Channel Five outlines ambitious production plans

British commercial broadcaster Channel Five will produce five shows per year following the launch of its inhouse production arm Channel 5 Productions, according to director of programmes Jeff Ford.

Separately, it has ordered a “real life Cracker” crime series called Killer Behind Bars.

The broadcaster announced the launch of its production division in January with two series in development; a cookery format Marco Pierre White’s Kitchen Wars and a clip based series fronted by the Jedward twins for digital net 5 Star.

Jeff Ford, speaking at a lunch organised by the Broadcasting Press Guild, said: “We’re launching the production arm in line with our competitors. We’ll do five shows per year, five is a good number.”

He added that it would look at a number of ad-funded programmes, working with the company’s commercial sales director Nick Brampton and that it is staffing up the division, hoping to increase it from its current development team of two people to up to six staff.

Ford added that it would to sell its shows internationally, working with a third party distributor and is eyeing international versions of White’s food format. “If you’re making programmes and own your own rights, you’ve got a distribution opportunity,” he said.