{"id":856727,"date":"2026-03-28T19:58:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T19:58:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/856727\/"},"modified":"2026-03-28T19:58:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T19:58:13","slug":"chase-infiniti-harry-potter-duffy-proud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/856727\/","title":{"rendered":"Chase Infiniti, ‘Harry Potter,’ Duffy, ‘Proud\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tKicking off with the world premiere of \u201cThe Handmaid\u2019s Tale\u201d sequel \u201cThe Testaments\u201d no less, an intense Series Mania<\/a> TV festival wrapped March 27 after eight days of often anticipated series screenings as well as a snap-shot of Disney+<\/a> and HBO Max<\/a>\u2019s ambitions for Europe and the differing ways in which Europe\u2019s own industry is reacting to post-Peak TV.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tWith 5,200 delegates at the Series Mania Forum, its industry area, and 110,000 spectators, 2026\u2019s edition did nothing to dent the status of Series Mania as Europe\u2019s biggest and most important TV festival. That said, somebody could have done something about this year\u2019s weather.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tA baker\u2019s dozen of takeaways from this year\u2019s Series Mania, which ran March 20-27 in Lille, northern France.<\/p>\n

\n\tBright Star Burning Brighter: Chase Infiniti<\/a> and \u2018The Testaments\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tInfiniti broke out in David E. Kelley\u2019s 2024 \u201cPresumed Innocent\u201d and then of course captured global attention with \u201cOne Battle After Another.\u201d One Golden Globe, two BAFTA nominations and a stunning Oscar red carpet appearance later, the Hulu\/Disney+ \u201cThe Handmaid\u2019s Tale\u201d sequel \u201cThe Testaments\u201d world premiered March 20 at Series Mania with Infiniti Chase its star. Variety caught the world premiere though reactions to the show are currently under Disney embargo. Creator Bruce Miller\u2019s comments can be quoted, however. He has already likened Infiniti\u2019s performance to watching Elisabeth Moss as June\/Offred for the very first time. That\u2019s the highest praise one could give. MB\/JH<\/p>\n

\n\tDisney+ Promises to Ramp Up Content Investment in Europe<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tIn the biggest keynote at the Series Mania Forum, its industry platform, and in her first public appearance since being named last year head of content for Disney+ Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Angela Jain said Disney+ is \u201cgoing to invest\u201d across Europe \u201cand there\u2019s already evidence that\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0ramping up. Otherwise, I\u2019d be sitting her making false promises.\u201d Signs take in a Disney+ doc profiling Welsh soul singer Duffy<\/a>, behind megahit \u201cMercy\u201d in 2008 who subsequently suffered kidnapping and sexual assault, Spanish docuseries \u201cAbandoned,\u201d \u201cMurder on Lake Garda\u201d \u2013 an Italian \u201cclassic whodunit,\u201d Jain said \u2013 and \u201cThe Strange Story of Gustav Maier,\u201d a Turkish comedy featuring a 350-year-old vampire virgin. JH<\/p>\n

\n\tHBO Max Moves Waves at Series Mania<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tAnd another bullish U.S. keynote: HBO Max Head of Original Content Sarah Aubrey moved waves not only drilling down on producing the \u201cHarry Potter<\/a>\u201d series \u2013 a \u201clot of pressure,\u201d a \u201cfinancial investment we normally wouldn\u2019t make\u201d\u00a0 but \u201cthe world created is absolutely extraordinary.\u201d Aubrey described recently taking influencers to the show\u2019s set, recalling how some \u201cburst into tears.\u201d She also announced an exclusive TV first-look deal with Domingo Corral, when head of fiction at Spanish pay TV\/SVOD Movistar Plus+ behind Rodrigo Sorogoyen\u2019s \u201cThe New Years,\u201d Alauda Ruiz de Az\u00faa\u2019s 2025 Series Mania top winner \u201cQuerer\u201d and two-time Oscar nominee \u201cSir\u0101t.\u201d ES\/JH<\/p>\n

\n\tBuzz Titles: Poland Stands \u2018Proud,\u2019 BBC\u2019s Triple Triumph<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tTwo early 2026 BBC gems which had British newspaper The Guardian reaching for superlatives in reviews \u2013 prison drama \u201cWaiting for the Out\u201d from Dennis Kelly (\u201cTogether\u201d) and Sister and Mackenzie Crook\u2019s \u201cSmall Prophets\u201d \u2013 swept respectively Series Mania\u2019s main competition screenplay award and best series and actress (Lauren Patel) in International Panorama. That was always on the cards. Less so, the 2026 Grand Prix and actor (Ignacy Liss) win for Poland\u2019s \u2018Proud,\u2019 about a young gay party animal suddenly forced to step up his game and take care of his sister\u2019s baby. MB, JH<\/p>\n

\n\tChurchill\u2019s Spirit Floats Over Series Mania<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI can\u2019t help but think that Europe, as a continent, has forgotten how to tell its own story,\u201d said Council of Europe<\/a>\u2019s Secretary General Alain Berset in a rollicking speech Thursday anticipating the formal signing of a Convention set to plow moneys into TV series co-produced across Europe. So Berset told one story: \u201c\u2018University of Zurich, 1946. Churchill goes to the podium and argues Europe has only one way forward: reconcile former enemies.\u2019 This in not fiction and was how the Council of Europe was born.\u201d Berset went onto argue for a \u201cdemocratic\u201d access to markets for Europe\u2019s producers, \u201cnot access distorted by opaque algorithms and market forces that concentrate the power in the hands of the few. It\u2019s a reason why we need to work more together.\u201d JH<\/p>\n

\n\tSeries Trends<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWhile this year has seen an undeniable contraction in the sector, an unexpected benefit has emerged: Today\u2019s series creation seems to be less about scale and more about accuracy,\u201d said Laurence Herszberg and Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Lavigne, Series Mania managing director and artistic director, in an introduction to Series Mania. \u201cThere are fewer epic narratives and more concentrated, sometimes harsh offerings, often directly connected to a world under tension. In the face of contemporary political, social, and ideological upheavals, series continue to play their role as sensitive seismographs, offering warnings, resistance, and possible escape routes.\u201d They noted in particular\u00a0 how \u201cthe representation of authoritarian and fascist systems runs through many of the works in the program,\u201d checking Belgium\u2019s \u201cBreendonk,\u201d \u201cThe Anatomy of a Moment,\u201d \u201dEtty\u201d and of course \u201cThe Testaments.\u201d JH\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Crunch: Where Europe\u2019s Public Broadcasters Go Next<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tSo what is happening in Europe? Its TV sector looks to be at a crossroads. Despite Berset\u2019s oratory, one day later at Series Mania Disney+ announced an accord to share content from Spanish state broadcaster RTVE. Maybe the most significant stats revealed at Series Mania came from Ampere Analysis which observed that over 2023-25, SVOD services in Western Europe dominated by four companies \u2013 Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max), grew \u20ac7 billion ($8.05 million). TV advertising, by contrast, contracted by \u20ac600 million ($690 million). Public TV grew but by just \u20ac400 million ($460 million). Yet state-backed TV operators accounted in 2024 for 56% of all TV fiction titles produced in Europe (56%), followed by private broadcasters (30%). Global streamers were way behind (14%), according to a recent report from the European Audiovisual Observatory. The state networks are suffering, moreover. Budgets are being pared. \u201cYouTube is taking up a lot of viewing time and they are having a difficult time competing with streamers for young audiences,\u201d ex-ZDF exec Robert Franke, now CEO of Germany\u2019s Intaglio Films, noted at Series Mania. JH<\/p>\n

\n\tArte<\/a>, New8<\/a> Fly the Flag of European Alliances\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tSome European public broadcasters are fervent believers on Europe going it alone. Faced with the market dominance of U.S. global streamers, Europe has to hit back via \u201calliances and diversity, establishing a permanent dialog between its different worlds of imagination and cultures,\u201d Arte France CEO Bruno Patino said in a keynote. New8, an northern European alliance of eight state TV operators, unveiled a third slate of co-productions at Series Mania. \u201cThrough New8, we are ensuring that public service media remains a vital force for unity and insight,\u201d said NRK drama head Marianne Furevold-Boland. Other honchos are not so convinced about going it aloe in Europe, however. JH\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tBudget Squeeze, Strategic Pivot<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tFacing tightening budgets, France T\u00e9l\u00e9visions, one of the biggest public TVs in Europe, is recalibrating its strategy as Manuel Alduy, the head of international series and films, pushes to deepen ties with streamers, even as the French broadcaster absorbs a 10% drop in overall content spend. The squeeze, which is also felt by other TV groups, is forcing a scaling down on high-end event miniseries, now capped at two per year, while streamers present both an opportunity and a challenge around rights and control. France T\u00e9l\u00e9visions is also holding the line on investing in local European content, though they could start buying American shows (a cheaper way to fill slots) again if their budgets are cut further.\u00a0EK<\/p>\n

\n\tYouTube Builds Momentum\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tShortly after Ted Sarandos branded YouTube a \u201cstraightforward direct competitor,\u201d the platform\u2019s France and Southern Europe chief Justine Ryst doubled down at Series Mania, laying out its scale and strategy. She said YouTube has paid out more than $100 billion to creators between 2021 and 2025, outpacing traditional content spending, while refusing to operate as a traditional commissioner. With 2.7 billion monthly users and an audience set to dwarf subscription-based streamers, YouTube is positioning itself as an inevitable distribution partner for broadcasters and pay-TV players, driving incremental audiences, younger demos and even subscriptions. EK<\/p>\n

\n\tMore Buzz Titles: \u2018Major Players,\u2019 \u2018The Anatomy of a Moment,\u2019 \u2018Etty,\u2019 \u2018Babies\u2019\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tMolly Manning Walker scored a hit with \u201cMajor Players,\u201d proving that the success of \u201cHow to Have Sex\u201d was no fluke. While presented at the festival as a work in progress, the show delighted the audience with its story of aspiring young female footballers. Its wicked sense of humor had spectators giggling throughout all three episodes, only to then break their hearts a little. An Arte double, \u201cThe Anatomy of a Moment,\u201d from Alberto Rodr\u00edguez and Movistar Plus+ and \u201cEtty,\u201d an extraordinary series from Hagai Levy, on an extraordinary exemplary figure shown in its complete six episodes at Series Mania, also sparked instant fan bases. The U.K. also delighted with \u201cBabies,\u201d a tender and thoughtful take on pregnancy loss from Stefan Golaszewski. It is bound to receive a whole new wave of attention thanks to the casting of Paapa Essiedu, recently revealed as new Severus Snape in the upcoming \u201cHarry Potter,\u201d fast emerging as a new gold standard for stardom. Rarely has a series not screening at Series Mania driven so much conversation at the French TV Festival. MB, JH \u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tNew Drive for Originality<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tIn Scandinavia, after Viaplay\u2019s 2023 collapse as a commissioning powerhouse, \u201ceveryone seems to be much more cautious, looking for something that\u2019s more secure,\u201d Maipo Films\u2019 Synn\u00f8ve H\u00f8rsdal noted at Series Mania\u2019s opening conference session. What was so notable about the buzz titles at this year\u2019s Series Mania, however, was that there were so many of them, not only in series selected but slates brought onto the market, such as Banijay\u2019s 17-title Series Mania lineup. \u201cI\u2019m hearing from the streaming services that shows should have a genre, but they would encourage producers to be significantly bolder in the subjects that they\u2019re choosing,\u201d Steve Matthews, Banijay head of scripted, creative, told Variety. \u201cNow is not the time to be conservative because I think they\u2019re looking like they need shows to pop and shine through, and that doesn\u2019t come from timid thinking.\u201d In a highly competitive environment, if Series Mania 2026 was anything to go by, a significant number of Europe\u2019s top companies are driving into originality in order to score precious series orders. JH<\/p>\n

\n\tAnd What You\u2019ve Been Waiting For, How Was the Weather at Series Mania?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tDespite plenty of exciting projects inside Lille\u2019s Grand Palais, the weather outside was downright miserable. Wind gusts of up to 20 mph, temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius), scattered storms and the occasional occurrence of hail made this year\u2019s festival hard to get around. When this writer foolishly forgot her iPods inside the Palais, the 15-minute walk to fetch them \u2014 during which I was almost toppled over by wind and accosted by sleet \u2014 was enough to make her hole up in her hotel room for the rest of the day. Though it was lovely when the sun came out once or twice, the grey weather paired with Lille\u2019s industrial environment had more than a few festival-goers dreaming of brighter pastures.\u00a0ES<\/p>\n

\n\tMore Deals Struck at Series Mania<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\t*Iceland\u2019s Act4, co-led by \u2018Severance\u2019 star \u00d3lafur Darri \u00d3lafsson is teaming with Kari Skogland, director of \u201cThe Handsmaid\u2019s Tale,\u201d to adapt \u201cDead Weight,\u201d from fast-emerging Icelandic novelist Hildur Kn\u00fatsd\u00f3ttir.<\/p>\n

\n\t*All3Media International have scored global pre-sales for Gemma Arterton spy thriller \u201cSecret Service\u201d led by deals with ARD Plus, Movistar Plus+, Stan, Sky and BBC.<\/p>\n

\n\t*\u2018Squid Game\u2019 stars Lee Byung-hun and Han Jimin (\u201cHeavenly Ever After\u201d ) have begun production on Disney+ K-Drama \u201cThe Koreans,\u201d a reimagining of FX\u2019s \u201cThe Americans.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t*German pubcaster ARD and WDR have re-upped for a Season 2 reversion of \u201cGhosts,\u201d the BBC Studios mega-breakout hit sitcom format which has ru for five seasons on CBS.<\/p>\n

\n\t*Gaumont USA has optioned \u201cOpus,\u201d an explosive expos\u00e9 of shadowy Catholic organization Opus Dei, written by financial journalist Gareth Gore.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t*The HBO Max and WBD Access writers\u2019 program is returning for a second year to the Series Mania Institute. Now titled Script Engine, the sophomore edition will \u201cfocus on\u00a0writers\u00a0with demonstrable\u00a0connection to\u00a0France, Spain,\u00a0Italy\u00a0and Germany.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t*Beta Film has boarded the fertility clinic-set Spanish dramedy \u201cIn Vitro,\u201d selected for Series Mania\u2019s Buyers Upfront.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t*South African crime novelist Deon Meyer bestsellers are set to get TV Adaptations from Both Worlds, Paradoxal. The Netflix adaptation of Meyers\u2019 spy thriller \u201cHeart of the Hunter\u201d reached No. 1 on its global top 10 for English-language films.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t*\u2018Empathy\u2019 director Guillaume Lonergan is set to shoot debut feature \u201cDenise sans Denis,\u201d tarring Jos\u00e9e Desch\u00eanes and mixing comedy and drama, realism and dreamlike moments,\u201d Lonergan told Variety.<\/p>\n

\n\t*In another sign of the building our of Asian shows, Global Constellation has boarded haunting Indonesia-set drama \u201cHeaven\u2019s Gate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t*Beta Film Group\u2019s Autentic has nabbed world rights to Contrast Film\u2019s Swiss docuseries \u201cGame Over \u2013 The Fall of Credit Suisse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t*The \u201cSoviet Jeans\u201d team has kicked off production on late-Soviet love story, \u201cThe Last Divorce of Communism.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t*France TV Distribution has closed the U.S., Canada, U.K. with Walter Presents on singular French procedural \u201cCurious by Nature\u201d with \u201cThree Colors: Blue\u201d star Florence Pernel in an effusive turn.<\/p>\n

\n\t*Talked up at a Quebec Showcase at Series Mania, the \u201cGetting Under Your Skin\u201d undercover drama from Simon Boulerice\u2019 (\u201cTake Care\u201d) has been greenlit for a second season.<\/p>\n

\n\t*Actors Tzi Ma, Rae Dawn Chong and Aileen Wu have boarded Canadian television series \u201cCharlie Chan<\/a>,\u201d a contemporary reimagining of the iconic character set in Vancouver, Canada.<\/p>\n

\n\t*Okada Junichi is set to host Nippon TV\u2019s \u201cThe Floor\u201d Asia\u2019s first edition of the global quiz format. JH<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Kicking off with the world premiere of \u201cThe Handmaid\u2019s Tale\u201d sequel \u201cThe Testaments\u201d no less, an intense Series…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":856728,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5174],"tags":[244154,150007,823,82794,2000,299,5187,8082,25127,244155,48017],"class_list":["post-856727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-eu","tag-arte","tag-chase-infiniti","tag-disney","tag-duffy","tag-eu","tag-europe","tag-european","tag-harry-potter","tag-hbo-max","tag-new8","tag-series-mania"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116308574618955654","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/856727","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=856727"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/856727\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/856728"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=856727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=856727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=856727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}