Chinese Producers Push Microdramas as Export Tool, Deepen U.K. Co-Production Ties

Chinese producers are treating microdramas — the ultra-short, vertical-video serials that have taken off domestically — as one of the industry's most promising export products, according to speakers at the "Chinese Drama Trends" panel at Mip London, the U.K. television market. Producer Bi Haibo was among those framing the format as a low-cost, fast-turnaround way to test international audiences before committing to longer-form co-productions.

Alongside the microdrama push, panelists pointed to a broader deepening of U.K.–China co-production ties, with British partners increasingly involved earlier in development rather than picking up finished Chinese shows for distribution after the fact.

The forum reflects a wider industry pattern: as domestic microdrama platforms mature, Chinese producers are looking overseas for growth, and Western markets — with their own appetite for cheap, algorithm-friendly short-form video — are proving a natural testing ground.

*Source: *Variety