Mipcom Day 1 round-up: Latest news, deals & hires

Germany's ZDFS reveals 2026 sales numbers

ZDF Studios has sold more than 500 hours of German scripted content this year, with more than 40 agreements concluded across over 20 countries.

The Germn distributor has struck deals for shows including SOKO, which has sold to broadcasters including YLE Finland, Walter Presents in the UK, Canal+ MOE, RTL Croatia and Talpa in the Netherlands.

Feel-good dramas Mountain Medic and Alpine Rescue have secured deals with TV2 Denmark, Prima TV in the Czech Republic, TVS in Poland and Pop TV Slovenia, while romance show Rosamunde Pilcher and Inga Lindström have been acquired by Mediaset Italy, Nova TV Bulgaria, Kanal 2 Estonia and TV3 Baltics.

ZDFS has also sold vampire series Love Sucks to platforms including Amazon, Apple, Telekom, RTL Interactive and Disney Germany, as well as Sky Switzerland, TV Prima in the Czech Republic, RTBF in Belgium and France Télévisions.

Taskmaster heads to TF1

France’s TF1 has commissioned a local version of hit comedy entertainment format Taskmaster, becoming the 16th international adaptation.

Produced by 1367 Productions and hosted by French presenter Camille Combal, who is also the host of the French version of Dancing with the Stars and The Masked Singer, the 6 x 60-minute series is in production to launch next year.

The format was created by UK comedian Alex Horne, who hosts for Channel 4. The UK version, produced by Avalon, is currently on its 22nd series and has been commissioned through to series 27. It is also the biggest British comedy show on YouTube with over 1.7bn views.

Elsewhere, new launches for the format in 2026 include RTL4 in the Netherlands, consolidating with over 1m viewers, and Poland for TVN, which saw the channel’s highest primetime launch for five years. Local versions in Estonia and Iceland have also been recommissioned following their debuts earlier this year. Read more

BossaNova duo head to Canada

Blue Ant Media has acquired two shows from BossaNova Media's recent Development Day, with The Land That Made Us and Ruins Rise And Fall both heading to Canada.

The Land That Made Us (6 x 60 minutes) is being introduced to international buyers at Mipcom this week and is from Alice Roberts, Dom Bowles and Theo Williams label, Tectonic Productions.

It follows Roberts as she travels the length and breadth of Britain to explore how geology and landscape have shaped communities and regional identities.

Ruins Rise And Fall is from Like A Shot and uses immersive 3D-CGI to reanimate ruins from around the ancient world.

Love Monday's Diana doc lands at Prime

Prime Video has picked up rights in the UK and Ireland to Love Monday TV’s three-part documentary series Diana: Her Secret Confessions.

The doc draws on hours of never-before-heard, intimate audio recordings to reframe the narrative around the late princess.

The acquisition from Prime Video UK was announced as worldwide distribution partner Cineflix Rights launched the series to international buyers at Mipcom under the title Diana Unheard.

River Monsters thrown a new line

ITV Studios is building on the enduring success of River Monsters with a 20-episode visualised podcast, and has secured Arte has a co-producer for Hartwsood Films drama Number 10.

Fish On! With Jeremy Wade comes from ITVS labels Zoo 55 and Oxford Scientific Films and is hosted by Wade and his close friend Scott Tankard.

Fish On! launches on Patreon on 20 October and will be made available on YouTube, Spotify and other platforms a week later. It is a Zoo 55 Original produced by Oxford Scientific and distributed digitally by Zoo 55.

River Monsters was produced by the now-defunct indie Icon Films and ran for nine series on ITV until its end in 2017. It continues to reel in viewers with its social media presence: its social video content averaged 4.7m views a day over the past year and its dedicated YouTube channel boasting 2.8m subscribers.

Arte boards ITVS's Number 10

Arte has joined upcoming Steven Moffatt drama Number 10 as a co-producer.

The series, made by ITVS label Hartswood Films for Channel 4, is a workplace drama following the people who work in the prime minister’s home and office.

Arte will air the series across France and Germany and it has already been acquired for HBO Max (Australia), TVNZ (New Zealand), YLE (Finland), DR (Denmark) and NRK (Norway), ahead of its 2027 release.