The third edition of BossaNova Media’s successful Development Day initiative is taking place this week, convening buyers and producers to talk out projects, matchmake and get a clear sense of what commissioners are actually looking for.

“Development Day has been instrumental—it’s the key tool for how we built our slate,” says Tatiana Grinkevich, head of sales (alongside Holly Cowdery) of BossaNova Media, founded by Heaney and part of the Night Train Media group. “We had over 300 submissions this year.”

Grinkevich, Cowdery, acquisitions chief Claire Runham, Heaney and others on the team have been diligently reviewing every submission. “We need to be sure about every project that we bring onto the list,” Grinkevich says. “The number of submissions has doubled from the first year. But we’re still as careful in the way we approach the task, as always.”

The team at BossaNova has been firmly focused on tailoring its offering to meet buyers’ needs, continuing to roll out the types of shows the company has become known for: “History and mystery, tough jobs, blue light, etc.,” Grinkevich says.

On that front, Ancient Autopsy, with Professor Suzannah Lipscomb, leads off the MIPCOM highlights, with Grinkevich expecting several presales to be concluded by the time the team arrives in Cannes. Lipscomb uncovers the truth behind the deaths of four legendary ancient figures using cutting-edge digital technology, original sources and reconstructions.

BossaNova also likes to surprise, adding to its lineup the types of pieces that it has not historically been known for. Ahead of MIPCOM, the outfit expanded its slate of personality-led series. Martin Compston Living Las Vegas is one of the company’s signature launches. ”We need feel-good projects coming through, especially when we see so much darkness happening around us in the world,” Grinkevich says. “It’s a slightly different genre for us. It’s a travelogue-lifestyle, cross-genre hybrid.”

True crime remains a firm fixture of the BossaNova offering, with two high-end productions in that space this MIPCOM: Ed Gein: Original Psycho and Heist: Robbing the Bank of England. The former, available in time for Netflix’s drama about the notorious serial killer, delivers “cinematic use of AI,” Grinkevich says. “It’s true crime where it’s almost a drama. AI gives it this cinema-style feel to it.”

BossaNova has also been scaling its portfolio of long-running franchises, among them Borderforce USA, and has added a slate of Christmas documentaries to its lineup, among them Alpine Train at Christmas.“We’re always thinking, what else can we do?” Grinkevich says. “What’s the new angle? Every time, we’re surprised by our producers.”