The adaptations business is alive and well at MIPCOM, the international television market, running Oct. 21-24 in Cannes, with new local versions of hit procedurals Monk and Doctor Foster in the works.
Banijay Asia and Disney+ Hotstar have unveiled an Indian adaptation of Monk, NBCUniversal’s iconic comedy crime detective series, while BBC Studios Global Entertainment has revealed a new Greek adaptation of its award-winning drama Doctor Foster.
The Indian Monk marks the first Asian adaptation of the series, the original of which starred Tony Shalhoub and ran for eight seasons on USA Network, and only the second worldwide, following a Turkish version. The series will stream exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar and Hulu.
Deepak Dhar, CEO of Banijay Asia, said he was confident the adaptation will resonate with Indian audiences, pointing to Banijay Asia’s previous successful adaptations of The Good Wife and The Night Manager.
In another major adaptation deal, BBC Studios Global Entertainment revealed it had signed format license deals for a Greek adaptation of its award-winning drama Doctor Foster. The British version of the psychological thriller stars Suranne Jones as Gemma Foster, a doctor who suspects her husband Simon (Bertie Carvel) is having an affair. The series has already been adapted in more than a dozen international territories worldwide.
The Greek version of Doctor Foster, titled Paihnidia Ekdikisis (Revenge Games), will star Marilita Lambropoulou and Nikos Kouris and will premiere on ANT1 TV and ANT1+ in Spring 2025. BBC Studios also announced a Greek version of its comedy series Ghosts, to be adapted by Tanweer Productions for Star Channel.