A new report by the European Audiovisual Observatory uncovers important insights into the evolving role of adaptations in European audiovisual fiction. Titled Adaptations in audiovisual fiction production in Europe – 2023 figures, the report analyses adaptations in European audiovisual fiction production between 2015 and 2023.
Key Findings:
- Over 160 titles* and more than 1 400 hours of audiovisual fiction adaptations are produced in Europe each year.
- 14% of all audioviosual fiction works produced in Europe between 2015-2023 were adaptations.
- Compared to broadcasters, streamers rely more on adaptations. Between 2021 and 2023, their share of adaptations among their original fiction production was higher (20%) than that of private (15%) and public (11%) broadcasters.
- 88% of European TV and SVOD fiction adaptations are based on original works from Europe. More than half of them come from the United Kingdom (23%), Germany (17%), France (10%), and Spain (7%).
14% of all audiovisual fiction works produced in Europe between 2015 and 2023 were adaptations. A total of 1 524 TV films and TV series adaptations were produced in Europe between 2015 and 2023. As for timeline, the share of adaptations within the total European audiovisual fiction production remained stable between 2015 and 2023.
Compared to broadcasters, streamers rely more on adaptations
Between 2021 and 2023, their share of adaptations among their original fiction production was higher (20%) than that of private (15%) and public broadcasters (11%). ITV had the highest share of adaptations (39%) , followed by TF1 (29%), Atresmedia (26%), Comcast (24%), the BBC (24%), Netflix (23%) and Telefónica (22%), all of which had a share of adaptations of more than 20% of their audiovisual fiction works commissioned between 2015 and 2023.
Origin of European audiovisual fiction adaptations: Key Findings
Books and TV series account for 93% of original works for audiovisual fiction adaptations. Meanwhile, the number of book adaptations decreased by minus 13% from 2022 to 2023.
TV film adaptations are mostly based on books (86%), as are series adaptations with 13-episodes-or- less-per-season (76%). Series adaptations with 14 to 52 episodes are mostly based on other TV series.
British author Agatha Christie and Claudia Rossbacher lead the way with ten adaptations each between 2015 and 2023.
Half of audiovisual fiction adaptations produced in Europe are based on original works from the United Kingdom (23%), Germany (17%) and France (10%). Around one in ten (12%) of all audiovisual fiction adaptations produced in Europe are based on a work originating from outside Europe.
Non-European books account for 7%, while non-European TV series account for 27%.
Books: In four out of five cases, the country of origin is the same as the country of production (82%).
TV series: In nine out of ten cases, the country of origin is different from the country of production (92%).
More than two thirds of the books used in audiovisual fiction adaptations were first published after 2000 (68%).
Most TV series remakes (36%) take less than seven years to be broadcast for the first time and 68% take 12 years or less.
The Norwegian series SKAM and the British series Liar have the highest number of remakes in six European countries each.
The share of adaptations in audiovisual fiction co-productions is significantly higher than in non co- productions. Share of adaptations among audiovisual fiction co-productions and non-co-productions (2015-2023):
