TBI Weekly: How to remain afloat despite churning unscripted waters

Building Bad (Source: Shark Teeth, US Coastguard)

TV’s unscripted sector is facing unprecedented pressure around the world as commissioners shift strategies. But as Tom Mudd, co-founder at Toronto’s Shark Teeth Film explains, there are workarounds that can open up new opportunities.

It’s no exaggeration to say that a combination of Covid-19 and cutbacks could have killed our thriving unscripted production business. After a decade of growth, this double whammy of disruptive factors stopped Shark Teeth’s output in its tracks.

The good news is that we have come out of this tough period much stronger. By embracing new financing models for our shows, we have transformed Shark Teeth Films from a work for hire producer into an IP-owning studio. At the same time, we have cracked the code for producing robust and returnable docuseries franchises.

So what happened?

Based in Toronto, Shark Teeth Films spent the first decade of its existence developing series and scoring big commissions for US cable networks. By focusing on premium, access driven docuseries we built up a robust base of US channel partners including Discovery Science, Animal Planet, Food Network and Travel Channel.

But alarm bells started ringing when Discovery Science put a hold on renewals which included season three of Secrets In The Ice.

A well-constructed series with a strong editorial premise, the series had sold very well around the world and spawned a spin-off called Secrets In The Jungle. So when the renewal call didn’t come, we knew we were in a fight for our lives.

LR: Shark Teeth co-founders Adrian Carter & Tom Mudd

The solution, as it turned out, lay with the global market.

Canadian producers have always enjoyed success internationally – in part because of the quality of our output but also because of the ‘soft finance’ that our participation in co-productions unlocks.

At Shark Teeth Films, we hadn’t invested much time and energy into this model because of our success in the US. But when that pool dried up, we pivoted rapidly.

The key thing we discovered was that – during our own expansion as a production company – a dynamic cohort of muscular distributors had emerged. Based both in Canada and internationally, they were willing to ‘commission’ Canadian content on the basis of sales projections and their own well-honed editorial instincts.

How distribution can unlock value

The first case in point was when we got into discussions with Boat Rocker Rights about Secrets In The Ice. As our distribution partner for this series, they kept being asked by our international buyers when season three was coming.

When we told them that Discovery Science still didn’t have plans to renew, they decided to greenlight the show themselves.

We haven’t looked back since. This distributor-led model has developed from a tactical funding solution into a blueprint for international growth. In April 2024, Boat Rocker committed to season four of Secrets In The Ice and two new series: Discovered By Disaster and Secrets In The Dark, the latest addition to our expanding Secrets In… franchise.

We have also cemented an ongoing relationship with another world-class Canadian-originated company Cineflix Rights. Just recently we announced a new series called Building Bad that is now in production for a fall delivery. Mysterious Islands – produced in 2023 – marked our first collaboration with Cineflix and an exciting global deal on a major platform has recently been made, which will be announced soon.

The beauty of this model is not just that it provides us with privileged access to buyers – but it is also fast, allowing us to get ideas into production and deliver episodes much more rapidly than the traditional model. As noted above, it also means we are expanding our catalogue by holding on to more rights.

Furthermore, there is a large pool of these distributor-commissioners in the global market, many with different specialties. We have, for example, worked with Banijay and Off The Fence in the past.

This is encouraging us to think beyond the history-mystery series that have been Shark Teeth’s sweet spot. Building Bad, for example, looks at the ingenuity of criminals and hits the sweet spot between true crime, engineering and history.

One question that producers might ask is whether our commercial pivot also required a creative pivot. Intriguingly the answer is no. The kind of high volume factual series we were making for US channels have always been in demand by international buyers, so there has been little change in our editorial approach.

Perhaps one difference is that the new model enables us to spend more time backing ideas we believe in. Instead of the ‘pitch and pass’ merry-go-round that we had become used to, we are able to push a little harder with ideas we believe in – because the nature of the producer-distributor relationship is more collaborative.

That said, this model only works if you listen to the invaluable market intelligence coming back from distributors. At the end of the day, this business is about getting shows sold.

The distributor-led model has undoubtedly given Shark Teeth Films a new lease on life. But we still develop projects daily for the streamers and the US market. As and when that market settles down, we look forward to combining our passions for both full commissions and our own IP.

Tom Mudd is co-founder of Toronto-based production firm Shark Teeth Films.