Hot Picks: The Kollective

The Kollective is not just a gripping thriller about a group of young people trying to get to the truth of their friend’s death, it is a “truly global” story, according to A+E Networks group managing director, international, Patrick Vien.

The six-part series from Dutch label Submarine – owned by French media group Mediawan – is inspired by the indie’s 2018 documentary Bellingcat: Truth In A Post-Truth World.

The drama centres on a group of young civilian journalists – known as The Kollective – who embark on a mission to find out the truth after their friend is murdered following the mysterious crash of a civilian aircraft. As their quest continues, they expose an international web of lies and corruption, and learn just how far they are prepared to go in the name of friendship.

Vien says the drama is “extremely relevant” to what is unfolding globally, with a cast that includes Natascha McElhone (Californication), Céline Buckens (The Ex-Wife), Felix Mayr (Unorthodox), Gregg Sulkin (World On Fire) and Grégory Montel (Call My Agent).

“When you think about what’s going on in the world, the concept of true, pure, intrepid and dangerous journalism makes for an incredibly exciting thriller,” Vien says.

“It’s a group of young characters who have taken on the responsibility of bringing truth to the world. Never have we lived in a time where that is more important.”

The show was ordered by the European Alliance (France Télévisions, Italy’s Rai Fiction and ZDF in Germany), with Hulu and Dutch SVoD Videoland later boarding the project.

“A+E looks for projects that really tell international stories, with the potential to reach global audiences, and that’s a very tough box to tick” 

As well as a being a co-financer of the drama, A+E is handling worldwide distribution. Buoyed by the backing of Hulu and the European broadcasters, Vien anticipates demand for The Kollective in English-speaking territories, as well as Spain and the Nordics.

“A+E looks for projects that really tell international stories, with the potential to reach global audiences, and that’s a very tough box to tick,” he explains, adding that global hit shows are often local shows that struck a chord with audiences outside their immediate bubble.

The Kollective, however, was always conceived as an international project, and takes place all over the globe.

“It is shot on multiple continents and tells a truly international story,” Vien says. “As a distributor and co-producer, we try to bring projects to market that people in Latin America, Asia and across Europe, Canada and the US will be excited about.”

The Kollective is a high-profile addition to A+E’s scripted catalogue and offers something to a “premium mainstream” audience, Vien says.

“There’s a tremendous amount of very heightened scripted television out there in various genres, and I always felt that there was this broader audience that wasn’t necessarily being served,” he adds. “The Kollective satisfies the premium expectations of some viewers but, because of the nature of the story and how it is executed, it is capable of reaching really broad audiences.”