Scripted

ZDF Studios will head to MIPCOM 2026 with a scripted and junior slate combining new European drama productions, returning brands and live-action family content.

Leading the drama offer is Grand Hotel by the Sea (8x50’), produced by Big Blue for KRO-NCRV and VRT. Set on the Dutch coast between 1912 and 1919, the series follows Sandra, an ambitious hotel owner determined to establish a luxury destination for Europe’s elite while challenging the social conventions of the period. The title marks the first romantic period drama produced in the Netherlands.

Also on the slate is High Valley (6x45’), produced by Studio Zentral and LOAD Studios. Set in the competitive world of elite show jumping, the series follows a gifted young rider whose rise through the sport gradually uncovers long-buried family secrets.

Crime drama is represented by Benidorm is Murder (6x60’), produced by BlackBox Multimedia and Clapperboard Studios for Channel 5. Starring John Hannah and Carolina Bécquer, the series combines procedural mystery with British humour against the setting of the Spanish resort town.

ZDF Studios will also present Shifters (6x45’), a mystery thriller from Network Movie and Studio Zentral. The series centres on a mysterious rift between dimensions through which sinister doppelgängers begin to enter the human world.

The scripted line-up continues with LEX (8x50’), a contemporary legal drama produced by De Mensen for DPG Media. The story follows a talented trainee solicitor navigating the realities of corporate law, where professional ambition, privilege and ethical compromise increasingly collide.

Completing the main adult drama offer is Bust Up (6x60’), produced by Lippy Pictures and MadeForFilm for Sky NZ and ZDF. Set in rural New Zealand, the series follows two former lovers who are unexpectedly reunited as police partners ten years after their relationship ended.

The junior slate is led by Alea Aquarius (26x26’), a live-action fantasy adventure based on Tanya Stewner’s bestselling book series. Produced by Red Balloon Film, the story follows Alea, an orphaned teenager who discovers that she is one of the last surviving members of an ancient underwater civilisation. The series combines fantasy and romance with environmental themes.

ZDF Studios will also mark the 20th anniversary of H2O – Just Add Water, one of its longest-running international children’s brands. The live-action series, comprising 78x26’ plus three 90-minute specials, has been sold in more than 160 territories and has also generated the animated spin-off H2O – Mermaid Adventures (26x26’).

Another title in the kids and family line-up is 20 Dance Street (26x26’), produced by Cottonwood Media, ZDF and France Télévisions in partnership with the Opéra national de Paris. The series incorporates motion-capture technology to bring dance performances into its storytelling.

Also featured is The Lady Grace Mysteries (23x24’), produced by Cottonwood Media and Coolabi Group in co-production with ZDF, ZDF Studios and the BBC. Set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the series follows teenage investigator Lady Grace Cavendish as she uncovers conspiracies and solves mysteries at the Tudor court.

Following international interest in the first season, a second season of The Lady Grace Mysteries is already in production and is scheduled for delivery in 2027.

ZDF Studios will present the scripted and junior slate at MIPCOM from its stand at Riviera Hall, R7.D5.