Why European TV Dramas Are Getting Harder to Make - The Screen Podcast

Why It Matters

The new co‑production treaty could unlock financing for ambitious European series, while the shift toward English‑language, high‑budget projects threatens the viability of independent producers and culturally specific content.

Key Takeaways

• Series Mania grows, attracting 5,000 attendees, 20% more.
• New European co‑production treaty aims to simplify cross‑border financing.
• Streamers and public broadcasters increasingly collaborate on high‑budget series.
• Independent producers face funding gaps amid industry consolidation.
• Safe IP adaptations dominate, while experimental formats struggle for support.

Summary

The Screen Podcast episode focuses on Series Mania in Lille, France, examining why European TV dramas are becoming harder to produce. The festival, now drawing roughly 5,000 participants—a 20% increase year‑over‑year—has evolved from a modest showcase into a hybrid market and creative incubator, positioning itself as Europe’s answer to MIPCOM and the U.S. content fairs.

Panelists highlight several pressures: soaring production budgets, shrinking public‑broadcaster subsidies, and the need for cross‑border financing. A new Council of Europe Convention on the Co‑production of Individual Works for Series was signed at the event, promising clearer rules, shared audience data, and stronger rights for partners. Meanwhile, streamers such as Netflix, Prime Video and HBO are teaming with traditional broadcasters like Arte, France Télévisions and TF1, blurring the line between public and private funding.

Notable examples include the English‑language “Kabul” co‑production (France‑ZDF) and adaptations of beloved IP like Lucky Luke, underscoring the industry’s tilt toward safe, internationally marketable properties. Tim Dams noted that even film talent now gravitates to TV, while Rebecca Leler warned that independent producers risk being squeezed out unless the new treaty safeguards their access to pre‑sales and tax‑credit incentives.

The implications are clear: Europe’s TV ecosystem is consolidating around larger, multilingual co‑productions, but the convention could level the playing field by easing legal and financial hurdles. Success will depend on balancing blockbuster ambitions with space for independent creators, ensuring the region remains a fertile ground for innovative storytelling.

Original Description

In this week’s episode of The Screen Podcast, our team is at the Series Mania festival, which has seen leading execs from the European TV drama sector descend on Lille this week.

Screen’s Europe editor Tim Dams and France correspondent Rebecca Leffler join host Wendy Mitchell to discuss the challenges faced by European drama producers in the post-‘peak TV’ era and why co-producing is now key.

“It’s tough to make series at the moment,” says Dams. “It costs a lot, so [Series Mania] is designed to make it easier to co-produce across the patchwork of territories… this is at a time when co-producing has risen up the agenda and has become so important. The budgets are so high and broadcasters themselves can’t afford to fund these series. You have to partner up to reach these large budgets.”

Another theme of the festival is the continued consolidation amongst Europe’s big players. Leffler says: “You have all these European powerhouses like Federation and Mediawan, the ecosystem needs them and they are making prestige TV with bigger budgets that can travel. But what a lot of the industry worries about is where does independent production fit in?”

The team also discusses how Europe is now luring Hollywood talent, and picks out some of the hottest new dramas at this year’s Series Mania (which finishes on March 27).

The Screen Podcast is hosted by Wendy Mitchell and produced by Ellie Calnan. New episodes every other Thursday.