EXCLUSIVE: Banijay Entertainment has made its move into microdrama, with a vertical video order in Finland and three others in Iberia.
Pubcaster YLE has ordered Survival Sisters, a 20-part mockumentary from Banijay Finland. Each five-minute episode will be produced in dual formats, 16:9 for YLE’s streaming service, YLE Areena, and 9:16 for the broadcaster’s social channels.
Known locally as Lottakoulu, the show is billed as a “a fast-paced, character-driven comedy set inside a fictional Homefront Academy, where young women are trained to be ‘good citizens’, prepared for any societal threat. Through interviews, classroom scenarios and escalating absurdity, the series explores the expectations placed on women, from national duty to upholding traditional values, all while navigating friendship, identity and the relentless pressure of modern, everyday life.”
In Spain, Banijay Iberia is developing three innovative short-form projects: F**cking Honeymoon, Fortu & Jazz, and an anime project.
F**cking Honeymoon is billed a story “where a perfect romantic escape unravels into chaos,” while Fortu & Jazz is a “contemporary” adaptation of classic Spanish literary IP in Fortu & Jazz. The series have been developed using a hybrid of live-action, anime-influenced visuals, and AI-supported creative tools, these projects leverage vertical framing and mobile-first production for snackable, high-impact 9:16 viewing.
This marks France-based production giant Banijay’s biggest move into vertical video, which continues to attract legacy players into the mix. The announcement came at Series Mania in Lille, where Banijay showcased its latest scripted slate, and Steve Matthews, Head of Scripted, is speaking on a microdrama apps panel. In Brazil, Banijay Americas subsidiaries Endemol Shine Brasil and A Fábrica have partnered to create a slate of vertical-format microdramas.
Minna Virkajärvi, executive producer at Banijay Finland said: “Banijay Finland is known for creating innovative, culturally-resonate, and often satirical drama and comedy, and Survival Sisters is a natural step as we expand into short-form and vertical formats.
“Younger audiences are shifting the way we consume content, and this commission reflects both Yle’s and our commitment to exploring new ways of delivering premium storytelling without compromising ambition or quality. Susanna Karttunen is an exciting new Finnish voice, and this show’s relevance and sharp satirical edge will resonate strongly with viewers.”
Teija Rantala, Yle’s Yle Chlidren’s and Youth Content Commissioner, added: “The theme of Survival Sisters hits close to home: The mood across Finland has grown uncertain, with young adults wondering what challenges their generation might be asked to face. With sharp, warm-hearted humour, the series asks what it means to be a good woman in a time of often overwhelming conversations – and above all, it liberates by making a difficult subject laugh-out-loud funny.”
Banijay Finland’s scripted slate includes the likes of crime titles lMurder in Hanko and Detective Maria Kallio; comedies such as Supporting Actor; YA dance drama Dance Brothers; and recently announced projects Queen Heist and The Good Widow.
Banijay Entertainment claims to be Europe’s number one studio in scripted, with over 60 labels producing over 100 titles annually. At Series Mania it has been showcasing the likes of A Woman of Substance, Falling, Half Man, Montmartre, Marie-Line Incognito, Wallander and Anatomy of a Moment.
