Press Release

MipCom, Cannes, France, 9.10.2001

European TV Fiction Production in Decline

The European Audiovisual Observatory, Strasbourg, publishes for the fifth consecutive year the report "EUROFICTION. Television Fiction in Europe".

• Production in the 5 main European TV markets diminishes in 2000
• Southern Europe catches up
• Comedy genre in decline
• More series, less TV Movies
• Erosion of national differences

Production volume in the 5 main European TV markets diminishes in 2000

Ever-rising production costs and the trend towards entertainment programmes, in particular reality and game shows, show their impact on the production of TV fiction in the year 2000. For the first time since 1996 all three main Eurofiction indictors (hourly volume, number of titles, number of episodes) for the level of television fiction programmes produced are in decline. In the five main European markets, Germany, the UK, France, Italy and Spain, the hourly volume produced in the year dropped by 3.9%, from 5786 hours in 1999 to 5564 in 2000. The number of new episodes produced dropped by 4.7% and the level of new titles produced - the only indicator already negative in 1999 - diminished by 5.3%. These figures seem to indicate that the status of fiction is tending to become somewhat blurred and marginalised compared to the position occupied throughout the 90's.

First run domestic TV fiction programmed by major networks
in the five biggest European TV markets in 2000

Southern Europe catches up

The relationship between "Northern" and Latin countries (and within the latter) in terms of national slices of the overall European cake, as far as domestic fiction is concerned, has significantly altered over the five-year period 1996-2000. Production capacities of TV fiction are better balanced throughout Europe in 2000. In 1996, two out of three hours of new European fiction were concentrated in the sum of German and British products, with Latin countries sharing the remaining third. In 2000, Germany and the United Kingdom together provided less than three hours out of five (56%); while the Spanish share - thanks in part to the inclusion of the Autonomous Community channels- doubled from 11 to 22%. France now stands equal (11%) to Italy which had in 1996 a productive capacity three times smaller.

Market share of domestic TV fiction production in five European countries

Source: Eurofiction

Comedy genre in decline

Compared to the abundance of comedy in the American TV schedules, this fiction genre shows scarcity and uneven distribution in Europe. This has not always been the case. In 1996 there was a clear distinction between the two "Northern" countries, on the one hand, and the Latin countries on the other, a distinction which might have seemed vaguely in tune with the stereotypical representations of respective national characters, more or less inclined to laughter. In Germany and the United Kingdom comedy was the least programmed genre of domestic fiction, coming well after drama and action/crime; in the other group of countries comedy came first (France) or second (Spain and Italy), with a relevant incidence of between 29% and 45% of the hourly volume. After four years this difference between north and south has been reduced. In 2000, comedy fell back everywhere to tail-end position, except in Spain; and even where it holds out better - as in Spanish and French fiction - it remains below 25% of programming.

Domestic First Run TV Fiction Programmes by Genres in 2000 (hours)

Source: Eurofiction

More series, less TV movies

The graph drawn in the five-year period 1996-2000 by the TV movie format is a falling one, whether one takes as indicators the absolute figures for the number of titles or the percentage values; 371 TV movies in 1996, 345 in 2000, with a peak of 410 in 1998 and a progressive fall in percentage terms from 49% to 43%, all countries considered.
The decline in TV movies is, in all probability, closely and directly linked to the increase in series - it is frequently the case that a TV movie is intended as a pilot exploring the potential of the concept's development as a serial - but the increased popularity of series is not the only factor in question. The capacity of serial fiction to attract mass audiences has been further reinforced in the last year, with the series format now more widespread than ever before in European television schedules. On an almost constant upward trend over the five-year period, series have gone from 224 titles in 1996, which at the time represented 29% of supply, to 293 in 2000, equivalent to 37% of the format range. Half of British fiction, three Spanish productions out of five and more than two French programmes out of five are series, to give just a few examples.
This quantitative analysis is backed up a qualitative approach: a comparison of the totals of the Top 20 most-watched episodes for each country over the last two years shows that fewer TV movies, and more series, are to be found among the successes in 2000. It is hardly surprising that the series format is forcing its way into the industry and schedules of the largest European countries: series build audience loyalty by means of the regular (usually weekly) recurrence of appointments; they guarantee a relatively extensive filling of scheduling spaces; they adapt both to prime time and to day time scheduling and can accomodate easily to a wide variety of narrative genres; finally, they can provide a large slice of successes.

Domestic First Run TV Fiction Programmes by Formats in the five biggest European TV markets 1996 - 2000 (in %)

Source: Eurofiction

Erosion of national differences

A process of relative unification of European fictionscapes has taken place or intensified during the five-year period 1996 to 2001. The increasing success of series, which is to be seen everywhere from Spain to Germany, is undoubtedly a factor of unification, albeit partial, of the five examined national landscapes of contemporary European fiction. Productive capacities, serial formulae, standard length of the episodes, genre breakdown, evolution of the police series, patterns of exploitation of domestic and foreign products: the similarities and the reciprocal influences between fiction production and scheduling in different European countries are numerous, and they understandably impose their evidence as new dynamics within European fiction.

"Eurofiction. Television Fiction in Europe. Report 2001" is produced by the EUROFICTION working group coordinated by the Foundation Hypercampo and published by the European Audiovisual Observatory, Strasbourg, France.

Established in Strasbourg in December 1992, the European Audiovisual Observatory is dedicated to gathering, processing and publishing information on the European audiovisual sector. A European public service organisation, it currently comprises 34 Member States and the European Union, which is represented by the European Commission. Created under the auspices of the Council of Europe, the Observatory works with various partners, relevant professional organisations and a network of correspondents. Its main activities are producing publications, databases and a comprehensive Internet site, and contributing to conferences.