Streamers Embrace Creative Risk, Producers Urged to Ditch "Doom Loop"

According to Banijay's Head of Scripted, Creative, Steve Matthews, there is currently an "optimism" in the drama commissioning landscape, as global streamers are becoming less conservative in their content choices. Matthews told an audience at the MIA Market that producers should be supporting their writers' more ambitious visions, rather than falling into a "doom loop" of tailoring ideas to fit perceived conservative trends.

The Banijay exec's comments were echoed by other industry experts on a panel discussion about packaging and selling content. Brendan Fitzgerald, CEO of Spain's Secuoya Studios, noted that the programs that are selling tend to be either "very small stories that we've all experienced" or "enormous stories that none of us have experienced." He added that the "ones that fall into the middle" are often labeled as "provincial" or unlikely to travel.

Elsewhere in the session, executives from companies like Miso Film Sweden and New Regency discussed the elements that allowed recent Netflix hits like "Baby Reindeer" and "Adolescence" to break through. They praised these shows for successfully matching genre beats with higher-level concepts and innovative filmmaking techniques.

The overall message from the panel was one of cautious optimism, with the industry professionals urging their peers to embrace more creative risk and not be beholden to the perceived conservatism of global streamers.