INTERMEDIATE: Samuel Kissous’s journey from French documentaries to British TV characters starring David Suchet and Joanna Scanlan is not a traditional one, but he insists that his work has always had a perfect line.
Kissous’ production outfit Pernel Media is a rare breed to have its HQ outside of Britain but is now one of Paramount UK network 5’s trusted drama suppliers. As traditional UK drama indies close their doors amid the downturn, Pernel is on a bit of a roll. Next week, Kissous will sit down with other theater producers such as Mike Benson of Clapperboard, another reliable Paramount UK listed supplier, to speak on a Series Mania panel titled “Producing less without losing quality. Anyone?”
For Kissous, it all started when he was a commissioner at the French radio station M6, amazed by the power of the British-made format as it worked on all the French versions. Who do you think You Are? again Jamie’s kitchen.
“I saw that part of our formats [at M6] they come from the UK, most of them from Channel 4,” he tells us.
Witnessing up close how these formats go from one idea to another has helped him hone his approach.
“I worked with a guy who used to say, ‘There’s only one rule that says there is no rule’,” he adds. “I thought being appointed to M6 would be a reasonable plan, but five years at this station taught me how absurd it was. No one has a perfect idea of how things should be done, which means that a good idea can come from anyone and there is never one way to do something.”
Kissous has carried this energy from his journey as a commissioner to running an authentic French company that produces shows with themes such as The rise and fall of the Incas again The Secret Gardens of Pompeiiwho now spends most of his time in the UK looking for written opportunities.
Following several lengthy brainstorming sessions between Kissous and the UK’s most respected commissioner Seb Cardwell, Pernel was 5 years behind. Au Pair last year featured Agatha Christie legend Suchet in her first TV role in six years Lupin’s Ludmilla Makowski. Pernel was busy making preparations for the year Missed the call, and for 5, a French-set thriller starring BAFTA-winner Scanlan and Rupert Graves. Upcoming is a third British scripted series and two other projects in development with British broadcasters, Kissous tells us, without divulging further details.
‘Bridgerton’ is fun
‘Bridgerton’
Liam Daniel/Netflix
Like his Clappeboard colleague Benson, who came from the world of reality, Kissous takes a simple, non-script-led approach to almost everything he does, moving at breakneck speed to secure broadcasts and locations and monetization opportunities (You Missed the Call backed by distributor ITV Studios and co-produced by France’s TF1) wherever he goes.
“What is common among all my programs is that they are designed to work around the world,” said Kissous. “I’m passionate about acting, since I come from reality, maybe I don’t know the rules [of scripted]so you make your own rules.”
You use it Missed calls The setting of a French village and a mix of French and English actors exemplified this development, a decision he believes was important in bringing TF1, which “doesn’t often get a British series,” on board. The show follows a single British mother (Scanlan) whose daughter disappears while on a school exchange trip, shortly after trying to call her mother late at night. Despite the indifference of the local authorities and the family in charge, Sarah continues to search for her daughter in a dangerous race against time.
Kissous wants to do what he says”Bridgerton Thrillers,” shows that includes “crimes and dark secrets but they take place under the beautiful sun and beautiful places.” He adds: “I am passionate about adding light and color to the projects we do.
Kissous thinks some British drama companies haven’t moved with the times enough to understand that financing TV is becoming more and more like indie movies. “They don’t fully understand how much work needs to be done to get this done properly,” he adds. “It takes a lot of time and resources. To budget properly you need a clear vision of the project but most of the time you don’t even have a script. You need to be open to filming in different countries.”
Kissous is therefore a leading proponent of an enhanced UK TV tax credit, saying he “doesn’t understand why there is a limit. [of £1M per hour] before you can access” discount.
Although a Frenchman working in a sea of British theater producers may be moving on, Kissous has had an international tour, working mainly in LA and London, as well as in France, down the decades. He has been meeting a lot with agents and writers in London over the past few months, looking for projects with an “international bent.”
The “absolute” priority going forward is “growing our British written slate,” he says. Above all else, Kissous will continue to live by that one important rule.
