Steven Moffat booked as Barcelona series festival’s top international guest
The Sherlock creator and Doctor Who showrunner will join producer Sue Vertue at Serielizados, which runs Oct. 19-28 in Barcelona.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Steven Moffat is heading to Barcelona as the headline international guest at Serielizados, the Barcelona Series Festival, Variety reported.
The writer behind Sherlock and a former Doctor Who showrunner will appear alongside Sue Vertue, the producer of Mr. Bean, Sherlock and the upcoming Number 10. Vertue is also CEO of Hartswood Films, which Variety described as the U.K.’s longest-established scripted producer.
Hartswood Films, also behind the ITVX and ITV1 title Douglas Is Cancelled, was majority acquired by ITV Studios in 2024, according to the report.
Serielizados has not yet announced the subject of Moffat and Vertue’s Barcelona session. Variety pointed to their Series Mania masterclass as a possible clue to the tone, citing Moffat’s line: “Real life is funny – drama is a lie.”
At that event, Moffat also said, “You can’t be too funny, too sexy or too pretty. Always go for funny. Humor is truth on speed, that’s what it is. It’s insight with velocity.”
What is on the Serielizados slate
The 2026 edition of Serielizados runs Oct. 19-28 and will open with In Vitro, a series backed by Catalan public broadcaster 3Cat and HBO Max that is due to premiere this fall.
In Vitro was created by Marc Crehuet and Alejandra Guimerà, with Crehuet directing. The series follows Blanca, a 37-year-old biologist who starts work at a fertility clinic and faces the demands and risks affecting its clients, as well as her own life. Beta Film acquired international distribution rights before Series Mania, according to Variety.
The festival will close with Episòdic: El principi d’Arquimedes, a first-season experiment in the form of a six-part anthology. Each episode runs 15 minutes, and the project was made by 38 audiovisual students from universities, film schools and educational institutions.
The series adapts The Arquimedes Principle by Josep María Miró. Variety described the work as an alleged child-abuse drama that plays with audience prejudice and noted its status in Catalonia as a modern local classic.
Other programming includes Segunda Temporada, a Filmin Original created by Miguel Angel Blanca, whose previous work includes Autodefensa. The series centers on Paula, a former bestselling generational writer who, after writer’s block, ends up ghostwriting the biography of a former trap music star recently released from prison. It will compete in the festival’s national competition.
Serielizados will also mark the 30th anniversary of 3Cat daily soap Nissaga de poder and present Literaturium de séries, a live edition of a comedy podcast about fictional TV highlights of the year.
Industry side grows
Serielizados also announced the second edition of Mind the Gap, its project pitching showcase, set for Oct. 21 as part of Serielizados PRO.
The showcase has expanded to 11 selected titles. Submissions are open through Aug. 17, with eight projects chosen through the open call and three selected from winners at Germany’s Seriencamp Co-Production Pitch, Spain’s ECAM Forum and Iberseries & Platino Industria.
Variety reported that last year’s in-person attendance rose 80% to 16,000, while the online edition hosted by Filmin reached 194,000 viewers.
The festival has also released a poster carrying the slogan “An Eye for It,” which Serielizados said refers to its programmers’ role in selecting series for audiences from a crowded field.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.