UK Screenings: The Exclusive Guide

By Manori Ravindran 13th February 2019

This year marks the first time TBI has put our market-leading UK Screenings issue in print – a move that ought to tell you plenty about the growing prominence of the event, and what it means for distributors in our backyard.

ITV Studios Global Entertainment’s Ruth Berry nails it when she astutely points out that you can no longer “save your ‘ta-da!’ moment” in today’s TV climate: the conveyor belt of content stops for no one, and no market. Just look at the staggering £1.2bn in high-end TV production spend out of the UK in 2018.

As such, what began as BBC Studios’ dazzling charm offensive for international buyers has quickly become a must-do event for distributors big and small, with businesses now methodically speaking to one another to plan their own content showcases accordingly. (Check out our handy schedule for who’s doing what and when).

This year, international buyers will have their pick of premium offerings, with top titles including BBC Studios’ long-awaited Good Omens, Warner Bros. International Television Production’s World’s Best, Cineflix Rights’ Coroner and Passion Distribution’s Mums Make Porn just a few of the punchy titles sure to impress buyers.

Elsewhere in the issue, distributors such as DRG’s Richard Halliwell raise the alarm about the importance of effective marketing to cut through in a 496-scripted show universe, with Endemol Shine International’s Cathy Payne stressing how distributors need to care for content across a series run – not just prior to launch.

For now, a big welcome to all the buyers congregating in Liverpool and London this month, and best of luck to our friends in distribution. Happy Screenings from TBI.

Boom-time for high-end TV