EXCLUSIVE: After revealing insights into Sam Neill and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, The Meeting will reconvene on the ABC.
The unscripted present will return to Australia‘s pubcaster subsequent yr following its first seven-part season earlier this fall, with the information coming throughout a Deadline interview with Mark Fennessy at The Meeting producer Helium, who referred to as it a “uncommon jewel” and a “breakout hit of 2024.”
The present was tailored from French format Les Rencontres du Papotin, which launched on France 2, and featured a French President Emmanuel Macron and Name My Agent star Camille Cottin. It follows group of neurodivergent scholar journalists, as they put together for group interviews with a few of their nation’s greatest names.
A BBC model despatched Michael Sheen viral, and there have additionally been remakes in Denmark, Spain and Poland. The Australian model noticed Australian chief Albanese and Jurassic World Dominion star Neill each grilled by a gaggle of inquisitive younger journalists. “We’re delighted that the ABC has picked up the present for a second season for 2025,” stated Fennessy.
Elsewhere within the interview, Fennessy opened up about launching Sydney-based Helium three years in the past, speaking about why the indie has pushed into function movies via The First Exorcist, which we instructed you about a number of months again, and the way the corporate’s file label arm has helped to provide scripted drama collection akin to Paper Dolls, which we hear has was not too long ago picked up by Netflix in Australia.
‘Paper Dolls’
Tony Mott
“The altering ecosystem has introduced the proper alternative and timing for an modern, vibrant impartial label like Helium,” stated Fennessy, the previous Endemol Shine and Fremantle boss in Australia. “In a brief and comparatively unstable interval the corporate has grown quickly.
“What’s most pleasing is the expansion and success we’ve got skilled throughout each scripted and unscripted. We’ve created and produced a number of profitable scripted collection for streaming plaforms, coupled with unscripted collection’ for main broadcast networks – plus the youth tradition theatrically launched function movie 6 Festivals.”
In a large ranging interview, Fennessy additionally addressed whether or not Australia could be thought-about a manufacturing scorching spot, how rights agreements are evolving and the way working an indie solo differs from main consolidated corporations alongside his brother, Carl Fennessy, “a brief and comparatively unstable interval.”
DEADLINE: Helium has been working for 3 years now. What have been essentially the most surprising moments as a real impartial after working consolidated indies for years earlier than?
MARK FENNESSY: The altering ecosystem has introduced the proper alternative and timing for an modern, vibrant impartial label like Helium. In a brief and comparatively unstable interval, the corporate has grown quickly. What’s most pleasing is the expansion and success we’ve got skilled throughout each scripted and unscripted. We’ve created and produced a number of profitable scripted collection for streaming plaforms, coupled with unscripted collection’ for main broadcast networks – plus the youth tradition theatrically launched function movie 6 Festivals. We have now a number of new and distinctive scripted initiatives in fully-funded improvement with streaming platforms, and the not too long ago introduced function movie The First Exorcist – there’s nice momentum within the firm.
DEADLINE: Australia is being touted as a hotbed for manufacturing proper now, albeit throughout the context of world budgetary challenges. What’s your learn on the nation and its manufacturing sector?
MF: It’s been a difficult interval for the trade globally, however the Australian market continues to punch above its weight. There may be actually larger competitors for fewer commissions, however the temper is mostly considered one of optimism. There’s now lots of worldwide manufacturing flowing into the market given our beneficial rebates and tax credit, proficient crews and constant local weather, with Helium offering manufacturing providers on this area. English-language drama stays very enticing internationally, so Australian producers don’t simply produce for native audiences however for a lot bigger audiences within the U.S. and UK. Australia clearly nonetheless stays probably the most enticing areas to provide premium tv and movie.
DEADLINE: How has Helium tried to carve out its USP?
MF: Helium is a finely tuned, highly-motivated impartial producer – lean and muscular however excessive on creativity, tradition, manufacturing experience and expertise. We’re really impartial with the expertise and understanding of home and worldwide markets to efficiently cross style. With out the stress of quantity to satisfy scale, we’re selective and all the time premium-focused, guaranteeing what we produce reaches a world stage. We’re a manufacturing label throughout scripted, unscripted and factual/documentary – this locations us in a singular place in comparison with different corporations who solely sit in a type of lanes.
DEADLINE: Are you able to describe the way in which you’ve interacted with distributors? How do you attempt to preserve rights – and revenues – with Helium?
MF: We have now a wholesome relationship with a rising variety of home and worldwide distributors who’re all extremely engaged and impressed with the slate, eager to see what’s subsequent. Rights and revenues are all the time a by product of partnership with commissioners, rights holders, streaming companions and distributors. It’s in regards to the significant spirit of partnership and striving for a win-win. Nearly all of Australian broadcasters and a great deal of the streamers solely take home rights, which isn’t as widespread elsewhere on the planet, which means we retain worldwide rights to most of our exhibits, so working with the most effective distributors is essential to monetising them successfully.
DEADLINE: You ran Fremantle Australia and Endemol Shine Australia along with your brother, Carl. What’s it been like going solo and can you’re employed with him once more?
Angela Weiss / AFP
MF: We had unbelievable success working at least 4 corporations in Crackerjack, Shine, Fremantle and Endemol Shine – all good experiences. Carl is a brilliant expertise and we’re continuously in contact. We’re simply doing various things proper now which is wholesome for a change – a bit like taking a break from the band to do a solo mission. I’m loving the brand new expertise and staff at Helium, however you by no means say by no means.
DEADLINE: What have been the important thing Helium titles to this point and what’s effervescent on the slate? On the scripted facet there’s Final King of the Cross, now 18 episodes throughout two seasons, each of which have been the primary authentic on Paramount+; Paper Dolls, a few Nineteen Nineties lady band that has not too long ago been picked up by Netflix for Australia; and the function 6 Festivals. We have now three new scripted collection in totally funded, superior improvement with three streamers, plus The First Exorcist with Greg McLean and Emu Creek, and an additional two options within the works. On the unscripted facet there’s the vastly profitable The Meeting which has simply been renewed for a second season by the ABC; We Interrupt This Broadcast, Final Escape and the forthcoming particular occasion collection Australia’s Most Equivalent (Twins) for 9. We’re near saying new commissions in unscripted, together with our first premium factual doc movie – all coming quickly. Given the success to this point, I’m extremely excited with what’s within the improvement pipeline and what’s on the manufacturing slate.
‘Final King of the Cross’ Season 2
Joel Pratley
DEADLINE: How does the music label a part of what you are promoting slot in with the remainder of it?
MF: Music stays each a private ardour and a strategic industrial pillar of the corporate. We will function as each a file label, as we did on Paper Dolls with the ARIA-nominated authentic soundtrack, and a publishing firm in proudly owning and administering the rights in authentic compositions for our movie and tv content material — whether or not that’s rating or hit pop songs like in Paper Dolls. We even have some music-based documentary initiatives coming, which carry a horny industrial upside for the enterprise.
DEADLINE: You tailored the French format The Meeting for Australian audiences. Any extra plans alongside remake strains?
MF: Completely. All through my profession, I’m actually pleased with efficiently adapting and tremendous sizing quite a few codecs, along with my brother, Carl. The Meeting has been an instance of this and one of many breakout hits of 2024, and we’re delighted that the ABC has picked up the present for a second season for 2025. We’re all the time searching for these ‘uncommon jewels’ and have numerous profitable worldwide codecs below licence, so watch this area.
Anthony Albanese in ‘The Meeting’
ABC
DEADLINE: Do you could have U.S. illustration and can you look to work within the States, or deliver American companions to Australia?
MF: We’ve tended to be considerably agent-agnostic in working with totally different businesses on particular initiatives, which has served us nicely strategically as a real impartial. Extra not too long ago we’ve been working with Gersh. We’re presently exploring a number of alternatives within the U.S. and there are already present initiatives with U.S. companions on the slate.
DEADLINE: Any plans to promote fairness in Helium in the intervening time?
MF: Proper now, we’re closely centered on constructing the enterprise throughout premium scripted, unscripted and factual/documentary. One can see the benefit of expediting progress through a like-minded strategic companion, so if the best alternative is introduced with a companion who enhances what we’re doing and the place we wish to go, we’ll actually have these discussions and contemplate it.
