Viewpoints: sales strategies

Jens Richter Managing Director SevenOne International Germany

Can you tell us about your activities in Western Europe ?

SevenOne International's variety attracts buyers around the globe: from fiction to magazines to entertainment formats and Call-TV, we have it all. We don't specialize on Western Europe ; we try to reach the whole world with our programs. Our sciencetainment magazine "Galileo" for instance, which has a proven track record in Germany, is already sold to Italy, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Poland, Russia, Thailand and China - and more territories to come.

The Hunt for Troy

You have a wide spectrum of entertainment formats. What are your most important sales in 2006?

The entertainment formats had a very good run last year: Our science show "Clever!" premiered on screens in Denmark, Norway, Finland, Turkey, Russia, the Czech Republic and Australia. This year, "Clever!" will start in Italy, Spain and Romania. Improv comedy " Schiller Street " makes viewers laugh in the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Russia and soon in Italy. The dating show "Love Lab" went to Greece, the "Comedy Trap" to India and "Extreme Activity" amazes Italian viewers.

What titles do you have on air in Western European countries now? What are their ratings?

Our telenovela "That's Life" scores as "Le destin de Lisa" up to 52,9 % on the French channel TF1 - it was even moved to a later timeslot to reach more viewers. "That's Life" is also delighting viewers in Hungary ("Lisa csak egy van"), Bulgaria ("Vljubena v Berlin "), Slovakia ("Zamilovana v Berline"), Latvia ("Miila lielaa pilseetaa") and French-speaking Switzerland and Canada ("Le destin de Lisa"). "Love is in the Air", our latest telenovela, is about to start in Italy on Canale 5. Apart from these long-running telenovelas, our events generally do well: "Tornado" for instance had top ratings in Spain. But our programs fascinate people all over the world: our miniseries "The Patriarch" even beat "Lord of the Rings" in Slovakia !

What new titles will you bring at MIPTV 2007?

We can't wait for the market to start. With over 40 programs, we have a strong line-up to present, including big events, such as "The Hunt for Troy " or "Towering Inferno". The miniseries "The Hunt for Troy " tells a true story of adventure, danger and romance set in the 19 th century - the real-life quest of Heinrich Schliemann to discover the ancient city of Troy and its hidden treasures. The Oscar winning producers Wiedemann & Berg ("The Lives of Others") are just finishing their catastrophe movie "Towering Inferno", in which 80 people are trapped in the Berlin TV Tower high above the ground when a deadly inferno breaks out. Another highlight is the brand new action series "Special Unit": the men of Special Unit, the elite counter-terrorist organization, are ready to face any threat.

That sounds like a lot of action movies.

We don't only have action and catastrophes; we also offer family entertainment with "Manatu", capturing everybody with its spectacular visual effects. In "Manatu", an ancient board game threatens the lives of the unassuming Mickler family. We're also proud to be involved in a Cinema for Peace project: "Suddenly Gina" is the remake of the "Girl in the Caf e ", which was scripted by Richard Curtis ("Four Weddings and a Funeral", "Love Actually", "Notting Hill") and was awarded 3 Emmys and 1 Golden Globe. "Suddenly Gina" follows the story of a shy workaholic diplomat and his life-changing relationship with the unconventional girl; being part of the Cinema for Peace program, revenues from this movie go 50% to Richard Gere's Foundation "Healing the Divide" and 50% to UNICEF. UNICEF will spend the money on the educational project "Schools for Africa " and on help in need in crisis areas.

How about other non-fictional programs?

When it comes to magazines, "How It Works", a half hour show, was developed for The National Geographic Channel. The 20 episodes reveal the scientific, technological and manufacturing secrets behind everyday objects and products. In the format section, our new talent show "The Successor" draws already a lot of attention. Here the search is on for a new star "mentalist", to follow in the psycho-kinetic, spoon-bending footsteps of such famous showmen as Uri Geller.