ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the results of a research study (September 2017–April 2018) on the production of premium scripted television series over the last ten years (2008–2017) in several Western European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK). The chapter maps out this scenario, drawing on both qualitative and quantitative data. It provides first an overview of certain dimensions in each national context: volume (number of titles, numbers of seasons, total hours of original programming), players (channels, broadcasters, production companies, co-producers), and distribution platforms. It then turns to a more detailed analysis of the predominant genres and formats of scripted content in European countries, and of the origins of these products (original intellectual property or adapted, pre-sold property). In the final part of the chapter, we use network analysis to identify collaborative trends among the producers of scripted content. Taking into account the major broadcasters, production companies, and distributors, we examine the key “actors” from a social perspective in each national context, before combining these to consider cross-continental collaborations.
