Johannes Jensen is aware of a factor or two concerning the legal guidelines of the TV jungle. In any case, began his trade profession in 1992 as a freelancer at Swedish manufacturing agency Strix Tv, the place he later performed a key function in producing the unique model of the Survivor format, identified in Sweden as Expedition: Robinson, for public broadcaster SVT in 1997.
Since then, he has risen by means of the ranks. He ended up main the 2 manufacturing labels Jarowskij and Yellow Hen, which are actually merged as Jarowskij/Yellow Hen beneath France-headquartered content material powerhouse Banijay Leisure (Survivor, Black Mirror, Peaky Blinders, MasterChef, Large Brother). After serving as Banijay Nordic head of scripted, a promotion early this 12 months expanded his remit with the function of head of scripted, enterprise, reporting to chief enterprise officer Frédéric Balmary.
Along with head of scripted, artistic Steve Matthews, he’s tasked with working “to successfully assist and associate with the group’s thriving portfolio of over 60 devoted labels,” the corporate stated, lauding Jensen for enjoying “an integral function in considerably uplifting scripted slates, with experience in co-production, navigating advanced trade modifications, and driving long-term strategic growth.”
Heading into his first MIPCOM since taking over the brand new function, Jensen has saved busy. “We see ourselves not as those that time out the course or prescribe the long run for the labels, however fairly those nurturing the skills, the creativity, supporting the place we predict we will,” Jensen tells THR about how he and Matthews strategy their jobs. “We would like individuals, we wish the labels, we wish the creatives to behave and be impartial. Steve involves the function with numerous information from the artistic facet, working with HBO and several other others. He goes into the precise improvement, the script-writing rooms, and so forth. Whereas, I come from the enterprise perspective — having a method, how you can finance issues, and fascinated with what the worldwide world appears to be like like. What’s the urge for food for sure issues? So, we complement one another and have a holistic strategy.”
The output of the greater than 60 labels in additional than 20 territories that Jensen works with inside the Banijay household speaks for itself. “Over the past years, we produced greater than 1,000 hours of scripted content material, over 100 titles,” he explains. “And we had been the primary European scripted studio.”
‘Culpa Nuestra’
Courtesy of Banijay
However what are Jensen and colleagues searching for? “We all the time say that we put creativity first. We would like daring, new tales,” he tells THR. “We’re additionally fostering IP as a result of we’d like scale and stability. And we try to carry the labels, the producers collectively, the place we will discover the bodily alternative to share info. ‘Now we have an thought right here. We’re missing funding. We all know this chance.’ That’s the place we carry them collectively at gatherings like MIPCOM or different festivals or commerce occasions to have a day the place we’re attempting to share a number of the information we’ve. An important factor is bringing them collectively so they begin assembly one another and be taught from one another.”
Jensen has his eyes on sustainable development by way of output fairly than fast short-term wins. “Generally, we’re attempting to be very formidable. We wish to create extra, however on the identical time, it is advisable to be sensible,” he explains. “We’re not going to be over-investing. We’re not deficit funding in numerous issues. We’re working in an ecosystem the place we’ve been sensible in placing financing collectively through the years.”
The U.Okay., Italy, and Spain are Banijay’s “dominant markets for us presently,” Jensen highlights, additionally citing France, Germany, and the Nordics as “sturdy markets.”
Requested concerning the firm’s development areas, the exec tells THR: “We’re doing increasingly more with the worldwide streamers, which have gotten increasingly more. To start with, we had been unsure, however now we will see they’re right here to remain. They’re complementing what the native broadcasters are searching for.”
So what does the Banijay scripted staff concentrate on at MIPCOM this week? “It’s such a protracted listing,” Jensen says with fun. “Now we have big tales, together with some sturdy returners, however clearly additionally new exhibits. We simply had the premiere of the drama Home of Guinness for Netflix. And the second season of The Buccaneers launched on Apple TV+” and has been renewed for a 3rd season.
Different returning Banijay dramas embody Bergerac and SAS: Rogue Heroes from the U.Okay. and The Regulation Based on Lidia Poët from Italy, whereas new presents embody French historic drama sequence Montmartre. Plus, the ultimate chapter of the Spanish Culpa film trilogy for Prime Video, Culpa Nuestra, is popping out.
Among the many upcoming new dramas is Half Man, starring Richard Gadd and Jamie Bell, a co-production between the BBC and HBO that explores the advanced relationship between two estranged brothers.
‘Half Man,’ courtesy of BBC/Mam Tor Productions/Anne Binckebanck
“Now we have some actually sturdy English-language sequence, each for streamers and for broadcasters, after which numerous non-English talking exhibits as effectively,” highlights Jensen. “What all these titles have in frequent that I actually assume resonates worldwide is that they’re constructed based mostly on an area story fairly than attempting to create a world hit. Suppose domestically, act globally. We go from an enormous historic piece for Netflix, like Home of Guinness, to a small Swedish younger grownup comedy, they usually each appeal to audiences in several methods.”
Different Banijay scripted priorities embody a up to date reboot of the Wallander franchise, starring Gustaf Skarsgård and that includes three 90-minute movies based mostly on the unique novels, and Falling, a six-part drama from acclaimed British author Jack Thorne (His Darkish Supplies) and starring Keeley Hawes and Paapa Essiedu. “Anna is a faithful nun who has spent most of her grownup life in a convent while David, a catholic priest, is on the high of his sport, dedicated to his work within the church and the Bristol neighborhood that surrounds it,” reads a synopsis of the latter. “Neither are anticipated to fall in love… Nevertheless, after they do, each Anna and David are compelled to wrestle with what it means for them, their vows, and their relationship with God.”
Requested concerning the state of premium sequence within the post-peak TV period, the exec says: “Excessive-end drama is tremendous troublesome to finance, and we’re all battling budgets going up and financing happening. However that’s a part of the enterprise. We nonetheless assume it’s a sustainable factor to proceed investing in as a result of we predict that makes the tales related worldwide.”
Anna (Keeley Hawes) and David (Paapa Essiedu) in ‘Falling,’ courtesy of Banijay
What function will AI play in the way forward for scripted TV? “AI clearly shall be one thing that may have an effect on the enterprise,” Jensen tells THR. “We don’t have a look at it as a artistic device. We’re doing issues with AI to assist our creatives. We don’t wish to replicate all of the issues that had been carried out by asking AI to write down the following script. However we’re going to use it like once we began utilizing iPhones. They’ve develop into a pure a part of our lives. And I feel AI shall be that as effectively.”
Amid all of the challenges, alternatives, and technological change, Jensen is protecting his focus firmly on
one key aim. “Sustainable development is one thing tremendous vital for us,” he says. “It means staying formidable, however being sensible, balancing threat and funding and having the concentrate on creativity. That’s the reason the principle general focus is being open to new, daring tales, whereas on the identical time valuing the massive IPs that we’ve inside the group. And it’s why we combine working with broadcasters and streamers.
