Paprika Studios and Seefood TV Execs Talk Formats – and No, This Is (Mostly) Not About Cooking Shows

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Indeed, it seems like you might have initially thought these terms – Paprika, Seefood, and TV – were related to cooking shows or a misspelling of “seafood.” However, let me clarify that they are actually referring to the final session of the NATPE Budapest events schedule on Wednesday.

Shaping Tomorrow: How Smaller Creatives Can Make a Big Impact Globally”

Speakers for this session include Ákos Erdos, CEO of Paprika Studios Group based in Hungary, and Aleksander Herresthal, the chief content officer at Seefood TV from Norway.

The description reads: “While large franchises such as Survivor and Big Brother dominate global screens, it is emerging formats that are creating ripples and securing international adaptations that often originate from smaller yet highly creative players.

How do these businesses manage to thrive despite being surrounded by massive global streaming and technological titans?

Erdos highlighted that creativity is a key priority for his team at our 17-year-old global company, which operates in seven countries. He noted that while commissioners usually seek unique, never-before-seen content, they often express a conflicting desire for ideas that have already proven successful.

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The heartwarming dramedy titled “Tiger Daddy” has ventured beyond its Hungarian origins, with a Czech adaptation now available as well, it was pointed out. The series revolves around a single father who’s poured his entire life into nurturing three girls as their stepfather. With his daughters embarking on their own paths with partners, he decides, in the mindset of “50 is the new 30,” to embark on his own quest for companionship.

Erdos also praised the drama titled “Murderesses,” which revolves around a determined young community police officer on a mission to find her missing father. After a year, she embarks on an investigation into what appears to be an ordinary murder in a seedy bar, leading her into a perilous liaison with a teenage suspect. The head of Paprika noted that the show has been distributed uniquely. In Poland, Netflix is streaming it, and there are additional streaming agreements in countries like Japan, New Zealand, and others.

Erdos commented on the current market trends, stating that they are seeing an uptick in reality-based content. This appears to be a shift away from the previous emphasis on dramas. A few years back, he might have made a similar observation about fiction, but now it seems the tide is turning, and audiences are gravitating towards content that resonates with their real-life experiences,” said the CEO of Paprika.

In that context, he discussed the popular show “The Traitors,” one of today’s global sensations. “I am a huge fan of ‘The Traitors,'” Erdos stated. “Currently, we are producing it in Hungary and, interestingly, Romania as well, all at a single production site, which is quite exceptional.

Big reality shows with numerous episodes are increasingly losing their appeal among commissioners, as they no longer seem to be delivering the expected performance, Erdos contends. “Finding shows that can sustain a TV slot for 30 or 40 episodes is becoming quite challenging these days,” he adds.

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Simultaneously, Herresthal highlighted Seefood’s popular Norwegian reality show, titled “The Box”, on Wednesday. This program has been granted broadcast rights in countries like the UK, France, and Denmark. The series involves 12 famous personalities who are kept isolated in individual containers. When presented with unexpected challenges, their task is to figure out a course of action upon opening the box to complete the mission.

Among SeeFood’s other programs are shows such as “Celebrity Task Force”, where celebrities enlist in the military, relationship-themed formats like “Still Looking” and “Couples Therapy”, and “Santas in the Barn”, which is described as: “On the first day of December, 24 eager contestants enter a barn where they will live together as Santas for 24 days.

Regarding the preferences of consumers and commissioners in Norway, Herresthal didn’t hesitate to respond. “In Norway,” he explained, “the public craves reality shows featuring celebrities as competitors above all else.” He further added that this trend seems to be a global phenomenon, but it’s particularly strong in Norway. Interestingly, 70% of viewing in Norway is done through Video on Demand (VOD), which has significantly altered the media landscape and the types of formats that can thrive in Norway.

The executive went on to say: “We’ve discontinued talk shows, and our studio-based formats aren’t doing great either. Additionally, scripted content has been struggling since the streamers scaled back their investments in this area. That’s where we stand now.

For Seefod, it means returning to their core values. They’re motivated by passion and dedication, so their focus is on creating something they genuinely believe in. If the idea is strong enough, they can convince others too.

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2025-06-25 18:54