Family Drama (high-end)

Closing date 24/07/2017

Channel: M-Net 101, 19:30 weekday, weekly slot (PG)

Episodes: 10 x 48 min

References: This is Us,  Parenthood, Brothers and Sisters

Audience: Premium M-Net 101 audience, Primary: 25-45 age group

Language: An organic mixture of South African languages but the primary language is English (70% English ratio)

Editorial Guide: 

‘Family Drama’ makes audiences believe in the power of family and evokes a range of emotional responses from laughter and sadness to anger, empathy and curiosity. It deals with love, hate, abandonment, life, death and everything inbetween.

The M-Net 101 audience consumes mostly international content yet they want to see their  stories told in an authentic and realistic manner. The characters in the world of the story should reflect the audiences’ lived experiences but can be larger than life, providing a voyeuristic viewer experience. We are looking for emotionally sweeping and engagaing family sagas with unexpected plot twists such as the series ‘This is Us’ and ‘Parenthood’. The concept should be reflective of our audience’s daily lives while taking an exciting new angle with well-plotted storylines and rounded characters. Concepts should be over-arching and not stand-alone episodes with a definitive ending. The tone should be emotive, engaging and entertaining. The storylines and pace must have captivating tension that will keep the audience glued to the small screen. We are looking to push the boundaries of visual and visceral storytelling and create TV that is too good to miss. Adaptations of books will also be considered.

Creative Requirements:

• Must bring a rich understanding of the genre, adhering to the required pace and structure of storytelling.
• Must be willing to collaborate with an appointed foreign/local script doctor/producer of the broadcaster’s choice who will assist in the development and/or production of the series. 

Submission Requirements

• Brief synopsis of the concept and series including a Controlling Idea,
• Dramatic Question, Premise, Logline
• A statement of intent – why is this series / story important? Why do you think itshould it be produced?
• A clear and powerful world of the story
• Character biographies for the main characters including their traits, goals, needs and flaws as well an indication of relationships
• Character references - either visual or written are welcome
• A summary of the main characters’ arcs/journeys
• Proposals should be no longer than 50 pages
• Full script OR treatment of first episode.