Conflict and Earthbound are Keshet International’s most high-profile titles that were presented during the Miptv market, along with a battery of dramas, series and documentaries.
The thorough follow-up work of Keshet International’s acquisitions team has yielded powerful results. After testing the value of its titles at the London TV Screenings and receiving excellent feedback, the company arrived at Miptv to make an international leap with the varied line-up it has managed to consolidate.
And during the event’s second day, the company announced that it has signed a co-development deal with award-winning British production company SandStone Global. The deal will see both parties co-develop two new premium ancient history documentary series together – Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and Vikings, both of which will be presented by award-winning historian and presenter Professor Bettany Hughes OBE.
Elena Antonini, VP of Sales of Keshet International, told ttvnews that the time has come to present their line-up to the world and spoke exclusively about details of their most outstanding acquisitions, such as the dramas Conflict and Extractors, as well as the series of powerful dramas, series and documentaries that they will be presenting during the Cannes market in France this week.
Keshet’s acquisitions team has worked hard to create this varied and powerful catalogue. What criteria have you used to select your titles?
By developing fantastic relationships with producers and commissioners all over the world, our acquisitions team has been tracking dramas Conflict and Extractors and docuseries Earthbound, SAS: Catching the Criminals and Arctic Wildlife of Lapland from the very early stages of their development before they were handpicked for our catalogue.
Likewise, the romantic drama The Best Worst Thing comes to us from Keshet 12. What unites these shows is that they are all highly entertaining, stunningly shot, and universally appealing – while having something unique about them that makes them stand out.
Keshet’s spring catalogue has given a lot to talk about; Conflict and Earthbound have been the two shows with the best reviews in the market. What do you think is the aspect of these productions that makes them stand out from others?
We are so excited to be distributing the format and tape of Conflict, which generated significant buzz at the London TV Screenings and in the run-up to Miptv. It has everything buyers and viewers want right now: a ripped-from-the-headlines plot; a fantastic international cast and script, which is English dominant in a Narcos-style way; thrilling action sequences; strong, relatable female lead characters; and a faceless “enemy” who remains unknown throughout. In an incredibly compelling plot, conflict plays on our worst fears about a proxy war escalating beyond Europe.
Earthbound is one of the most uplifting hours of television I’ve ever seen – it is so much more than beautifully crafted, feel-good entertainment. Earthbound is about truly extraordinary stories that ring with universal truths, which choose to focus on the positive – what we can do with grit, imagination, hard work, and indomitable optimism – over the dire headlines we see every day. We’re so excited to take this award-winning film to the TV world as a docuseries at Miptv.”
This year, you brought to Miptv two of the ten dramas selected for this year’s MIP Drama Showcase, Palo Alto and the sci-fi thriller Valhalla Project. What is the production value of these two dramas, and what are the expectations for their international projection?
As both these dramas are currently in post-production, we’ll officially launch them to market later this year at Mipcom. Based on a best-selling book, Palo Alto is a Mare of Easttown-style crime drama that features a strong and complex female lead whose work-life balance is out of balance. When an additional corpse appears in the anatomy lab of a medical school in the peaceful port of Haifa, police detective Iris instantly senses foul play. This stylish crime drama will feel familiar to fans of the genre while giving them access to an unfamiliar underworld where a bloody struggle is ignited between local Jewish and Arab mobsters due to Iris’ investigations.
Valhalla Project is a six-part mystery drama with two parallel timelines: one occurring in post-Soviet Russia 30 years ago and the other in the present day, with a story arc intersecting across the border of two neighbouring countries. This gripping thriller follows researcher Alina as she joins an international expedition to Finnish Lapland, aiming to access a parallel universe. Her goal is to solve the climate crisis, a universe initially explored by her father, who vanished in Lapland over 30 years ago. The series also holds a strong potential as a format. I feel the journey of the main female protagonist, who is searching for her father while simultaneously seeking solutions to address the climate crisis, is both compelling and incredibly relevant on a global scale, particularly in today’s world.
Concerning your original formats, the gameshow Boom! It will be relaunched as Boom! Heist Mode. What is new in the renewed edition of this successful format?
Boom! is one of our most successful formats—it’s been produced in more than 20 territories worldwide and has over 2,500 episodes.
By retaining all the best-loved thrills and gameplay elements of the original format while refreshing key components and building new features, Boom! Heist Mode feels even more high-stakes and immersive!
Featuring a new, cinematically styled “bank vault” set, transparent safes that showcase real cash prizes that grow as the “heists” get harder, and dramatic lighting and sound effects amplify the drama of failing a “heist” by running out of time or cutting the wrong wire, we’ve elevated the gameplay and created a stronger team mechanic that makes compelling viewing!
Keshet Studios recently adapted the When Heroes Fly format for Apple TV+, but now a relaunch of the tape has been announced. Will it be available on other platforms or in new markets?
Netflix’s global license for the eight-part drama has ended, so this award-winning drama is finally available to buyers worldwide right now!
