Armed with a catalog of productions spanning series, documentaries and features in practically every genre, the producer and distributor aims to continue growing in the international market, with several new premieres and projects in store for the year ahead.
Formerly Known as Endeavor Content, content producer and distributor Fifth Season aims to provide best-in-class content in all categories for every type of buyer and platform.
With a special focus on female-led dramas, true stories, and globally recognized international content, the company has amassed a notable catalog, with dozens of productions that have the potential to fit any screen in the international market.
In the following interview with ttvnews, Travis Webb, SVP Sales for the Americas at Fifth Season, talks about the company’s impressive lineup of titles, the new releases it has in store for Latin America and the global market in 2024, and its goals for the year ahead.
What’s Fifth Season’s presence in the Americas and their distribution strategy moving forward?
Fifth Season is a significant producer and distributor of high-quality content for leading streaming and television platforms worldwide. We were formerly known as Endeavor Content and are now under our new branding of Fifth Season, with strategic shareholders including Korea’s CJ ENM, Japan’s Toho International and Endeavor.
Fifth Season’s presence in the Americas has been strong over the years, with popular star studded series such as The Morning Show, Nine Perfect Strangers, Life & Beth, Severance, and Run the Burbs being created or distributed on platforms like Peacock, HBO Max, BritBox US, Hulu, CBC Canada, Apple TV, and Amazon in Latin America. All of these hit series have had returning seasons or new instalments. New series in production include Chief Of War, starring Jason Momoa, Lady In The Lake, directed by Alma Har’el and starring Natalie Portman, and The Savant, starring Jessica Chastain.
Fifth Season aims to provide best-in-class content in all categories for every type of buyer and platform. More recently we have been focused on female-led dramas, true stories, and globally recognized international content. Regarding female-led stories, we recently introduced One Night, a gripping mystery featuring Jodie Whittaker, Nicole da Silva from Wentworth, and Yael Stone from Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black. In 2024, we will launch Strife, a comedic drama series from the producers of Nine Perfect Strangers. This show follows the journey of a modern, imperfect woman from a lounge room blogger to a force in women’s media.
We are also growing our catalogue of true stories with content such as Superpower, a feature documentary film that began as a light-hearted look at a comedic actor turned President of Ukraine but became a close-up view of the Russian invasion of Ukraine when its directors, Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman, became witnesses to history on February 24, 2022, and had unprecedented access to Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the early days of the invasion.
We’re also focusing on bringing premium content from great international voices, such as Best Interests, a Jack Thorne BBC One limited series lauded as one of the Best Dramas in the UK in 2023 which has resonated with audiences worldwide thanks to its enthralling storyline and Sharon Horgan’s ferocious performance.
Have any part of the distribution, acquisition and production strategies regarding Latam and US Hispanic changed (or might change/been bolstered) after Toho’s investment in the company?
No significant change to our focus on Latam. It remains a top priority market for the company. Toho’s investment will help bolster Fifth Season as it empowers the company to continue expanding its slate of premium content and create opportunities for collaboration between Fifth Season, Toho, and CJ ENM. We will work with Toho and CJ ENM to produce global content and amplify content coming out of Japan and Korea. At the same time, Toho’s development and production executives will team up with Fifth Season, and the content delivered through these collaborations will benefit from Fifth Season’s robust global distribution network. The addition of Toho to our ownership, along with CJ ENM, serves to expand our strength as a producer and distributor globally.
Considering present trends (Fast Channels, AVOD, etc), where do you see the biggest opportunities for Fifth Season’s premium content?
The current trends have opened up opportunities to expand Fifth Season’s business. Both AVOD and FAST are now playing a part in our global distribution business and we continue to tailor strategies to our partners in this space. In line with this, last year we appointed Simon Algie as Executive Director, Digital Sales to spearhead our AVOD/FAST exploitation and digital transactions business. We also continue to see strength in our first window, new or recent premium content as key drivers for subscription, linear and other lines of advertising driven businesses and these platforms continue to be strong in Latin America. Premium content has the ability to attract and retain audiences, and we see opportunities for our content in all current and emerging trends.
Recently The CW picked up Wild Cards, what can you share about the series and its international potential?
We are thrilled about the upcoming release of Wild Cards and its international prospects, and it’s been great to see the buzz and interest it has created internationally. The show boasts a star-studded cast, including Vanessa Morgan from Riverdale, Giacomo Gianniotti from Grey’s Anatomy, and Jason Priestley from Beverly Hills, 90210, and will be airing on The CW in the United States and CBC this month. Wild Cards follows the unlikely duo of a clever con woman and a gruff, cynical and humorous cop. The storyline is strong and the production quality top-notch. Add to this that US broadcast procedurals continue to be popular worldwide, and the comedic twist in Wild Cards adds levity to the storylines and makes the characters relatable, making the show appealing to audiences in the US and around the globe. This is not a first for Fifth Season as we are known for premium content with compelling storylines and top talent in front and behind the camera.
What other series would you highlight during these first months of 2024?
In addition to Wild Cards, in 2024, we are introducing Sight Unseen, another US broadcast crime drama with a sight-impaired female hero, authentically cast and created by two female producers. Sight Unseen stars newcomer Dolly Lewis as homicide detective Tess Avery alongside Agam Darshi (DMZ) as seeing eye-guide Sunny Patel. The series also stars Jarod Joseph (The 100) as Tess’ oldest friend and Daniel Gillies (Virgin River) in the role of Tess’ long-time detective partner, Jake Campbell. This series has also been picked up by the CW in the US. We are also introducing Friends Like Her’ a psychological drama set in New Zealand that explores the friendship and fallout between two women in a nightmare surrogacy scenario. The series features incredible lead performances by Morgana O’Reilly and Tess Haubrich.
Another very interesting title is the three-part documentary Bad Host: Hunting the Couchsurfing Predator. What can you share about this title? Is it still in production, and if so, when will it be ready?
The true crime genre remains highly popular in the Americas, especially in Latin America, where engaging premium documentaries that spotlight victim-led investigations continue to captivate audiences. Our premium docuseries Bad Host: Hunting the Couchsurfing Predator features a group of young female survivors from different parts of the world coming together online to bring their abuser to justice. A serial predator used couchsurfing.com to prey on young, inexperienced female travelers from around the globe. He hosted 230 women in just two years. It is a harrowing story told firsthand by women who fought back, creating a community of support, hope, and, above all, fierceness. Academy Award-winning producers, Lightbox, were at the helm (Curse Of The Chippendales, Spector, Manson) of this project. Bad Host’ brings a universal theme of female survivors who refuse to be defined by their trauma to find justice. The series successfully launched on Sky and Now TV in the UK just this past month.
Moving to other docs, what are your main titles for Latam and US Hispanic during early 2024?
In 2024, we will be releasing Marylin Manson: Behind the Mask. True crime stories that explore and unmask public figures are seeing a surge of popularity, and this premium docuseries draws on a forensic nine-month investigation, detailing the full, extraordinary story of abuse perpetrated by Marilyn Manson. The producers (Lightbox) of the award-winning documentaries Untouchable: The Rise & Fall of Harvey Weinstein, Whitney, Man on a Wire, and Spector teamed up with Rolling Stone Magazine to provide unprecedented access to Marilyn Manson’s accusers, lifelong fans, industry insiders, lawyers, former bandmate, and even his childhood best friend. Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld) is a key contributor as well. This is addition to our recently released BBC1 docufilm The Downfall of the Crypto King which tells the story of the epic demise of Sam Bankman-Fried.
What other content would you highlight from your catalogue during the upcoming months?
We are excited to be offering a new and upcoming docuseries called Tim Burton (working title). The series will provide a comprehensive look into the life and career of Tim Burton, a timely release as he is set to release Beetlejuice 2 this year. He is also involved in the most popular Netflix series of the past year, Wednesday, which he executive produces and directed 4 episodes. The show will feature interviews with those closest to him, including Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenna Ortega, Christopher Walken, Danny DeVito, Catherine O’Hara, Christina Ricci, and more.
We would also like to highlight Kiss the Future, a film co-produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and fronted by Bono and The Edge. This film tells the true story of the siege of Sarajevo, the improbable concert U2 played there at great personal risk, and the power of music during times of war. The story is as relevant today as it was then.
Another gem worth mentioning is Agatha Christie: Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?’ This miniseries was written and directed by Hugh Laurie (known for House, The Night Manager, and Veep). The series features an all-star cast including Lucy Boyton (Bohemian Rhapsody & The Politician), Will Poulter (The Chronicles of Narnia, We’re the Millers), Dame Emma Thompson (Howard’s End, Cruella) & Jim Broadbent (Game of Thrones, The Iron Lady.) It is a murder mystery that has received critical acclaim and is enjoyed by audiences worldwide.
