ZDF Enterprises, the sales, production and distribution arm of Germany's pubcaster ZDF, is eagerly looking forward to the start of MIPCOM, the trade fair for audiovisual content being held in Cannes from 5 to 8 October. Buyers from all over the world are preparing their wish lists of brand-new projects that promise top ratings in a variety of formats.

Leading the way of ZDFE.drama’s line-up is an utterly spellbinding young Scandinavian actress, Sofia Helin, who reprises for the third season now her virtuoso interpretation of Inspector Saga Norén in Bron | Broen (The Bridge 1 x 60' or 5 x 110' + 1st & 2nd Season 10 x 60' or 5 x 110' each). Bron | Broen has been sold to over 160 countries all over the world, has won numerous international awards and was among others also nominated for a BAFTA.

Another Scandinavian thriller in the ZDFE.drama collection is the suspense-laden The Fourth Man (3 x 60'), which revisits the 1975 terrorist attack on the West-German embassy. New suspects have been added to the file, and Lars Johansson, Chief of the Swedish Security Police, is setting up a task force when the Prime Minister orders him to check up on Helena Stein instead, a lawyer and politician admired for her high moral standards. But the deeper he digs, the more Stein's involvement seems undeniable.

A timely series that will not fail to move viewers everywhere is Wataha (6 x 60'), another "bridge" between two worlds. At the Polish-Ukrainian border in the Bieszczady Mountains, a bomb attack kills officers from a Border Guard unit. Only one of them survives, Captain Rebrow, who loses his friends and his girlfriend in the attack. Devastated, he tries to get to the bottom of the assault and find out who is the mastermind behind the bombing. Wataha is a link between heaven and hell, rather than between two civilized nations.

On a lighter note, ZDFE.entertainment has come up with a sensational idea: board games adapted to TV! The Game Begins (180') presents ten games per show, ranging from classics to brand-new ones, games sure to keep the whole family glued to their seats. The premise involves pitting a team of celebrities against a team of children. The kids have to stay up for this!

Also generating great interest is Quiz Champion (150'), Germany's most difficult quiz. Whoever wins a quarter of a million euros is the one who does better than the experts in the major fields of general knowledge.

Another superlative: ZDFE.entertainment not only offers Germany's toughest quiz, it also has the first reality show in the world, Crime watch XY (90'). In each episode, five or six unsolved criminal cases are presented in the form of ten-minute film reconstructions. It's one of the most successful TV formats on German television. and an important tool in the fight against criminality.

Heading this fall's highlights from ZDFE.factual is an absorbing program about the connections between climate and history: How climate made history (2 x 50'). This ground-breaking two-parter takes a fresh look at its complex topic and explains how major historical events such as wars and battles were affected by climatic phenomena – a topic that has largely been overlooked until now.

From sensational how-did-they-do-that feats to don't-try-this-at-home adventures: Human Limits, which features some jaw-dropping achievements that aren't the results of magicians but are due to enormous strength, a trained mind and incredible willpower. They're normal people who have chosen to explore Human Limits. Finally, The Secret Garden (2 x 50') introduces viewers to a world of beguiling plants, herbs, flowers and animals that often go unnoticed in our backyards!

ZDFE.junior, the Home of Mermaids , proudly presents another addition to its collection of phenomenal animated and live action series revolving around mermaids. Standing in for the latest live-action programs are Mako Mermaids (total of 68 x 26' + 3 x 90') with a brand-new third season now ready for delivery. The success story around the magical mermaid island now continues with the peaceful lives of the mermaids being turned upside down when a merman develops a connection with the island that poses a threat to their existence. New mermaids and mermen are met along the way, and some are even created!

Sometimes the smallest can be the biggest – this is the lesson young children will take with them after each episode of Coconut the little dragon (104 x 12'). The cuddly and colorful heroes of this animated series engage in adventures that preschoolers know from their own lives. Another asset of this series is its timeless and universal animation. Coconut the little dragon already is a famous children’s book character with more than 6 million books sold worldwide.

Animated and internationally popular children's books such as Four and a half Friends (26 x 26') are particularly interesting to broadcasters. Charly and his friends love solving mysteries while facing the challenges of growing up. This unlikely group of junior detectives – and their dog – will stop at nothing to find and solve cases they uncover in and around their hometown.