FormatspOFC OctNov13
18/9/13
13:08
Page 1
Formats Television Business International
TBIvision.com
October/November 2013
Formatsp02-03 Banijay OctNov13.indd 2
19/09/2013 19:40
Formatsp02-03 Banijay OctNov13.indd 3
19/09/2013 19:40
w w w. t h e g l o b a l a g e n c y. t v
Formatsp04 Global Agency OctNov13.indd 1
L e r i n s H a l l 3.08
18/09/2013 11:13
Formats Contents OctNov13JWsc
23/9/13
17:15
Page 7
TB IFORM ATS INSIDE THIS ISSUE
18 6 DATA EurodataTV unveils the numbers that show new light-hearted formats are pulling in the ratings for global broadcasters
8 VIEWPOINT
22
Nordisk Film TV on why the Nordic region isn’t just about crime drama
12 SCREENWATCH:DATE NIGHT 10 PEOPLE Warner Bros. head to Cannes on its ‘most authetic’ dating show yet
Millionaire creators launch venture; Banijay restructures Finland; Shine America hires programming VP; Shed US taps Firecracker for exec
18 TV MAKES A CONSCIOUS EFFORT
12 ZODIAK
Andy Fry ask if entertainment formats have become more caring
Zodiak Rights hits the market with a wacky Japanese gameshow and high-end Belgian studio format Versus
22 REALITY ROUND THE CLOCK? Is time running out for 24/7primetime reality series?
14 SONY 26 LAST WORD Wayne Garvie says Sony Pictures Television’s latest slate comprises everything from a Silver River gardening format to a reality horror show
VIMN’s Kerry Taylor on how social media influences reality TV development
CONTENTS OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013 For the latest in TV programming news visit TBIVISION.COM
TBI Formats October/November 2013
5
Formatsp06-7 Data OctNov13scJW
23/9/13
19:26
Page 6
TBIFORM ATS NEW SHOWS
FALL SEASON OVERVIEW: EARLY TRENDS Jul ia Espérance, m edia consul tantatEur odataTV and servi ce m anagerforthe New on the Air program m ing servi ce, analysesthe top new showsfrom the latestTV season and findsthatform atswith a positive m essage orlight-h earted in tone are winning eyeballs hether through comedy, challenge or music-based shows, broadcasters are still looking to lift the mood of the audience. As the economic depression lingers, positive TV is still going strong and the early fall season schedules hve been packed with light-hearted launches. Scandi countries have built a worldwide reputation for dark crime series in the genre that has come to be known as Nordic Noir. However, several successful comedy launches this season prove its not all gloom in Northern Europe.
W
The Danish sitcom Tomgang, about three friends hanging out in a kiosk discussing their relationships, broke records on TV2 Zulu for its premiere with a share six times higher than the primetime slot’s average. On the same channel, the hybrid sitcom Sjit Happens gives the viewers a chance to see their funny stories reenacted on TV by actors. They submit the stories online and, the evidence would suggest, that the audience seem to being enjoying the chance to see their memorable moments centre stage. The premiere episode more than doubled the slot average. The trend for offbeat comedy is not confined to the Nordic territories. In
TOP NEW LAUNCHES:EARLY FALL SEASON Country
Ch annel
Orig inal Title
G enre
L aunch D ate
Timeslot
D enmark
TV2 Z u lu
Tomgang
S itcom
01/09 /2013
P rimetime
S ou th K orea
M net
W in
R eality competition
23/08 /2013
P rimetime
D enmark
TV3
S tars in D anger
R eality competition
19 /08 /2013
P rimetime
U nited S tates C able
A& E
M od ern D ad s
R eality show
21/08 /2013
P rimetime
C hina
Z hejiang S at
I’m Not A S tar
R eality competition
26 /08 /2013
P rimetime
U nited K ingd om
C hannel 5
W entworth
D rama series
28 /08 /2013
P rimetime
D enmark
TV2 Z u lu
S jit H appens
S itcom
09 /09 /2013
P rimetime
Q ué bec
C anal Vie
P imp M on G arage
R eality show
21/08 /2013
D ay time
R u ssia
Frid ay
Z vez d anu ty e
C omed y show
24 /08 /2013
A ccess P rimetime
Belgiu m North
2BE
That A wk ward M oment W hen M om E nterted
C omed y show
02/09 /2013
P rimetime
C hina
H u nan S at
S hining D ay s
D rama series
27 /08 /2013
P rimetime
Netherland s
R TL 5
H et W ild e Oosten
R eality soap
29 /08 /2013
P rimetime
S ou th K orea
TVN
P efect S inger Vs
Variety show
30/08 /2013
P rimetime
G ermany
R TL
D ie Z wie - G ottschalk & Jau ch G egen A lle
G ame show
09 /09 /2013
P rimetime
Belgiu m North
VIE R
The M illion P ou nd D rop
G ame show
31/08 /2013
P rimetime
M ethod ology : best performing new program premiere in terms of mark et share, compared to the slot average. P eriod : A u gu st 19 - S eptember 16 , 2013 Based only on fiction and entertainment Finished formats are ex clu d ed
6 TBI Formats October/November 2013
For the latest in TV programming news visit TBIVISION.COM
Formatsp06-7 Data OctNov13scJW
23/9/13
19:26
Page 7
TBIFORM ATS NEW SHOWS
North Belgium, the comedy series That Awkward Moment When Mom Entered, featuring sketches about excruciatingly awkward situations that people end up in, did not go unnoticed on channel 2BE with a share that doubled that of the slot. Talent shows remain a force to be reckoned and are looking to differentiate themselves with original concepts. Several local formats have seen the light in Asia this fall, and all have registered strong results, at least doubling their respective slots. In the South Korean WIN on music channel Mnet makes viewers fully responsible for the candidates’ fate, as two teams of trainee singers fiercely compete to become the next Korean singing star. Also in South Korea, Perfect Singer VS on CJ E&M’s pay TV channel TV Variety Network is proving popular. The format features teams of professional and amateur singers, who have their performances measured with the help of a device measuring their ability to hold a tune and keep rhythm. China is betting on another type of candidate in I’m Not A Star, which features celebrities’ kids competing against each other through singing and dancing challenges. Beyond these new formats, established entertainment brands are still going strong and continue their spread worldwide. In Denmark, the diving competition Stars in Danger made waves and headlines with excellent results for its premiere on TV3, as did the Belgium adaptation of Money Drop on VIER, showing that gameshows are still one of the stalwarts of the entertainment genre, especially when the aim is to win big. TBI
INTERNATIONAL TREND SETTERS Format Type
Prog ram Av Sh are (% )*
Ch annel Av Sh are (% )*
Added Sh are*
Original
13.1
2.2
495%
Original
1.6
0.3
4 33%
A d aptation
19
4 .3
34 2%
4 .5
1.4
221%
Original Original
4 .1
1.4
19 3%
Original
12.6
4 .8
16 3%
Original
5 .4
2.2
14 5 %
Original
8 .1
3.5
131%
Original
1.6
0.7
129 %
Original
14 .2
6 .4
122%
Original
8 .8
4
120%
Original
9 .8
4 .5
118 %
Original
1.7
0.8
113%
Original
24 .6
11.8
108 %
A d aptation
17 .4
8 .6
102%
* A ll ind ivid u als S ou rce: E u rod ata TV W orld wid e/R elevant partners
For the latest in TV programming news visit TBIVISION.COM
W hile many of the shows referenced in E u rod ata TV’s analy sis are ju st lau nching, others have a proven track record in international mark ets. The strong d ebu t of S tars in D anger (pictu red ) in D enmark comes as its d istribu tor Banijay International cu ts a slew of international d eals for the d iving series. In S cand inavia, it had alread y been pick ed u p by TV3 in S wed en and TV2 in Norway by the time the D anish d eal was annou nced in M ay. In R u ssia C hannel One will has tak en an 8 x 6 0mins ru n of the entertainment format, with R u ssian prod u cer R ed S q u are on prod u ction d u ty. In L atin A merica S ony P ictu res Television represents the format and has sold it to C hilean commercial broad caster C hilevisió n, which took a 12x 120mins version of the format. The local version is titled S alta S i P u ed es (Ju mp If Y ou C an). Fox has also ru n the show in the U S where it was prod u ced by Bu nim/M u rray, which is part of the Banijay G rou p. The Tu rmspringen format was originally created by G erman prod u cer Brainpool, which Banijay acq u ired in 2009 . The format has stok ed controversy, spark ing a formats row with E y ework s, which also lau nched its celebrity d iving format, C elebrity S plash, at M IP C OM 2012. E nd emol’s M oney D rop format, meanwhile, was top of a recent list measu ring the valu e created by TV formats in E u rope and E nd emol was also the lead ing d istribu tor by overall valu e created by TV formats in 2012, followed by FremantleM ed ia and then ITV S tu d ios G lobal E ntertainment. M oney D rop generated U S $ 213.4 million of valu e in 2012 ahead of 2011 winner C ome D ine W ith M e in second with U S $ 19 4 .6 million.
TBI Formats October/November 2013
7
Formatsp08 Viewpoint OctNov13jwSC
23/9/13
15:03
Page 8
VIEWPOINT, JACOB HOULIND CEO AND PETER HANSEN CCO, NORDISK FILM TV
VIEWPOINT JACOB HOULIND CEO & PETER HANSEN CCO, NORDISK FILM TV
NORDIC CREATIVITY:MORE THAN JUST NOIR n the last few years, scripted programming from the Nordic region has been getting a lot of press, and with good reason: shows such as The Killing, Borgen and The Bridge are blue-chip dramas at the very top of their game. But Nordic TV isn’t just about moody detectives and winter landscapes. In fact this is one of the most imaginative and daring markets in the world, and long before Sarah L und made ugly sweaters a must-have fashion item it was leading the charge in industry creativity. Y ou might be surprised to know that some of your favourite shows from American, British and European screens actually originated up here in the far north. Take Survivor – the granddaddy of the competitive reality genre. Nowadays any commissioner would see ‘hit’ written all over this idea, but back in the late 1990s, when Charlie Parsons and Bob Geldof were pitching it to UK broadcasters, that wasn’t the case. Or, even if it was, the risk associated with producing an untested and slightly wacky paper format was too great. In fact it was Swedish broadcaster SVT that first decided to take a chance on Survivor, with local indie Strix producing the first episode of the local version Expedition Robinson in 1997 . And guess what?It was a big hit. As often happens in this part of the world, success in one Nordic country led quickly to
I
local adaptations in the others, so Denmark’s version launched in 1998, and Norway’s in 1999. It wasn’t until a year later, in 2000, that Mark Burnett got the first of what currently totals 26seasons on CBS in the US. Of course, our broadcasters have plenty of homegrown ideas to choose from too, many of which have become major international format successes. Friday TV’s Minute to Win It and Clash of the Choirs;The Farm and The Bar, both created by Strix;our own formats 7 1 Degrees North, FC Nerds and Sensing Murder; the history of Nordic production is one of highly creative content being commissioned by bold broadcasters, which then spread around the world. Not only that, but Nordic countries are frequently first-mover markets on format adaptation, being among the first to produce local versions of shows such as Dancing with the Stars and The Voice. How was this environment created?A lot of it is down to sheer siz e – this is a case where the little guy comes out on top. Our small, relatively wealthy, relatively well-educated populations are very critical and not afraid to voice their opinions. Like many small communities, Nordic countries are fiercely proud of their identities and their citiz ens like to see themselves on screen. Broadcasters feel that demand and it pushes them to take risks on formats, rather than playing it safe with
Itwasin factSwedish broadcasterSVT thatfirstdecided to take achance on Survivor, with Strix producing the first episode ofExpedition Robinson in 1997. And guesswhat?Itwasabig hit. 8 TBI Formats October/November 2013
acquired content from abroad. Another feature of a small population base is a lot of movement between professional fields, bringing the skills acquired in one area to another. That means that in the TV industry we have a lot of people with backgrounds in things like journalism, law or business. They have a whole new set of experiences to bring to us oldtime TV producers and a different view on the world that results in a different kind of creativity. This goes for commissioners too, who are thinking outside the box and are asking more questions than just how a show rated in other countries as they make decisions about what to take on. For a company like Nordisk, or our friends at Strix among many others, if one of our production companies is developing an idea for a local broadcaster then it’s important for us to know that this idea could be adapted by the other producers within our group. That in turn leads to an instant multi-territory track record, paving the way for format adaptation in other parts of the world. Take a show like Mentor, for example, a new show from Nordisk Denmark that will be going on air on DR1 in August. DR has taken a huge risk with this format, putting a brand new show in its biggest entertainment slot just at the period when Danes are returning from summer holidays. At the same time throughout the show’s development we have been consciously ensuring that it has strong format pillars and a lot of room for Nordisk’s producers in Norway, Sweden and Finland to also put their own stamp on it, because one of our goals is always to have a hit not just in one country, but in four – and then of course in many more. The march of Nordic scripted content across the world is a great thing for everyone. The follow-on effect of this will hopefully be that it causes our great format business to become even stronger. TBI
For the latest in TV programming news visit TBIVISION.COM
Formatsp09 Shine OctNov13.indd 1
20/09/2013 10:03
Formatsp10 People Monitor OctNov13scJW
23/9/13
17:19
Page 34
M ONITOR PEOPLE
ON THE MOVE TBI takesa look atthe latestcom ingsand goingsin the internationaltelevi sion form ats businessand reportson who’ sm ovi ng where
The creatorsofWho Wants to be a Millionaire?and formerbossofHatTrick and Celador have joined forcesto launch anew firm, Boxatricks. MichaelWhitehilland David Briggs created Millionaire, which wenton to become aglobalhitand willbe creative directors. COLMAN HUTCHINSON willtake the same title. FormerHatTrick Productionsand CeladorProductionsexecSteve Springford willbe the Boxatricksmanaging director. HatTrick hasrecruited Andy Rowe from Endemoland he willjoin the UK indie producer nextmonth. Rowe’ srecentcreditsinclude execproducing six episodesofTotal Wipeout for BBC One in the UK. HisappointmentasexecproduceratHatTrick comessoon after12 Yard founderDavidYoung rejoined the company to develop and coproduce new formats. Banijay Group hasappointed anew CEO foritsFinnish businessfollowing the departure of PetteriAhomaa, who isjoining localbroadcasterChannel4. JOONAS HYTÖNEN hasbeen appointed chiefexecofarestructured Finnish businessand took up hispostin September. FormerbossAhomaaisreturning to the Finnish sportsbroadcasting sectorwith Channel4. Banijay’ sFinnish prodco SolarTelevision isnow known asBanijay Finland. Talpahasrejigged itsinternationaldepartmentgiving Etienne De Jong apermanentrole, making him head ofinternationalproduction. De Jong haspreviously worked atEndemol and All3Media’ snow defunctWhite Smoke. OtherchangesatTalpainclude Gepke Nederlofbeing appointed head ofsalesand André Ademaappointed businessdirector. ShineAmericahasrecruited Robin Feinberg asVP, programming and RACHEL DAX asVP, production. Feinberg hasworked on seriesincluding LegallyBlonde andThe Biggest Loser and willoversee currentunscripted programming initiativesforShine America. Dax, who wasformerly head ofproduction forHigh Noon Entertainment’ swestcoastoperations, willhelp oversee allday-to-day production atShine’ sUS arm. Ben Silverman’ smultimediastudio Electushashired ABC Entertainmentalternative entertainmentexecCorie Henson to become executiveVP, unscripted television. Henson previously oversaw production ofABC unscripted seriesincluding Dancing With the Stars, SharkTankand Extreme Makeover. WarnerBros.-owned Shed Mediahashired two new programming executivesasitseeksto ramp up itsreality programming activity in the US. DAN SNOOK joinsShed MediaUS from FirecrackerFilmswhere he wasseniorVP, development.AtShed he willtake on the same role. Also joining isDave Kuba, who comesfrom High Noon. He willtake on apostofVP, development. NBCUniversal-owned Monkey Kingdom hasrecruited anew executive producer,Ollie Brack, from FremantleMedia’ sUK prodcoTalkback. He willwork acrossUK-based producerMonkey’ sentertainmentand alternati ve formatsforthe US and UK markets. NBCU said he willplay an instrumentalrole in creating talent-led shows. MERETE MORTENSEN isstepping down from herposition asmanaging directorofthe Danish arm ofScandinavia’ sMetronome to launch herown company within the Shine Group. She isimmediately being replaced by Metronome Productions’vice MD and directorofprogrammesKentNikolajasen atShine’ sCopenhagen-based production company. Mortensen’ snew company willlaunch atthe end of2013.
10 TBI Formats October/November 2013
For the latest in TV programming news visit TBIVISION.COM
THE PRIME TIME FORMAT THAT WILL
PUSH YOUR STARS TO THEIR LIMITS! WITH
VISIT US AT STAND LR2.03 | WWW.ARMOZAFORMATS.COM |
[email protected] | +972.54.4333.584
Formastp11 Armoza OctNov13.indd 1
16/09/2013 15:45
Formatsp12 Zodiak Monitor OctNov13scJWsc
23/9/13
17:16
Page 30
M ONITOR ZODIAK RIGHTS
FORMATS IN FOCUS:ZODIAK RIGHTS odiak’s two big format launches for MIPCOM stretch from the wacky Japanese-originated end of the market to the premium highend studio format world. Zodiak inked a development deal with regional Japanese broadcaster ABC last year and heads into MIPCOM with the first fruit of that effort. Unlike some of the other deals between western and Japanese companies, the agreement was focused on working up original concepts rather than mining a catalogue for IP that could be reworked for western audiences. Grab It. Hold It. Count It!, the show in question, is about to launch on ABC, meaning that Zodiak will go into the market with finished episodes of the Japanese show for buyers as well as supporting ratings from the first episodes. The concept fits with the inventive, craz y ideas the market has come to expect from a Japanese-inspired show. In each episode several two-person teams travel to a celebrity’s wacky mansion – actually a TV studio – and attempt to grab real bank notes in various weird and wonderful ways, for example, while dangling from a crane. They then have to hold on to the cash and in the final stage, count it, while an array of distractions take place all around them. How accurate the couple is in adding up the money they have grabbed decides how much they get to keep. “ There’s a lot of cash on screen,”says Barnaby Shingleton, head of entertainment, Zodiak Rights. “ It’s very wacky and looks different to if a similar concept had been produced in the West, there’s a lot of craz iness and slapstick in there.” The set is reversioned to suit the celeb who is hosting and Shingleton says it is scalable and can be made cost effectively, not least because of the tone of the show. “ It’s like Killer Karaoke, it can look a little rough around the edges, but that’s part of the comedic feel and its charm. We think of it as a companion piece to Killer Karaoke, which we have sold around Europe, into Asia and will be launching in Mexico soon. It’s not just another talent show and its not emotionally costly to watch, and I think people want that at the moment.”
Z
12 TBI Formats October/November 2013
Zodiak’s other big launch is Versus (pictured), which is a high-end studio format for primetime family audiences. The RDF format was picked up by Frenchlanguage Belgian free-to-air broadcaster RTBF. It is being produced by Belgian production company Kanakna. The whole audience plays the game in which a series of finely balanced duels take place, for example World Champion cyclist Philippe Gilbert racing a postman in a bike race – the twist being the professional rider is on the postman’s 40kg bike and the postman on the Tour de France rider’s 7 kg racing machine. Other challenges in the RTBF version include Miss Belgium taking on a lumberjack in a log-chopping contest – she has a chainsaw, but has never used one before, and he has a regular saw. Some duels are studio-based and others staged and shown on VT. The audience decides who think is the
winner and if they are right, move on to the next round. The remaining participants after eight challenges share the cash priz e. If all the contestants are eliminated the previously ejected participants get back into the game and it continues. The show requires a healthy budget, not least because of the amphitheatre-esque set, and is likely to end up with big broadcasters or the larger channels from smaller territories. As well as having the French-language version and fresh ratings for MIPCOM, Zodiak has made an English-language minipilot that is fronted by presenter Gabby Logan. “ It’s an important format for us as a lot of Zodiak’s companies, RDF, Kanakna and Zodiak Rights, are involved,”says Shingleton. Buyers will get an up-close view of the show at MIPCOM with Zodiak planning a full runthrough in the Palais on the Tuesday of the market (October 8). TBI
For the latest in TV programming news visit TBIVISION.COM
Formatsp13 Treasure Box OctNov13.indd 1
13/09/2013 14:28
Formatsp14 Sony Monitor OctNov13scJWsc
23/9/13
17:17
Page 30
M ONITOR SONY
SONY SHOWS OFF ITS SIX PACK Sony’ screati ve bossWayne Garvie talksaboutSony PicturesTelevision’ senlarged slate offormatsforMIPCOM ony Pictures Television has been bulking up and its growing stable of production companies are creating a pipeline of formats for the international market that can sit alongside the US scripted shows that come out of LA. This MIPCOM the return on investment in prodcos can be seen in the formats slate. This time a year ago it had one major new format for buyers in Cannes, the Israelioriginated physical gameshow Raid the Cage. This year it has six formats, including the first new show from Silver River, Daisy Goodwin’s UK-based factual entertainment-focused prodco, which it bought last March. The headline grabbing properties in the new line-up are physical horror gameshow Release the Hounds, in which terrified contestants must escape from a pack of dogs, and Milky Way Mission, a Dutch-originated show that puts contestants through astronaut training and fires the winner into space. Milky Way Mission is produced by SPTowned prodco Tuvalu for Dutch public broadcast channel Ned1 and sees celebrities put through weeks of ultra tough space training. “ These are extreme physical and mental challenges, they go underwater and experience extreme G-force,”explains Wayne Garvie, chief creative officer, international production, at SPT. “ The contestants battle each other to win a ticket to space and to be an astronaut. There have been other space shows but they don’t actually send people to space.” Release the Hounds (pictured) is a one-off horror event show from SPT’s Gogglebox for ITV2 in the UK, which will air it at Halloween. “ This show is genuinely a breakthrough,” Garvie claims. “ The horror genre is ubiquitous in movies and in youth and gaming culture, but no-one has done it on TV. We said why not take the genre and make a reality TV competition.” In the show three people are taken to a creepy stately home and, as day turns to night, face various horror-related challenges that employ the jumps and frights fans of the genre love. The winner
S
14 TBI Formats October/November 2013
receives a key that unlocks a priz e chest and gets to leave the house. The twist at that point is that they only keep the cash they have won if they can make it out of the grounds of the stately home, while being pursued by a pack of dogs, which Garvie says is “ terrifying” . He notes the show is too edgy for most broadcaster’s primetimes, but the youth demo it appeals to will make it interesting for a range of channels. “ There are interesting things happening with new platforms,”he adds. “ This is one we might want to talk to a Netflix about” . The Daisy Goodwin-produced show, meanwhile, was originally born out of the producer and author’s notion of taking the genteel hobby of flower arranging to TV. It was subsequently developed into competitive gardening show Grow, Make, Eat, which has been commissioned by BBC Two in the UK, the channel that launched another show about an outwardly sedate pastime, cake making, with The Great British Bake Off. Nine pairs of contestants compete across a whole (horticultural) season and face vegetable growing, flower arranging and other green-fingered challenges. Presenter Fern Britton fronts the UK show. Ordering the series, Emma Willis, commissioning executive documentaries, BBC, said the moment is right for it as people rein in spending: “ With the cost of living continuing to
rise, it’s the perfect time to make the most of our gardens and allotments and get growing with a purpose.” In terms of international sales the pressure is on SPT’s team and interested buyers to get a deal done quickly because the nature of the show means shooting must start by, and run through, the spring. Also in the lifestyle vein, SPT is launching Grillmaster at MIPCOM. The show was created by Titan, part of MTG’s latest acquisition, production group Nice Entertainment, and has already launched on TV2 in Denmark and TV4 in Sweden. In the show amateur chefs take on each other in various barbecuing challenges to win a publishing deal and the title of Grillmaster of the Y ear. “ Grow, Make, Eat and Grillmaster reflect people’s authentic passions, these aren’t artificial competitions,”Garvie says. The other two shows are Joker, from SPT’s French prodco Starling, which makes it for France Té lé visions’ France 2. The French pubcaster has just ordered another ten episodes of the series, which puts a twist on the traditional quiz by having holographic ‘jokers’ interacting with contestants. There is also a factual format, Teach the Impossible, following talented young teachers in tough inner city schools. TBI
For the latest in TV programming news visit TBIVISION.COM
LAU UNCHING AT T
YO OUR JU UDGEMENT T YOU YO UR DECISION THEIR H R DUEL
MIPCOM stand #LR4.02
zodiakrights.com
Formatsp15 Zodiak Versus OctNov13.indd 1
10/09/2013 17:22
Formatsp16 WB+deals OctNov13scJW
23/9/13
17:22
Page 30
M ONITOR SCREENWATCH
SCREENWATCH:DATE NIGHT
DEALS ROUND-UP L A -based Endemol Studios is remak ing French crime d rama E ngrenages (ak a S piral) for U S au d iences. The show lau nched in France on C anal+ in 2005 and is now into its fifth season with a six th in d evelopment. It has pick ed u p international au d iences on BBC Four in the U K and Netflix in the U S .
THE SHOW:Date Night THE PRODUCER:Twenty Twenty THE DISTRIBUTOR:WarnerBros. InternationalTelevision Production THE BROADCASTER:Channel4 CONCEPT:A dating form atin which hidden cam erasrecord the first m eeting ofsinglesthathave m etonline
he UK has been good to the dating genre, and broadcaster Channel 4 has fared well with shows in the genre. Just this year, it has commissioned shows including Bryan Elsley-penned drama Dates, while groundbreaking disabilitythemed series The Undateables has won plaudits. Warner Bros. International Television Production is taking one of Channel 4’s latest venture in the genre, Date Night (known in the UK as First Dates), to the international market as a finished programme and a format. The series seeks to play with audience expectations of dating shows by borrowing from the hidden camera and ob-doc genres. Each episode sees different couples who have arranged a date on the internet meeting for the first time in a restaurant in which every detail is captured on hidden fixed-rig cameras. If the dates are unsuccessful, the singles advertise themselves to viewers at home, who can then appear on the following week’s show. “ Date Night is by far the most authentic dating show you will see,”says WBITVP’s senior VP, creative, format development and sales Andrew
T
16 TBI Formats October/November 2013
Zein. “ Who wouldn’t want to be a fly on the wall on someone’s first date?Every person has either gone through the experience or will do so. This format gives unprecedented access into these dates as hidden cameras capture every detail.” The first episode, which took 833,000 viewers (4.3% overall share) on Channel 4 on launch night (June 20), saw 1,050 men appeal to date a 23 year-old cheerleader and dance coach called Fahye. A second season has been commissioned for next year and WBITVP is billing it as a “ unique and truly authentic dating format” . Twenty Twenty, which Warner Bros. owns through its UK powerhouse Shed Media, is the producer. “ Dating is a universal theme and this format is a simple and intriguing concept, brilliantly executed, easily replicable which we feel will travel well internationally. We will be taking it to MIPCOM and presenting it to all our buyers. There is already interest from a number of territories,”says Zein. He and his team will be targeting “ any” primetime slot available, notifying buyers of the added caveat that “ the interactive element of the format means that people can keep talking about the show even after the credits have rolled” . TBI
Y ou th-sk ewed d rama The O.C . has been remad e in Tu rk ey. Broad caster Star commissioned a local version from Tu rk ish prod co Ay Yapim. The Tu rk ish remak e is the first time the W arner Bros.-owned series has been mad e ou tsid e the U S . The show aired on Fox in the S tates for fou r seasons starting in 2003. Hat Trick has ink ed a d eal with Outline Productions. Ou tline previou sly had a d eal with Warner Bros. International Television Production to sell its new shows, bu t H at Trick International will now shop these internationally (ex clu d ing the U S ). Ou tline is one of the few remaining U K ind ies, which mak es factu al entertainment series inclu d ing u pcoming BBC Two series Tom K errid ge’s P roper P u b Food and six -part BBC One show The Big W ild life R evival. Broad casters in D enmark and Iceland have acq u ired straightto-series format remak es of Sky Vision-d istribu ted factu al entertainment format It’s L ove, A ctu ally . The 10x 30mins format sees y ou ng cou ples talk cand id ly abou t all aspects of their relationships. It was originally prod u ced by Fever Media for female-sk ewing S k y L iving in the U K . 365 Media in Iceland and D enmark ’s TV2 will now get their own versions.
For the latest in TV programming news visit TBIVISION.COM
60’ entertainment format
A Zodiak Media / ABC Japan coproduction MIPCOM stand #LR4.02
zodiakrights.com Formatsp17 Zodiak OctNov13.indd 1
18/09/2013 11:14
Formatsp18-21 Conscience OctNov13jwSC
23/9/13
17:24
Page 18
GENRE FOCUS RESPONSIBLE FORMATS
ITV Studios’ The Audience
TV MAKES A CONSCIOUS EFFORT Cruel critiques and manufactured conflict have been replaced by supportive smiles, warm hugs and a belief that shows should seek to transform someone’s prospects or help them grow emotionally in an ongoing raft of caring sharing formats reports Andy Fry here was a time between 2003 and 2009 when factual and entertainment formats seemed to focus almost entirely on the darker side of human nature. While no one could question the popularity of shows like Big Brother, Wife Swap, Hell’s Kitchen and Holiday Showdown, all of them were guilty during this period of manufacturing conflict in pursuit of ratings. Mostly, they stayed on the right side of the ethical line, but occasionally a format was guilty of turning a blind eye to bullying and humiliation, earning a category of shows the
T
18 TBI Formats October/November 2013
rather unflattering epithet ‘car crash television’. At the same time that the media was questioning the morality of such shows, there was a nasty streak running through more traditional entertainment genres. Talent show judges like Simon Cowell seemed particularly mean while quiz show hosts were praised for belittling contestants. One chat show host in the UK, Jeremy Kyle, even attracted the attention of the legal system, with Judge Alan Berg calling his show “human bear-baiting.” This edginess has not disappeared from TV, but there has been a shift in the tone of the formats business over the last three to four years.
Cruel critiques have mostly been replaced by supportive smiles, warm hugs and a belief that formats should seek to transform someone’s prospects or help them grow emotionally. The formats business did not start out being brutal and bitchy with early shows such as Pop Stars and Survivor supportive of participants. The change came when the market became more competitive in the middle of the last decade and formats became tougher and more edgy to try and stand out. The shift back in the direction of positivelycharged formats came with the downturn in the global economy, says Banijay International
For the latest in TV programming news visit TBIVISION.COM
Formatsp18-21 Conscience OctNov13jwSC
23/9/13
17:24
Page 19
GENRE FOCUS RESPONSIBLE FORMATS
managing director Karoline Spodsberg. “Things started getting really bad for people in about 2009 and haven’t improved in a lot of cases, so viewers started looking for more positive stories to take their mind off what was happening in their day-to-day lives. This doesn’t mean the tough stories have disappeared because there are always networks that need to shout to attract attention, but the overall mood is different.” This shift is apparent in two ways. Firstly, in the emergence of new kinds of entertainment shows where the entire narrative arc is built around positive pay-offs such as rewards and rehabilitation. And secondly, in the tone of established entertainment genres such as talent, dating and quiz shows. Spodsberg says: “The Voice, for example, brought about a shift in the way talent show judges relate to contestants. So at Banijay we decided to go a stage further with Mentor, a new show we’re bringing to MIPCOM.” In this case, says Spodsberg, it’s the mentors who face the chop if an act doesn’t do well. “It’s an idea that came from Thomas Blachman, who had been a controversial and outspoken judge on the Danish version of The X Factor for nine years. He decided it was time for the mentors to step up and take responsibility. If they don’t prepare the talent properly, they pay the price. We don’t have any of the public
casting element you see in other shows. We just start with great performers. So it’s all about how they are prepared.” The emphasis on personal responsibility resonates quite widely with recent trends in the format business. In the UK version FremantleMedia format The Apprentice, Alan Sugar now goes into business with his chosen contestant, rather than giving them a job within his organisation. In All3Media’s Undercover Boss, the head of the company learns tough truths about what it’s really like to be at the coalface of his or her business and is expected to change their behaviour accordingly. In Zodiak’s Secret Millionaire, society’s more fortunate citizens learn that poverty is not always the result of indolence or lack of ambition and are encouraged to help people get their lives back on track. Secret Millionaire has played a key role in the emergence of formats with a social conscience, because it demonstrates that shows dealing with social morality can be ratings winners if constructed carefully and can also travel as formats. “The idea came about because Channel 4 wanted to talk about poverty in Britain,” says Barnaby Shingleton, head of entertainment at Zodiak Rights. “If they’d done a documentary on poverty they’d have got an audience of about 1.5 million, but by turning the subject into an engaging
narrative with human interest stories they got a show that put the same tough issues in front of four million people.” The show has been remade in numerous markets including the US, Canada, Australia, the Nordic region and Germany, but it hasn’t always been an easy pitch, admits Shingleton, “Some broadcasters started with the misconception that the show is simply about rich people giving poor people money. But when they realise it is about the personal journey, and that the rewards don’t have to be financial, they tend to come round. In the end, it has proved to be a property that can also work well for commercial broadcasters such as ABC in the US, RTL in Germany and Nine in Australia.” All3Media International is another distributor that has made formats with a conscience a key part of its portfolio: “I think there are more shows around that want people to feel good and that are designed to help them change in a positive way,” says managing director Louise Pedersen. “We’ve had Undercover Boss, Making Australia Happy and Village on a Diet in the last few years. And at MIP 2012, we picked up a You Deserve This House, in which a deserving person or couple is taken away for the weekend while a makeover team – including those that the homeowner has helped over the years – set out to transform their house.” The evidence from the market suggests that
Banijay International’s Mentor is launching at MIPCOM with a spin on the judge-contestant relationship
For the latest in TV programming news visit TBIVISION.COM
TBI Formats October/November 2013
19
Formatsp18-21 Conscience OctNov13jwSC
23/9/13
17:24
Page 20
GENRE FOCUS RESPONSIBLE FORMATS
formats with a conscience can work for any kind of channel although a public broadcaster might be the obvious fit. “We’ve picked up a very interesting Channel 4 show called The Agency, in which Mary Portas helps people who have retired get back to work,” says Hat Trick International sales director Sarah Tong. “It’s a very formattable, engaging, character-based show that tackles the issues of ageism in employment. But because of its subject it’s more likely to work for pubcasters than youth-focused commercial channels.” Nordic World sales chief Jan Salling is armed with similar shows: “I think buyers know what kind of shows they’re going to get from the Nordic countries,” he says. “Audiences here like formats that make a difference or have something we can all learn from, so they tend to have a strong public service feel to their narrative.” Shows on Nordic World’s slate include Speedomania, which is about helping bad drivers change their ways; Bye Bye Bullying, which sees a celebrity go into a regular school to try and help stop bullying; and Dining With the Enemy, in which people from opposite sides of a conflict explore the potential for resolution over a meal. “They’re shows we’re really proud of because they do good and make a difference,” says Salling. “But they’re probably most suited to an established public
broadcaster that doesn’t need to scream loudly to get noticed.” That said, Salling stresses that shows like these can attract good ratings and generate a lot of attention in other media. “Bye Bye Bullying caused a lot of debate in the Nordic media. In that sense, it plays a similar role to shows like Jamie’s School Dinners. It gets people talking and alerts politicians to issues.” Different in tone are shows that try to take a moral agenda into primetime commercial schedules. A good example is One Good Turn, created by Media Factory for Romania’s Prima TV and now distributed by Small World IFT. “One Good Turn is a primetime show in which hidden cameras reveal how people behave when confronted with real life dilemmas,” says Small World IFT senior VP, format sales and development Luci Burnley. “The most courageous and honest people get cash prizes while studio hosts win points if they correctly predict the reactions of members of the public.” A simple scenario might be ‘how many people would return the money to a shopkeeper that gave them too much change?’ “The beauty of the format is that it takes a genre we’re all familiar with, hidden camera, and gives it a new twist. So it’s having a positive impact on people’s lives but is still watchable television.” In a similar vein is Red Arrow International’s
Channel 4’s The Agency aims to help retired people back into work
20 TBI Formats October/November 2013
You Deserve It!, a Dick De Rijk format in which contestants win money on behalf of a deserving person. Launched in the US in 2011, it has since been remade in markets including Spain, the Middle East, China, Vietnam and parts of Eastern Europe. A key lesson from that show, according to Red Arrow International’s senior VP, format acquisitions and sales Henrik Pabst, is that “audiences are happy for people to win but they really want them to deserve it within the terms of the game. The game has still got to be competitive even if the idea is to give money away. Shows like The Biggest Loser work because the audience likes to see people rewarded if they have worked to achieve something.” Pabst cites The Hundred Mile Challenge, a Canadian format in which families are challenged to source all their food locally, and The Undatables, a UK format which follows a group of disabled people who sign up to a dating agency as good examples of formats with a conscience. “For me, these are signs that we have been moving away from trash TV towards stories that focus on the issues faced by real people,” he says. ITV Studios director of international formats Mike Beale has also seen a growth in socially responsible formats since the downturn started. “In the last year or two we’ve had The Audience, about a group of strangers helping someone sort out a problem in their lives; the return of Surprise Surprise, a classic reward format which is warm and fuzzy TV at its best; and Keeping the Nation Alive.” Surprise Surprise benefits from the fact that it has a proven track record, says Beale. “The show has a strong feel good factor. But it also benefits from the current trend towards tried and tested formats – particularly ones that have secured a recommission from their originating broadcasters. Another point worth making about the new version of Surprise Surprise is that there’s a much greater emphasis on rewards going to deserving people.” Keeping the Nation Alive is a format from ITV-backed UK prodco The Garden that ITV Studios markets internationally. An insight into the tough day-to-day decisions that have to be made by national health systems, Beale says it represents an interesting new role for TV: “In difficult economic times, politics tends to get polarised into strong opinions from the right and left wing. So shows like these have a key role to play in helping people make their
For the latest in TV programming news visit TBIVISION.COM
Formatsp18-21 Conscience OctNov13jwSC
23/9/13
17:24
Page 21
GENRE FOCUS RESPONSIBLE FORMATS
own decisions. There have been a number that provide viewers with an objective look at areas like health, education, welfare, immigration and the banking system.” Intervention is the granddaddy of the formats with a conscience. The A+E factual series in which addicts confront their darkest demons and are encouraged to find a route to redemption has been on the air in the US for eleven years. However, it has just ended, which doesn’t seem to fit with the growth in this category of programming. Christian Murphy, senior VP, international programming and marketing, A+E Networks offers an explanation for the show’s withdrawal from US schedules: “When Intervention started in 2005, a lot more people in the US were feeling good about themselves. But as times got tougher people migrated towards shows which have a lighter touch – for example shows like Storage Wars and Duck Dynasty.” Having said this, continues Murphy, Intervention has started to find a new lease of life outside the US, with Canada, Brazil and Mexico making local versions. “A+E in the US is an entertainment network, so the fact that Intervention may not feel right anymore doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t work in other countries or for other kinds of networks. In some cases, you have countries that aren’t experiencing the same kind of downturn as the US. In others, you have countries that perhaps have only just opened up to the possibility of airing this kind of show.” Murphy’s point is echoed by a number of his peers, who argue that formats with a conscience will only work if they gauge the audience reaction right. If they make viewers reflect too much on their own domestic problems, they’re likely to be a turn off. If they leave viewers resenting the show’s beneficiaries or questioning whether they really deserve to be rewarded they’re equally unappealing. Maybe this is why a lot of broadcasters take the easier option of using established formats with celebrity guests and getting them to donate their winnings to a well-respected charity. Is the move to less abrasive, more responsible formats a permanent change and where do people go if they want to see vile and vulgar television? Beale’s view is that “it’s probably cyclical. As people get a bit more comfortable I think we’ll see the return of edgier shows, maybe in about 2015 or 2016.” Zodiak’s Shingleton agrees: “I
THE FRONTLINE: NEW FORMATS WITH A CONSCIENCE
In Go Back to Where You Came From, SBS Australia confronted the issue of prejudice against migrants by sending six Australians on the reverse of journeys that refugees took to reach Australia. In Nordic World’s U-Turn, people are helped to reduce their dependency on medication by making better lifestyle choices. Dream Builders is a Banijay format in which homeless people are helped to convert an empty building into a home. Why Don’t You Speak English? is a BBC Worldwide format in which first-generation immigrants live with a local family for a week in order to learn English. After a week, the roles are reversed. ITVSGE is representing an Israeli show called My Dream Wedding in which a deserving young couple who can’t afford their
dream wedding are helped to create it by their local community. In the US it is for TLC, having been developed by ITV Studios and Israel’s Reshet. FremantleMedia International is coming to MIPCOM with A New Beginning, a format that looks to empower women who have had difficult lives, working with them to repair physical and emotional damage. Optomen’s Great British Budget Menu focuses on families struggling with food prices. Three chefs go into financially challenged households where they shop and cook on tight budgets. Elsewhere, Small World IFT is distributing a Canadian format called Operation: Vacation, in which the most deserving members of the community are sent away to enjoy a surprise holidays by their friends and family.
think there are some cultural trends which are here to stay, for example the new openness to towards people with disabilities that has come about since the London 2012 Olympics. But in general I don’t think we’ve seen the end of formats that are short on conscience or morality.” Some commentators believe that lowest common denominator content has just moved to different places. Pabst, for example, believes trashy TV has switched from factual entertainment to scripted reality. The benefit of this from a channel
point of view is that they can show the same kind of sleazy behaviour as before without risking censure from media regulators. Others suggest that car crash TV has found a more natural home in the unregulated world of the internet. “You can see so many people being ridiculed on platforms like YouTube that I think TV channels have had to go a different way,” says Spodsberg. “I think they’ve focused more on relatable characters with the result that audiences get closer to them and care about them more.” TBI
For the latest in TV programming news visit TBIVISION.COM
TBI Formats October/November 2013
21
Formatsp22-25 Reality OctNov13jwSC
23/9/13
15:05
Page 22
GENRE FOCUS UNSCRIPTED TV
22 TBI Formats October/November 2013
For the latest in TV programming news visit TBIVISION.COM
Formatsp22-25 Reality OctNov13jwSC
23/9/13
15:05
Page 23
GENRE FOCUS UNSCRIPTED TV
REALITY ROUND THE CLOCK NBC’s large scale live event gameshow Million Second Quiz has just ended after nearly 12 days of continuous competition and handing out the biggest prize in network history. But what does the show say about the future of the future of primetime reality shows? Jesse Whittock reports. tephen Lambert’s London-based development team first conceived NBC’s Million Second Quiz after the reality TV guru had decided that 2013 schedules were lacking “something really big and ambitious”. The Ryan Seacrest-presented and coproduced show finished its first run on September 19 after 11 days and a half days, or nearly 278 hours of continuous gameplay. Sitting at the heart of NBC’s primetime schedule each evening at 8pm, the All3Media America, Studio Lambert and Ryan Seacrest Productions series required a major commitment from NBC Entertainment’s alternative and late night programming president Paul Telegdy. It was, and is, according to All3Media America president Lambert, “the biggest and most ambitious new entertainment format I’ve ever worked on and certainly the biggest and most ambitious entertainment format in the world this year”. That accolade would normally go to the latest launch of reality shows such as Big Brother, and though that format still finds new homes, MSQ’s inception suggests network executives may be taking primetime commissioning in a new, more daring direction. It also marked a new type of format blending the jeopardy of a gameshow, the spectacle of live event programming, roundthe-clock live-in elements from the reality genre and digital interactivity. In Lambert’s words, the concept was to “turn a quiz into a sporting event with very broad appeal”.
S
For the latest in TV programming news visit TBIVISION.COM
He adds: “We hit on the idea it could be two weeks long, and realised it would end up a mix of quiz and reality. Then we had the notion that the four best players would live there 24/7 and only the best would survive until the end and convert their winnings into hard cash.” In that sense, the show marks the latest evolution of the 24/7 programming category, as contestants on the show were put into four battle rounds an hour every hour during the million seconds. Players around the country competed digitally before, during and after each programme to gain a spot at the massive Manhattan rooftop hour glass structure and a chance to win millions of dollars. But, according to Banijay International’s managing director Karoline Spodsberg, many broadcasters still see classic reality formats as a key primetime programming alternative, as “they are still commissioning them”. The key reasons for the endurance of primetime reality programming can be attributed to the cheap cost, attractive young adult target demographic, room for product placement experiments and local casting opportunities as seen in shows such as Jersey Shore and The Only Way is Essex, she adds. Lambert himself has created numerous experiments in the reality genre and is behind show including Channel 4’s short-run Seven Days and now Gogglebox, a UK format that films people as they watch and react to primetime TV. “I never understand how people think you can reach saturation point [for unscripted TBI Formats October/November 2013
23
Formatsp22-25 Reality OctNov13jwSC
23/9/13
15:05
Page 24
GENRE FOCUS UNSCRIPTED TV
Siberia is an example of how primetime reality programmes even permeate drama
programming],” he says. “The only limit is the limit of your imagination and belief of what can be done.” Googlebox, he continues, is in some respects a direct result of Seven Days’ failure to rate. The latter show, an interactive Studio Lambert format that filmed the locals of London’s Notting Hill each week, was hyped by many as Channel 4’s Big Brother replacement, but failed to take off. It was dropped after a season but Channel 4 executive producer Tania Alexander was sure a reworked show would work. Gogglebox launched earlier this year, has been recommissioned and is now selling as a format, notably to Bravo in the US, where a three-part series launched in October. “The success of TOWIE and Gogglebox shows that real time docusoap and real time documentary are genres people like. They speak to that sense of being of the moment,” says Lambert. Endemol’s managing director, creative operations Iris Boelhouwer agrees that reality formats tap into that desire for the now. For example, Big Brother took up on Channel 5 in the UK after leaving Channel 4 in 2010 and has led to improved channel ratings; and in the US the Endemol format was recently commissioned for a 16th season in the US on CBS. “Everyone says Big Brother is old and questions why it is still out there but we still have new series launching in new countries every year. For example, we launched in Canada last year, where it got huge ratings and a second season is coming, and there is a new
24 TBI Formats October/November 2013
one in Vietnam next year.” “Endemol has tried similar things in the past to Million Second Quiz with 24-hour quizzes, so the idea has been in the minds of producers for quite a while. Ultimately, everybody’s trying to crack that really new, really refreshing new series.” Spodsberg adds: “The opportunity – which, as is so often the case, is also a challenge – is to keep round-the-clock programming relevant by bringing in elements of other successful TV trends and by reflecting the changing society that consumers of these shows live in.” Banijay’s latest foray into the competition reality genre is Opposite Worlds, a Chilean format from Channel 13 in which contestants living in a house together are divided by a glass wall – with one side offering a futuristic life of
luxury and the other the ‘past’ – a life of hardship and adversary. “We’ve sold Opposite Worlds into the US, where a local version will launch on Syfy in the new year, as well as Turkey, Croatia, Colombia, and across the Middle East. There is a clear demand for the genre,” says Spodsberg. Electus CEO and seasoned reality producer Chris Grant says the fact many classic formats remain popular is down to familiarity. “The fact is that wherever you find success with a format, people are going to try to take advantage of that success and find shows that mirror it and squeeze some of that success. Big Brother is at the forefront of reality programming: it’s been here for so long and is still going strong, so it’s no surprise [that is remains a key schedule driver].” Paul Lee, president of ABC Entertainment, says networks are becoming increasingly attracted to what he calls “four quadrant” programming – shows that draw in young and old, male and female audiences. “Our established reality brands are showing extraordinary resilience and buzz – show like Dancing with the Stars, thanks to a great cast, and The Bachelor. Shark Tank now has a passionate four quadrant audience.” Furthermore, it is wrong to see any primetime programme as simply filling a onehour slot on a schedule in a world of second screen interaction, online add-ons and growing on-demand audiences, Lee adds. “The reality is that shows now last for more than hour on TV; they live on when our talent tweets and on ABC.com and [on-demand service] Watch ABC.”
Opposite Worlds is Banijay’s latest reality competition show
For the latest in TV programming news visit TBIVISION.COM
Formatsp22-25 Reality OctNov13jwSC
23/9/13
15:05
Page 25
GENRE FOCUS UNSCRIPTED TV
Big Brother remains a key format in territories such as Brazil
ABC has, of course, been stung by the 24/7 reality TV genre this year. The Glass House, which the network launched last year, was immediately accused by rival CBS of being a Big Brother clone and a court case was brought against ABC and the producers, some of whom were ex-Big Brother staff. In August, ABC agreed to pay “financial compensation” to the Eye network. Doubling the pain, Glass House was a ratings dud. Chris Philip, CEO of US-based indie producer Sierra/Engine Television, says that success breeds success regardless of genre. “If one [network] announces they’re doing a particular style, you’ll see everyone else throw their hats in the ring. The nature of the business is development executives really don’t want to miss out on anything and concept creators will try to be in that same space naturally.” The trick appears to be to make a new version of an existing concept that is sufficiently genre-bending that broadcasters cannot pass it up. Sierra/Engine scored a straight-to-series commission from NBC for Siberia, a one-hour scripted series based on the reality TV genre. Philip bills it as “Hunger Games meets The Blair Witch Project with a
little Survivor”. “At the end of the day, there’s a considerable amount of acting in reality TV to keep shows sensational. We thought, ‘why not give the viewer exactly what they want’ and start killing people to give them shock television.” This attempt at reality-themed drama has been attempted before. In 2008 scriptwriter Charlie Brooker wrote the BAFTA-nominated Dead Set, a Zeppotron-produced scripted series for UK youth-skewed net E4 in which fictional contestants on Big Brother became embroiled in life-or-death battle against a zombie invasion. “The whole genre of reality is evolving into a soft semi-scripted genre,” says Philip. “As it matures, producers become desperate to outdo one another. And the average person in a reality show is trying to stay on the show – they know exactly how to push the buttons and say the right things.” This is certainly true of scripted reality shows such as TOWIE, Berlin: Day and Night and Jersey Shore but Banijay’s Spodsberg doesn’t see it becoming part of other types of primetime reality shows. “You’d have to be very careful going down this route,” she says. “Authenticity is very
For the latest in TV programming news visit TBIVISION.COM
important to viewers, and even when it is clear that some situations are constructed the audience wants to feel that the interaction between characters is spontaneous and real.” For MSQ, the jeopardy is centred on the four times hourly trivia battles that ultimately decided the winner of the huge cash prize, but Lambert notes: “You’ve got the game going on but then there’s also the drama of people living there.” Distributor All3Media International will be in Cannes launching MSQ to the global business. Lambert says there will be three versions offered: one designed to be in line with a cost-effective competition reality budget, another for networks with slightly more money to play with and another much closer to NBC’s massive investment. “This isn’t cheap programming but you could do a cheaper version,” he adds. The format will appeal to channels looking for “big-scale, event TV” to compensate for the fact 2013 has offered no major sporting event. The US ratings were disappointing, presenting the sales team with an added challenge when pitching the show. All3 International will have three MIPCOM days – or 259,200 seconds – to convince buyers. TBI TBI Formats October/November 2013
25
Formatsp26 Last Word OctNov13jwSC
23/9/13
15:07
Page 26
LAST WORD, KERRY TAYLOR, SVP,YOUTH AND MUSIC,VIMN
LAST WORD KERRY TAYLOR,VIACOM INTERNATIONAL MEDIA NETWORKS
HOW SOCIAL MEDIA IS INFLUENCING REALITY DEVELOPMENT ove it or hate it, reality TV has firmly cemented its place within pop culture, becoming a firm favourite with audiences and content creators around the world – spanning all ages and demographics. In the UK, whether it’s Geordie Shore, Big Brother or Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, reality has proved to be one of the most brilliantly versatile, adaptable and resilient genres of our time, with its popularity showing no signs of abating. It was back in the ‘noughties’ when the reality phenomenon really hit the mainstream. Through the conception of big budget formats including Pop Idol and Big Brother, we – the public – for the first time, became the small screen’s biggest stars. Fast forward to 2013 and a slew of reality favourites now pepper today’s weekly listings, satisfying a mild curiousity for some, a guilty pleasure for many and an obsession for a whole lot more. The genre has enduring appeal for younger audiences, who have proved fanatically loyal to TV shows cast from their own ranks and it can be argued that today’s ‘millennial’ generation is even more deeply engaged with reality than those that have come before. This trend-setting demographic - born between 1982 and 2004 is the first generation of digital natives, with social media so deeply embedded in many of their lives that some of them are literally ‘always on’. New connected devices enable them to immerse themselves even more deeply in their favourite shows such as MTV’s Jersey Shore, Bravo’s Real Housewives… franchise or E!’s Keeping Up with the Kardashians. The depth of this engagement has been underlined by various research studies, including a survey of the TV-related social media habits of young viewers conducted by
L
26 TBI Formats October/November 2013
MTV’s parent company, Viacom International Media Networks. This study found that more than seven out of ten young viewers were interacting with other fans via a second screen while watching their favourite shows and six out of ten had followed or ‘liked’ a TV show via social media. It also revealed that discovering a show via social media made young viewers much more likely to watch its live TV debut and to continue watching the show past its first season. The TV industry has been quick to capitalise on this synergy. More storylines are now built into single episodes to allow multiple spin-offs via social media. Social media is now at the centre of marketing strategies, with additional content designed to generate maximum ‘talk-ability’ (and therefore ‘share-ability’) and fans are encouraged to contribute their own content as well as influence campaign elements through their social media activity. Reality shows are among the most social on TV, with huge numbers of fans and followers. It’s therefore no surprise that the Second Sync leader board of the most tweeted about UK TV shows is often headed by a reality format, with the likes of Made in Chelsea or The Valleys outperforming higher rating soaps and sitcoms. Statisticians are still searching for a definitive link between social media activity and TV ratings, but I refuse to believe that the record ratings that Geordie Shore has just delivered for MTV UK in its sixth season are unconnected to its large number of Twitter fans. Of course, hunting out the latest gossip on the cast of The Only Way is Essex, isn’t the only use that millennials make of social media. VIMN’s biggest ever research study amongst this age group, The Next Normal, reaching 15,000 respondents in 24 countries, reveals
how the internet has increased millennials’ awareness of the world and their interest in current affairs and societal issues. The conscience of this generation has been shaped by the tragic events of 9/11. Their prospects have been blighted by the global economic downturn from 2008. It’s therefore no surprise that a majority of them are worried about the state of the world. Allied to their natural optimism, this concern translates into a passion for pro-social causes and a determination to make a difference. Public broadcasters in the UK such as the BBC and Channel 4, have long justified the number of reality formats in their schedules by seeking to give what are essentially entertainment shows a sense of social purpose. Think BBC3’s Extreme OCD Club or Channel 4’s Bi-Curious Me. Commercial broadcasters, including MTV, are now taking advantage of the passion for pro-social causes identified amongst millennial audiences to commission a greater number of pro-social ‘reality’ documentary formats. VIMN’s general entertainment catalogue at MIPCOM is headlined by two reality formats that fall firmly into the pro-social category. Catfish: The TV Show has proved to be one of MTV’s most successful formats internationally, attracting millions of young viewers and widespread critical acclaim for its insights into the impact of social media on modern dating. We have high hopes that Generation Cryo, which follows the child of a sperm donor through the search for their biological father, should be equally well received. After all, millennial audiences are searching for meaning in their lives, and so increasingly, they are expecting to find it in their television programming too. TBI
For the latest in TV programming news visit TBIVISION.COM
TBIV_DTVEnet_The_Business_216 copy.indd 1
23/09/2013 13:49
Formatsp28 Warner Bros OctNov13.indd 1
17/09/2013 11:54
