Amsterdam-based distributor Lineup Industries is taking five original formats to Mipcom this month, with the European Broadcasting Union’s 2026 format of the year as the anchor.
Grannies was originally commissioned by Dutch public broadcaster Omroep Max and produced by Beeldbrigade. Now in its fourth season, it follows a group of older women as they discuss the modern world with a young co-host. Topics range from music, fashion and trends to Tinder and making a nude calendar. The format has already moved beyond linear TV into a podcast, TikTok and a book.
The supporting slate
The other four titles spread across comedy, identity, factual detective work and slow travel.
- Mission Europe (NRK, Norway): two comedians travel to lesser-visited or unconventional places across Europe, taking on improvised local challenges around serious social and geopolitical themes with humour.
- Self-made Sisters (8×25′, Fish to Fish Media for NPO): female executives from different cultural backgrounds share their daily lives; they connect through ambition but clash on faith, relationships, parenting and success.
- Forgotten War Albums: history experts act as detectives to identify an unknown Second World War soldier from a photo album; a third season has been commissioned by NPO2.
- Almost There (NPO1): a long-running, slow-paced series in which older travellers holiday together, each in their own caravan or motorhome.
What it means for buyers
For format buyers and entertainment marketers, this slate is a case study in packaging. Grannies gives Lineup an award credential that lowers perceived risk before a pitch meeting begins. Its podcast, TikTok and book extensions make the show feel current despite an older on-screen cast.
The rest of the slate is positioned to solve different commissioning needs: Mission Europe offers a comedy vehicle with serious themes; Self-made Sisters targets identity-driven ensemble audiences; Forgotten War Albums supplies factual heart; Almost There serves the slower travel lane.
The gap in the announcement is hard data: no sales figures or new commissions are disclosed beyond the existing renewals. The real conversion test will happen at Mipcom, where buyers will judge whether the Dutch social layer of Grannies can be adapted for their own markets.
Source: C21media
