DEADLINE speaks to Mark Fennessy about The Assembly and unscripted TV

From Deadline:

The unscripted show will return to Australia‘s pubcaster next year following its first seven-part season earlier this fall. The news came during a Deadline interview with Mark Fennessy at The Assembly producer Helium, who called it a “rare jewel” and a “breakout hit of 2024.”

The show was adapted from French format Les Rencontres du Papotin, which launched on France 2, and featured a French President Emmanuel Macron and Call My Agent star Camille Cottin. It follows group of neurodivergent student journalists, as they prepare for group interviews with some of their nation’s biggest names.

A BBC version sent Michael Sheen viral, and there have also been remakes in Denmark, Spain and Poland. The Australian version saw Australian leader Albanese and Jurassic World Dominion star Neill both grilled by a group of inquisitive young journalists. “We are delighted that the ABC has picked up the show for a second season for 2025,” said Fennessy.

Elsewhere in the interview, Fennessy opened up about launching Sydney-based Helium three years ago, talking about why the indie has pushed into feature films through The First Exorcist, which we told you about a few months back, and how the company’s record label arm has helped to produce scripted drama series such as Paper Dolls, which was recently picked up by Netflix in Australia.

“The changing ecosystem has presented the perfect opportunity and timing for an innovative, vibrant independent label like Helium,” said Fennessy, the former Endemol Shine and Fremantle boss in Australia. “In a short and relatively volatile period the company has grown rapidly.

“What’s most pleasing is the growth and success we have experienced across both scripted and unscripted. We’ve created and produced multiple successful scripted series for streaming plaforms, coupled with unscripted series’ for major broadcast networks – plus the youth culture theatrically released feature film 6 Festivals.”

In a wide ranging interview, Fennessy also addressed whether Australia can be considered a production hot spot, how rights agreements are evolving and how running an indie solo differs from leading consolidated companies alongside his brother, Carl Fennessy, “a short and relatively volatile period.”

DEADLINE: Helium has been operating for three years now. What have been the most unexpected moments as a true independent after running consolidated indies for years before? 

MARK FENNESSY: The changing ecosystem has presented the perfect opportunity and timing for an innovative, vibrant independent label like Helium. In a short and relatively volatile period, the company has grown rapidly. What’s most pleasing is the growth and success we have experienced across both scripted and unscripted. We’ve created and produced multiple successful scripted series for streaming plaforms, coupled with unscripted series’ for major broadcast networks – plus the youth culture theatrically released feature film 6 Festivals. We have multiple new and unique scripted projects in fully-funded development with streaming platforms, and the recently announced feature film The First Exorcist – there is great momentum in the company.

DEADLINE: Australia is being touted as a hotbed for production right now, albeit within the context of global budgetary challenges. What’s your read on the country and its production sector?

MF: It’s been a challenging period for the industry globally, but the Australian market continues to punch above its weight. There is certainly greater competition for fewer commissions, but the mood is generally one of optimism. There’s now a lot of international production flowing into the market given our favourable rebates and tax credits, talented crews and consistent climate, with Helium providing production services in this space. English-language drama remains very attractive internationally, so Australian producers don’t just produce for local audiences but for much larger audiences in the U.S. and UK. Australia clearly still remains one of the most attractive locations to produce premium television and film.

DEADLINE: How has Helium tried to carve out its USP?

MF: Helium is a finely tuned, highly-motivated independent producer – lean and muscular but high on creativity, culture, production expertise and talent. We’re truly independent with the experience and understanding of domestic and international markets to successfully cross genre. Without the pressure of volume to meet scale, we’re selective and always premium-focused, ensuring what we produce reaches a global stage. We are a production label across scripted, unscripted and factual/documentary – this places us in a unique position compared to other companies who only sit in one of those lanes.

DEADLINE: Can you describe the way you’ve interacted with distributors? How do you try to keep rights – and revenues – with Helium? 

MF: We have a healthy relationship with a growing number of domestic and international distributors who are all highly engaged and impressed with the slate, wanting to see what’s next. Rights and revenues are always a by product of partnership with commissioners, rights holders, streaming partners and distributors. It’s about the meaningful spirit of partnership and striving for a win-win. The majority of Australian broadcasters and a good deal of the streamers only take domestic rights, which is not as common elsewhere in the world, meaning we retain international rights to most of our shows, so working with the best distributors is key to monetising them effectively.

DEADLINE: You ran Fremantle Australia and Endemol Shine Australia with your brother, Carl. What’s it been like going solo and will you work with him again?

MF: We had incredible success running no less than four companies in Crackerjack, Shine, Fremantle and Endemol Shine – all brilliant experiences. Carl is a super talent and we’re constantly in touch. We’re just doing different things right now which is healthy for a change – a bit like taking a break from the band to do a solo project. I’m loving the new experience and team at Helium, but you never say never.

DEADLINE: What have been the key Helium titles to date and what is bubbling on the slate? 

MF: On the scripted side there’s Last King of the Cross, now 18 episodes across two seasons, both of which have been the number one original on Paramount+; Paper Dolls, about a 1990s girl band that has recently been picked up by Netflix for Australia; and the feature 6 Festivals. We have three new scripted series in fully funded, advanced development with three streamers, plus The First Exorcist with Greg McLean and Emu Creek, and a further two features in the works. On the unscripted side there’s the hugely successful The Assembly which has just been renewed for a second season by the ABC; We Interrupt This Broadcast, Ultimate Escape and the forthcoming special event series Australia’s Most Identical (Twins) for Nine. We’re close to announcing new commissions in unscripted, along with our first premium factual doc film – all coming soon. Given the success to date, I’m incredibly excited with what’s in the development pipeline and what’s on the production slate. 

DEADLINE: How does the music label part of your business fit in with the rest of it?

MF: Music remains both a personal passion and a strategic commercial pillar of the company. We can operate as both a record label, as we did on Paper Dollswith the ARIA-nominated original soundtrack, and a publishing company in owning and administering the rights in original compositions for our film and television content — whether that’s score or hit pop songs like in Paper Dolls. We also have some music-based documentary projects coming, which carry an attractive commercial upside for the business.

DEADLINE: You adapted the French format The Assembly for Australian audiences. Any more plans along remake lines?

MF: Absolutely. Throughout my career, I’m really proud of successfully adapting and super sizing numerous formats, together with my brother, Carl. The Assembly has been an example of this and one of the breakout hits of 2024, and we are delighted that the ABC has picked up the show for a second season for 2025. We’re always looking for those ‘rare jewels’ and have a number of successful international formats under licence, so watch this space.

DEADLINE: Do you have U.S. representation and will you look to work in the States, or bring American partners to Australia?

MF: We’ve tended to be somewhat agent-agnostic in working with different agencies on specific projects, which has served us well strategically as a true independent. More recently we’ve been working with Gersh. We’re presently exploring several opportunities in the U.S. and there are already existing projects with U.S. partners on the slate.

DEADLINE: Any plans to sell equity in Helium at the moment? 

MF: Right now, we’re heavily focused on building the business across premium scripted, unscripted and factual/documentary. One can see the advantage of expediting growth via a like-minded strategic partner, so if the right opportunity is presented with a partner who complements what we are doing and where we want to go, we’ll certainly have those discussions and consider it.