Police procedurals, reboots and low-cost entertainment shows are in demand as networks and streamers put a focus on the bottom line over audience growth: "People are looking for the tried and true."

It was back to basics at this year’s MIPCOM, the world’s leading television market, which wrapped in Cannes this week, with buyers and sellers alike, still reeling from the 2023 Hollywood strikes and a sluggish advertising market, embracing a more conservative approach. The message was clear: the era of high-risk, big-budget productions is giving way to more practical, proven formats, both in scripted and non-scripted programming.

“People are looking for the tried and true,” noted Lisa Kramer, president of international content licensing for Paramount Global Content Distribution, which found eager buyers for their proudly mainstream procedural line-up, which includes the Kathy Bates Matlock reboot, the Elementry-esque medical detective series Watson and two spin-offs of its world-conquering NCIS franchise: the Euro-set NCIS: Tony & Ziva and the prequel series Origins.

NCIS, which has generated $4.5 billion for the studio, still has a lot of life left in it, with Kramer noting strong sales for the series’ back catalog as well, with streaming companies eager to load up on a dependable procedural. “They want a large volume of episodes of a show which can reliably deliver an audience.” Paramount recently inked a deal with German broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1 for some 1,000 episodes of NCIS, NCIS: L.A., NCIS: Hawaii, and NCIS: New Orleans, for ProSieben’s streaming outlet Joyn. Speaking at MIPCOM, ProSiebenSat.1 Chief Content Officer Henrik Pabst noted the franchise is “consistently in the top 10” of all shows on the platform.

The Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/mipcom-2024-trends-review-safe-international-tv-1236045234/