France’s 2026 Series Mania posted one of its strongest editions yet in terms of the caliber of titles, and an urgent debate on how Europe should react to post-Peak TV
Kicking off with the world premiere of “The Handmaid’s Tale” sequel “The Testaments” no less, an intense Series Mania TV festival wrapped March 27 after eight days of often anticipated series screenings as well as a snap-shot of Disney+ and HBO Max’s ambitions for Europe and the differing ways in which Europe’s own industry is reacting to post-Peak TV.
With 5,200 delegates at the Series Mania Forum, its industry area, and 110,000 spectators, 2026’s edition did nothing to dent the status of Series Mania as Europe’s biggest and most important TV festival. That said, somebody could have done something about this year’s weather.
A baker’s dozen of takeaways from this year’s Series Mania, which ran March 20-27 in Lille, northern France.
Bright Star Burning Brighter: Chase Infiniti and ‘The Testaments’
Infiniti broke out in David E. Kelley’s 2024 “Presumed Innocent” and then of course captured global attention with “One Battle After Another.” One Golden Globe, two BAFTA nominations and a stunning Oscar red carpet appearance later, the Hulu/Disney+ “The Handmaid’s Tale” sequel “The Testaments” world premiered March 20 at Series Mania with Infiniti Chase its star. Variety caught the world premiere though reactions to the show are currently under Disney embargo. Creator Bruce Miller’s comments can be quoted, however. He has already likened Infiniti’s performance to watching Elisabeth Moss as June/Offred for the very first time. That’s the highest praise one could give. MB/JH
Disney+ Promises to Ramp Up Content Investment in Europe
In the biggest keynote at the Series Mania Forum, its industry platform, and in her first public appearance since being named last year head of content for Disney+ Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Angela Jain said Disney+ is “going to invest” across Europe “and there’s already evidence that we’re ramping up. Otherwise, I’d be sitting her making false promises.” Signs take in a Disney+ doc profiling Welsh soul singer Duffy, behind megahit “Mercy” in 2008 who subsequently suffered kidnapping and sexual assault, Spanish docuseries “Abandoned,” “Murder on Lake Garda” – an Italian “classic whodunit,” Jain said – and “The Strange Story of Gustav Maier,” a Turkish comedy featuring a 350-year-old vampire virgin. JH
HBO Max Moves Waves at Series Mania
And another bullish U.S. keynote: HBO Max Head of Original Content Sarah Aubrey moved waves not only drilling down on producing the “Harry Potter” series – a “lot of pressure,” a “financial investment we normally wouldn’t make” but “the world created is absolutely extraordinary.” Aubrey described recently taking influencers to the show’s set, recalling how some “burst into tears.” She also announced an exclusive TV first-look deal with Domingo Corral, when head of fiction at Spanish pay TV/SVOD Movistar Plus+ behind Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s “The New Years,” Alauda Ruiz de Azúa’s 2025 Series Mania top winner “Querer” and two-time Oscar nominee “Sirāt.” ES/JH
Buzz Titles: Poland Stands ‘Proud,’ BBC’s Triple Triumph
Two early 2026 BBC gems which had British newspaper The Guardian reaching for superlatives in reviews – prison drama “Waiting for the Out” from Dennis Kelly (“Together”) and Sister and Mackenzie Crook’s “Small Prophets” – swept respectively Series Mania’s main competition screenplay award and best series and actress (Lauren Patel) in International Panorama. That was always on the cards. Less so, the 2026 Grand Prix and actor (Ignacy Liss) win for Poland’s ‘Proud,’ about a young gay party animal suddenly forced to step up his game and take care of his sister’s baby. MB, JH
Churchill’s Spirit Floats Over Series Mania
“I can’t help but think that Europe, as a continent, has forgotten how to tell its own story,” said Council of Europe’s Secretary General Alain Berset in a rollicking speech Thursday anticipating the formal signing of a Convention set to plow moneys into TV series co-produced across Europe. So Berset told one story: “‘University of Zurich, 1946. Churchill goes to the podium and argues Europe has only one way forward: reconcile former enemies.’ This in not fiction and was how the Council of Europe was born.” Berset went onto argue for a “democratic” access to markets for Europe’s producers, “not access distorted by opaque algorithms and market forces that concentrate the power in the hands of the few. It’s a reason why we need to work more together.” JH
“While this year has seen an undeniable contraction in the sector, an unexpected benefit has emerged: Today’s series creation seems to be less about scale and more about accuracy,” said Laurence Herszberg and Frédéric Lavigne, Series Mania managing director and artistic director, in an introduction to Series Mania. “There are fewer epic narratives and more concentrated, sometimes harsh offerings, often directly connected to a world under tension. In the face of contemporary political, social, and ideological upheavals, series continue to play their role as sensitive seismographs, offering warnings, resistance, and possible escape routes.” They noted in particular how “the representation of authoritarian and fascist systems runs through many of the works in the program,” checking Belgium’s “Breendonk,” “The Anatomy of a Moment,” ”Etty” and of course “The Testaments.” JH
The Crunch: Where Europe’s Public Broadcasters Go Next
So what is happening in Europe? Its TV sector looks to be at a crossroads. Despite Berset’s oratory, one day later at Series Mania Disney+ announced an accord to
Source: variety.com