New formats have always had to fight for space against the exploitation of proven IP, so what has prompted broadcasters to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in schemes to create new shows, asks Richard Middleton Formats are designed to be exploited again and again. This repeatability is baked into the essence of the industry, […]
A+E Networks International has greenlit its first scripted co-production with crime drama Miss Scarlet And The Duke. Richard Tulk-Hart, MD of international content sales and co-productions, unveiled the programme, which was revealed to be in development late last year, at the Series Mania drama festival in Lille, France. Created by Grantchester writer Rachael New, who will […]
The BBC has commissioned Simon Cowell’s (pictured) Syco Entertainment and FremantleMedia UK’s Thames to produce a new Saturday night dance talent show. The Greatest Dancer, an 8×60 entertainment series, will feature a host of talent from across the world of dance give the performances of their lives in the hopes to become the UK’s Greatest […]
UK pubcaster the BBC has appointed Jo Street to the newly created role of commissioning editor for entertainment and daytime, a cross-over title that includes development and commissioning for both teams. Entertainment and daytime recently worked together on the BBC Two early-peak quiz Letterbox with Mel Giedroyc. As a result it has created the new […]
BBC Studios has won the first competitive tender for a BBC series. The new-look production arm of UK pubcaster the BBC will produce the long-running gameshow A Question of Sport, which was one of three shows put out to tender. The BBC altered its production guidelines last year, removing in-house guarantees as part of a […]
Kate Phillips has been named as Mark Linsey’s replacement as controller, entertainment commissioning, at UK pubcaster the BBC. She takes the influential role at the UK pubcaster having been running formats at BBC Worldwide, joining the commercial arm of the BBC in late 2014. Phillps landed the new post after beating off competition from Alan […]
BBC Worldwide will launch its primetime driving-entertainment format The Getaway Car in Cannes next month. Worldwide, the commercial arm of UK pubcaster the BBC, will host a launch event at the market with Andy Rowe, the exec producer of the UK version of the show, talking to buyers and answering questions. The format was created […]
“Buyers have been looking for more than straightforward Q+A for some time; they want more escapist shows with more fun built in,” says one distribution boss, underlining the challenge of selling question and answer-based shows. Although Q+A lends itself very well to younger-skewing digital applications, buyers are wary quizzes skew old. One answer is to […]
BBC Worldwide has acquired scripts to the US version of BBC comedy The Office, and sold police drama Luther into Georgia as a format. BBCWW’s parent the BBC and comic Ricky Gervais launched The Office in 2001 before NBC remade it in the States with great success. The US series (pictured left) went for nine […]
The current batch of home renovation formats mirror the pared-down approach to home ownership in the post-recession. Jesse Whittock looks at how the genre continues building. Fitting a new kitchen, re-turfing the garden or completely renovating a home are stresses every home-owner identifies with. The reward when the job’s done is unique, and perhaps that’s […]
