatives and new talent to discuss BBCS’ latest shows in development and provide exclusive access to new content. BBCS said it will be offering “captivating dramas and big entertainment shows to innovative new formats and powerful documentaries.” On the docket is a new reimagining of the Elizabeth George Lynley novels, reality AI dating show Honesty Box and Wild Cherry, the next series from Mood creator Nicôle Lecky. There is also Kingdom, classic big-budget fare from the storied Natural History Unit.
Screening: All day, Monday and Tuesday, 180 The Strand.
Fremantle
Fremantle
Key Shows
Sandokan – Epic pirate adventure from Lux Vide set in 1800s Borneo based on the novels of Emilio Salgari, starring Can Yaman, Ed Westwick and John Hannah.
Swiped – Channel 4 doc in which school pupils are challenged to give up their smartphones for 21 days.
Once Upon a Time in Space [working title] – Landmark four-part series from Keo Films about the human history of space exploration.
Key Genres: Drama, documentaries, factual entertainment.
Strategy: Fremantle is planning to showcase a range of scripted and unscripted shows across genres for buyers through its largest-ever English-language slate, A-list talent and IP. Focusing on the post-peak TV landscape, dealmaking will be flexible, with co-development, co-production, pre-buys and windowing deals all possible. Further to sales, Fremantle sees itself as a global brand nurturer and builder, and offers clients a 360-approach through tailored content curation, after-sales support and an extensive digital network.
Screening: 8.30am-12.30pm, Friday, The Odeon Luxe, Leicester Square.
ITV Studios
David Tennant as Nick Davies in ‘The Hack’. Image: ITV
ITV/Stan
Key Shows
The Hack – High-end series starring David Tennant, Robert Carlyle and Toby Jones telling the story of the notorious British phone hacking scandal from the producers behind Mr Bates vs the Post Office.
Extreme Planet Earth – Landmark natural history show revealing how nature is fighting back against today’s extreme weather.
Celebrity Sabotage – From the creative team behind Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, reality show in which group of contestants are secretly sabotaged by celebrities.
Key Genres: Formats, non-scripted, drama.
Strategy: ITV enters its 70th year with what it brands a “diverse slate” made by one of its circa-60 in-house labels and other third party indies. ITV Studios says it has “intentionally invested in programming that we know our buyers are looking for – known IP, exceptional talent and ‘must-have’ programming.” In the catalog is The Hack starring David Tennant alongside three new thrillers: Cold Water (Sister) starring Andrew Lincoln, Code of Silence (Mammoth Screen) and The Guest (Quay Street Productions). ITV Studios is also launching the landmark natural history show, Extreme Planet Earth from Plimsoll Productions, whilst in formats it has Lifted’s Celebrity Sabotage and Renaissance Studios’ Dating Pool.
Screening: 10am-12.30pm formats; 12.30pm-2.15pm non-scripted; 2.15pm-7pm drama, Wednesday, Odeon Luxe Leicester Square.
THE BRITS
Bossanova
The Killer Clown: Murder on the Doorstep
Key Shows
The Killer Clown: Murder on the Doorstep – Doc telling jaw-dropping true story behind the Florida Killer Clown case that gripped America in the early 90s.
Borderforce S6 – Series following the border protection officers who police the Mexico border crossings.
Go Back To Where You Came From – UK version of Australian format in which people with starkly different views on immigration journey on a migrant crossing route.
Key Genres: True crime, access doc, reality/social experiment.
Strategy: Bossanova’s screening will focus on a tight knit collection of shows: Killer Clown, Borderforce and Go Back To Where You Came From. Focus continues on building Bossanova’s slate with long-running brands, one-offs and mini-series, while Bossanova believe this London Screenings lineup perfectly reflects its strategy to represent a variety of key shows and genres.
Screening: 7pm-10pm, Wednesday, The Century Club.
Cineflix Rights
D’Arcy Carden & Will Forte in ‘Sunny Nights’ for Stan
Lisa Tomasetti, Jungle, Stan, Cineflix Rights
Key Shows
Sunny Nights – Darkly comic caper starring Will Forte and D’Arcy Carden as a brother and sister dragged into a world of crime as they set up a spray tan business in Sydney, Australia.
Cape Carnage: Killer Catch – Reality show that follows Captain Bruce and the Davey family, who make a living from one of the most dangerous jobs on earth: hand-line fishing in the treacherous waters of northern Australia.
Key Genres: Scripted, factual and factual entertainment, formats.
Strategy: Cineflix Rights has Sunny Nights, the new Australian dark comedy from showrunner Trent O’Donnell, the creator of global hit Colin from Accounts. Other dramas on the slate include Virdee, an elevated crime thriller based on A.A. Dhand’s best-selling novels which launched this month on BBC One, and Heart Attack, a dystopian sci-fi “live-action anime” from the producers of The Walking Dead. On the factual side, the slate includes new series such as Alexander The Great and Vikings: The Empire of the North Sea – two blue-chip history series, and Help We Bought a Village – one of Channel 4’s key, long-running daytime brands.
Screening: 3-5pm scripted; 5-7pm factual, Tuesday, Soho Hotel.
DCD Rights
Key Shows
Happiness – Warner Bros Discovery New Zealand drama series starring Harry McNaughton as a Broadway director and Tauranga golden boy, who finds himself back in his childhood bedroom, and begins to help his mother (Rebecca Gibney) at the local community musical theater society.
Brit Cops Down Under – Doc series following seven British officers who move across the world to become Western Australia cops and undertake three-month probation periods.
Wildest Places: Great Barrier Reef – Four-parter following the ever-changing seasons’ impact on the Great Barrier Reef and how they sustain everything from keystone creatures to their smallest counterparts.
Key Genres: Drama, factual, factual entertainment, music (live concerts & documentaries).
Strategy: DCD Rights is planning what it calls an informative and targeted presentation featuring clips and sneak peaks from tentpole drama series, factual entertainment shows, returnable franchises and one-off event programs. Its event is being held jointly with two other distributors, much in the spirit of collaboration that created the London TV Screenings in the first place.
Screening: 4.30pm-7.30pm, Tuesday, The Vue, West End (held jointly with Hat Trick International and About Premium Content)
Dogwoof
‘2,000 Meters to Andriivka’
Dogwoof
Key Shows
2,000 Meters to Andriivka – Tour-de-force follow up from the team that made the Oscar-winning 20 Days in Mariupol, a doc billed as a visceral frontline account of Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore – Doc exploring the life of actor Marlee Matlin, who in 1987 became the first Deaf actor or actress to win an Academy Award aged just 21.
Deeper – Doctor Richard Harris, famed for his role in rescuing the trapped Thai boys soccer team, goes on another perilous cave diving expedition that pushes him to the limit.
Key Genres: Premium doc features and series.
Strategy: Dogwoof — known for its strong track record backing innovative doc projects — has been expanding its development and production capabilities and this year’s line-up should reflect the move. Buyers will see a slate of 12 new docs in total, including sneak peaks of upcoming projects. The cinema screening will include a talk from British director James Jones, who will provide insight into his latest HBO series.
Screening: 10.30am-12.30pm, Thursday, Charlotte Street Hotel.
Hat Trick International
Coming Out Amish
Key Shows
Coming Out Amish – Feature length documentary offering a unique, intimate look into the untold story of a gay Amish man on a courageous journey to come out.
My Healthy New Life – Channel 4 health format which removes all ultra processed foods from its participants’ diets.
Two Men On A Bike – Friends of 40 years, David Baddiel and Hugh Dennis, pedal through France, getting up to mischief, exploring stunning local sights and having a good old chat along the way.
Strategy: Hat Trick International (HTI) is set to unveil a range of new scripted and non-scripted content at its upcoming Showcase event. This will feature both completed shows and new formats at various stages of production. The event will showcase HTI’s diverse portfolio for 2025, highlighting a blend of content that it says is both engaging and innovative. To help save buyers time and avoid scheduling clashes, HTI is sharing its event with DCD Rights and APC — three distributors in one location. The HTI showcase comes first.
Screening: 4.30pm-7.30pm, Tuesday, The Vue, West End (held jointly with DCD Rights and About Premium Content)
Sphere Abacus
Psychological drama ‘Catch You Later’ stars Robson Green and Jason Watkins
Unai Mateo / Clapperboard Studios SPV 5 Ltd / © Channel 5 Broadcasting Limited
Key Shows
The Family Next Door – Based on New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth’s novel of the same name, The Family Next Door tells the story of enigmatic Isabelle who moves into a small seaside cul-de-sac where her obsessive drive to solve a mystery casts suspicion on four neighboring families.
Catch You Later – Cat-and-mouse thriller telling the story of Huw Miller (Jason Watkins), a police detective still haunted by the one case that he failed to solve – a stalker who taunted his town, mercilessly toying with his victims before eventually killing them.
Breaking Bird: The Rise and Fall Of Twitter – Documentary that embarks on a compelling journey through the birth, evolution and demise of Elon Musk’s social media platform.
Key Genres: Drama, comedy-drama, premium docs, specialist factual.
Strategy: The newly-minted Sphere Abacus will share exclusive footage of 10 key new productions from its catalog. This will range from series and documentaries that are delivering imminently as well as those which are still in production across scripted and unscripted. Attendees will also hear about a couple of brand new/hot off the press titles which are moving into production early in 2025. Sphere says these are high calibre projects. Execs are looking forward to meeting buyers and following up with them after the market.
Screening: 7pm-10pm, Tuesday, Charlotte Street Hotel.
TVF International
‘Ulysses: From Myth to Science’. Image: Assassin’s Creed TM & © Ubisoft Entertainment. All rights reserved.
Key Shows
Ulysses: From Myth to Science – Did Ulysses really exist? Archaeologists, geologists and palaeontologists have begun an investigation to discover the realities behind the world’s most celebrated legend.
Great British Train Journeys From Above – An aerial documentary series for Channel 4 narrated by Hugh Bonneville that showcases three of the most iconic steam train journeys in Britain, from above.
Free at Last: The Secrets of Apartheid – The definitive re-telling of Apartheid history in South Africa, and how its legacy still affects the country today with never-seen-before archive and moving personal stories.
Key Genres: Premium science, history, wildlife and world affairs.
Strategy: TVF International will offer buyers an exclusive preview of its new 2025 releases. Its slate represents an international range of producers from across Asia, Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, where innovative ways to produce high-quality factual programming continue to be found. At this year’s London TV Screenings, the distributor will launch more than 100 new hours of factual programming.
Screening: 4pm-7pm, Wednesday, Icetank Studios.
