Hanne Palmquist: “We try to find foreign partners for most of our long running dramas”

You’ve been just one year at SVT. What is your precise role, the current structure of SVT’s Drama department and overall budget?
Hanne Palmquist: On an annual basis our budget for Drama - which includes Swedish feature co-productions - is around SEK300 million. As Commissioning Editor for Drama and Feature Film, I’m part of the programme group that takes strategic and financial decisions with regards SVT’s overall programming both broadcast and web. 

We support around 20-25 feature films a year. I’m heading the film group that also consists of Agneta Perman who also handles international feature film acquisitions, Helena Åkerman, Head of Negotiations, Christian Wikander, Head of Drama and especially when we consider children’s films, Safa Safiyari, Head of the kids channel is very much in the loop.

Then as Commissioning Editor for Dramas produced or co-produced by SVT, I work closely with Christian Wikander who is now responsible for one big drama unit, covering both Stockholm and Gothenburg. I discuss the overall Drama strategy with Christian – amongst others. To make it real simple; on behalf of the programme group I give Christian slots and money for which we need specific content. Christian is responsible for the development budget, however when a production goes further, my job is to ensure the greenlight in the programme group.

What is the share of in-house and externally produced drama?
HP: It depends from year to year – some years we do a couple of titles other years none - we don’t have a big in-house drama department at SVT, which was the case before. We just find the best way to produce each title and the financing might also dictate the way the project is produced.

What are the various slots and genres that you work with?
HP: We have four slots for long-running serial dramas. For the spring/fall Monday slot at 21.00 we look for relationship and feel-good dramas, and we have the spring/fall Sunday slots at 21.00 dedicated to crime and suspense.

Then we have flagpole mini-series of 3x60’. In 2015 we’ll have four mini-series, but in 2016 we’ll slightly change our strategy and propose instead, with the same budget, three mini- series and 2x8x30’ comedies. We want to give the audience scripted comedy as well and the 30’ format is interesting for broadcasting and for the web.

How do you deal with the fact that today the 15-24 age group hardly watch any linear TV?
HP: On the web we have MVH TV which is a site targeting that age group. We also develop uniquely produced dramas for them, typically 8x15’ shows, one in the spring and one in the fall. For example the web exclusive Portkod 1525, follow up to Portkod 1321 produced by Eyeworks, is currently airing every Tuesday on MVH at 19.00. It’s running now and doing really well with about 150,000 unique visitors. 

In terms of financing, thanks to the Nordic noir wave, international distributors seem to be knocking at your door at an earlier stage…
HP: Yes it does happen more and more often. For instance ITV Studios came on board the thriller project Jordskott before the show was produced. They are also involved in Ängelby quite substantially and of course ZDF Enterprises has been collaborating with us a very long time. Recent titles they co-produce include the crime series The Team, Blue Eyes, Arne Dahl Season 2, The Bridge Season 3 and The Fourth Man [sequel to Death of a Pilgrim].

Mini-series tend to be produced within Scandinavia, but long-runners are definitely finding co-financing abroad. We try to find international partners for most of our long running dramas to maintain the volume and quality that we have now.

As former CEO of Nordisk Film & TV Fond, you have a clear view of film and TV collaborations within the Nordic region. Do you feel new types of partnerships are being developed or should be developed?
HP: There has always been a lot of collaboration within the Nordic region, but I think The Bridge has showed that there are new ways to collaborate successfully, with natural two country stories that bring complexity to the plot and widen the creative possibilities.

We also see that Norway is very active on the drama side, bringing quality drama and more volume. As a TV station it is very interesting to build on this on the long-term. Since Nordic TV drama is so strong, we can use this to create customer loyalty. For instance if at 21.00 on Monday we don’t have a Swedish drama, we can slice in a Norwegian or Danish TV drama and today that works really well and often Nordic drama is stronger than all other drama including US and British titles when it comes to size of audience. Based on that I find we should collaborate even more.

What can be done to sustain the high visibility and quality level of Nordic TV drama?
HP: Looking forward, I think there are several strategies that could be implemented. 

1- Simultaneous broadcasting across the Nordic region. This is already happening on quite a few high profile shows, but the concept  could be extended.
2- Increase talent swapping. Again, we’ve seen successful cross border talent swapping for instance with Pernilla August’s work on DR’s show The Legacy and with our own upcoming drama Viva Hate that has been lifted by Jens Lien’s visual sense. We need to encourage such artistic initiatives and make sure we offer attractive content to keep the best Nordic talents in our region.
3- Best practise evaluations. We could all benefit from learning from each other’s good-and bad- experiences.
4- Training. We have to keep an eye on the next generation and foster new writers, directors and producers.