Show of the week: Meat & Greed

Asian content is becoming much more palatable for Western buyers, and, as such, is increasingly a staple in Western distributors’ catalogues. “There is lots of English-speaking programming being produced there,” says Andrea Gorfolova, president of Canadian sales house Tricon Films & TV.

The distributor has picked up rights to Meat & Greed, a celebratory food series from Singapore that has been airing on Mediacorp Channel 5 for a number of years. Gorfolova says it is “not just” English-speaking hosts that make the series a good choice for factual channels, but also because the subject matter is, well, tasty for broadcasters.

“Mediacorp has been producing lots of content in Asia, and has access to extraordinary talent, which helps the product to be high quality,” says Gorfolova. “Meat & Greed is a title we love because it’s a generally loved subject covered in a new way. It’s not unfamiliar, but it is a great, new way in.”

The show follows hosts who go to meet chefs and visit restaurants that offer incredible local meat dishes. Their travels take them everywhere from street market stalls to high-end restaurants. “A lot of Asian cuisine is very meat heavy, and this is all about breaking down stereotypes,” says Gorfolova.

That the presenters are millennials is important to sales pitch. “What we like about this type of Asian content is it focuses on the younger demographics, and that is something that more and more channels worldwide are trying to find,” says Gorfolova.

“The hosts are all in their twenties, which immediately adds interest, as the presentation is relatable. Generally, this is targeted towards any channels that have food or travel programming, or other similar channels,” she adds. “We have got several offers on the table already.”

The show: Meat & Greed
The producer: Mediacorp
The broadcaster: Mediacorp Channel 5 (Singapore)
The distributor: Tricon Films & Television
The concept: English-language food series celebrating the best meat dishes in Asia