MTV eyes international scripted push

MTV is looking to ramp up the production of scripted drama across its international channels.

The broadcaster, which is owned and operated by Viacom International Media Networks, is eyeing the production of two or three projects over the next two years as well as a number of telenovelas.

This follows the success of female skewing comedy series Awkward, which is a co-commission with the international network’s US counterpart, and telenovelas including Ninas Mal (Bad Girls) and Popland.

David Booth, senior vice president, programming and content, Viacom International Media Networks, told TBIvision: “Having scripted is key; we’ve just gone out to the key production companies in the UK, US and Latin America, the All3Medias etc. We’re looking at 25 to 30 scripts and [following MIPCOM] we’ll take two or three for the tail end of 2013. We’ll also do two to three novelas per year.”

He added that the network is looking at left-field ideas. “I’d be stupid not to look left-field. If you just go back to the MTV successes in the past like Beavis & Butthead – no one expected them to be the voice of a generation or The Osbournes – no one expected an old heavy metal singer to be the face of MTV,” he added.