29/01/2026 - At TV Drama Vision, representatives from the New8 alliance outlined how deeper collaboration, shared editorial criteria and intensified coordination aim to strengthen European public service drama

l-r: Marike Muselaers, Johanna Gårdare, Jasmin Maeda and Elly Vervloet during the panel

At a moment when commissioning volumes are declining and international financing is becoming increasingly complex, the New8 alliance of European public broadcasters has opted for continuity and consolidation. During a panel moderated by Marike Muselaers at Göteborg’s TV Drama Vision, Elly Vervloet, international drama expert at VRT, announced that the collaboration would be renewed for another three years.

Bringing together the five Nordic public broadcasters (Sweden’s SVT, Denmark’s DR, Finland’s YLE, Iceland’s RÚV and Norway’s NRK) alongside Germany’s ZDF, the Netherlands’ NPO and Belgium’s VRT (see the news), New8 focuses on the early-stage co-development and co-production of high-quality European drama, with an average of eight series supported per year. According to Vervloet, the renewed agreement builds on the trust established during the first phase while introducing a more structured and selective approach to editorial alignment.

Johanna Gårdare, head of Drama at SVT, described how the alliance has intensified its internal collaboration over the past year, both physically and digitally. Beyond formal meetings, the broadcasters have invested time in understanding each other’s markets, audience expectations and strategic priorities. This shared knowledge, she argued, has become a key success factor in identifying projects with cross-border potential and in fine-tuning them to work across different public service ecosystems.

One of the main evolutions in the “next chapter” of New8 lies in clearer, jointly defined content criteria. Vervloet explained that participating broadcasters now align around a shared editorial framework, prioritising series aimed at broad audiences with a particular focus on the 18-45 demographic. Projects are expected to be bold, entertaining and relevant, with strong character-driven storytelling and contemporary resonance, reflecting the public service mandate.

While the final commissioning decision still rests with the leading broadcaster, the selection process has become more collective. Jasmin Maeda, SVP for International Fiction Co-production and Acquisition at ZDF, emphasised that this model allows for in-depth creative discussions without overwhelming producers. Feedback is channelled through the lead partner, preserving efficiency while benefiting from multiple perspectives. The alliance has also introduced a two-step process, enabling a wider range of projects to be discussed, even if they are not ultimately selected as New8 titles.

Beyond financing, the panel highlighted the alliance’s role as a platform for visibility and talent circulation. By sharing development slates more openly, New8 creates opportunities for alternative collaborations between broadcasters, even outside the formal framework. For smaller producers in particular, Vervloet noted, the initiative can function as an entry point into international co-production structures that might otherwise be difficult to access.

Recent New8 series were cited as evidence of the model’s effectiveness. Maeda pointed to titles such as Queen of Fucking Everything, Other People’s Money [+see also:
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series profile], Kabul [+see also:
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series profile] and This Is Not a Murder Mystery (see the news) as examples of projects that have combined critical recognition with strong audience performance across multiple territories. In several cases, shows achieved high viewership on public broadcasters’ streaming platforms with limited marketing support, underlining the potential of targeted, distinctive content.

Marketing and distribution are now becoming a more explicit focus for the alliance. Vervloet and Gårdare explained that the broadcasters are working towards greater alignment not only on marketing strategies, but also on the sharing of promotional materials. While acknowledging the challenges of achieving visibility in a fragmented media landscape, they framed coordinated publishing as a key opportunity to maximise impact across Europe.

The discussion also addressed industry concerns voiced by producers regarding the potential market impact of New8, particularly in relation to Germany. Responding to questions about competition for limited slots and downward pressure on licence fees, Maeda stressed that New8 is neither exclusive nor a replacement for existing co-production models. Instead, she described it as one element within a broader ecosystem of European collaboration, alongside initiatives such as the European Alliance and bilateral partnerships.

Vervloet firmly rejected the notion that New8 undermines financing structures, arguing that the alliance was designed to be market-proof and sustainable. She cited This Is Not a Murder Mystery as a case study, a project that ultimately involved 21 financing partners, including Creative Europe – MEDIA and the CoE Pilot Programme for Series Co-Productions. While New8 played a crucial role from early development onwards, it functioned as a catalyst, rather than a closed system.

Looking ahead, the panellists expressed cautious optimism about the alliance’s longer-term effects on distribution and acquisitions. While budget cuts continue to limit purchasing power across Europe, there is hope that the New8 label will operate as a quality mark, encouraging broadcasters to acquire more European series beyond their domestic markets.

With the renewed agreement only recently signed, the alliance still has available slots for the coming years, and producers are encouraged to approach participating broadcasters with suitable projects. The session concluded with a preview of Death of a Horse, an upcoming Icelandic-German crime series developed within the New8 framework (see the news), presented as an example of how local specificity and international collaboration can coexist within European public service drama.