Keshet Tresor Fiction (KTF), Tresor and Keshet International’s German scripted production hub, has been commissioned to produce a five part comedy drama by German public broadcaster ARD.
Based on a Keshet Broadcasting and Yoav Gross Productions’ original format, How to Dad is a humorous and yet also emotional comedy series about fatherhood, an on-the-job learning experience for which there is no magic formula.
In Keshet Tresor Fiction’s 5x25’ German adaptation for ARD Degeto, How to Dad centers on four fathers randomly brought together by their preschool kids’ weekly ballet class. While their daughters practice their bar exercises and pliés in the studio, our mis-matched dads develop an unconventional discussion group that meets every Wednesday next door. Small talk and banter cover a multitude of topics, including upbringing, personal role models, modern couple concepts and annoying gender clichés. But this diverse quartet have one thing in common: an unexpected enthusiasm and ambition for dance that is ignited when ballet teacher Theresa announces there will be a father-daughter performance at the end of the course.
Directed by multiple award-winning director Jakob Lass, this heartwarming sitcom stars Helgi Schmid as smart influencer, Roman; Patrick Güldenberg as gay stay-at-home dad, Berti; Vladimir Burlakov as sporty start-up founder, Alexander; and Ugur Kaya as macho businessman, Sami; and the choreographer and actress Nikeata Thompson in the role of strict ballet teacher, Theresa.
KTF’s Director of Fiction Programs Christina Christ says, “Following the success of Unter Freunden Stirbt Man Nicht (You Don’t Die Among Friends), we are thrilled to be adapting another Israeli comedy drama for the German TV market – this time from Keshet and Yoav Gross Productions. Watching our fantastic ensemble cast of actors bring our dads to life on screen during filming has been a joyous process to watch. We can’t wait to deliver the show and see how audiences engage with Alexander, Berti, Roman and Sami in How to Dad on ARD Mediathek!”
How to Dad is a Keshet Tresor Fiction production on behalf of ARD Degeto for the ARD Mediathek. The scripts for the five-part series were written by Grimme Prize winner Richard Kropf and Anneke Janssen, based on the original Israeli format by Eran B.Y., Jonni Zicholtz, Omri Amit, Adar Meirom and Yoav Gross. The 5x25’ comedy drama is produced by KTF’s Christina Christ and Tresor’s Axel Kühn, while KTF’s Tina Hechinger acts as executive producer. ARD Content Development Fiction’s Carolin Haasis and Johannes Hauer are responsible for editing. How to Dad is produced exclusively for the ARD media library and format is distributed internationally by Keshet International.
This order follows the success of KTF’s German adaptation of Artza Productions’ Stockholm, known locally as Unter Freunden Stirbt Man Nicht (You Don’t Die Among Friends), which was commissioned by RTL for its streaming platform RTL+ Now and linear channel Vox and went on to win Best Scripted Format at 2021 International Format Awards.