MIPTV round-up: Planete+ orders wartime docudrama; Wag seals science & mystery deals; Newen Connect to shop ‘In The Shadows’

1914, Summer In Hell

Planete+ orders wartime docudrama

Canal+ Group’s Planete+ has ordered 1914, Summer In Hell, a docudrama series from Pernel Media telling the story of the first summer of World War I from the perspective of the soldiers sent to the battlefield and civilians working on the frontline.

The 4 x 60-minute series using colourised archive and dramatic recreation to take viewers to the very heart of the brutal action as war erupted in Europe

“Summer 1914 was the tipping point into horror for millions of people around the world. The story of this dreadful summer is told by those who found themselves caught up in that terrible escalation: the soldiers sent to the battlefield and civilians working on the frontline.

“In a matter of months the illusion of a short war was shattered and the reality of the Great War sank in for millions”, said Pernel Media executive producer Fabrice Frank.

Wag seals science & mystery deals

Wag Entertainment has closed multiple deals for titles from its science and mystery slate.

What on Earth, produced by Wag Entertainment for Science Channel, US, has had licenses renewed by Discovery Iberia for seasons 2, 4, and 7, while Discovery Australia and New Zealand have acquired season 8 and the Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas has taken season 4 for its ZNS channel.

Strange Evidence, from Wag Entertainment for Science Channel, US, has been sold to Bell Media, which has taken seasons 3 and 4 for French Speaking Canada, while Discovery Italia has picked up season three.

Weird Earth, from Wag Entertainment for The Weather Channel, US, has sold season 3 to RTI S.p.A (Italy) and RTL (Germany) for its NTV channel, with season one being acquired by Radio Television Brunei.

Newen Connect to shop ‘In The Shadows’

European distributor Newen Connect has secured global distribution rights to France Télévisions’ new series In the Shadows, which has begun shooting today in Paris and around the Hauts de France region.

The 6 x 52-minute political thriller has been adapted from the 2011 novel Dans l’Ombre, written by former French prime minister Edouard Philippe and his closest advisor, Gilles Boyer. The pair have also developed the script along with Pierre Schoeller, Lamara Leprêtre-Habib, and Cédric Anger.

Pierre Schoeller acts as showrunner and is directing the first part of the series while Guillaume Menez is in charge of the second part of the show.

The series follows César Casalonga, who has two passions in life: his job as a political adviser (where he excels as a strategist) and his boss, Paul Francoeur, for whom he has worked for the last 20 years with the Presidency of the Republic in his sights.

When at the end of the primary race, Francoeur wins the nomination of his party against his competitor Marie-France Trémeau it looks like he has his hands on the prize, a victory made all the sweeter as the win is a close call. However, as he tries to unite the teams of both candidates, César receives an anonymous phone call telling him that the primary has been rigged and he quickly has to come to terms with the possibility that a fraud has been committed.

The series is produced by Elzévir Films and Deuxième Ligne Films and was commissioned by Anne Holmes and Anne Didier, joint directors of French fiction at France Télévisions.