The fifth edition of the European Showrunner Think Tank took place during the Film Festival Cologne.

THINK TANK V | »Adapting the Showrunner Model to a Project's Needs«
October 20 from 11:15 am - 12:00 pm (CEST)
Part of the European Series Day at Film Festival Cologne

During the panel, showrunner Marianne Wendt, SRF Head of Series Bettina Alber, and producer Benedikt Böllhoff explored the absence of a one-size-fits-all showrunner model in the European entertainment landscape and the necessity for adaptation on a project-by-project basis.
Based on their latest projects »Neumatt (New Heights)«, and »Wer Wir Sind«, they offered invaluable insights into their collaboration highlighting the distinct approaches required to run each production successfully and how their collective efforts contributed to the success of these compelling shows.
The focus of the panel was to give examples on how to tailor the showrunner model to suit the unique requirements of different series, finding answers to questions such as how to decide on a showrunning model, how to effectively communicate it, and ensuring seamless collaboration between all stakeholders.

Guests:

Marianne Wendt | writer, showrunner »Wer Wir Sind«, »Neumatt (New Heights)«, Germany
Bettina Alber | Head of Series at SRF Swiss Radio and Television, Switzerland
Benedikt Böllhoff | Producer at VIAFILM, Germany

Moderator:

Marike Muselaers | Head of International Financing & Coproductions at Nordisk Film Production, Sweden

The fourth edition of the European Showrunner Think Tank took place during the Nederlands Film Festival Conference.

THINK TANK IV | »Showrunning in Europe: Who Runs the Show?«
September 23 from 2:30 - 3:45 pm (CEST)
Part of the Nederlands Film Festival Conference, Utrecht

This edition focused on writer and showrunner Jeppe Gjervig Gram (»Borgen«, »Follow the Money«). In an exclusive interview, Jeppe shared insights into his personal approach to showrunning and how it was influenced by the Danish showrunning model. In the second part of that on-site session in Utrecht, showrunners Sanne Nuyens (»Hotel Beau Sejour«) and Pieter Bart Korhuis (»Dirty Lines«), joined him for a panel discussion chaired by Dutch writer and actor Lemba de Miranda. Together, they dived once more into the US showrunner model and investigated how this model had been adjusted to the European series market in recent years, and what was needed to establish a truly European showrunner model in the then-present climate.

Guests:

Jeppe Gjervig Gram (»Borgen«, »Follow the Money«, Denmark), Sanne Nuyens (»Hotel Beau Sejour«, Netherlands) and Pieter Bart Korhuis (»Dirty Lines«, Belgium)

Moderator:

Lemba de Miranda (writer and actress, Netherlands)

The third European Showrunner Think Tank session took place on June 15th at Seriencamp Conference and was dedicated to Directing in the Showrunner Model.

THINK TANK III | SHOWRUNNING IN EUROPE: DIRECTING IN THE SHOWRUNNER MODEL
Thursday, June 15, 2023, from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. (CEST)
Cologne | Seriencamp Conference

Renowned European directors and producers with experience in directing and producing high-quality series projects discussed the differences between the directing position in the showrunner model and their traditional role as directors. Examples from several parts of Europe shed light on how a fruitful cooperation between director and showrunner may increase the quality of a show. The discussion focused both on aspects are working well in current forms of the showrunner model – and on areas which, from the director's point of view, still call for improvement in the European context.

Guests:
Kaat Beels | director, writer, producer (»Tabula Rasa«, »The Clan«, »Hotel Beau Séjour«), Belgium
Nathalie Basteyns | director, writer, producer (»The Clan«, »Hotel Beau Séjour«), Belgium
Annetta Laufer | director, writer (»Get Millie Black«, »Doctor Who«), United Kingdom
Lutz Heineking, jr. | director, writer, producer (»Andere Eltern«, »Drinnen«, »Wir sind die Meyers«), Germany

Moderator:
Adrian Spring  | writer & showrunner (»Nr. 47«, »Neumatt«, »All You Need«), Switzerland

The second Think Tank of the European Showrunner Programme 2023 took place online on May 31, 2023 at 5 pm.

THINK TANK II | SHOWRUNNING IN EUROPE: SPOTLIGHT ON CHRIS CHIBNALL (»BROADCHURCH«)
Wednesday, May 31, 2023, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (CEST)
Online

Showrunner Chris Chibnall (»Broadchurch«, »Doctor Who«) granted insights into his individual approach to showrunning and into the current situation for showrunners in Europe with a focus on the UK market.
The UK was one of the first European countries to adopt the showrunner model from the US. Today, a large number of British series are produced using variations of the showrunner model. BAFTA and Peabody Award-winning screenwriter, executive producer and playwright Chris Chibnall is one of the pioneers of this approach. In this session, he looked back at the transition from traditional working methods to this innovative form of series production. He reflected on the development of his own personal showrunning style, and discussed the opportunities this new position offers to promote a much-needed shift towards a more diverse, equal and inclusive series market.

Guest:
Chris Chibnall | Writer and Showrunner (»Broadchurch«, »Doctor Who«), UK

Moderator:
Marike Muselaers  | Lumière Benelux Group, Belgium

The first Think Tank of the European Showrunner Programme 2023 took place on February 2, 2023 at 11 am during the TV Drama Visions Conference in Göteborg.

THINK TANK I | SHOWRUNNING IN EUROPE: SPOTLIGHT ON JULIE ANDEM (SKAM)
Thursday, February 2, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:35 a.m. (CEST)
Part of the TV Drama Visions Conference at Göteborg International Film Festival

We were delighted to welcome Julie Andem, the creator, writer, and director of the groundbreaking and internationally acclaimed hit series »SKAM« as a panelist of the first European Showrunner Think Tank in 2023. As one of the region’s most innovative creators in the world of drama series, Andem not only succeeded in resonating with a global audience of young adults but also explored and inspired new avenues of distribution and proved how the power of storytelling could travel over social, geographic, and generational boundaries. In this fireside stage interview, we delved into Skam’s unique storytelling approach and international impact with numerous remakes all over the world, and explored what was next for Andem. A special focus was on Andem's work as a showrunner and the opportunities and challenges she saw for showrunning in Europe.

Guest:
Julie Andem | writer and director (»Skam«), Norway

Moderator:
Andrea Reuter  | Journalist, Producer, Finland