Sherlock creator Steven Moffat joins Barcelona Serielizados
Sherlock creator Steven Moffat will attend Serielizados – Barcelona Series Festival as its headline international guest, Variety reports exclusively. The Doctor Who showrunner, currently priming Number 10, will appear with producer Sue Vertue of Hartswood Films. The 2026 festival runs Oct. 19-28 in Barcelona.
Key Takeaways
- Steven Moffat is Serielizados' headline international guest for 2026.
- Producer Sue Vertue, CEO of Hartswood Films, will join him on stage.
- Moffat is currently priming the highly awaited British series Number 10.
- Serielizados runs Oct. 19-28, opening with In Vitro and closing with Episòdic.
- Festival attendance jumped 80% last year to 16,000 in-person visitors.
The booking puts one of British TV's defining voices front and center at a festival that mixes Catalan industry focus with major international premieres. For more streaming and TV alerts, BlasterPost follows festival lineups as they land.
Who is joining Sherlock creator Steven Moffat in Barcelona?
According to Variety, Moffat will be joined by Sue Vertue, producer of Mr. Bean, Sherlock and Number 10. Vertue is CEO of Hartswood Films, described as the U.K.'s longest-established scripted producer and the company behind the ITVX and ITV1 hit Douglas Is Cancelled.
ITV Studios majority acquired Hartswood Films in 2024. Serielizados has not yet said what Moffat and Vertue will discuss. Variety notes that if a prior Series Mania masterclass is any guide, the Barcelona session is likely to lean funny.
"Real life is funny – drama is a lie," Moffat has said, as quoted by Variety. "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."
When does Serielizados 2026 take place?
Serielizados – Barcelona Series Festival is scheduled for Oct. 19-28, 2026. Last year's in-person attendance rose 80% to 16,000, while the online edition hosted by SVOD service Filmin reached 194,000 viewers.
The industry arm, Serielizados Pro, has drawn executives from Nordic broadcasters SVT, DR and YLE, plus reps from BBC Studios, Arte France, Germany's Beta Film and Paris-based Slot Machine. On Oct. 21, the festival stages the second Mind the Gap project pitching showcase, expanded to 11 selected titles.
What else is on the Serielizados 2026 lineup?
The festival opens with In Vitro, backed by Catalan public broadcaster 3Cat and HBO Max and due this fall. Created by Marc Crehuet and Alejandra Guimerà, it follows Blanca, a 37-year-old biologist new to a fertility clinic. Beta Film holds international distribution rights.
It closes with Episòdic: El principi d'Arquimedes, a six-part anthology of 15-minute episodes made by 38 audiovisual students. Serielizados will also showcase Filmin Original Segunda Temporada, mark the 30th anniversary of 3Cat soap Nissaga de poder, and stage a live Literaturium de sèries comedy podcast edition.
The festival's new poster slogan is "An Eye for It," highlighting curation in a crowded TV landscape. Moffat's guest slot underlines Serielizados' push to pair Catalan titles with global creators who shape how series travel.