The BBC and German public broadcaster ZDF have revealed a new formal partnership designed to co-produce high-quality scripted television dramas. This agreement aims to streamline the process for producers working with both organisations.
Here’s the Lowdown: The collaboration intends to combine ZDF’s European co-production experience with the BBC’s history of creating popular scripted series. The goal is to make it easier for production companies to secure backing from both major European broadcasters by ensuring creative agreement from the start.
What This Means Now: Two projects are already underway through this arrangement: Honey, a newly announced spy thriller from Sid Gentle Films, and the second season of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, which is co-produced with Netflix and made by Moonage Pictures. More joint projects are expected to follow.
The Bigger Picture: Both Nadine Bilke, Chief Content Officer at ZDF, and Lindsay Salt, BBC Director of Drama, highlighted the shared programming goals and creative alignment. Salt noted that as public broadcasters face economic pressures, this partnership provides a way to continue funding top-tier storytelling from the UK and invest in talent while remaining creatively strong.
