Rose d’Or Winner Heads for USA
Munich, July 25 2005. SevenOne International, the worldwide distributor for ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, has sold the “Schiller Street” format rights to Fox Television Studios. The innovative German improv sitcom has long been a primetime highlight on Sat.1. Fox Television Studios intends to produce a version for the US, and local versions in Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand well as Canada.
“The sale of ‘Schiller Street’ to Fox Television Studios is a major coup for the German production industry,” emphasizes SevenOne International Managing Director Jens Richter. “The fact that the concept has been picked up by a U.S. production company shows its immense potential. We trust ‘Schiller Street’ will soon join the leagues of top international hits.”
The chief appeal of “Schiller Street” is the cast and their talent for improvisation. Working without a script or “safety net,” and building only on individual instructions from a director, an ensemble of comics creates scenes entirely on their own. The lightning-quick plot shifts and the ensemble’s hilarious off-the-cuff inspirations have proven to be a consistent draw for viewers.
With average shares of around 17 percent in the key demographic between the ages of 14 and 49, “Schiller Street,” now in its fourth season, has been a consistent success. The series also offers opportunities for ancillary rights, including games, mobile services, teletext, call TV and the Internet.
The concept has already won several TV industry awards, including the 2005 Rose d’Or – the top prize in European television.
With some 110 million TV households, the U.S. is the largest commercial TV market in the world. SevenOne International has also sold the comedy concept to buyers in France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, Romania, Hungary and Israel.