Edinburgh - what's in it for Plymouth?

 

Being at the Edinburgh TV Festival is a bit like being at Live 8. For three days in August, you get to see all the stars performing together in one place.  This year we even had the music, as some of the big wigs of the TV business put on even bigger wigs to perform in a Stars In Their Eyes special. Skys Richard Wolfe was dreadfully funny as Freddie Murcury. The editor of Newsnight was Elvis Costello. Wall To Walls chief Alex Graham won the show as Joe Cocker.

 

But unlike the charitable spirit of Live 8, the Edinburgh TV Festival has a mood of whats in it for me.  When I wasnt trying to elbow my way to the bar I was trying to find out what programme commissioners are looking for in the coming year. So whats in it for us?

 

Lets work down the EPG

 

BBC ONE Controller Peter Fincham spent a lot of his session defending himself against the charges of theft. BBC ONE is taking The Apprentice and Who Do You Think You Are from BBC 2.  But he cant steal everything from BBC2. Hes looking for what he calls modern factual, things that are big and deep in terms of the impact and passion. He mentioned the Cruel Sea season in July which worked well. He thinks the older audience is over served by BBC ONE, in other words he wants the channel to look younger.  Viewers are looking to BBC ONE to entertain them.

 

BBC Daytime Controller Jay Hunt is keen to continue to experiment in daytime with harder edged content, rather than traditional makeover shows. She talked about shows like Missing and Found and the recent series presented live from inside a prison. Shes got an animal cruelty series coming up in the autumn. Jay said the daytime audience are heavy users of TV and know what they like. They wont put up with second best or presenters who cant hack it in prime time. 

 

BBC TWO confession time. I missed controller Roly Keatings session. It clashed with Stars In Their Eyes. So I behaved like any viewer would. I abandoned what I knew was good for me in favour of something more entertaining. But theres lots of info on what he wants at:   www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/tv/network/channels/bbctwo.shtml

 

ITV Simon Shaps, Director of TV, defended ITV1s recent disastrous performance - summer is the new autumn he said through gritted teeth. A big problem for ITV, he said, is that theres an industry shortage of formatted factual that we can play at 9 pm. Shows like Supernanny.  Producers need to think what are the areas of life that have yet to be explored.

 

Channel 4 Director of Programmes, Kevin Lygo, was attacked by Charles Allen on Friday night for running too much Big Brother and not fulfilling his public service duties. Then on Saturday night he was riding on the crest of a wave after Channel 4 was named terrestrial Channel of the Year. You can get the lowdown on commissioning departments and what theyre looking for at:  http://www.channel4.com/corporate/4producers/commissioning/documentaries_4.html

 

One little known opening for new Indies at Channel 4 is the Three Minute Wonder slot, just before 8pm Monday-Thursday. Its commissioned by Kate Vogel, who appeared in a session about pitching. Shes looking for stories with a strong narrative journey that live outside the 3 minutes of the item. www.channel4.com/corporate/4producers/commissioning/documentaries_4.html

 

Five After 8 years of steady growth, Five has entered troubled waters. The audience share slid from 6.5% last year to 5.9%. On the 16^th October Five is due to launch two new channels Five:US and Five:Life.

Director of Programmes, Dan Chambers, is looking for more breakout hits like Twofours Hotel Inspector, which he mentioned a number of times.

 

Dan said hes looking for more challenging features for 8pm. Ideas that work for Five need to be outspoken, brave and have a sense of fun. Hes got a show coming up where 10 tearaway girls from Manchester try to become models. Its called ASBO Teen to Beauty Queen.

 

Five:Life will be a female centred channel. The tone will be different from Living and anyway Living is not on Freeview.  It will also have childrens programmes during the day from Five Milkshake brand.

More on Fives needs at: www.five.tv/aboutfive/producersnotes/controller

 

BBC 3 Controller Julian Bellamy, said hes looking for factual shows that touch peoples lives the way Jamies School Dinners did.  BBC 3 is a young channel with its focus on 25-30 year-olds.  Julian said he wants more returnable factual series in prime time. Hes looking for entertainment values in everything. Shows like Honey Were Killing the Kids and Spendaholics do well for him. He needs documentary ideas that are witty, irreverent and personality led. He singled out Booze Bird, in which Nicky Taylor got pissed to present an investigation of binge drinking.  In current affairs Julian is on the hunt for more week long seasons for 2007. He talked about his body image season (which ran at the end of August) and hes since commissioned a further season.

 

Bravo   Jonathan Webb (David Bowie on Stars In Their Eyes) says hes been trying to transform Bravo from a lads channel into a thinking mans channel by offering intelligent gritty shows that appeal to men 16-44. He says the channels defined a new style of show - action factual. Shows like I Predict A Riot and The Real Football Factory, bring analysis to fighting.  Were carving out a way of storytelling distinct to the channel by always being on the frontline. Credibility and authenticity are at the top of our agenda.

 

UKTV Food Charlotte Ashton is the Director of Channels for Entertainment and Factual at UKTV. She singled out Local Food Heros from Denhams in Plymouth as a good example of where the UKTV Food is heading, because the show has a life outside the programme. The launch of UKTV Foods Wine Club in August is another of their 360 degree multi-platform proposition.  

Charlotte said theyre looking for:

         narrative-led lightly formatted ob-docs.

         talent-led formats that complement existing BBC archive (no food preparation please)

         Shows were chefs are involved in an experimental way.

         Food and Family and Food and Health are key areas of interest.

Paul Moreton is the Head of UKTV Food.

Budgets: 30k-46k per hour

 

UKTV Style In 2007 the channel is looking for:

• Glossy, upmarket and aspirational shows that tap into largely female obsessions.
• Health-related ob-docs
• Lifestyle and well-being shows.
• Innovative property formats, particularly selling, renovation and interior design.
• Wedding and fashion are other key areas of interests.

Budgets: 50k per hour

Catherine Catton is the channel head.

 

UKTV History   Charlotte says theyre looking for shows where viewers can participate. Show coming up include Daytrip History.

 In 2007 the channel is looking for:

• Returnable formats supported by recognizable talent (no one off documentaries please)
• Anniversary-led celebrations of big name talent already found on the channel.
• Content rich male skewing formats on science and adventure.

Adrian Wills is the Channel Head.

Budgets: up to 50k per hour

 

Youll find all their numbers on: www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/tv/other/index.shtml

 

Were all doomed?

Aside from the commissioner chat, there was an eerie new undercurrent at this years Edinburgh TV festival the debate about whether broadcast telly as we know it is doomed. Is the boom in video on the web and video on the move threatening the future of broadcast TV? Marissa Mayer, Vice President at Google, made dramatic predictions about the growth of video storageby the year 2020 youll be able to store all TV thats ever been produced on a device the size of current iPods. What will that mean for ITV or Bravo? Perhaps here is the new land of opportunity that could make poverty history among programme makers in the South West?