This afternoon on the stage of the MIA | Mercato Internazionale dell’Audiovisivo, the conversation Drama Focus: Sky Studios brought together some of the most influential figures in the Italian industry alongside Nils Hartmann, Executive Vice President of Sky Studios Italy, to look back on over a decade of success and transformation that has redefined the landscape of Italian drama.
Moderated by Paolo Ciccarelli, Head of Drama at MIA, the panel offered an authentic and passionate discussion about Sky’s role in supporting creativity, experimentation, and the birth of new narrative languages.
During the conversation, Nils Hartmann highlighted how Sky’s editorial approach is increasingly data-driven, yet never at the expense of creative ideas: “There is a qualitative value in those who watch you, and today this value is measured through different types of data—and that’s how it should be. We must respond more carefully to marketing needs. However, we don’t work for a target: in the end, the idea always wins.”
Reflecting on the success and longevity of one of the audience’s favorite series, Carlo Degli Esposti, CEO and Founder of Palomar, emphasized how passion remains the key to keeping creativity alive: “With Barlume, we’ve managed to have fun for thirteen years—both writing and producing it. In this latest season, we completely reimagined the viewing experience, engaging the audience more than ever.”
Speaking about the value of complexity and the portrayal of female characters, Riccardo Tozzi, President and Founder of Cattleya, recalled the deep connection between Sky and the series Petra: “Petra is a complex female character—unlikeable, aggressive, with difficult relationships both in her personal life and at work. She’s a tangled figure, perfectly aligned with Sky’s identity.”
Another cornerstone of Sky’s legacy is Gomorra, one of the most iconic and groundbreaking series in Italian television. “In contemporary serial models, spin-off films are usually launched only once the series has ended. We were the first to release a film during the series—before the final season,” Tozzi explained. “The prequel to Gomorra, completely different even in its visual style, opened a new story and achieved immediate international success.”
Looking at the challenge of reviving an icon of Italian cinema, Sonia Rovai, CEO of Wildside, shared the extensive work behind Piedone: “The goal was to bring back an icon of Italian cinema, fully aware of the risks involved. The real challenge was to find the right balance—to make sure long-time fans didn’t feel betrayed, while also engaging a new generation of viewers.”
Finally, Matteo Rovere, CEO and Founder of Groenlandia, reflected on the relationship of trust and creative freedom built over time with Sky: “For us creators, Sky has been a real factory of ideas. Without Sky, the boundaries of creative thinking would have been much narrower.”
Speaking about the new series dedicated to 883, Rovere highlighted the importance of warmth and empathy in storytelling: “The writers managed to give the story real warmth, because today’s audiences are looking for empathy. Those songs, and the universal emotions they evoke, touch all of us—and in such a complex time, they offer a moment of serenity to those who watch.”
To conclude the event, it was announced that the MIA Market will appear in the upcoming season of the acclaimed series Call My Agent, produced by Sky Studios and Palomar, once again confirming the Market’s central role in the international audiovisual landscape and its ability to intertwine industrial reality with television imagination.
