Broadcast 13th December

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

End Of Year Special Broadcast’s bumper review of the year reveals the shows, deals, people, tech and trends that really mattered in 2013 Pages 28-49

13 December 2013

ALSO INSIDE ■ Interviews:

C4’s Daniel Pearl; A+E’s Tom Davidson Pages 26,50 ■ On set with Corrie and The Great Train Robbery Pages 25,52

ITV rings the changes with overhaul of daytime teams

ITV casts eye over fourth US indie

BY JAKE KANTER

BY PETER WHITE

ITV is carrying out a significant overhaul of its daytime teams across commissioning and production.

Broadcast understands that the executive producers of This Morning and Loose Women are set to leave their roles within ITV Studios’ daytime division. This follows the recent departures of Daybreak editor Karl Newton and ITVS creative director for daytime and lifestyle Fiona Keenaghan.

The changes would mean that all of ITVS’s major daytime shows will be under new leadership, with the exception of The Jeremy Kyle Show, which has been handed to director of entertainment Siobhan Greene.

It is believed that ITVS is keen to move This Morning showrunner Miles Jarvis into an executive producer role at factual arm Shiver. He has experience of inhouse factual content, having made Gino’s Italian Escape earlier this year.

Elsewhere, executive producer Sharon Powers has been told that her role on Loose Women is likely to be made redundant, although the former Big Brother creative director’s future is still being discussed. She joined the show in 2010.

Both were hired by Keenaghan, who left the company after 13 years in October and was effectively replaced by Emma Gormley, the Lorraine editor who was promoted to managing executive producer last month.

ITV is in talks to acquire US indie and Top Chef producer Magical Elves in what would be its fourth US deal in the past 12 months.

Magical Elves is understood to be looking for offers north of $50m. That valuation would make it ITV’s biggest US deal, if it bought the company outright.

Earlier this year, ITV bought Duck Dynasty producer Gurney Productions, Hatfields & McCoys producer Thinkfactory Media and Cake Boss producer High Noon Entertainment.

Magical Elves largely produces reality shows such as cooking competition Top Chef, NBC’s Elle Macpherson-fronted Fashion Star and The Real L Word.

It recently moved into factual content with Time Of Death, a sixpart doc for Showtime.

The company is run by Brit Dan Cutforth, a former BBC researcher and Planet 24 executive, and Jane Lipsitz, who had worked at VH1.

Cutforth and Lipsitz have employed Thomas Dey’s About Corporate Finance to run the sale process.

ITV declined to comment.

Loose Women: executive producer Sharon Powers is set to leave ITV show

The changes mean that all of ITVS’s major daytime shows will be under new leadership Insiders at the production division have complained that daytime teams have been unsettled by all the recent changes, with many fearful for their own jobs. One well-placed source described the situation as “turmoil”, while another said many staff were “upset and frustrated”.

It is understood that director of daytime Helen Warner has had input into all the decisions, which are ultimately the responsibility of Denise O’Donoghue, who oversees ITVS’s UK operations.

Warner is also mid-way through a review of Daybreak ahead of the show’s relaunch in 2014.

Earlier this week, ITV recruited Shiver executive producer Clare Ely and Dancing On Ice showrunner Jane Beacon to share Diana Howie’s daytime commissioning editor job, after she leaves at Christmas.

Ely will join in January, while Beacon will share the role from April, after the final series of Dancing On Ice has wrapped.

Top Chef: produced by Magical Elves

Editor’s Choice

Broadcast, 101 Finsbury Pavement, London EC2A 1RS or email lisa.campbell@broadcastnow.co.uk

Online this week www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Lisa Campbell, Editor

Top News

Our Alternative Awards go to...

Broadcast picks the winners in the categories that really matter

C

hristmas is coming and we have a bumper 64-page final edition in which we round up the biggest stories of the year. Plenty to digest when there’s nowt on the telly. Don’t miss our lighter take on the news (page 28-29), beautifully brought to life by our award-winning cartoonist, Kipper Williams.

As it’s the festive season, instead of getting on my high horse about BBC

‘The Abramovich Award For Silly Money goes to BT Sport for the £900m it shelled out for Champions League rights’ profligacy or Channel 4 viewing share, I thought I’d bring you this year’s Alternative Broadcast Awards.

First up, the Jose Mourinho Award For Swift Exit goes to Liam Keelan for leaving the Beeb/joining Sky/leaving Sky/rejoining the Beeb, all in roughly 13 seconds back in February. Just nine months later, he had another new job, heading drama for BBC Worldwide.

The Abramovich Award for Silly Money goes to BT Sport for the £900m it shelled out for rights to the Champions League. With Sky left on the sidelines, the game has irrevocably changed.

The Olivia Colman Award For Overexposure goes to Olivia Colman – Rev, Accused, Twenty Twelve, Broadchurch, Whicher, Run, The Thirteenth Tale… the list goes on. Still, 2 | Broadcast | 13 December 2013

è Princess Productions is on the hunt for a senior executive after a restructure that has resulted in new roles for execs Henrietta Conrad and Duncan Gray.

è Former Sky 1 head of factual she’s the most in-demand actress for good reason and came top of our Hot 100 talent list. Colman also picks up the Carrie Mathison Award For Copious Tears. The reveal of Broadchurch’s killer brought out one of TV’s finest performances from any actor. But as she said in an interview: “I’d have a scene and they’d say: ‘You’re not crying in this one’ and I’d think: ‘Good luck with that’.”

Meanwhile, not such a national treasure. The Gus Fring Award For Best Bad Guy goes to Richard Foster, boss of what some indies describe as “necessary evil” GroupM Entertainment. Even Richard Desmond admitted he daren’t take him on, lacking the requisite “10stone testicles”.

Over to the British Gas Award For Services To The Elderly now, which goes to Jay Hunt, who after losing out to Miriam O’Reilly in a landmark ageism trial, took on John McCririck – and won. Runner-up is David Dimbleby, who proved you’re never too old to get a tattoo.

It was a better year for rival TV exec Peter Fincham, who picks up the Cheshire Cat Award For Satisfied Grin.

The ITV boss couldn’t hide his pleasure in coming out top in the Broadcast/ Edinburgh International TV Festival commissioning survey.

Finally, the Myley Cyrus Award For Deliberate Provocation goes to Ben Frow for decrying the ob-doc over-kill, having himself ordered a sizeable batch.

Happy Christmas to all our readers and we look forward to bringing you more news and views in 2014.

entertainment Michele Kurland (pictured) is to join Remarkable Television as creative director.

è BBC news and current affairs director James Harding has defended the corporation’s coverage of Nelson Mandela’s death after it received 850 complaints about the extent of airtime it devoted to the former South African president.

Ratings Top Five 1 Channel 4’s department store doc Liberty Of London was 700,000 viewers down on last week’s debut of 2m.

2 Sunday’s I’m a Celebrity… final was the show’s highest-rated climax since 2010 as it peaked with 12m.

3 The X Factor semi-final pulled in the ITV show’s biggest audience in four weeks on Saturday, entertaining 8m viewers.

BBC1’s coverage of the death of Nelson Mandela (below) was seen by a peak audience of 6m on Thursday night.

4

5 Robbie Williams’ live performance of swing music peaked with 5m on Saturday.

Team Tweets è “We were canny mint mind.” @skytyneandwear signs off after nearly two years @jake_kanter

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

News & Analysis

BBC Trust takes a step back The BBC Trust is to put greater distance between itself and the BBC executive under plans to dramatically improve governance arrangements.

The Trust published a 13-page review of the way it governs the corporation this week following the calamitous Public Accounts Committee hearing on payoffs in September, when it was unclear who was responsible for overly generous senior manager severance deals.

The review made a series of recommendations, chiefly aimed at distancing the Trust from the executive so that it can then hold the corporation to account more robustly.

It found that “responsibilities of the two parts of the BBC have become confused”, and said the Trust must become less involved in operational decisionmaking and more concerned by strategic oversight.

The Trust will no longer approve individual investment decisions unless they cost more than £100m, and will hold fewer meetings with senior BBC managers.

The Trust will also introduce a three-stage process to monitor the

Getty ImaGes

BY Jake kanTer

Patten and Hall: Trust will hold BBC to account more robustly

performance of the BBC against its objectives. This includes quarterly status reports, a mechanism to allow the Trust to review projects “as required” and an “exceptional” reporting process, where the BBC can notify its governing body of any risks to achieving its goals outside of quarterly meetings.

A big part of the review, which was carried out by the Trust’s head

of governance Phil Harrold and former acting BBC director of communications Julian Payne, also focused on transparency.

The Trust will publish the objectives and priorities it sets for the executive in consultation with licence fee-payers. Targets set in July were made public for the first time this week. The BBC was tasked with improving the

The review made a series of recommendations, chiefly aimed at distancing the Trust from the executive “quality, variety and originality of new drama on BBC1 (particularly in peak)”, and bolstering current affairs across BBC1 and BBC2.

Putting more women on screen was also made a priority.

The governing body also plans to stream a number of meetings with the executive on its website, including reviews of BBC services and end-of-year performance evaluations. This is designed to help licence fee-payers “watch the Trust at work scrutinising the performance of the BBC”.

Other changes include a strengthening of the BBC’s nonexecutive board members. As reported, former Sony Corporation chief executive Sir Howard Stringer will become an independent director as the broadcaster’s non-executives are increased from four to six. ➤ For more, see broadcastnow.co.uk

Blow for north-east as Dene and Sky T&W fold Dene Films has gone into liquidation after struggling to manage debts of almost £500,000

BY Jake kanTer

The television industry in the north-east of England has been dealt a blow by the closure of Sky Tyne and Wear and Newcastle indie Dene Films.

Dene Films has gone into liquidation after struggling to manage debts of almost £500,000. The closure will put 14 people at the indie out of work.

The indie was established in 1992 by group managing director Steve Salam and its work has included CBBC’s Bafta-nominated 2011 documentary My Life: Stammer School, fronted by Michael Palin. More recently, it www.broadcastnow.co.uk

My Life Stammer School: Dene show

made My Life: I Am Ethan for the children’s channel.

It also had a solid slate of commercial work, producing adverts

and sponsorship bumpers for clients including German supermarket chain Lidl and flooring specialist Carpet Right.

Dene also owned animation and visual effects company Qurios Entertainment, which provided animations for shows such as Tracy Beaker Returns.

One indie boss in the north-east described it as a “gloomy” few days for the industry in the region. Some major productions are still made in the area, however, including BBC1’s The Paradise and Inspector George Gently, and ITV’s Vera.

Meanwhile, Sky announced on Monday that it is closing digital news service Sky Tyne and Wear, following a pilot period of under two years. The decision puts 15 employees at risk of redundancy.

Sky said the closure of the project, which was set up by Sky News associate editor Simon Bucks in February 2012, would not affect its commitment to covering news and events in the north-east.

13 December 2013 | Broadcast | 3

News & Analysis

Skillset: help us help writers Without an apprentice scheme, writers too often write one script and their career is over

BY ANdreAs WisemAN

Creative Skillset has urged the industry to make use of the Skills Investment Fund (SIF) to help foster the next generation of writers.

The skills and training body’s executive director Kate O’Connor acknowledged that there was an “urgent need to support wider voices and change what we see on screen, as reinforced at the recent Broadcast and Screen International Diversify conference”.

Skillset has flagged up that its new Challenge Fund could be used for a range of writing initiatives, from creative labs and live production training to apprenticeships, shadowing and mentoring programmes.

The SIF is available to producers who contribute an optional levy (currently capped at £39,500) of 0.5% of the UK core expenditure of high-end £1m-plus budgets. They can then apply for SIF training support of between £10,000 and £1m, which will then be matchfunded by the government.

A number of companies have so far taken on trainees via Skillset-

John Yorke, Company Pictures

Truckers: executive producer John Yorke wants industry debate

supported schemes after paying into SIF, but none has yet launched a broader skills and training programme.

Speaking at the Broadcast Production and Post Forum last month, Roseanne and Nurse Jackie

executive Caryn Mandabach suggested that writers’ apprenticeships could be a viable way of fostering new writers.

Company Pictures managing director John Yorke has backed the idea, but said a debate was

required to establish the best model to pursue.

Yorke, who established the now defunct Drama Writers Academy while controller of in-house drama at the BBC, told Broadcast: “It would be good to examine the implications of compulsory funding in this area, but there needs to be a wider debate in the industry about who pays for that.

“If you ask people to name the schemes to encourage new writers, there aren’t many. I think the BBC does its bit, but it’s within its remit to do so.

“Arguably, you need an apprenticeship system. Without that, writers too often write one script and their career is over.

Every organisation needs to give writers the right to fail – but that’s asking a lot.”

Regulations on AFP out of tune with viewers It’s a very lively area but is underpinned by an antiquated set of constraints

BY Alex FArBer

A major study into advertiserfunded programming (AFP) has found that existing regulations are out of step with what audiences are prepared to accept.

Shine North managing director Alex Connock led the report, which he claimed was the first-ever consumer survey of viewer’s responses to branded content.

Ipsos Mori polled 1,500 people from the UK, Hong Kong and the US, with more than 60% of UK respondents claiming they would never refuse to watch a show because of a brand’s involvement, irrespective of its input.

However, the research, conducted with the University of Oxford and Reuters Institute for 4 | Broadcast | 13 December 2013

Alex Connock, Shine North

GT Academy: sponsored by Nissan

the Study of Journalism, found that there are some clear turn-offs for audiences in regard to AFP programming. For example, 93% of viewers are comfortable with a car brand appearing in a drama, but 10% said they would switch off

if the manufacturer was named by the characters.

Similarly, 72% said they would be prepared to watch a surfing film funded by an oil company, but this fell to 55% if the business had a poor environmental record – suggesting reputations cannot be reversed simply through AFP. Connock said that around half of the shows he was currently working on had some degree of brand funding, but that

they were being stifled by overly strict regulations that do not apply online.

“It’s a very lively area but is underpinned by an antiquated set of constraints that consider editorial compromise is unacceptable to audiences,” he said.

“We are in an age where people are able to watch ITV, Channel 4 and YouTube using the same remote control, but we are dealing with two contrasting regulatory environments.”

Connock said that brands often understand how far they can push their message and know where to “draw the line”.

A study into the effectiveness of branded online video is being planned as a follow-up study. ➤ For more on AFPs, see page 22 www.broadcastnow.co.uk

News & Analysis DPP apologises to C4 for Plebgate film statement The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has apologised to Channel 4 for giving the impression that it had misleadingly edited CCTV footage used in its Plebgate film.

Dispatches editor Daniel Pearl, who commissioned the Blakeway Productions film, wrote to the CPS in November after DPP Alison Saunders made a statement that the footage had been “edited and did not show the full picture”.

The letter, co-signed by Ten Alps creative director Fiona Stourton and C4 News editor Ben De Pear, pointed to the broadcaster’s “longstanding reputation”.

“The statement made by the CPS fell below the standards expected of a public body and we are extremely disappointed that as a result of it, attacks were unfairly made on the integrity of our journalism,” it said.

Saunders has now acknowledged C4’s “well-deserved reputation for high quality”. She wrote: “The CPS values highly the role investigative journalism plays in exposing criminal conduct and we would never intend to provoke criticism of it.

We are sorry that you feel the statement was misleading and that it led to public and media criticism of your programme – that was certainly not our intention.” ➤ See Daniel Pearl interview, page 50

ITV top channel for Twitter interaction BY kasIa DelgaDo

ITV was 2013’s most tweetedabout channel, with a total of 25 million messages posted about its shows, while digital channel E4 generated 1 million more tweets than terrestrial sister Channel 4.

The X Factor dominated the TVrelated conversation on the social network by generating 8 million tweets, according to data from analytics service SecondSync.

In comparison, BBC1’s rival singing talent show The Voice registered 1.8 million tweets. It was the channel’s second most tweeted-about show behind EastEnders (2 million tweets), and helped BBC1 take second spot with a total of 19 million messages.

E4, bolstered by Made In Chelsea (2.6 million) finished in third position with a total of 11 million tweets, just above C4, which aired shows that sparked around 10 million messages.

SecondSync managing director Andy Littledale said that tweets from talent had been an important factor in boosting the popularity of TV shows on Twitter.

He pointed to Made In Chelsea, whose stars’ strong social media

The X Factor: helped put ITV in first place by generating 8 million tweets

presence helped the show become the second most tweetedabout reality series of the year, behind Channel 5’s Celebrity Big Brother (3 million).

It was a technique that was also successfully adopted by MTV, which encouraged the Geordie Shore cast to discuss the show with their followers. The show generated 2.5 million tweets.

Littledale said promoting hashtags on screen and via Twitter itself was crucial to driving online discussion about a show. “Question

Time is the perfect example of how a show can drive engagement,” he said. “It pushes the hashtag and viewers join in the conversation around the show – it works.”

Littledale said the TV industry was becoming increasingly aware of the commercial value of Twitter, with the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 using the data generated with their commissioning, audience research, continuity and sales departments.

“Twitter has become important in measuring audience reaction and anticipation,” he said.

ITV commissions missing persons serial killer drama It’s a crime drama but not a typical one.

And it introduces two very individual characters

BY Jake kanTer

DCI Banks co-writer Rob Williams has created an ITV drama based on a missing persons unit that hunts down serial killers in the south-east of England.

Chasing Shadows is ITV director of drama Steve November’s first contemporary detective commission, and will debut as a 4 x 60-minute series. It is produced by ITV Studios.

Written and created by Williams, it centres on a male and female detective duo hunting down murderers who prey on impressionable and vulnerable people. DS Sean www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Steve November, ITV

DCI Banks: new drama from writer

Alexander is a socially awkward risk-taker, obsessed with deciphering codes and uncovering patterns of behaviour. His partner Ruth Hattersley is a stabilising influence with complementary skills.

Chasing Shadows will be produced by the ITVS drama team led by Francis Hopkinson, who will executive produce the series.

Rob Bullock is the producer, while the commissioners are November and controller of drama Victoria Fea.

The four-part series will feature two self-contained stories, the first of which will be directed by Christopher Menaul (Ripper Street). ITV is still finalising the second director.

“It’s a crime drama, but not a typical one as it is based around a missing persons unit. And it introduces two very individual and exciting new characters,” November said.

Hopkinson described DS Alexander as an odd but “multilayered” character, adding: “The first story is also very interesting as it concentrates on the loneliness and isolation some people feel in this multi-tech world. It’s very relevant subject matter for today.”

13 December 2013 | Broadcast | 5

News & Analysis

Film London finds fresh drama spaces

BY AndreAs WiseMAn

Film and media agency Film London has identified 1.25 million sq ft of alternative stage space in the capital in a bid to satisfy growing demand.

It said it has assessed and found locations that the production community is not aware of, and is now matching appropriate space to enquiries. Among the non-traditional venues are the iCity at the Olympic Park and the ExCel Arena.

Film London said a number of TV companies had already enquired about shooting in the former Olympic Broadcast and Press Centre, which comprises five potential studio spaces with a combined volume of 70,000 sq ft.

Exhibition and events venue ExCel in London’s Docklands has already hosted commercials and 2005 movie Batman Begins, but no TV drama to date. It comprises 500,000 sq ft of warehouses, which can be shortened.

High-end US TV productions are increasingly eyeing the UK’s alternative spaces after Game Of Thrones and Da Vinci’s Demons led the way. For example, 24: Live Another Day, the limited series

Olympic Broadcast and Press Centre: houses five potential studio spaces

follow-up to Fox’s thriller, starring Kiefer Sutherland, is to set up home in the Gillette Building in west London, which housed US action film Red 2 last year.

Fortitude, Sky Atlantic’s co-production with Starz, is also due to shoot in a non-traditional studio space next year.

Alternative spaces allow privacy and better rates, but pose challenges around sound, insulation, power, lighting and parking. Kudos Film and Television head of production Allison Barnett said using them was “part of our culture”. “We’ve

set up in old hospitals, old schools.

You name it, we’ve been there.”

Kudos shot Spooks and Hustle in the Peek Freans factory in Bermondsey, south London, and has also shot at former MoD site Longcross Studios in Chertsey.

“We’ve just shot The Smoke for Sky 1,” said Barnett. “Three Mills did a great deal on the office space, but we shot at the Tate & Lyle building in Greenwich. It’s good to get different parts of London on screen, which is why the Olympic Village could be great.” ➤ For more on studios, see page 33

Compact Media snaps up Anian to boost scripted TV consultant Compact Media Group has acquired financing firm Anian as it seeks to boost its scripted business.

The deal will result in Compact’s Rights.tv division, run by former ITV exec Andrew Baker, expanding its service to help producers raise funds through public sources, including the EU Media Fund.

It will also help indies access tax credits in countries such as Australia and Canada.

As part of the deal, Rights.tv has hired Angela Amanchukwu to head its scripted division. Amanchukwu was previously legal and business affairs manager at UKTV. Anian was established by Gwion Owain, head of the EU’s media programme in Wales and former chief executive of Welsh producers’ association TAC. It has worked with producers including Fiction Factory and All3Media to secure funding for Welsh detective drama Hinterland.

Baker said Anian’s ability to raise non-broadcast funding was being used by “some of the UK’s most successful producers”.

He added: “Acquiring the company will support our strategy of offering end-to-end advice on everything from securing funding to business affairs, to production and exploitation.”

NBCU’s Mortimer takes reins at development unit We see the UK as the engine that drives our international television business

BY Chris Curtis

David Mortimer is to head a new NBC Universal International Television Production development unit that will be tasked with developing “the next big international format hit”.

Mortimer, who joined the company as senior vice-president of factual and entertainment in May, will oversee two teams: one focused on shiny-floor entertainment and the other on returnable, high-end fact ent formats.

Recruitment is currently under way and appointments are likely to be made in January. The plan is for 6 | Broadcast | 13 December 2013

David Mortimer, NBCU

Mortimer: will lead the teams

a substantial unit to be up and running in the first quarter of 2014.

Mortimer said the company was making a “significant investment” to supercharge its unscripted business. “We are determined to be the

home of the next big international format hit, and see the UK as the engine that drives our international television business. I believe that our unique approach to self-funded development will broker a more collaborative relationship with the broadcasters when piloting new ideas.”

The development unit will sit alongside NBCU’s existing inhouse unscripted production companies Monkey Kingdom and Chocolate Media in the UK, Matchbox Pictures in Australia and Lark Productions in Canada.

Mortimer was previously managing director of indie Fever Media, and spent 15 years at the BBC in senior commissioning and production roles. He is credited with creating programmes such as Dragons’ Den and Louis Theroux’s Weird Weekends.

NBC Universal International Television Production is led by president Michael Edelstein. www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Business Breakfast

BBCW lifts lid on male channel Commissioner Tracy Forsyth reveals plan to order 50 hours for new channel in 2014

BBC Worldwide’s Tracy Forsyth has revealed detailed plans for the company’s forthcoming male-skewing channel, which will be the key focus of its push on original content.

The vice-president of commissioning is particularly excited about the channel, which will attempt to capture “the essence of the British male”. She plans to order approximately 50 hours of content (around five series) for the global channel’s 2014 debut, when it will launch on a territory-by-territory basis.

She outlined the vision: “British men are good at being men, without being macho – which is a key difference in terms of our take on male-skewing. If you put a British man in a dark and dangerous situation, he’ll undercut it with a joke. We want to bottle that – and we think there’s a market for intelligent fact ent that viewers can still get something out of.”

The emphasis on “educated tomfoolery” includes a desire to order Top Gear audience-retention pieces, and Forsyth is also keen on workplace series. She is considering giving Outline’s Million Dollar Intern a male spin and moving it from BBC Knowledge to the new channel.

Other core programming areas will be “Dude Food” and shows that share values with the Tough Mudda endurance race brand. The former means series “in the Man v Food or Kitchen Nightmares space, or what Jamie Oliver is doing on Food Tube.

It’s not the place you would come for a recipe – it’s a celebration.”

The latter is an attempt to reflect the trend of people pushing themselves to achieve once-in-a-lifetime goals. “Every man I know seems to be doing a triathlon or buying bikes that cost £5,000,” Forsyth said. “We’ve nicknamed the area ‘men-in-pain-with-a-buddy’.”

Forsyth has been part of BBCW’s commissioning push from the outset and estimates she has already ordered eight or nine fully funded series and four or five co-pros.

8 | Broadcast | 13 December 2013

Jeremy enness

BY Chris Curtis

Future vision: BBCW’s tracy Forsyth tells Broadcast’s Peter White about the company’s original-content push

If you put a British man in a dangerous situation, he’ll undercut it with a joke. We want to bottle that Tracy Forsyth, BBCW

She is eyeing up around 30 hours for natural history channel BBC Earth in its first year, taking 2014’s overall target to 80 hours, with plans to push that to a combined 140 hours a year in the medium term. The majority of those hours will come from UK indies.

BBC Earth will play blue-chip natural history and science series such as Frozen Planet and Brian Cox’s Wonders Of The Universe, and Forsyth will order original “noisy, returnable fact ent pieces” to play alongside them.

The idea is that the commissions act as the “younger brother or cooler cousin of natural history”, helping to define the channel and drive ratings. They are likely to be fronted by talent, with BBCW

eyeing presenters who have “the credibility of an Attenborough, or the passion, drive or excitement of Indiana Jones or Lara Croft – we’re not sexist”.

Forsyth acknowledged that survival and alternative lifestyles are a crowded genre space, but said the emphasis she is putting on BBC-style talent will give her shows an edge.

“They don’t have to be a doctor, but they must have a palpable passion. Producers should ask, would the talent be doing what they’re doing if we weren’t filming it?”

Commissioning brief Across the two channels, her brief is to commission in batches of 10, but to only order shows that have the legs to return up to 50 episodes.

“In the early days, I was turning ideas down because they had only 20 hours in them. That’s quite different from UK terrestrials, and is part of the attraction for indies that have worked with us so far.”

Co-pros with BBC America are on the agenda, with Forsyth working closely with Julie Swanston, the former UKTV exec who in September took on a joint role that sees her hunt for original

content for both the wider group of BBCW channels and BBC America specifically.

With that in mind, Forsyth is prepared to be more flexible on rights than indies might expect. She said: “When we fully fund, we do aim to take full rights, but there is a negotiation about the split of back-end.

It’s not just a work-for-hire model.

“We’re also much more open to co-production because we obviously don’t have a UK window. If you have an idea that’s right for the UK market and also fits our brief, we’d be interested in talking about taking the rest-of-the-world rights.”

This process can also work the other way around, and BBCW’s distribution team is in negotiations to sell shows such as Best In Town, Million Dollar Intern and Rachel Khoo’s Little Paris Kitchen to UK broadcasters.

Separately, Forsyth confirmed that BBCW global editorial director Liam Keelan will lead commissioning for BBC First, the drama channel that will combine highquality BBC scripted shows with original content. The channel will aspire to be the “HBO of British drama”, she said. www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Sponsored by

Above: Business Breakfast guests; centre row, left to right: Arrow Media’s iain Pelling talks to Broadcast’s Chris Curtis; Outline’s helen Veale with universal’s Farah hassan; renegade Pictures’ simon robinson; Bottom row: guests network; Airborne tV & Film’s stuart Burrage

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

13 December 2013 | Broadcast | 9

“I am delighted that Dancing On Ice is returning to Elstree Studios. The flexibility of your staff and facilities perfectly suit the ever changing needs of a show such as ours and without doubt Stage 2 is the best place in the country for the huge scale of our ice world! We are excited to be coming home and are looking forward to working with you.”

Glenn Coomber, Executive Producer Dancing on Ice

“Elstree Studios is a great location for Big Brother.

We have a complex technical operation set up within our new Big Brother Village. The Big Brother house is monitored 24 hours a day, and we have more than two live transmissions from the studio every day – 7 days per week. We have very large audiences for Big Brother and it’s easy for them to get to by public transport. This is also an ideal location for all production and technical staff.”

Sandra Smith, Head of Production Big Brother “Elstree Studios was the perfect home for The World’s End. We needed three large stages with good height and excellent lighting grids. We required spacious, fully serviced production offices, a huge variety of workshops and first class dressing rooms.

All of these needed to be easily accessible from Central London by public transport and within reach of the excellent locations in Hertfordshire. As always the team at Elstree bent over backwards to help us at every stage of the process, and no request was ever too much to ask. We look forward to returning very soon!”

James Biddle, Executive Producer The World’s End

“George Lucas Stage 1 was the perfect home for our new live entertainment series. With its colossal 15,000 sq.ft. of space, attached to 3 floors of exclusive facilities comprising of a mix of Star dressing rooms, make up, wardrobe and offices, along with access to ample car park space, all enabling us to house our entire production just under one roof. We also had the bonus of flexibility Elstree Studios has on offer including large dance rehearsal spaces, fully operational post production studio and green screen stage. But above all, what makes Elstree Studios so unique and special are all the dedicated Elstree Studios staff, attentive to all our needs and offering us the support and flexibility a large scale weekly live production requires.”

Philippe Luzy, Production Executive Your Face Sounds Familiar “We were thrilled to have the opportunity to return to Elstree Studios and to once again work with Britain’s great technicians. In truth, for us all stages are pretty much the same. What distinguishes one studio from another is the people who run it. At Elstree the studios provided us with the most efficient, organised and dedicated team, who were always able to adapt and respond immediately to our complex and technically challenging production requirements.”

Rick McCallum, Producer Star Wars

Elstree Studios, Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire WD6 1JG tel: 020 8953 1600 . fax: 020 8905 1135 . info@elstreestudios.co.uk

www.elstreestudios.co.uk Images: Dancing on Ice © ITV Studios | Big Brother © Channel 5 | The World’s End, Laurie Sparham © Universal Pictures 2013 | Star Wars © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM

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26/11/2013 10:58

Commissioning News

MTV orders Whizz Kid beach trip

BY Peter White

ex On the Beach: contestants will have to go on a series of surprise dates with their former partners

MTV viewers can’t get enough of reality shows that reflect their experiences with humour Lisa Chapman, Whizz Kid

Channel 4 rustles up Simon Rimmer for cookery quiz

C4 hands full series to 80s classic Fifteen To One

Sunday Brunch presenter Simon Rimmer (below) is to extend his work for Channel 4 by fronting a daytime cookery quiz show.

C4 has commissioned Plum Pictures to make 30 x 30-minute Truffle Or Tripe, in which contestants will compete using their knowledge of food and cooking skills.

The teams must answer questions correctly to win ingredients, before combining them to cook a tasty dish. Wrong answers will result in them having to create a dish using undesirable ingredients. Truffle Or Tripe was commissioned by daytime commissioning and development editor David Sayer.

Channel 4 is to bring back classic quiz Fifteen To One for a full series following a celebrity special in September. The commercial broadcaster has commissioned four further celebrity editions, again hosted by Australian comedian Adam Hills, while Sandi Toksvig will present a 20-part daytime series.

The return follows the quiz’s successful return as part of C4’s 80s nostalgia night, when it averaged 1.8 million (7.8%). The series was ordered by C4 entertainment commissioner Madeleine Knight.

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Dave takes trip to Brazil for Kia AFP World Cup series Dave has ordered its latest advertiser-funded series – a six-parter

It will be exec produced by Whizz Kid managing director Lisa Chapman and Suzanne Readwin, who has previously exec produced Geordie Shore.

MTV UK senior vice-president and general manager Kerry Taylor said: “MTV’s young viewers can’t get enough of reality shows that reflect their experiences and aspirations with attitude and humour.

We’re always on the lookout for the next big idea in the genre and Ex

On The Beach really grabbed our attention as a brilliant, fun and dramatic format.”

Chapman said Ex On The Beach “really does do what it says on the tin”. She added: “The cast are also a major find – they are all gorgeous and opinionated, and didn’t need much persuading to have a holiday in the sun. But it isn’t all glamorous – some of the dates include camping in a cemetery and making goat’s cheese.’’

looking ahead to next year’s football World Cup. The UKTVowned free-to-air channel has commissioned Kia’s Road To Rio from ITN Productions and brand agency A Brand Apart Television.

The 6 x 60-minute series will follow comedians Mark Watson, who has appeared on Argumental, and Henning Wehn, from Dave’s One Night Stand, as they drive through South America ahead of the tournament in Brazil.

It will start filming in January and will air before the World Cup in June. Kia’s Road To Rio was ordered by commissioning editor Iain Coyle and Dave general manager Steve North.

Shopgirls (below), which will be presented by Dr Pamela Cox, a senior lecturer in sociology at the University of Essex. The series will examine the lives of girls working behind the counter in the drapery stores of the 1860s, when young women’s employment was taking

BBC2 goes back in time to reveal the life of Shopgirls BBC2 is to chart what life has been like for working women in a social history series from Betty. The Discovery-owned indie has been commissioned to make 3 x 60-minute

The M&S CoMpany arChive

Whizz Kid Entertainment is taking eight single men and women on a luxury holiday and secretly inviting their exes to join them on the trip, in a series for MTV. The Viacom-owned youth broadcaster has ordered 8 x 60-minute reality show Ex On The Beach from Whizz Kid in a bid to replicate the success of Geordie Shore and The Valleys.

The show, which is shot on location in southern Europe, will launch on MTV in the UK before rolling out on the broadcaster’s network of 60 international channels outside of the US. The contestants believe they are going on a luxury beach break where they will be set up for a potential holiday romance.

However, their ex-partners arrive unexpectedly to join them for a series of dates. Some exes attempt to rekindle their relationships, while others look for revenge.

The show was developed by Whizz Kid creative director Steven D Wright and commissioned by Steve Regan, vice-president of production at MTV UK.

off, up to the social revolution of the 1960s. It will tackle stories on class, gender, sex and shopping.

Martin Davidson, head of commissioning, history and business at the BBC, ordered the series, due to air next year, and will pick up an executive producer credit alongside Annabel Hobley.

13 December 2013 | Broadcast | 11

International News

Refugee show heads to UK Go Back To Where You Came From resonates with diverse audiences

BY PeTer WhiTe

Irish indie Screentime ShinAwil has optioned controversial Australian format Go Back To Where You Came From for a UK remake.

The company, which has offices in Belfast and Dublin, has a strong pedigree in remaking formats for the Republic of Ireland, including The Voice, MasterChef and Dragons’ Den. Go Back To Where You Came From is produced by Australian indie Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder for public broadcaster SBS. It takes a group of six Australians with different views on asylum seekers on a journey similar to the one that many refugees take to enter the country.

In the first Aussie series, the participants were deprived of their wallets, phones and passports, and boarded a leaky refugee boat before being rescued mid-ocean.

They also experienced immigration raids in Malaysia, lived in a Kenyan refugee camp, and visited slums in Jordan, before travelling to Congo and Iraq, where they

Discovery considers acquisition of Scripps Discovery Communications is reportedly eyeing a bid to acquire international channel operator Scripps Network Interactive, owner of the Food Network and Travel Channel. The deal was discussed at Discovery’s board meeting last week, according to US reports. If an acquisition were to go through, it would be one of the largest international broadcast deals of the year, dwarfing AMC Networks’ acquisition of European content group Chellomedia. The acquisition would bring together Discovery’s suite of channels – including TLC, Animal Planet, The Oprah Winfrey Network and its eponymous channel – and Scripps’ bouquet of networks, such 12 | Broadcast | 13 December 2013

Kristin Burgham, Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder

Go Back To Where You Came From: Aussies take similar journey to refugees

were protected by UN Peacekeepers and the US military.

The show originally aired on SBS in 2011 and was Australia’s highest-rated show of that year.

In the second series, which aired in 2012, a new group of contestants boarded a boat headed to Christmas Island and experienced wartorn Somalia and Afghanistan.

In the final episode of each series the groups recounted their experi-

ence to see if it had changed their opinions about immigration.

The format, which recently won an International Emmy, has been optioned in 10 territories and has already been produced in Germany, where ZDF adapted it as Auf Der Flucht: Das Experiment (Fleeing: The Experiment), and Denmark, where TV2 adapted it as Send Dem Hjem (Send Them Home).

as Food Network, Travel Channel, Cooking Channel, DIY Network and HGTV.

the story of a doctor whose family is taken hostage just as she is about to perform a routine operation on the president. The kidnappers tell her she must kill the president or her family will be murdered.

NBC to adapt horror classic Rosemary’s Baby Horror thriller Rosemary’s Baby is being adapted for the small screen after US network NBC ordered it as a mini-series. The 4 x 60-minute drama will be produced

by Lionsgate Television, which is expected to sign up several international broadcast partners ahead of the programme’s launch next year. The miniseries will begin filming in Paris in January. Rosemary’s Baby is an adaptation of the 1967 classic horror novel by Ira Levin rather than a remake of the Roman Polanski-directed movie starring Mia Farrow (pictured).

BBC America has optioned the format in the US and there are a host of other deals: Keshet has optioned the Israeli rights, Sonyowned Tuvalu has taken the Dutch rights, Snowman Productions has optioned it in Sweden and Curious Pictures in South Africa.

Screentime ShinAwil, which is owned by French group Banijay, is now in talks with British broadcasters to produce a UK version.

“Go Back To Where You Came From has generated lots of interest internationally,” said Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder head of sales Kristin Burgham. “It resonates with diverse audiences and the International Emmy win has attracted even more interest in the show.”

BBC to co-produce doc on Cambodian rock band BBC4 buys Israeli kidnap drama Hostages BBC4 has acquired the Israeli version of kidnap thriller Hostages (above) after striking a deal with Armoza Formats. The acquisition follows recent BBC4 deals for Danish drama 1864 and Swedish series Crimes Of Passion. Hostages was created by Omri Givon and Rotem Shamir and produced by Chaim Sharir for Israel’s Channel 10. The show was originally developed in Israel but US network CBS also ordered a US version of the drama starring Toni Collette and Dylan McDermott that aired ahead of the Israeli version. The show tells

The BBC has come on board an international documentary coproduction about a Cambodian rock band. The broadcaster is one of the co-producers of The Cambodian Space Project: Not Easy Rock N’ Roll, which tells the story of Australian musician Julien Poulson and Cambodian karaoke singer Srey Thy meeting and forming a band. It was written and directed

by Marc Eberle and is produced by UK indie Ronachan Films, which produced Ade Adepitan: Journey of My Lifetime, and Australian producer Flaming Star Films. Other broadcasters attached include Australia’s ABC, Sweden’s SVT and Denmark’s DR. www.broadcastnow.co.uk

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International News COMMENT ALISON SHARMAN

Why TV from Down Under is on the up The former ITV executive talks about her new role as head of commissioning for SBS

I

t’s an ancient conundrum – do we stay in the place of our identity or head for the distant unknown? Fruits or roots?

I am delighted to be adding to the melting pot in Australia in the challenging role of head of commissioning for SBS. SBS is a two-thirds government-funded broadcaster that airs extensive news and sport (we have the rights to the Tour de France and the World Cup), and we commission distinctive drama, comedy, entertainment, documentaries and food & lifestyle content.

SBS has recently undergone a big cultural and creative transformation and has been the fortunate recipient of additional government funding, which is allowing us to commission 33% more original content. The budget boost means we can build on our portfolio of talkedabout shows, such as Emmy award-winning factual series Go Back To Where You Came From, comedy Danger Five and drama Better Man. As such, creative, commercial and international partnerships are vital to us. In

November, we broadcast JFK: The Smoking Gun, to mark the 50th anniversary of his assassination. The doc was internationally co-produced by Australia’s Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder and Muse Entertainment for Discovery Canada, plus US network Reelz and SBS. A great alchemy of stakeholders.

The big shift in Australian television has been the changing taste of the audience and the growth in demand for local content,

‘Australia is spending more on TV programmes than ever before’ resulting in 48 out of the top 50 shows last year being made in Australia.

So what does this all mean for UK indies?

The good news is that Australia is spending more on TV programmes than ever before. In 2011/12, expenditure on imported shows from all territories increased by 4% to AUS$809m.

In documentary, the growth in production has reached new highs, averaging more than 300 hours annually, while TV drama spend

increased by 27% over the past year to reach the highest level on record.

The mega producers, including Shine, Endemol and Fremantle, all have homes here, but now other UK independents, such as Keo, are also setting up shop. Last month, I met documentary impresario Brian Hill from Century Films, who is working with Australian producer Beyond on a project for SBS. Although I have travelled 12,000 miles, the same old issues are still being kicked around: overnight ratings versus cumulative audiences; piracy; channel loyalty and the rise/ decline (depending on your perspective) of the linear channel. But after just a few months, I believe that the growth in the quality and popularity of Australian TV means there is an interesting journey ahead.

Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention, and being in the middle of the Pacific Ocean has meant that Australia has had to reach out beyond its shores. In doing so, it has learned some creative lessons. It is now in an enviable position of having a talented production base, a thirst for exploration and a supportive government. Just don’t mention the Ashes.

Channel 5 and Sky Living snap up Australian dramas

Endemol boosts Israeli business with Reshet stake

Mandabach appoints film exec to bolster US office

Off the Fence sells 50 hours to Canadian broadcaster

Channel 5 and Sky Living have acquired separate Australian series from distributor DCD Rights. C5 has bought Mr & Mrs Murder (below), a 13 x 60-minute drama produced by Fremantle Media Australia and Bravado Productions for Network Ten. The series follows a pair of crime scene cleaners whose unique talents help solve baffling murders.

C5 will air the drama in 2014, having found success earlier in the year with Australian drama Wentworth, which consolidated with almost 2 million viewers across its 10-part run. Meanwhile, Sky Living has bought A Moody Christmas, a 6 x 30-minute comedy from indie Jungleboys for public broadcaster ABC, to run later this month.

Endemol is ramping up its business in Israel after acquiring a stake in broadcaster Reshet. Local press has reported that the international formats giant has taken a 33% stake and will invest $28.4m (£17.3m) in the company.

Reshet currently shares the local licence of broadcaster Channel 2 with Keshet, the company behind Homeland and Rising Star, but will operate a standalone channel from 2015.

The broadcaster also produces formats including The Money Pump, which was previously licensed by ITV Studios, and comedy entertainment series Comedians At Work. It also makes dramas such as A Touch Away and Life Is Not Everything, which have been licensed into the US.

Peaky Blinders producer Caryn Mandabach is to expand its US office with the appointment of Hollywood film producer Michael Besman. Besman, who has produced films including Jack Nicholson-fronted About Schmidt, will head the company’s LA office as it aims to increase the number of TV series it develops for US networks.

The company recently sold the rights to Peaky Blinders (below) to The Weinstein Company, which is expected to produce a US version. It is also in development with Fox International Channels on a drama called Doctored,, as well as series for HBO and USA Network. Mandabach, who has produced series including Roseanne and Nurse Jackie,, is working on the second series of BBC2’s Peaky Blinders.

Distributor Off the Fence has sold 50 hours of content to Radio Canada’s French-language pay-TV channel Explora. The two-year deal was announced at the World Congress of Science and Factual Producers in Montreal, and covers science, environment, wildlife, health and natural history programming. Off the Fence chief executive Ellen Windemuth said: “We have been working with Explora since the launch of the channel and truly believe in the broadcaster’s identity and ambitions.” Explora programming director Michel Pelletier said the deal with Off the Fence would help the channel offer “an even greater selection of the best documentary series produced abroad”.

Explora launched in March 2012.

14 | Broadcast | 13 December 2013

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Multiplatform News in brieF C4 News streams spin-off Viewers will be able to submit questions for Channel 4 News guests as part of an online spin-off pilot. The ITN and Spirit Digital Media co-production is called WT4 and will be hosted by anchor Jon Snow. It will be streamed live via the C4 News website before being made available on 4oD. C4 News head of online Anna Doble said pilots would help grow the programme’s brand among an online audience: “The idea is to create a maverick sidekick to the main programme,” she added.

Sherlock goes interactive The BBC has launched an interactive Sherlock trailer (left) that makes use of video hot-spotting technology.

The promo video, developed with technology from Wirewax, allows viewers to click on a series of visual links to access extra footage, photos and background information about the forthcoming series.

Barcroft TV tops 200m Barcroft Media’s news channel on YouTube has passed 200 million video views, after generating 22 million in November alone. The indie’s channel, Barcroft TV, releases new content five days a week and has secured more than 200,000 subscribers since launching in 2006.

Analytics firm Social Blade said the channel has become one of the VoD site’s top five news providers and the highest-ranked UK news channel.

Powerpuff Netflix deal Powerpuff Girls and LazyTown are to be made available via Netflix in the UK and Ireland for the first time after Turner agreed a deal with the VoD provider. The deal marks the first time that Cartoon Network and Cartoonito content will be available via a subscription VoD service in the UK.

For the latest breaking news www.broadcastnow.co.uk 16 | Broadcast | 13 December 2013

Fremantle chief predicts boom for in-app voting

BY Alex FArBer

The X Factor digital chief Peter Cassidy has predicted that apps will play an increasingly important role in paid-for voting for TV shows after a bumper series.

The Fremantle Media UK managing director of interactive declined to reveal how many votes were cast via its iOS app, but said they accounted for more than 10% of the total received.

Cassidy said it was the first time premium votes, which were available at two for 69p or six for £1.99, had been made available at significant scale, crediting Tectonic for developing a robust platform.

Tellybug developed the app itself.

“In-app voting offers a better experience, allowing viewers to form a closer relationship with the show,” said Cassidy. “For example, voters receive a thank you picture message from the contestant they have supported.”

Ahead of its final weekend, the app has generated 1.6 million active users, up on the 1 million recorded for the previous series. Usage has doubled from 11 million user sessions to 20.5 million year on year.

The increase has been driven partly by empowering users. They

The x Factor: votes cast via the iOS app accounted for 10% of the total

were able to rate auditions across the early shows and vote for a song performed by the contestants during Jukebox Week.

According to Cassidy, the app is very profitable as it has four revenue streams. As well as premium voting, it is sponsored

by Domino’s Pizza and delivers pre-roll ads that stream before the millions of video clips viewed.

The app also includes in-sync advertising, with users served ads, which are often playable, during linear TV breaks.

Fremantle also beefed up the richness of The X Factor’s social media feed, including a range of high-quality images and bespoke graphics that were widely shared because they were simple to forward while watching the show.

Web Watch the great martian War

A

+E Networks UK’s History has launched its first mobile game to support the channel’s forthcoming show, The Great Martian War 1913-17.

The iOS is an endless runner in which players must defend the earth from aliens. The game is a reimagining of the challenges faced by soldiers during World War I. It employs a freemium model – it is free to download but players are able to buy advanced equipment to combat the aliens and different characters with which to play. The extra items can be bought in-app from 69p.

New content, levels and stages will be released weekly and bi-monthly to give the game the feel of an episodic serial with cliffhangers. Players can share their scores with friends over Twitter and Facebook to check their rankings against each other.

A+E Networks UK director of digital media Caroline Casey said: “This game marks the expansion of History UK into the gaming world, as we develop broader and more innovative ways of engaging with a younger audience.”

URL iTunes Developer Secret Location

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Technology & Facilities CREATIVE REVIEW

THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY: A ROBBER’S TALE

LAST TANGO IN HALIFAX

Titles LipSync Post Client World Productions Brief Set the style for the two-part, 1960s drama from Broadchurch writer Chris Chibnall, and hint that the criminals, rather fancifully, saw themselves as a cool, Rat Pack-like group.

How it was done The sequence, which is set to the classic jazz version of Summertime, introduces the key players and moves the story into the first scene of the film. Using a montage of heavily colour-graded shots, it mixes original and archive material, overlaid with the stylised flashing lights of a speeding train. Art direction and design is by Howard Watkins, with additional design, animation and compositing by Simon Edwards and Julia Hall. The titles were created and animated in After Effects.

Watch it Wednesday 18 December, 8pm, BBC1

VFX 3sixtymedia Client Red Production Company Brief Create visual effects for the second series of the romantic comedy.

How it was done Visual effects supervisor Tanvir Hanif and effects artist Mark Pickles used Maya 3D, Fusion and Nuke to create a varied range of effects for each episode, including a time-lapse sequence in which the seasons change as the camera pans across the Yorkshire landscape. Multiple camera passes were filmed over several months and digital manipulation helped to create a seamless transition from summer to winter. Another sequence required a shower of CGI petals to blow off a tree around the actors. Maya 3D’s cloth simulation function was used to create hundreds of petals that were individually controlled to achieve the desired effect. Overall, 100 VFX shots were created.

Watch it Tuesdays, 9pm, BBC1

DAVID ATTENBOROUGH’S NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM ALIVE 3D Post Onsight Client Sky Brief Deliver more than 200 VFX shots in 3D and 4K. How it was done The 3D shots depict photo-realistic images of extinct animals, which are composited into live-action backplates and come face-to-face with David Attenborough while he roams the museum at night. As the schedule was so tight, lead VFX supervisor James Prosser managed five different CGI vendors – Zoo, Fido, Milk, Jellyfish and CVFX – each of which worked on a different creature. Plates were reviewed in 3D on set, assembled and fast-tracked to vendors. All VFX shots were reviewed in stereo at 4K, with final composites scrutinised and onlined at Onsight. The programme was shot with Red Epic Atom rigs. DoP Tim Cragg worked with director Dan Smith and stereographer Chris Parks.

Watch it New Year’s Day, Sky 3D and Sky 1

You can view clips at broadcastnow.co.uk/techfacils/creative-review To include your work email george.bevir@broadcastnow.co.uk

422.tv upgrades finishing with Autodesk and Avid Post house 422.tv has upgraded its finishing facilities with the acquisition of four Autodesk 2014 Flame Premium systems and three Avid Symphonies. Managing director David Jackson said the investment had helped the company deliver its highest-quality Christmas campaigns to date.

The kit is also being used for special effects, compositing and finishing for BBC children’s entertainment series The Dare Devil.

LipSync Point hires ITV’s Horne for drama role LipSync Post has appointed Beverley Horne (above) to the newly created role of head of TV post.

18 | Broadcast | 13 December 2013

Horne joins from ITV, where she post-supervised dramas such as Poirot, Inspector Lewis and The Prisoner. In her new role, she will be responsible for overseeing all post-production work on TV dramas. LipSync facility director Lisa Jordan said: “Our TV department has been growing steadily over the past few years and has reached the point where we need someone dedicated to oversee it.”

The Foundry offers latest Nuke The Foundry has released version 8 of its compositing tool Nuke. New features include Dope Sheet, which allows artists to see and move keys around a timelinestyle view, as well as a new text node that lets artists compose, edit

and animate directly in the viewer. Updates to the software’s colour-correction tools include an in-panel colour wheel to control hue, saturation and value, as well as scope tools such as waveform, vectorscope and histogram viewers.

University Technical College sets up at MediaCityUK A University Technical College is to be established at MediaCityUK. The first intake of students at UTC@MediaCityUK, as it will be known, will be based in a 6,200 sq m building on the junction of South Langworthy Road and Broadway. The £10.4m facility aims to provide 14 to 19 year-olds from Greater Manchester with the education and skills needed for careers in the digital, media and creative industries, as well as the chance to work with employers at MediaCityUK.

Sony expands NXCAM range Sony has added a new model to its range of NXCAM cameras.

The HXR-NX3 (above) features Sony’s 3CMOS Sensor system with three 1/2.8” sensors and captures AVCHD 2.0, 1080/50P images.

The camera can be remotely controlled by iOS and Android devices, and video files can be transferred from the camera to a smartphone.

The HXR-NX3 will be available in Europe from the end of January for £2,600. www.broadcastnow.co.uk

For the latest technology and facilities news, updated daily, visit www.broadcastnow.co.uk/techfacils

Loft London sets up post alliance with Zodiak Rights

BY GeorGe Bevir

Loft London is set to acquire Zodiak Rights’ 15-strong postproduction team as part of a fiveyear post, content management and distribution deal.

The deal will involve Zodiak Rights moving its post operation to Loft’s Chiswick Park base, which will house four edit suites for the preparation of content that the distributor intends to sell, including QC, storage, compliance and some promo creation.

Loft will also act as Zodiak Rights’ distribution hub, fulfilling orders for content from the international division of Zodiak Media.

Loft currently provides disaster recovery and business continuity services to Zodiak Rights, with the company’s content library backed up on active disk and LTO at two sites. The new deal is expected to close “imminently”, with 15 Zodiak staff due to move to Loft by 1 January.

Zodiak Rights chief operating officer Sara Wookey said the

Evolutions adds Phelan to business development team Evolutions has recruited Anne Marie Phelan to its business development team. Phelan, who previously worked for Envy, has taken on the role of business development manager. Evolutions managing director Simon Kanjee said: “Anne Marie has the perfect experience and comes to us with knowledge and understanding of the industry. She will be a great addition and no doubt complement the already strong business development team.” Prior to Envy, Phelan worked at Prime Focus and The Hospital Club.

Deluxe Media takes on Technicolor’s Clark Deluxe Media Europe has appointed Jason Clark (right) as director of sales and business development. Clark joins Deluxe from Technicolor, where he www.broadcastnow.co.uk

The returned: distributor Zodiak rights’ post team will move to Loft

Arqiva strikes deal to provide Turner’s playout Arqiva has struck a distribution and playout deal with Turner Broadcasting across Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA) and Asia Pacific (APAC).

The arrangement builds on Arqiva’s existing deal to provide Turner with uplink and fibre distribution services. Arqiva will take responsibility for playout and multiplexing of 24 channels in EMEA and a 17-channel service in APAC, including Cartoon Network and Boomerang.

As part of the deal, 18 staff have transferred from Turner to Arqiva, with 14 more expected to join mid-way through 2014.

Arqiva is now in the process of building a platform to support the EMEA operation, with “significant” investment in kit to provide an end-to-end service.

Arqiva took control of the playout operation in APAC last week.

Arqiva managing director for satellite Barrie Woolston said: “This marks a significant step in Arqiva’s growth strategy for the satellite business, particularly our international expansion.”

firm’s post-production requirements were growing rapidly. “This potential agreement promises to be a strategic alliance which will allow us to manage this increased workload while taking advantage of Loft London’s expertise and state-of-the-art facilities.”

Zodiak will use Loft’s Cubix workflow management platform to move content between its Kensington base and Loft, and to add metadata to

content. Loft has also introduced a file-based QC and approval workflow for Zodiak Rights content.

Loft London chief executive David Barrett described the tie-up as “a key milestone for the business”.

He said: “We have worked closely with senior management at Zodiak Rights to ensure that the fit is right for their business and look forward to providing all their content management and distribution needs.”

worked for six years. He will report to senior sales director Darren Baker. The latter said: “Our growth in 2013 has exceeded expectations, and with opportunities accelerating across all sectors,

GV Edge playout system, with K2 Edge nodes to deliver and manage content from CSC Media Group. “Integration with Grass Valley’s GV Edge was seamless as CSC Media Group was already operating Grass Valley’s equipment,” said WRN Broadcast chief technology officer Dave Travis. Last month, WRN Broadcast signed a contract with CSC Media to provide playout and media management services for a bouquet of 18 channels, including Chart ShowTV and True Entertainment.

Blackmagic Design releases version 4.1 of HyperDeck

Teradek launches Bolt Pro 2000 for wireless video

Trilogy recruits Norton as chief operating officer

Teradek has added to its range of wireless video systems with the launch of the Bolt Pro 2000. The system, which uses 3G-SDI connections, transmits 1080p60 HD video over a range of 2,000 ft. It ships next week for £4,800.

Audio communications equipment supplier Trilogy has appointed Keith Norton as chief operating officer. Norton was most recently chief executive of Paradigm Secure Communications, a subsidiary of EADS Astrium.

resting on our laurels is simply not an option. Those who have worked with Jason will rightly see his appointment as a validation of our intent.”

WRN Broadcast opts for Grass Valley playout system WRN Broadcast has kitted out its playout facility with Grass Valley’s

Blackmagic Design has released HyperDeck 4.1 software, which adds Apple ProRes file formats ProRes 422, ProRes 422 (LT) and ProRes (Proxy) to the broadcast recorder. “With the addition of three ProRes formats, HyperDeck Studio is the ideal replacement for aging broadcast decks, and is perfect for fast-paced broadcast and live production environments,” said Blackmagic chief executive Grant Petty.

13 December 2013 | Broadcast | 19

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Comment

It will be interesting to see who thrives: those that ‘hold their ground’ on commercial models or those that embrace change GroupM Entertainment’s Richard Foster, The Year in Review, page 48

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22 | Broadcast | 13 December 2013

Time to value brand support Industry should conquer its fear of branded content, says Kate Bulkley

C

hristmas is a time for gifts, handouts, donations and awards – so why is the TV industry still transfixed with fear by branded content?

I’ve always believed that if content is good enough, the audience won’t mind how the producers and broadcasters got their money. Indies could sell their grandmothers for all the viewers care, as long as it means another series of their favourite show.

Branded content should be an easy win-win: the indie gets money to make a great show and the broadcaster gets the show for free. But the reality is more complicated. A new report into advertiser-funded programming (AFP) by Sian Kevill and Alex Connock says attitudes are changing fast, especially among producers, but there is still some way to go. Connock admits there is still a reluctant “Faustian pact” when describing “the willingness of producers to compromise, especially in a recessionary environment”.

Some producers are far happier to get involved.

North One was in the Canary Islands this week, shooting the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, a rowing race funded by Diageo (which owns Talisker) in which 15 teams head to Antigua. The race (pictured) is all over the web right now and some 20 broadcasters have committed to run the 2 x 30-minute specials

by February next year, including Sky Sports in the UK. In my mind, the tipping point for branded content came when Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner jumped out of his Red Bull Stratos-branded balloon just over a year ago. The internet – and some broadcasters who aired it as well – went wild about Felix, and the fact that Red Bull Stratos paid for the stunt made no difference to anyone.

Unilever already spends 30% of its global advertising budget on branded content, so the industry needs to understand that this type of programme funding is not going away. A Pew Research Center study estimates that $1.56bn (£950m) will be spent on sponsored content in the US this year, up 39% from 2012.

Nick Cohen, head of content at media agency Mediacom, says content creation for brands is the fastest-growing part of his business, and TV is only part of the mix. The nirvana for brands is what Cohen calls “connected planning”, so the brand message goes across a variety of devices, including mobile and PC. The TV business needs to keep that wealth of choice in mind. Chef Jamie Oliver had a few executives squirming at the recent Channel 4 Upfronts when he put TV commissions and brand commissions on equal footing: “I basically look at brands as commissioning editors,” he said.

TV may have made Oliver famous but his YouTubedelivered Food Tube channel has opened up other opportunities that don’t have anything to do with traditional broadcasters. “If you don’t want my gear,” Oliver effectively warned the C4 crowd, “I’ve got plenty of other places to take it.”

But there’s no need for conflict. If the programme is good, the audience is respected, and the brand is transparent about its involvement, then it really can be a win-win. Perhaps level-headed collaboration on AFP can help TV and brands ring in a happy new year. ➤ Kate Bulkley is a print and TV journalist and awards secretary of the Broadcasting Press Guild. Follow her on Twitter @katecomments

‘$1.56bn will be spent on sponsored content in the US this year’

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Your saY

In mY vIEW This is the last thing the BBC needs to do – turn in on itself.

Being seen as an irrelevant object of mockery will hardly improve its standing with the audience.

Krishan Arora, development consultant, Gideon What a timely, brave and cathartic thing to do. Only a confident broadcaster can rip the piss out of itself.

Broadcasting exec

Doctor Who: adopted a showrunner

Response on broadcastnow.co.uk to Philippa Collie Cousins’ comment piece ‘Should we fear showrunners?’

(Broadcast, 06.12.13) I totally agree Philippa. How I would love to be able to pitch with a director. As we can’t, often the truly distinctive ‘extra dimension’ of the director’s craft married to the writer’s concept and ideas (and eventually script) cannot be added at an early stage. We writers get the director’s input after we have written, and not by choice. I’d embrace the chance to have the director’s prints all over certain projects in their early stages – when ‘unofficially’ that has been possible, the script flies.

No one respects cutting of teeth on long-running shows and soaps more than me, but there is little time or space to properly involve directors in the creative script stage. On more authored or ones/ two/threes or short runs, this approach would add a new set of gearing to what could be achieved.

But it would cost, and that’s why it doesn’t happen.

Barbara Machin, creator, Waking The Dead UK directors are all trained on soaps, and it shows. When they try to get involved with scripts, it’s a disaster. The US has got it right: TV directors are the chief member of the crew. If they want to run something, they’ve got to make a movie.

Anonymous Response on broadcastnow.co.uk to our story ‘Twenty Twelve’s successor to go inside the BBC (Broadcast, 06.12.13’) How refreshing to read about a commission you can genuinely look forward to watching. Beats reading about a show where ‘celebrities’ are taught how to become not very good gymnasts.

Anonymous www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Comment

Broadcast, Greater London House, Hampstead Road, London NW1 7EJ or email bcletters@emap.com

Response on broadcastnow.co.uk to our story ‘C4 suffers ratings blues’ (Broadcast 06.12.13) I’m not surprised. It commissions shows for itself rather than the viewer – and its commercial rivals are the ones cashing in. A ‘UK major channel’? In the new digital age, not any longer.

Indie exec Change takes time and risks. I for one am pleased C4 is testing out new ideas. Everything on ITV feels like it’s 10 or more years old.

Broadcasting exec

We must all do our bit for engineering The recent Perkins review calls on parents, teachers, employers and government to unite to address the shortage of engineers in the UK. It’s encouraging that a recent engineering week in Scarborough attracted a high turnout of young students. It’s less encouraging, however, that some armchair critics have criticised the government when it has finally made positive steps to unite the disparate engineering and manufacturing communities, not least £49m in funding to address the skills shortage.

The UK has a heritage of innovation. But despite being one of our greatest exports, our knowledge base has been eroded by the rapid growth of Asian markets. And with the rapid pace of technological innovation, by the time students leave university, their understanding of the industry may be outdated.

I would call on SMEs and small businesses to engage with your local community in bringing about this change to the industry. Don’t leave it all to big business and government. Perhaps then we can be justified in our armchair criticism.

Graham Mackrell, managing director, Harmonic Drive

Eye-catching programmes show C4’s glass is half full The broadcaster’s still home to must-watch TV – when you can find it, says Maggie Brown

T

en years ago, a jittery Channel 4 chief executive, one Mark Thompson, began the ultimately fruitless pursuit of a merger with Channel 5, conscious of his channel’s lack of scale.

Five years later, Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards, speaking to the Royal Television Society, said C4’s finances remained uncertain.

Then, three years ago, C4 finally discarded its comfort blanket and broadcast the last Big Brother.

At a decidedly tetchy annual report press conference in May this year, when the question of C4’s 6.8% drop in audience share in 2012 came up, external criticisms of the power of chief creative officer Jay Hunt, and the pace of creative renewal, were paramount.

Now share has fallen further to below 6% in 2013, a problem needing calm discussion. Back when Thompson was rattled, it stood at 9.3%; in 2008, it was 8.1%.

I have always thought C4 was Britain’s toughest broadcaster to run, and that we tend to take its continued presence for granted.

This was my spur to writing its history in 2007.

Running C4 is a tightrope walk, thanks to the combination of a distinct commercial public service special remit, a dependence on factual singles, and a mission to succour the independent sector, rather than build up an intellectual property base.

David Abraham is on a mission to enlist and identify online viewers – 8 million had signed up by September – to add to its commercial armoury. The revamp of Barb, which will count viewing on laptops and tablets next year, should help the case for recalibrating its impact.

Though times are tough, I see C4’s glass as half full rather than half empty. Set against the 11.4% year-on-year decline in ratings –

partly caused by schedule changes by rivals outside of its control – there is proof of a refreshed schedule, of that elusive thing called ‘creative renewal’ arriving, whether you judge it on the awards nominations, or the kinds of eye-catching flavours it keeps coming up with.

C4 broadcasts programmes I make a real date with: my 2012 selection is Richard III: The King In The Car Park, The Mill (history is working very well), Utopia (drama is on the up), Educating

‘Share has fallen to below 6% in 2013, a problem needing calm discussion’ Yorkshire (fixed-rig is a channel trademark), the fired-up Channel 4 News and one of the bravest of Dispatches, Syria: Across The Lines. I am sure others would add their choices, perhaps Gogglebox, Southcliffe, Top Boy, Toast Of London, Alan Carr... extra funds pumped into programming have dished up much interesting fare.

But C4 also tends to handicap itself by what seems to be erratic and last-minute scheduling decisions. I have held conversations with exasperated PRs who say some shows go on air without sufficient time to promote them properly. Producers also complain about shows being buried in grave-yard slots (Toast Of London at 10.40pm on Sundays is one example) or even demoted to a digital channel, infuriating the talent.

There is a clear problem with the schedule. C4 needs to sort out a sustaining band of returnables and formats, with replacements for Countdown, Come Dine With Me, Embarrassing Bodies, One Born Every Minute and the old 8pm-9pm “wall of leisure”. In short, it needs a family of big brothers and sisters. ➤ Maggie Brown is the author of A Licence To Be Different: The Story Of Channel 4 13 December 2013 | Broadcast | 23

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Production CoroNatioN street reloCatioN

New cobbles and connectivity With fibre infrastructure and a series of design improvements, Coronation Street’s new set – a stone’s throw from MediaCityUK – takes the show into the 21st century. Will Strauss reports

F

rom planting weeds to installing fibre connectivity, ITV’s painstaking multimillionpound recreation of the Coronation Street set in nearby Trafford is a real mixture of the old and the new.

The soap’s new home is on Trafford Wharf Road, next door to the Imperial War Museum North and linked by a footbridge across the Manchester Ship Canal to ITV’s new offices in the main part of MediaCityUK. More than two years in the making, the fictional town of Weatherfield – from Roy’s Rolls to the Rovers Return – has been built from scratch to look almost identical to the current set at Quay Street in central Manchester.

Of the 400,000 bricks used in its construction, 144,000 were reclaimed locally, while scenic artists spent three months growing moss, planting weeds and using a mixture of natural and man-made materials to visibly age buildings.

But, as befits “the most dramatic change in the show’s history”, not everything is a mirror of Quay Street. The purpose-built, 7.7-acre unit also benefits from a number of improvements designed to aid editorial and production.

Among the changes are what executive producer Kieran Roberts calls a “sensitive” upscale, with houses a “slightly more realistic” size – approximately four-fifths of a normal house, as opposed to the three-quarter scale of the current set.

An extra window has been added upstairs in the Rovers Return too – “Steve and Liz McDonald don’t have to share with Michelle any more,” says Roberts – and the famous cobbled street has been widened by 2.5 ft to allow two cars to pass simultaneously.

In addition, vehicles will be able to drive fully away from Coronation Street, thanks to increased space at its boundaries.

Doorways have been widened to afford more room for cast and www.broadcastnow.co.uk

CoroNatioN street iN Numbers

Corrie set: rebuilding an icon

crew, lampposts have been set back from lowered kerbs so that sound recordists – while walking backwards – are less likely to bump into them, and the bus stop roof has been raised to allow a boom mic to swing underneath.

In addition, the Street’s telephone box is now moveable so that crews don’t have to shoot around it and can avoid unwanted reflections from its Perspex screens.

Internal scenes Contrary to some media reports, the houses on the new set do not contain interiors. Internal scenes will continue to be shot in studio, in purpose-designed sound stages located next to the exterior lot.

The only exception is the Underworld factory building, which, for the first time, will have some internal perspective – allowing, as Roberts put it, “long shots of people tearing in and out”.

ITV has also taken the opportunity to improve the technical side of production, adding a fibre

infrastructure that allows cameras to shoot directly to an Avid Isis server, rather than to P2 memory card machines housed in a van, which is the current recording set-up. To aid this, fibre ‘sockets’ have been hidden around the set.

With the move from busy city centre location to windy canalside, the ambient noise around the street has changed so producers will adjust it during post-production for the foreseeable future.

ITV project leader Adrian Bleasdale says: “We have recorded a bit of sound down at Quay Street and we’ll play that in once we’ve moved; we’ve also recorded the MediaCityUK soundscape and we’re already playing that into the show to blend the transition.”

If it’s not entirely seamless, argues the show’s creator Tony Warren, no one should panic: “These bricks and mortar and slates and cobbles are not the real Coronation Street. That is still wherever you want it to be – inside your own imagination.”

5 Number of Corrie sets built over the years 400,000 Number of bricks used in the latest incarnation 54,000 Number of cobbles used in the latest incarnation 2.5 Increase in the width of the road (in feet) 7.7 Size of the new lot (in acres) 120 Number of pairs of twitching net curtains 1980 Year Corrie got its first purpose-built unit

Corrie is due to be produced in Trafford from next month, with the first scenes likely to be transmitted in late February or early March.

ITV’s Quay Street home of more than 50 years was recently sold to Allied London and Manchester City Council for £26.5m, subject to planning permission.

ITV has not disclosed the cost of its move but total investment in the North, including new studios for Emmerdale in Leeds, will top £50m.

13 December 2013 | Broadcast | 25

The Broadcast Interview Tom DaviDson a+E nETworks

wooing the Lifetime lady Following last month’s launch of female-skewing channel Lifetime, A+E Networks UK’s managing director talks to Peter White about finding the right content for a UK audience FaCT FiLE Career 2008-present Managing director, A+E Networks UK 2006-2008 Vice-president, Sony Pictures Television 2003-2006 General manager, AXN Central Europe 2000-2003 Finance director, Sony Pictures Entertainment 1997-2000 Chief financial officer, HBO Romania 1995-1997 Finance director, Metromedia 1992-1994 Accountant, KPMG

“T

here’s a joke that the History man is married to the Lifetime lady,” says Tom Davidson, managing director of A+E Networks UK. Having grown male-skewing History into one of the leading pay-TV channels in the UK over the past few years, the US cable group launched female-skewing Lifetime last month to complement it.

The man behind the rollout – the first time the channel has launched outside of the US – is Davidson, a measured and experienced international TV executive (and a dead ringer for former Sky exec and hip-hop mogul James Murdoch).

“Lifetime is one of our flagship brands in the US and it’s been around for a long time,” Davidson says. “We saw a gap in the female pay-TV environment in the UK that Lifetime could fill, so we did our homework about what UK audiences were looking for.

The brand has a feel-good approach: it’s empowering and has a glossy feel, with A-list stars.”

The channel is a mixture of shows taken from the US channel, such as Dance Moms, mini-series Bonnie & Clyde and telemovie Liz & Dick; US acquisitions including Witches Of East End and Damages; and UK original commissions such as Alaska TV’s wedding format The Proposers.

“We’ll keep a tight link with the US but we’re also figuring out what will work specifically in the UK, and that will bleed in when we start putting on the original commissions. There’ll be more of a UK presence,” he adds.

A+E Networks UK’s programming charge will be led by Heather Jones, the former MTV exec who joined the company earlier this year as vice-president of programming. Jones has been out to the indie community to talk up its commissioning plans.

As well as The Proposers, which will launch in the new year, Lifetime has

26 | Broadcast | 13 December 2013

History, we’ve started that process with Pawn Stars. At their core, there’s something that really works and we’re looking at how we bring that over to the UK, so we don’t have to start from scratch.”

Additionally, Lifetime is looking for indies to bring talent-centric passion projects to rival its US projects, such as Jennifer Aniston-fronted Five, Courteney Cox’s Talhotblond, Mary J Blige-fronted Betty & Coretta, and Prosecuting Casey Anthony, starring The West Wing’s Rob Lowe.

Recruiting the A list already ordered 6 x 60-minute docuseries Frisky Business, made by Millionaire Boy Racers producer Oblong Films, about a London sex shop, and is producing a UK version of Amanda De Cadenet’s (below left) talk show The Conversation.

The channel will look at which other US formats it can reversion in the UK and is eyeing plans to remake Dance Moms, talent permitting. “We’re taking a hard look at what US formats can work here,” Davidson says. “With

“This is an approach that A+E takes in the US with drama specials: it opened up the conversation to A-list talent, asking them what they wanted to make.

What does Rob Lowe want to make?

What does Jennifer Aniston want to do?

That’s a big generator of the drama specials and we want to be looking at this space too,” says Davidson.

A+E Networks UK had been attempting to launch Lifetime for nearly two years, with EPG battles reportedly hindering its ability to strike carriage deals.

Davidson admits that the launch had its challenges – suggesting that all

a+E GrowinG THE nETwork Lifetime was not the only channel A+E Networks launched in 2013. The US cable group also brought History spin-off net H2 to the UK in May. As History moves more into the general entertainment space with series such as Pawn Stars, as well as dramas including The Bible and Vikings (pictured), H2 airs more traditional history programming, as well as science and technology shows such as Serial Killer Earth and Beast Legends.

A+E Networks in the US operates a number of other channel brands such as the Lifetime Movie Network, run by former BBC exec

Jana Bennett, and the A&E channel itself, which airs Storage Wars and Duck Dynasty, as well as high-end drama including Psycho prequel Bates Motel.

The A&E channel is now launching in France, the first time the brand has been rolled out internationally. Davidson says A+E has debated launching it in the UK and has ambitions to grow even further, but there are no concrete plans to do so in the near future.

“We’re always looking for the next things we can be doing, whether that’s bringing in another channel brand or changing our approach to local commissioning,” he adds.

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Clockwise from main pic: Betty & Coretta; Pawn Stars; Witches Of East End; The Proposers

channel launches have them – because it was the first time A+E Networks UK had launched an entertainment, rather than a factual, channel.

“Because it has a wider breadth, there are more complex discussions around what platforms are looking for, and what we’re looking for, so in some ways it was more difficult. But we were very glad we did it because it gives us more leverage and presence in the market,” he says.

In the intervening 24 months, there has been increased competition in the female space in the shape of Discovery’s TLC and Sky Living, which has had its investment boosted.

Lifetime and TLC have been roughly in line with each other since their respective launches – Lifetime claims episode two of Witches Of East End is its best ever show with 303,000 viewers against TLC’s Breaking Amish www.broadcastnow.co.uk

‘All pay-TV providers are looking for fewer, bigger, better.

They don’t necessarily need more channels’

high of 287,000. “The ability to attract the female viewer into a regular pay-TV viewing pattern is what we’re all chasing,” concedes Davidson. “The male side of the business has been chasing the pay-TV experience through sports and movies and left out female viewers, so activity in the female space between ourselves, TLC and Sky Living is because we all recognise this.”

With the launch of Lifetime, A+E Networks UK closed the Bio channel, previously the company’s most female-focused channel.

“We had an opportunity to bring Lifetime over and that was important for us, but that came with certain things that we needed to do strategically within the business, so it was the right move,” Davidson says.

The opportunity to move into scripted content – initially through acquisitions before eventually getting

into commissioning – was a big factor in the decision to prioritise Lifetime over Bio, and valuable channel real estate meant it wasn’t able to find an alternative home for the factual channel.

“We’ve been talking about Bio’s future a lot. We don’t have anything set at this moment but we’re discussing different avenues for the brand.

In the UK, all pay-TV providers are looking for fewer, bigger, better.

There’s a realisation that they don’t necessarily need more channels.

There’s a saturation and the platforms want to be able to cut through and have recognisable brands,” he says.

Davidson adds that if he is the History man – Pawn Stars is his favourite show – his wife is the Lifetime lady, whose favourite show is The Witches Of East End. His ambition now is to find a few more happily married couples to tune into his channels.

13 December 2013 | Broadcast | 27

Production TV ROUND-UP

That was the year that was Some legends passed away, TVC closed its doors, UK drama took on a Scandi influence and a Yorkshire schoolboy brought us all to tears in a packed year for British television

O

nce again, it’s that special time of year when TV finally becomes fun – a time to forget the low budgets, the schlocky schedules and the ever-decreasing number of commissions. Christmas is here (although, technically, festivities began a month ago when those nauseating John Lewis ads first appeared).

Of course, the magic really starts once that extra-thick edition of the Radio Times arrives chock full of all those tinsel-clad comedies and holiday specials. So: was it another ‘annus horribilis’ or just alrightish? Read on for our annual review of the TV moments of the year.

The new year had hardly begun before 73-year-old John McCririck JAN sued Channel 4 for age discrimina2013 tion. To rub salt into the wound, Patrick Moore was still presenting The Sky At Night from beyond the grave on BBC2 after a mere 56 years of non-stop broadcasting.

Over at ITV, Splash! belly-flopped into Saturday nights with scantily clad stars exposing their shortcomings to Tom Daley in this high-concept, high-diving show, complete with famous diving expert Jo Brand as head judge. And while ITV2’s The Big Reunion reminded everyone just how good it is to get your childhood idols back on screen, there came the shock news of ’70s telly icon Stuart Hall’s arrest for historical sex offences.

The cold winds of winter blew even harder in Horseferry Road when FEB telly legend Charlie Parsons popped 2013 in for a chat. One Broadcast cover later, he was hailed as a hero by the indie community for telling C4 it was losing its way. This was an industry story that would run and run.

In its wisdom, the BBC announced it was axing The Hour just before it won an Emmy. Simon Cowell tried for a piece of the Bake Off pie but got his fingers burned with his big-budget Food Glorious Food – which, sadly, was undercooked, over-salted and went down something awful.

MAR 2013

While viewers were gasping at Broadchurch (above right) on ITV, a teary-eyed TV industry was mourning as Television Centre closed its

28 | Broadcast | 13 December 2013

doors forever (but not before an orgy of looting signs, door handles and any BBC-branded paraphernalia not nailed down). RIP, TVC. At Channel 5, Steve Gowans and Andrew O’Connell quit and Ben Frow stepped in. Ten months later, he’s already the longest-serving programme head in years. Meanwhile, C4 went big with Bedtime Live – an edgy, no-holdsbarred, totally live look at what its target audience would have been doing right then. Still, it sent any remaining baffled viewers to sleep.

everyone shitless, while BBC4 boffin Richard Klein abandoned high art for a job at ITV factual. Meanwhile, C4 axed council estate comedy Shameless after 125 episodes, having secured the real thing in ratings hit Skint.

Just as we were beginning to forget about the Savile enquiry, Rolf Harris APR was arrested. Meanwhile, C4 hatched 2013 Easter Eggs Live at huge expense but with absolutely nothing happening for hours (wasn’t that what Big Brother was for?).

Over at the BBC’s swanky-but-still-too-small New Broadcasting House, Danny Cohen continued to climb the greasy pole of success when he became BBC director of television (hope it’s not all sorting out those sex scandals, eh).

American channel TLC launched in the UK – how had we lived without Extreme Couponing or Honey Boo Boo? ITV took a rare artistic risk with Vicious – an old-fashioned sitcom about two very nasty, very old-fashioned homosexuals who love each other and hate everyone else.

Spring arrived and, as we all started twerking to Robin Thicke’s Blurred MAY Lines, Stuart Hall pleaded guilty and 2013 Coronation Street stalwart William Roache was the latest big name to be arrested.

There were more shocks at the BBC when Belfast-based serial killer drama The Fall scared

Charlotte Moore got the BBC1 controller gig full time but the rest of us JUN were gripped by C4’s French zombie 2013 drama The Returned. For real-life horror, though, one only had to tune in to BBC2’s Glastonbury, where the undead Rolling Stones shuffled through their restricted set.

The White Queen launched to great fanfare on BBC1 on a Sunday night and everyone tuned in thinking it would be as good as Game Of Thrones. It wasn’t – and was quickly axed.

What it lacked was historical accuracy and a decent bloody wedding, as the real Game Of Thrones proved when it upset everyone with the year’s most shocking scenes.

No one was shocked, though, when the live finale of Britain’s Got Talent was interrupted by an egg-throwing attention seeker. Sadly, despite splattering Simon with yolk and getting the audience vote, she wasn’t eligible to win.

JUL

2013

Patriotic fever – remember that? – returned as Andy Murray (right) won Wimbledon in front of 17 million, while rolling news reporters desperwww.broadcastnow.co.uk

YEAR 2013 THE IN REVIEW

fancy seeing couples coupling. Nor did they like it when Downton Abbey spiced itself up with a rape scene in the ‘downstairs area’.

What they do like, though, is heartwarming stuff like tongue-tied Musharaf (below) on Educating Yorkshire triumphing against his stammer in the most emotional speech of the year. Almost as cheery was the news that Brian Belo had finally settled his case against TOWIE producers with a generous payout for nicking his idea.

And despite having one of the best ever runs of Strictly, BBC1 ordered a Saturday night celeb gymnastics show, amusingly entitled Let’s Get Ready To Tumble. Let’s hopes it doesn’t fall arse over tit yet again.

ately filled dead air for days until our future king appeared. But it was a sad month as TV legend Alan Whicker died at 91 and comedy god and Talkback founder Mel Smith died aged just 60.

Jay Hunt’s run of bad luck continued as C4 was roundly beaten in the ratings for the first time ever by C5 (according to C5’s definitions, but certainly not C4’s).

That was the life that was as yet another icon of broadcasting, Sir AUG David Frost, died aged 74. BBC1 2013 Saturday nights fell apart, with That Puppet Gameshow and I Love My Country tanking spectacularly. But viewers did tune in to the live unveiling of the new Doctor Who – even though everyone and their Dalek already knew it was Peter Capaldi.

At Edinburgh, Jay Hunt continued her charm offensive by refusing to engage with the rising tide of bad press, while Kevin Spacey turned up for the MacTaggart and talked about “binge-watching” Orange Is The New Black – or was it Arrested Development? – on Netflix. www.broadcastnow.co.uk

After 33 years on air, Newsnight suddenly became ‘interesting’ under SEP new boss Ian Katz, transforming 2012 into a joke-filled parody of itself complete with Kirsty Wark doing the Thriller dance, the Cookie Monster and Jeremy Paxman as Gandalf the Grey (beard).

For proper politics, and a much better beard, the Parliament channel aired a compelling live three-hour grilling of ex-DG Mark Thompson over what exactly went wrong last year (answer: everything). But why didn’t MPs just ask the stars of Gogglebox? They have all the answers every single week.

Over at C4, hundreds of underused health and safety officers celebrated the announcement of a celeb-filled The Jump (aka the new Splash!). Meanwhile, ITV ruined everyone’s autumn when it revealed that Hayley Cropper was to die from cancer in Corrie, although we did cheer up a bit when The Voice UK signed Kylie as a new judge.

Sex Box – winner of the worst idea of the OCT year (after Sunday 2013 Scoop) – got droopy viewing figures as the British public decided they didn’t

As The X Factor begins its painful shuffle off its mortal coil, ITV bosses NOV jumped in and snapped up a similar2013 sounding singing show – the Israeli format Rising Star. Meanwhile, the entire BBC went into hyperdrive to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. And talking of a rabid viewing fanbase, Twitter went into meltdown when talking-dog Brian Griffin was killed off in Family Guy. Say it ain’t so, Seth?

Best meltdown, though, belonged to Naomi Campbell on the reality show of the year – Sky Living’s The Face. Here, the young models were subjected to a masterclass in beauty, poise and pure unadulterated rage as their mentor (below) lost her rag every single week, scaring everyone, including the viewers, but luckily won the competition (phew).

He gave it his all, but John McCririck finally lost his ageism case against C4 thanks to his “unpalatable” style. If only he had got a youthful tattoo like David Dimbleby, eh?

The end of the year brought no joy for C4 when it was revealed DEC it had suffered the ‘most pro2013 nounced’ decline in ratings of the year. Some consolation, though, came in the news that its Chicken Shop doc was being ripped off, sorry, remade, sorry, complemented by the BBC’s Inside KFC. But a year of ob doc overkill got a bit much for C5’s Ben Frow, who is promising instead “hypothetical autopsies” of Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston to cheer us all up. Merry Christmas!

13 December 2013 | Broadcast | 29

Production Post-Production

A year of boom and bust 2013 marked the end for The Mill’s TV arm, but with facilities opening in Soho and Manchester, plus the rebirth of film, there were some highs too, writes Will Strauss

Life Of Pi: LA VFX firm Rhythm and Hues filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection despite its Oscar win

T

he VFX sector had a turbulent 2013, and the chaos wasn’t confined to Soho. Within 24 hours in February, LA’s Rhythm and Hues (R&H) went from accepting a Bafta for its work on the movie Life Of Pi to filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The company was eventually sold to an affiliate of Prana Studios, but not before at least 238 jobs were axed.

R&H’s struggles drew attention to a troubled market in which Jungle and Pixomondo shut their London VFX facilities and Cinesite, Framestore and others reduced headcount as film contracts finished and gaps appeared in their work pipelines. Most prominent of all, The Mill shut its TV division.

Why all the turmoil? The Mill’s chief executive Robin Shenfield blamed a lack of high-end commissions and repeat series for his firm’s woes, citing in particular the cancellation of the second series of Sky 1’s Sinbad and the end of BBC1’s Merlin.

Trade union Bectu, which organised a campaign for VFX workers, put it down to rates. “VFX studios are being put under a financial squeeze by production companies,” it said. “Instead of 30 | Broadcast | 13 December 2013

‘Post is a small-margin business, so you’ve got to know where your money is coming from’ John Rogerson, Halo

competing on the quality of work they can produce, many are participating in a destructive race to rock bottom.”

Price wasn’t the only factor though.

Will Cohen, chief executive of Milk, the VFX firm founded in June by former Mill TV staff, also points to the slowerthan-expected impact of drama tax breaks, the general global economic outlook, and business models that are nigh-on impossible to sustain when projects are pushed back.

“We weren’t unaware of the times we were starting our business in,” he says. “Things weren’t going brilliantly in terms of growth, which led the Mill to close the TV department, but it’s a cyclical industry. We saw a business there and decided to carry on.”

With credits including Doctor Who, Sherlock and David Attenborough’s Natural History Museum Alive, he’s glad he did. “I feel like one of the lucky ones,” he adds.

Output efficiencies Output deals – sending all post work to one facility – can make a lot of sense for producers. Much like IT outsourcing, there are efficiencies

to be had and expertise to be harnessed. They also work well for the post house.

This year, Halo dedicated an entire facility on Great Portland Street to picture and sound post for BBC Factual after winning an 18-month contract. BBC Factual gets to “direct as much money as possible on screen” notes Halo owner John Rogerson, whose company “is guaranteed money every month”, providing a stable platform.

“Post is a small-margin business, so you’ve got to know where your money is coming from,” he says.

Though far from widespread, there are other examples. In Salford, drama producer Red has formed a partnership with new neighbour Dock10 that replicates its previous relationship with 3sixtymedia.

“Primarily, this was done to be close to post, while still being able to choose on a production-by-production basis what services and who we would be working with,” explains executive producer Tom Sherry.

Despite their obvious benefits, not everyone in the post market www.broadcastnow.co.uk

YEAR 2013 THE IN REVIEW

likes the idea of company-to-company, rather than programme-by-programme, negotiations. One company owner who asked for anonymity said: “I know of one post house that is negotiating yearly spend deals with production companies at boardroom level. There will inevitably be a backlash from the creatives but meanwhile, small companies will suffer.”

Manchester boom

London remains the heart of UK post, and several new facilities were launched in Soho this year, notably The Farm’s 20,000 sq ft William on Marshall Street. London-based Evolutions opened up a new building in Bristol, but Manchester was the place to be for Rain Post debacle growth. Following the closure of Launched in the summer of 2011 Sumners and Editz in the city centre, amid much fanfare, the £10m the year started with bust but Rain Post adventure lasted soon turned to boom. less than two years.

Investing in audio, Despite financial backing cloud editing and colour from international Size in sq ft of grading, Salford’s parties including MumThe Farm’s new Dock10 continued its bai’s High Ground William building on rapid transformation Enterprise, by March Marshall St, Soho from BBC supplier to 2013 the company had nationwide player. But that ceased trading, leaving 25 was just the tip of the iceberg. people out of work, and supFlix Facilities was the big mover, first pliers and freelancers owed thousands securing a deal to build and run a of pounds.

10-suite facility for indie True North at In the aftermath, insiders revealed The Pie Factory in Salford, then signing that staff had not been paid since the previous November and NI contri- up for a 24,000 sq ft, two-storey building on nearby Broadway, and even butions were not up to date. taking a 10-year lease on an extra 5,500 To cap it all off, the company’s sq ft of space inside MediaCityUK former chief operating officer, Anish itself for high-end finishing work.

Anand, was given a prison sentence Meanwhile, with Sumners reimagfor his part in a £5m film industry ined as a slimmed-down, Salfordtax fraud. based company, five members of the With Anand still on the run, the team that worked in its now defunct whole sorry saga could have dealt a city centre facility – including dubbing major blow to Soho’s reputation but mixer Tony Greenwood and editor Sarah Mackay, chief executive of Matt Brown – formed Core Post. the UK Screen Association, remains Having taken a lease on a 15,000 sq ft optimistic. “For any company to building in the Metroplex Business Park, mess around with staff national just outside MediaCityUK, the bouinsurance contique company is tributions is appalling,” hoping to find a niche among she says. “But the bigger I don’t think it tarnished operators. the post “We’d worked for sector because a fantastic we have lots

20,000

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

company with a wealth of talent, plus the best service and a spirit that clients liked,” says Brown. “I felt if we could retain those things and be a bit more generous with room sizing, we could offer something the others couldn’t, and have a chance of being successful.”

of really well-run and established post companies that operate incredibly professionally.”

Long live film

‘It’s a cyclical industry.

We saw a business there and decided to carry on’ Will Cohen, chief executive, Milk

Pictured left to right: the end of BBC1’s Merlin and Sky 1’s Sinbad had an impact on The Mill; Salford’s MediaCityUK

In the first half of 2013, after more than 100 glorious years, it looked as though celluloid film was finally dead. Crushed by the digital revolution, Fujifilm announced it would cease production of 35mm. Then, with Kodak still in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and 18 months after Deluxe had sub-contracted all of its film processing to Technicolor at Pinewood, Technicolor announced it was ceasing all photochemical activities. With no stock and no big labs, the fat lady was clearing her throat.

However, film quickly fought back.

Company 3 (part of Deluxe group) agreed a deal for Ealing-based iDailies to handle its 35mm and 16mm processing, while Cinelabs International bought Bucks Media Services, the only remaining full-service lab in the country.

“Technicolor shutting down its labs made people realise that film was about to die,” says Cinelabs chief technology officer Adrian Bull. “There’s lots of good reasons to shoot digitally but we want to maintain as many options as possible [for cinematographers and directors].

We know a dozen or so major features a year will be shot on film. That’s good business for a lab of our size.”

It proved to be a wise move as Kodak then came out of Chapter 11 and committed to manufacturing film stock until at least 2017, and it was revealed that Star Wars Episode VII will be shot on 35mm.

Then, to complete a remarkable turnaround, following a campaign by trade body Directors UK, UK broadcasters agreed to accept programmes originated on Super 16mm film for broadcast on their HD channels.

Film is dead. Long live film.

13 December 2013 | Broadcast | 31

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year 2013 The in review

Production

StudioS Main: Da Vinci’s Demons filming in Wales; below: Jeremy Piven in Mr Selfridge

£200m

Pinewood Studios expansion plans are dependent on a public inquiry, due in April

making space for growth In the studios sector, 2013 was all about space – the demand for it, the lack of it and how to build more of it. Adrian Pennington surveys the land on how the void is being filled Empty warehouses for hire Hot on the heels of April’s tax breaks for high-end TV, a deluge of largescale internationally financed productions flooded the UK. With studios unable to match demand, producers turned to post-industrial spaces wherever they could find them.

Series two of Starz’ Da Vinci’s Demons returned to a former Ford Factory outside Swansea in May; ITV Studios retained a former carpet warehouse in Neasden for the second run of Mr Selfridge in April; and Left Bank Pictures retrofitted a warehouse in Cumbernauld for Starz/Sony Pictures’ 16-part Outlander.

Tiger Aspect found even warehouse space at a premium as it searched sites for Sky Atlantic/Starz’s 13-part Arctic thriller Fortitude.

It has begun location www.broadcastnow.co.uk

shooting in Iceland before a new year move to shoot interiors in a warehouse in London, after fitting it with soundproof walls and ceiling.

“We are TV producers, not building contractors, yet we are taking on more project management,” says Tiger Aspect head of drama production Frith Tiplady. “We don’t have the time to find, negotiate and convert a space. With six-episode dramas, there’s no way to justify a build, but the scale of these productions demands that TV looks at different options.”

Neal Street Productions’ decision to shoot its Sky Atlantic/Showtime drama Penny Dreadful at Ardmore, just outside Dublin, is perhaps the most high-profile exit from the UK. The producer of the show, which began shooting in October, says it

‘We are TV producers, not building contractors, yet we are taking on more project management’ Frith Tiplady, Tiger Aspect

was driven by the lack of capacity on the mainland and Showtime’s familiarity with the studio site, where it had shot The Tudors.

Studios’ reaction The major studio complexes aren’t blind to the situation but can’t seem to build new space fast enough. Pinewood Studios says it has been hamstrung by its failure to get its £200m expansion plans, including 15 additional stages, passed by South Bucks District Council. The outcome is dependent on the result of a public inquiry, due next April.

Elstree Studios has been more fortunate in finding 3.5 acres on site, which will expand the size of the studios by 25%. Managing director Roger Morris is leaving the final decision on how to use the land up to client demand.

“Conventional studios and pricing structures are probably not right for productions wanting permanent sets over a long period,” he says. “But the ➤ non-studio set-up is not ideal for 13 December 2013 | Broadcast | 33

year 2013 The in review

Production StudioS all productions either. What we hope to offer with our new space is a costeffective alternative that suits the needs of the next Game Of Thrones.”

Wimbledon Film & Television Studios has long-held expansion plans but requires investors to back a management buyout and pump £3m into the business.

“We want to capitalise on the lack of studio space in London,” says managing director Piers Read. “This summer, we lost out on a couple of coproductions because they needed 30,000 sq ft of space. A year down the line, I’d like to think we could facilitate a production like that. Our ambition is to attract large-scale shows like The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing.”

Key Studio eventS 2013 timeline

Sports Personality Of The Year: hosted in Leeds

Production merry-go-round Even before BBC Studios & Post Production (BBC S&PP) shut Television Centre in April, there had been an exodus of shows, exacerbating the competition for space.

“It certainly made a difference since there’s a considerable shortage of quality studio space in London,” reports Guy Hornsby, executive director for Riverside TV Studios, which has welcomed Never Mind The Buzzcocks. With its 6,000 sq ft studio booked for The Apprentice: You’re Fired and Russell Howard’s Good News, Riverside invested £500,000 this year in a new 4,000 sq ft, 300-seat space in Hammersmith and has been “very busy” since opening in September, with shows such as Channel 5’s The Great Christmas Toy Giveaway.

A number of productions switched to Pinewood, including C4’s 10 O’Clock Live, while Maidstone Studios picked up BBC2’s TVC refugee Later…

With Jools Holland. Meanwhile, The Collective sought to cash in following investment in two vacant soundstages: the 28,000 sq ft HDS Studios in Hayes and the 70,000 sq ft of Ealing’s London Metropolitan Studios.

As part of the temporary relocation to Elstree, BBC S&PP completed a new gallery suite for the 15,600 sq ft George Lucas Stage to support Strictly Come Dancing’s run. It also completed a refurbishment of Studio D, occupied by Sky 1’s A League Of Their Own, among others. With three studios planned to reopen in 2015 on a 15-year lease, the BBC expects shows like Strictly and Comic Relief to return to the site. Studios 4-8 will be redeveloped as housing.

“The year’s biggest challenge was balancing the move out of Television 34 | Broadcast | 13 December 2013

Centre simultaneously with relocating its business to Elstree and South Ruislip, while our biggest success has been totally transforming the Elstree facilities,” says BBC S&PP chief executive Anna Mallett. “We’ve received a hugely positive response from the market.”

Manchester builds for drama

‘What we hope to offer is a costeffective alternative that suits the needs of the next Game Of Thrones’ Roger Morris, Elstree Studios

On one side of Manchester, Dock10 caters for live and audience-based shows, while east of the city a new home for long-form productions is under construction. Backed with £10m of council funds, the team behind digital and TV complex The Sharp Project plan an extra 50,000 sq ft of drama space at nearby Gorton.

Opening by June 2014, it will comprise five studios ranging from 8,891 sq ft to 11,194 sq ft, plus ancillary facilities, from make-up to prop stores.

Citing a high level of demand for studio space, The Sharp Project director Sue Woodward says she expects the drama tax breaks introduced earlier this year to create a “new wave” of productions.

“Where The Sharp Project was a building to which we gave a sense of purpose, we have chosen the site for its access and scale,” she says. “It will be the most exciting purpose-built drama centre to open in the UK for decades.”

Salford is not entirely bereft of drama though. Last Tango In Halifax creator Red Production Company exchanged Quay Street for Dock10’s production hub in what could be the first of many indies to relocate to MediaCityUK. Meanwhile, filming on Coronation Street’s new set on a 7.7-acre site next to the Imperial War Museum North could begin next month (see page 25).

January n Nottingham’s Giltbrook Studios relaunches its 1,300 sq ft facility.

March n Davina McCall-fronted Five Minutes To A Fortune is the last programme to be recorded at TVC TC8.

April n Irish broadcaster TV3 unveils a £6m 5,000 sq ft HD facility outside Dublin to lure business from the UK. May n IMG’s Mediahouse production and studio facility is rebranded IMG Studios and relocated to Stockley Park. n Sky Atlantic’s Mr Sloane shoots at Twickenham Studios. n Creative Scotland ring-fences £1m for a studio complex in the Govan district of Glasgow. n Wimbledon Film & TV Studios scraps The Bill’s former police station to create 8,000 sq ft of office space.

June n Pinewood Studios revised £200m planning application for an increase in capacity is rejected by South Bucks District Council. n Granada Studios at Quay Street closes.

July n Channel 4’s Gok Live: Stripping For Summer airs from the Piazza at MediaCityUK. n Twickenham Studios celebrates centenary amid a £3.5m refurbishment.

August n Haymarket Media Group expects Teddington Studios to be redeveloped as housing when current tenant Pinewood Studios exits next year.

September n Pinewood Studios completes £7.5m 45,000 sq ft Q Stage. Camelot moves The National Lottery Live to TV3 on a five-year contract.

October n BBC S&PP builds new production facilities for Endemol at Bristol’s Bottle Yard Studios.

November n BBC Elstree Studio D is home to Children In Need. n Public enquiry opens to examine Pinewood Shepperton’s expansion plans.

December n Leeds’ First Direct Arena hosts Sports Personality Of The Year.

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

YEAR 2013 THE IN REVIEW

Production OUTSIDE BROADCASTING

A new player on the pitch The launch of BT Sport and the exit of SIS Live were the two biggest events in a quiet year for OB firms ahead of next year’s Commonwealth Games. Adrian Pennington reports

Capturing the action: OB truck; BT Sport presenters Jake Humphrey and Clare Balding

B

T’s aggressive launch into the live sport market, in which its snaring of the Uefa Champions League for £897m was the latest in a series of eye-popping rights wins, shook the foundations of UK pay-TV. “BT has already made a massive impression because it offers genuine rivalry to Sky,” reckons Jeff Foulser, chairman of Sunset + Vine, beneficiary of a £100m three-year production pact with the telco.

“For the first time, Sky has lost serial major rights packages, while BT says it has a 10-year plan to buy more exclusive, premium content, which is a massive statement of intent,” he says.

Sunset + Vine delivered on the launch of BT’s channels in August, at the same time as preparing for 2014’s Commonwealth Games – its biggest single event as host broadcaster – making 2013 “a momentous year,” says Foulser.

“The biggest challenge was winning the business in the first place,” he says.

“The rewards, once you get them, are good – not necessarily financially, but because contracts of this volume sustain a level of employment and enable your business to grow.”

36 | Broadcast | 13 December 2013

The impact on the OB sector is less seismic. “BT Sport’s arrival only shifts existing work around from A to B, but it has changed the landscape for broadcasters considerably,” notes Barry Johnstone, international director at OB firm CTV. However, S+V handed major deals to Arena, which will serve at least 38 Premier League matches a year, and Telegenic, tasked with facilitating 69 Premiership rugby games.

“The key was to get on air cleanly and to be seen as comparable to Sky’s presentation,” explains Foulser.

“The rugby clubs have given us fantastic access, so we’re able to innovate with ref cams, dressing room cams and a pre-game pitch walk, making it a more inclusive viewing experience.

That’s not so easy to do in football, where we can’t push so radically and where fans are used to watching in a certain

‘BT Sport’s arrival only shifts work around from A to B, but it has changed the landscape for broadcasters’ Barry Johnstone, CTV

way. Arguably the biggest innovation is the BT studio, which has brought a different feel to live programming.”

Game over for SIS Live It was always likely that SIS Live, majority holder of BBC Sport contracts since 2008, would shed some work as a result of the broadcaster’s tender renewal, but few anticipated it would be sidelined entirely – not least SIS Live, which seemed not to have contemplated an outcome in which it was not even placed on the list of companies eligible to pitch for future BBC work.

As a result, the firm will close the unit in March, affecting 240 jobs. SIS chief executive Gary Smith told Broadcast that the terms SIS offered were the lowest it could manage and the prices quoted by other suppliers were “below a sustainable, long-term level”.

Naturally, this is roundly disputed

by OB rivals. “The implication that everybody else is doing jobs too cheaply is not true,” says CTV’s Johnstone. “I don’t think any of us feel that we are not being given a fair ➤ price for the jobs we do.” www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Calendar of Events

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Screen Marketing and Distribution Awards Screen Film Forum

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MIPCOM Business Breakfast

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Young Talent Awards Broadcast Production & Post Forum

For all events enquiries please email events@mb-insight.com

YEAR IN REVIEW 2013 THE

Production OUTSIDE BROADCASTING Arena Television managing director July), was Telegenic’s T25 unit, Richard Yeowart says: “All our clients outfitted for the occasion with Sony are under huge pressure to get good camera channels, switchers and value for money for their shareholders monitors. It remains one of a handful or the licence fee payers and put the of 4K scanners in the world, although best possible shows on screen within a CTV will launch a 4K-compliant set budget. However, this is nothing vehicle in May. Russian pay-TV new; it was going on before SIS operator NTV+ could beat Fifa by entered the market.” airing 4K coverage of the Sochi The BBC work is split between NEP Winter Olympics in March to public Vision, CTV, Telegenic and Presteigne viewing areas and cinemas.

Charter, with Arena, Gearhouse and Japan’s NHK, meanwhile, said it Television Mobiles shortlisted would record the 2014 World for future ad hoc work.

Cup final in 8K, the fullerWith what it claims is fat flavour of Ultra-HD, the largest OB fleet in as a prelude to starting Europe to be auctioned a domestic broadcast Number of camera off, SIS’s demise puts a service in 2020, timed angles available question mark over the for the Tokyo Games. At to users of Sky Sports 360 reduced competitiveness IBC, Sony revealed it had of the UK’s OB sector. a team developing 8K pro“Suppliers may feel they duction equipment and there have a window to get back at some are even suggestions that Sky has of their clients who have driven prices 8K under consideration. down over the years,” says Foulser.

With debate still raging about “The more companies there are, the whether the consumer interest in easier it is to control pricing. Neither Ultra-HD 4K is strong enough, skipSky nor BT Sport are going to want to ping 4K entirely may arguably make be dictated to by suppliers.” more financial sense than equipping infrastructure, such as new set-top boxes, when systems and displays Event of the year capable of the ultimate in picture There’s no doubt about the OB event quality are likely to come on stream of the year, in technology terms at in less than five years. least. Fifa’s intention to capture at least the 2014 World Cup Final in 4K was a direct line from Sony’s proof of Final whistle for ESPN 3D concept during three matches of the Disney will shut its sports network Confederations Cup in June.

ESPN 3D at the end of this month At the heart of the test (and of the with barely a whimper. The network Ultra-HD recording in Brazil next launched in 2010 with 3D matches

20

Learning on the job: students who will benefit from Scotland’s Host Broadcaster Training Initiative at the Commonwealth Games 2014

38 | Broadcast | 13 December 2013

‘The more companies there are, the easier it is to control pricing.

Neither Sky nor BT Sport are going to want to be dictated to by suppliers’ Jeff Foulser, Sunset + Vine

from the South Africa World Cup, but recent viewing figures topped just 120,000, leading to the axe falling in June.

This bombshell delivered a fatal blow to Cameron Pace Group (CPG), whose main client is ESPN. In October, CPG sold its 3D mobile units to Canada’s Dome, which intends to convert them to 2D. CPG co-chairs James Cameron and Vince Pace had been high-profile evangelists for 3D as the future of TV only a year before.

ESPN’s decision makes it more unlikely that Fifa will produce any 3D matches from Brazil next year. The format remains popular in China, where CCTV holds World Cup rights, but interest elsewhere is dwindling.

One indomitable broadcaster, however, holds out against the naysayers. Sky insists it has no plans to give up on 3D and has committed to its regular schedule of EPL games for 2014-15, as well as World Darts, the Capital One Cup Final and the Heineken Cup Final. However, it says its Formula One test run in February was a one-off.

Evolution of second screen In time for the Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in May, Sky debuted Sky Sports 360, a multi-camera highlights feature for iPads. David Gibbs, director of digital media, Sky Sports, describes the app as “a virtual matchday programme on your lap” as it lets fans replay action from 20 different camera angles, including a slowmotion option. It was also tied into both summer and winter Ashes tours.

The 2014 World Cup will take second screening to a new level when host broadcaster HBS makes available unprecedented access to extra content, including the ability to switch between cameras during live matches. Along with the Commonwealth Games, the tournament will be used by the BBC to build social connectivity between individual second-screen viewers.

One means of doing this is to have experts comment and answer questions via Twitter during a game or a replay of it. Sky experimented with this in April, inviting fans to chat with boxer Carl Froch, whose 2010 encounter with Mikkel Kessler was streamed in real time. ITV created a similar event in November with its rerun of England’s 2003 rugby triumph in tandem with players’ social media commentary. www.broadcastnow.co.uk

TIME IS mon£y

In our ever-changing industry, ongoing training is vital to your career.

But taking time off work costs money, which is why Creative Skillset offers funding for training to support professionals from all backgrounds across the UK.

Time_Is_Money_Final.indd 1

TV freelancers can apply for up to £800 towards training in areas including production management, directing, sound, data wrangling, camera, hair and make-up.

Film professionals can apply for up to £5,000 towards international scholarships, or £800 towards craft and technical or health and safety training.

Funding is also available for organisations.

Find out more and apply at www.creativeskillset.org/funding @SkillsetSSC

05/11/2013 16:20

Production DIGITAL

The explosion of online Digital growth in 2013 was driven by accelerating tablet penetration, the rise of 4G networks and an industry finally monetising its investment in IPTV. Andy Stout picks his five key moments

‘Netflix’s decision to release all of series one of House Of Cards in one go was a genuine game-changer’

1. NETFLIX AND HOUSE OF CARDS Netflix’s decision not only to commission its US-centric reboot of House Of Cards but to then release all of series one in one go back in February was a genuine gamechanger for the industry.

While acknowledging that “broadcast is not going away” and that video-on-demand is a complementary rather than a wholly competitive technology, Joris Evers, director of corporate communications, says: “Increasingly, what we provide is exclusive to Netflix. This is great news for the creative industry, resulting in even more demand for their work.”

It’s probably not quite time for the UK production and post community to hang out the bunting just yet but, he adds, the company is seeking to provide a broad mix of titles that appeal to a variety of tastes, with localised content a possibility in the future. “We are open to many different types of deals, small and large,” he says.

The company is already starting to make noises about Ultra HD for 2014. “Ultra HD will be predominantly an internet-delivered format,” says Evers. “It will be niche at first, but grow as TVs get more affordable.”

House Of Cards went on to win a clutch of Emmys, and with other recent tentpole commissions in the order book – a superhero-sized five-series deal with Marvel TV among them – it looks like Netflix is planning to grow further too.

40 | Broadcast | 13 December 2013

2. THE CONTINUED GROWTH OF YOUTUBE AND THE MCN Serving 4 billion hours of video content every month, YouTube is showing no signs of slowing down, and with the establishment of multi-channel networks (MCNs), it is embarking on its monetisation phase. MCNs work with the platform, providing the channels that sign up with a range of services that a traditional network might provide, such as funding, promotion and audience-building.

Channels are raking in investment and eyeballs (the TopGear channel has more than 3 million subscribers and Jamie Oliver’s Food Tube passed the 500,000 mark last month), so it’s no surprise to see these new metaplayers attract interest too. RTL, for example, invested ¤27m (£23m) in Canada’s BroadbandTV back in June, while last month, Endemol announced plans to invest £25m in its own Endemol Beyond MCN as it ramps up its international online video operations.

Endemol Beyond is, in effect, a glimpse of the next stage: the rise of the multiplatform MCN. The idea is that monetisation via YouTube alone (it extracts 45% of any revenues generated) is too low to support much beyond basic content. A more practical model uses the site as a funnel for content hosted – and monetised at more favourable rates – elsewhere. How successful that strategy will be, however, is unknown as the stakes are high: multiplatform MCN Rightster might have raised £20.4m in its IPO last month, but it also lost £8.5m in the first half of the year. www.broadcastnow.co.uk

YEAR 2013 THE IN REVIEW

3. THE IMPACT OF BIG DATA The subject of Big Data has been impossible to avoid in 2013, occupying a significant amount of conference programmes as the industry gets to grips with both what it is and how to exploit it for its own purposes. Essentially, it involves using powerful data analytic methods to mine the vast amount of information suddenly available on viewer behaviour via return paths and IPTV channels. But there is plenty of devil in the detail.

Channel 4 has led the charge so far, introducing a successful registration process for its online services and analysing the results. This has allowed it to personalise its outgoing communications and improve click-through. Arguably more intriguingly, it has enabled C4 to build a predictive model that allows media buyers the same ability to trade and purchase VoD audiences as they have with linear television.

It is very early days for the technology in the broadcast industry, and as Blinkbox co-founder and chief executive of Tesco Digital Entertainment Michael Comish has said: “Data without insight is not particularly valuable.” However, work is afoot at C4 and beyond to extend Big Data’s analytical reach out to both commissioning and scheduling, not only giving viewers more of exactly what they want, exactly when they want it, but also delivering real-time demographic profiles – and thus extraordinarily flexible timeslots – to advertisers.

4. THE RISE AND RISE OF IPLAYER The BBC’s iPlayer continues its inexorable rise. In October, there was an average of 7.8 million daily requests and 199 million TV requests in total, the third highest figure to date. But the analysis also reveals an interesting shift: in this month, mobile and tablet requests reached a new high of 37% of total requests, almost catching up with the desktop’s 39%.

The iPlayer platform sits firmly at the centre of Tony Hall’s new digital strategy for the corporation. A new deal with Pact extends the catch-up window to 30 days, more first-run content is planned as part of a 40-hour trial authorised by the BBC Trust (including Jimmy McGovern’s daytime series Moving On and Peter Kay comedy Car Share) and it has even been assigned its own controller, firmly cementing its place in the BBC bureaucracy.

Expect the stats to be even more impressive this time next year.

5. THE LAUNCH OF C 4NOW Broadcasters and indies have adopted a necessarily piecemeal approach to secondscreen applications over the past few years, but with more collaborative commissioning across platforms – and the vast majority of programming now having an online element – it is probably time for the over-arching channel app.

Channel 4’s 4Now is the UK’s first.

“4Now is designed to offer an aggregated range of synchronised content propositions – that is propositions designed to be consumed while viewing live programmes,” explains C4 director of strategy and technology Keith Underwood.

Currently this amounts to programme information and wider show support materials, a Twitter feed, and official accounts

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and support for polls. “As such, there will always be a need to independently provide second-screen experiences that do not fit with this usage – propositions designed to be consumed separately from the live viewing experience, such as games,” Underwood explains.

Since launch, this has already encompassed a Made In Chelsea game, the River Cottage Get Foraging game and feature-length documentary No Fire Zone. An updated version of the hit Snowman And The Snowdog game has been developed for this Christmas, while the main app has also managed an impressive diversity of content. “We are currently using 4Now to showcase a variety of content including a 24 Hours In A&E virtual tour, a

Health Freaks online game, Fresh Meat interactive mobile phone profiles, and kids’ artwork from Educating Yorkshire,” says Underwood.

He adds that there has been a “real appetite” for the range of interactive second-screen commercial solutions offered by 4Now and C4 is using it as a test-bed for future offerings. “C4 has a proud history of innovation in the online space and we are always looking to enhance and evolve our digital estate. Indeed, we are extremely excited about the product roadmap in place for 2014,” he says.

13 December 2013 | Broadcast | 41

Broadcast would like to wish all its readers a very

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Production

YEAR 2013 THE IN REVIEW

DISTRIBUTION

Boom time for distributors In a big year for drama, and with new platforms hungry for content, 2013 was a busy time for the distribution business. Andy Fry takes a month-by-month look at the key developments The inexorable rise of Netflix The year kicked off with the UK launch of on-demand service 2013 Netflix. Group chief executive Reed Hastings underlined his ambition in a letter to investors in which he announced Netflix as a rival to Sky Go, with ambitions to outbid it for major studio output deals. An indicator of Netflix UK’s growing impact came later in the year when it secured the rights to air the final run of Breaking Bad within hours of its debut on AMC in the US. Netflix launched in the Netherlands in 2013 and is reported to be on the verge of a France launch. It is also seeking to tie down movie rights in Australia.

‘You can do exciting things in television, and there’s an audience for it’

JAN

Drama co-productions thrive In February, the BBC ordered a new adaptation of Tolstoy’s War And 2013 Peace. The finance is being orchestrated by The Lookout Point and BBC Worldwide, which sold rights for the US, Canada and China to The Weinstein Company (TWC).

The Lookout Point/BBCW partnership is also behind a planned co-pro of Lawrence Of Arabia, while TWC/Lookout Point and BBCW have unveiled plans for a Laurel and Hardy biopic.

TWC’s growing interest in TV was further underlined when it acquired US rights to Peaky Blinders from Endemol Worldwide Distribution. At MipTV in April, movie mogul Harvey Weinstein said of TV’s pulling power: “You can do exciting things in television, and there’s an audience for it. The movie business to some extent is shrinking, and we have to look for new horizons.”

Harvey Weinstein

FEB

Online content migrates to TV An increasing amount of content is MAR travelling from online to TV and 2013 then into international distribution.

The standout example is Angry Birds Toons, an animated series based on the game of the same name. In March, Angry Birds owner Rovio unveiled deals with 14 broadcasters, including Fox8 Australia, Super RTL Germany and Globo in Brazil. Also making headlines was game franchise Halo. Distributor Content cited web series Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn as its top TV sales franchise of the year. Soon after, Steven Spielberg’s name was attached to plans for a fully fledged TV series. This progression from web to TV is likely to gather momentum thanks to YouTube’s investment.

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Peaky Blinders: TWC acquired US rights to the series from Endemol Worldwide Distribution

America’s content continues to dominate APR Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. 2013 (below) from Disney, Duck Dynasty from A+E Networks and The Walking Dead from AMC were just a few of the many US commercial and creative successes this year. The importance of US drama was underlined in April by Essential Television Statistics, a report by Madigan Cluff and Digital TV Research. The report said that CBS supplied the top three mostvaluable drama imports to Europe in 2012, with NCIS, CSI and CSI Miami generating $560m (£341m) between them. Other moneyspinning US titles include Disney’s Criminal Minds, Warner Bros’ The Mentalist and NBCU’s House, M.D..

The scripted format business booms MAY With more than 60 US channels 2013 actively seeking drama ideas, many have turned to markets such as the UK, Scandinavia, Israel, the Netherlands and Latin America for shows to reformat (Being Human, Homeland, Red Widow, The Killing). Arguably the most interesting was French supernatural drama Les Revenants (The Returned). In May, it became the first foreign-language drama to air on C4 in recent memory, having been sold into the UK by Zodiak Rights. In a parallel development, the format for the show was picked up

by Fremantle Media and sold to US cable channel A+E. Continuing consolidation M&A activity has been rife, with Sky JUN snapping up Parthenon, Tinopolis 2013 acquiring Passion and, in June, Scandinavian pay-TV firm Modern Times Group buying UK-based distributor DRG for £15m. “Some people were surprised by the ➤ www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Production

YEAR 2013 THE IN REVIEW DISTRIBUTION deal,” says DRG chief executive Jeremy Fox, “But it fits with MTG’s expansion plan. In effect, we’ve become MTG’s English-language front of house.” While it’s early days, Fox sees a number of benefits: “MTG has 30 production companies, which means an increase in the amount of content for DRG at a time when Scandinavia is in vogue. At the same time, we are better resourced now to make exciting, high-profile acquisitions.” More good news for DRG is the fact that Fox in the US has picked up NRK show Mammon from DRG for reformatting.

Restructuring for growth Despite Fremantle Media InterJUL national’s revenues smashing 2013 through the £300m mark, chief executive David Ellender departed on the back of a corporate restructuring, leaving Bob McCourt as acting chief executive. In the newlook FMI, distribution became a business in its own right and McCourt has said that parent group FM and FMI want to do more drama, making steps towards this with The Returned and working with the likes of Pukeko Pictures, Exclusive TV and Origin Pictures.

Meanwhile, Wentworth became the number one primetime Australian drama to launch in the UK since 2002, and a German remake is in the works.

Brit drama hits export heights US broadcast network Fox AUG announced plans for a remake of 2013 Kudos-produced Broadchurch, capping a terrific few months for the show, which is now in more than 100 countries.

While US format deals tend to create a lot of buzz, the success of Broadchurch as a completed show is encouraging for UK distributors.

Alongside series such as Luther, Peaky Blinders, Hit & Miss and Mr Selfridge, the message seems to be that British shows are in vogue. In part, this is to do with the Cool Britannia vibe that emerged around the time of London 2012.

But it’s also down to slicker scripts and more dynamic production pacing. Some execs also believe that on-demand viewing is favouring UK-style serials.

Foreign firms snap up British pre-school Most of the UK’s 2012 pre-school IP has been snapped up by foreign companies (Mattel, Dreamworks, ER and Sanrio). In September, DHX Media joined the feeding frenzy when it acquired Ragdoll Worldwide for £17.4m.

The deal gave DHX titles such as Teletubbies and In The Night Garden, both of which

SEP

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The Returned: French show was first foreignlanguage drama to air on C4 in recent memory

have aired in more than 100 countries. DHX Media chief executive Michael Donovan explained the deal by saying the shows are “worldwide phenomena” that will be “highly complementary to the DHX Media library”.

Other titles in that library include Paddington Bear and Rastamouse (below).

Distributor start-ups carve out a niche OCT Twofour Rights’ second year got off 2013 to a flyer when parent group Twofour merged with Cardiff-based Boom Pictures. The result was “a regional powerhouse with a broad slate of factual, entertainment, children’s and scripted content,” said Anthony Hughes, commercial director of the enlarged operation.

Launching the rights arm in 2012 rather than placing IP with an existing distributor has been financially rewarding, and has also benefited branding and marketing intelligence, he added.

Less high-profile than the Boom merger, but also significant, was the news of Twofour Rights teaming up with GroupM in an international distribution deal.

US channels target interNOV national 2013 expansion US cable channel A&E Network is set to launch in Europe. Other major developments on the channels front include AMC’s acquisition of Chellomedia and more original content from the likes of Discovery and Fox Inter-

national Channels. This aggressive expansion of US-owned channels is providing opportunities for producers. But its impact on distributors is less clear: there are more buyers, but US channel operators are now more insistent about retaining rights. This enables them to use content (completed shows and formats) on their own family of channels, then sell shows on via their own distribution arms.

Israel continued its global dominance, with Keshet International, in particular, expanding rapidly. The company, which was previously known for its scripted content such as Homeland, moved aggressively into the non-scripted world, with talent format Rising Star becoming the standout sale of the year after deals with all major territories, including ITV in the UK. Prospects for 2014 Following the success of The DEC Returned on Channel 4, Zodiak 2013 Rights chief executive Matthew Frank expects UK distributors to be on the hunt for more foreign-language drama in 2014: “Rights to good British drama are increasingly hard to secure, so I think the pursuit of Scandinavian, Israeli, French and Italian drama will intensify.” He also believes the battle to displace shows like The Voice and The X Factor will continue. “It would be nice to see something other than singing and dancing in weekend primetime. We’re looking at studiobased family entertainment shows and have high hopes for our duel-based gameshow format Versus. We expect to unveil our first deals on that show in January.”

13 December 2013 | Broadcast | 47

Production finance

Big deals for British TV From broadcasters’ sporting battles and controversial content funding to indie buyouts and the arrival of UK tax credits, it was an eventful financial year, writes Kate Bulkley BT Sport starts land grab Of all the programming purchases this year, BT Sport’s massive spend to win all live Uefa Champions League football games from 2015 was the headline story.

Not only did BT double the price for the 350 games to £900m, but the gut punch led to a £1.4bn fall in BSkyB stock the Monday after the news of BT’s winning bid spooked investors in the broadcaster, which has had its own way in sport for so long.

Meanwhile, ITV has lost a highprofile live sport from its primetime schedule and the impact on attracting younger male audiences is not to be underestimated. However, the broadcaster will save £75m a year, some of which it says will go back into the programme budget.

BSkyB defended its failed bid, branding £300m a year as “uneconomic” and pointing out that the Champions League accounts for only 3% of Sky Sports viewing, compared with the Premier League’s 18%.

BSkyB has 85% of its sports rights already secured for the next three years, but the willingness of BT to pay big money to attract subscribers to its TV/broadband/telephone packages is forcing Sky to rethink.

The next English Premier League bidding round in 2016 is set to be very expensive indeed, with the real possibility of BSkyB becoming a seconddivision football broadcaster to BT.

The Clare Balding Show: produced under the Boomerang label for the expanding BT Sport

ITV leads indie buyouts ITV has led the indie buyout race in the UK this year, helping to set new high prices and recasting ITV Studios as a much bigger player in content creation than ever before.

ITV has bought five indies over the past 12 months, starting with US producer Guerny, the maker of Duck Dynasty, in December 2012. In rapid succession, it picked up two more US indies, High Noon and Think Factory, and two in the UK: Big Talk and The Garden. Taken together, the five purchases cost ITV £126m, but with performance earn-outs and options, that figure could double.

48 | Broadcast | 13 December 2013

‘Tax credits have increased the pie, but there are a lot of people trying to have a slice’ Richard Johnston, Endemol

The acquisitions – part of ITV’s five-year transformation plan to broaden its revenue base beyond spot advertising and boost its export potential – came in a good year for the broadcaster. On screen, homegrown dramas Broadchurch and Downton Abbey contributed to strong advertising sales.

The City has nodded its approval.

ITV’s stock price has risen by 79% in the past 12 months (as of 9 December). Numis Securities recently reiterated ITV as a “buy”, being “greatly impressed” with ITV Studios, where revenues rose by 11% in the first nine months of 2013 – 6% of which was through acquisitions.

Expect ITV’s push into content to continue through a mixture of organic growth and strategic acquisitions, though non-UK markets, including the US and Israel, look likely to provide opportunities going forward.

ITV has not been alone in its search for good content-creation houses to scale up its business. Former BBC1 controller Lorraine Heggessey took fledgling indie Boom Pictures into the big leagues this year, spending an estimated £35m to buy Twofour Group,

riding high on Educating Yorkshire and Splash!.

With combined revenues of £76m, Boom Pictures is now in the top 10 UK indies by revenue. The Walesbased producer, set up by Heggessey last year through a management buyout of Boomerang led by Huw Eurig Davies, is also now the biggest out-of-London indie.

Twofour brings with it international distribution, expertise in entertainment and feature programming and post-production assets in Plymouth, plus Twofour Digital, which counts clients such as Ogilvy Entertainment.

It sits nicely alongside Boom Pictures’ digital and branded content expertise – it produces GT Academy for Ford Nissan and PlayStation and The Clare Balding Show for BT Sport under the Boomerang label.

The rise of GME The most controversial development of the year has been GroupM Entertainment’s (GME) growing presence as a funding partner to UK indies.

From a start in 2009, when GME (part of the WPP advertising conglomerate) funded only two www.broadcastnow.co.uk

YEAR 2013 THE IN REVIEW

programmes with Channel 5, the company has since linked with ITV for Lucan (ITV Studios) and this year added several projects – including The Jump (with Twofour Digital) and Troy (with ZigZag) – with Channel 4 for the first time.

There are also reports of advanced conversations with Sky, while GME began to put money into development and pilots in 2013, with the aim of priming the local production market.

This year, GME funded more than 30 commissions, at an estimated £30m investment. It has helped to fund 100 shows since 2009.

The GME model is to fully fund the programme, in return for splitting IP with the indie, and to take commercial inventory (airtime or digital space) from the broadcaster that it can then re-sell.

This is not brand-funded content in the sense that GME brings a brand’s money to the project; the GME funding is considered “risk capital” by the WPP unit.

The rub for some indies has been the issue of IP ownership and exploitation. Some larger indies with their own distribution units already have a rights distribution model; others Clockwise from top: Educating Yorkshire; Premier League; Lucan simply disagree with sharing IP ownership that they fought so hard to Connock, Ask the Audience: Evaluating claim in the past from broadcasters.

New Ways to Fund TV Content, that But this model is clearly not going brand-funded content will continue to away – indeed, there are rumours that grow because the “church and state” rival ad giants including Publicis distinctions of the past are disappearOmnicom are looking to set up coning, says Connock. tent-funding units of their own.

“It will be interesting to see which BBCW increases spend companies ultimately thrive – the BBC Worldwide chief executive companies that ‘hold their ground’ Tim Davie is driving a £30m increase on commercial models established in (to £200m) in spend on commisa different landscape, or the compasioned programming from March nies that recognise the current, 2013 to February 2014. broader marketplace and adapt to This includes more first-look embrace the change that has deals (Voltage TV has the already happened,” says first), BBC Worldwide Richard Foster, managing funded commissions director of GME. for BBC Worldwide Richard Foster, GME Meanwhile, there has channels, co-producThe rise in ITV’s stock price over been some growth in tions and development the past advertiser-funded of content for non12 months content, but not as linear channels, and an quickly as some analysts expanded commissioning predicted, despite initiatives team of three. such as branded content on There is a focus on working Channel 4’s 4 Shorts on 4oD. The directly with writers such as Glen main problem is the tricky business Morgan on new drama The Intruders. of trying to align the needs of all the BBCW will also be the principal costakeholders – the brands, the broadproduction partner for the BBC’s casters and the indies – but it is clear Natural History Unit. from the December report coThe spending rise comes as the authored by Sian Kevill and Alex BBC Trust orders BBCW not to invest

79%

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‘It will be interesting to see which companies survive – those that hold their ground on commercial models or those that embrace the change’

in any more indies. Deals already done are being unwound, including Left Bank Pictures’ sale to Sony earlier this year. BBCW still holds stakes in six indies – Clerkenwell Films, Baby Cow Productions, Sprout, Slim Film & TV, Temple St and Burning Bright – and looks under no pressure to sell.

BBCW chief content officer Helen Jackson says: “BBC Worldwide is serving as a real incubator for British talent and creativity – and we’re working not just with producers, but writers too, to make truly outstanding content to take to the rest of the world.”

Tax credits arrive Tax credits for UK-made, high-end drama were heralded as good news for the industry and there is now some movement to lower the £1m threshold so that factual programming could also qualify at levels of perhaps £650,000 an hour, including postproduction work.

Tiger Aspect decided to shoot Peaky Blinders in the UK, rather than Ireland, even though the tax credit would not apply to series one, but would apply if it were recommissioned – which it has been. “The tax credit certainly makes it easier to fund these shows,” says Endemol chief operating officer Richard Johnston. But he also thinks there is a “bit of a bun fight going on” about who gets the tax credit, and whether it is used on screen or for talent fees, or is replacing or lowering broadcaster funding.

“It’s increased the pie, but there are a lot of people trying to have a slice of that pie. The main issue is how to manage this growth, with the supply of talent and studios struggling to keep up with the demand from both UK producers and the growing number of US studios choosing to produce here.”

Mark Oliver, chief executive of media adviser Oliver & Ohlbaum Associates, recently warned a Westminster forum that the industry should be wary of misusing the tax credits as the sale-and-leaseback rules were exploited 10 years ago. “We are talking about a mismatch in demand and supply at the moment. What no one wants to see is that there’s a huge effort to get more skilled people and for people to build studios and the rest of it, and then in five years’ time it’s all taken away again and suddenly, you get a lot of resources wasted and upset people.”

13 December 2013 | Broadcast | 49

Interview DANIEL PEARL DISPATCHES

Picking the right fight Dispatches commissioning editor Daniel Pearl tells Alex Farber that when it comes to investigative journalism, creating public debate is as important as ratings FACT FILE Career March 2012-present Commissioning editor, Dispatches, Channel 4 August 2009January 2012 Executive producer, BBC television current affairs; deputy editor, Panorama, BBC January-September 2011 Deputy lead, BBC television workstream January-May 2010 Editor, The Prime Ministerial Debates, BBC August 2006August 2009 Deputy editor, Ten O’Clock News and Six O’Clock News, BBC December 1999December 2004 Assistant editor/senior producer, Newsnight, BBC2 Likes Gogglebox, Breaking Bad, Top Of The Lake, Him & Her, Educating Yorkshire Wishes he’d commissioned: Panorama’s Undercover Care: The Abuse Exposed; Exposure’s Jimmy Savile investigation

F

or a mild-mannered man, Daniel Pearl is not afraid of a fight. The Dispatches commissioner is currently embroiled in battles with budget airline Ryanair, and with the director of public prosecutions over Plebgate.

The latter film, produced by Blakeway Productions, has proved the most controversial. Pearl received a written apology from director of public prosecutions Alison Saunders last week after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) attacked the integrity of the programme’s journalism.

Pearl wrote to Saunders following a CPS statement in November, which claimed Dispatches had edited footage of chief whip Andrew Mitchell.

“The CPS values highly the role investigative journalism plays in exposing criminal conduct and we would never intend to provoke criticism of it,” Saunders wrote. “We are sorry that you feel the statement was misleading and that it led to public and media criticism of your programme – that was certainly not our intention.”

The impact of this show, together with Blakeway’s Ryanair: Secrets From The Cockpit (pictured below), which examined the airline’s passenger safety, is exactly what Pearl wants from a Dispatches. He’s understandably motivated by securing good ratings and rightly proud that the 50-week-a-year strand has been averaging 1.3 million viewers for its 8pm half-hour slot this year, but says success is not just measured in audience terms.

“Being the lead story on the News At Ten, talked about in Parliament or on the front page of the newspapers is fantastic. This is where current affairs is really special – it has enormous channel-defining qualities,” he says.

“It’s about making really ambitious, hard-hitting programmes that aren’t afraid to upset people. You can’t do that every week but you try to have some revelation.”

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‘I don’t want people to think current affairs is a niche genre aloof from the rest of TV, made by just a few people’ Daniel Pearl, Dispatches

Pearl says having a regular slot in the schedule, combined with the more sporadic 60-minute films that can air in a variety of time-appropriate slots, gives the strand the flexibility to regularly provoke debate and cut through.

“The half-hour slot is our bread and butter,” he says. “It allows us to turn things around really quickly, sometimes over a weekend, and feel like we are really hitting the right notes and are always around in the schedule. Then we have the ability to scale up to the bigger hour specials when we need to.”

While around half of the 50 annual Dispatches films are made through bulk contracts with Blakeway, October Films, Nine Lives Media and ITN Productions, there are plenty of opportunities to pitch for the remainder.

As with many commissioners, Pearl refuses to be too prescriptive regarding the specific subjects covered by Dispatches, to avoid excluding potential ideas, but acknowledges that “new social phenomena” are firmly on his agenda for the 30-minute shows.

“I’m interested in subjects that are about Britain as we come out of recession. New social phenomena – things that haven’t existed before or not had current affairs treatments on them. It could cover anything from domestic policies to the way we live or transport,” he says.

He holds up Matchlight’s Twitterthemed Celebs, Brands And Fake Fans, which aired as a 60-minute doc, as the kind of film that exemplifies this trend.

Generally, Dispatches’ 60-minute “high-impact” films are more likely to have an international theme or cover weightier issues. Pearl points to Olly Lambert’s Syria: Across The Lines and True Vision’s The Hunt For Britain’s Sex Gangs as the kind of investigations that demand a longer treatment.

Broadening horizons Bringing new companies into the current affairs fold is firmly on his radar.

Pearl estimates he has worked with around 20 suppliers but is keen to extend his reach, particularly among indies that have not considered current affairs before.

A project from an unnamed entertainment indie investigating celebrity wrongdoing was put into paid development earlier this year. Though the film failed to get a green light, Pearl considers it important to continue to encourage ideas from anywhere.

“The next phase of Dispatches is to get as broad a range of ideas from as many companies as possible,” he says.

“People with different perspectives bring different approaches and stories.

I don’t want people to think that current affairs is a niche genre aloof from the rest of TV, made by just a few people.”

Rather than submitting formal pitches, Pearl is happier to kick ideas back and forth via email or even Twitter.

He acknowledges that the earnings will never match those from a profitable format, but calls on producers to consider the wider benefits. “Plebgate is still leading news bulletins and there is a debate about the future of policing, partly as result of that one investigation. There is a real buzz and adrenalin to making current affairs,” he says.

“For any company, to be at the heart of a story that large, which generates www.broadcastnow.co.uk

For all the latest breaking news, updated daily, visit www.broadcastnow.co.uk

TOP-RATED DISPATCHES

Clockwise from main pic: Syria: Across The Lines; The Hunt For Britain’s Sex Gangs; What’s Your Pension Really Worth?

Secrets Of Your Supermarket Shop

2.4 million

Rich And On Benefits

2.2 million

Ryanair: Secrets From The Cockpit

1.8 million

Secrets Of The Discount Stores

1.8 million

Weight Watchers: How They Make Their Millions

1.7 million

Secrets Of Your Missing Mail

1.7 million

The Hunt For Britain’s Sex Gangs

1.5 million

The Police’s Dirty Secret

1.4 million Tariffs

30-minute films

£80,000 to £100,000 60-minute films

Up to £200,000

with co-production partner funding Source: Channel 4

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

DANIEL PEARL ON… Plebgate

Legal wranglings

“Plebgate [pictured] was brought to me by Blakeway Productions after a conversation someone from the company had over a dinner that led them to believe there had been a conspiracy. We managed to obtain the CCTV footage and tracked down the witness, who claimed to be a random passer-by but was in fact a serving police officer.

“We knew we had a good story but we then had to turn the film around phenomenally quickly because when we went to the police to offer them a right of reply, they started to make arrests. We were working towards airing the film as a 30-minute Dispatches but had to quickly air the 22 minutes we had got up to then on Channel 4 News.”

“C4’s legal team is brilliant. Corporate brand protection is now so large that if you take on Marks & Spencer, Poundland or Ryanair, there are a whole series of PR firms to negotiate and a huge amount of legal toing and froing.

“About 95% of our films have some relatively serious legal proceedings. For Celebs, Brands And Fake Fans, every brand we put a right of reply to came back with a long list of reasons why it shouldn’t be included in the film.”

Future of current affairs “Being a TV current affairs journalist is really tough

DISPATCHES/C4 NEWS

so much impact, is what current affairs is all about. And a business will hopefully win a lot of awards and reputational gain from that.”

The shift reflects the enjoyment Pearl gets from dealing with thirdparty businesses following a 13-year career at the BBC. Not only does a broad supply base help to generate diverse content on screen, but he also enjoys forging new relationships.

“One of the issues with the BBC is that it’s very inward-looking,” he says.

“You spend all of your time talking to other people who work for the BBC. It’s very liberating working for C4. I spend all day talking to suppliers from different companies making a living in completely different ways.”

Despite this, Pearl remains a fan of the BBC’s current affairs and also holds up the strength of ITV’s Exposure as proof of the health of the genre.

But now firmly established at C4, Dispatches is where he will be doing his best to pick more fights with the most deserving subjects.

because you need to be both able to make a TV programme and to be investigative. That’s why C4 has its trainee journalist scheme. We had our first tranche through last year and nine out of the 10 are now working in current affairs somewhere in the industry. I think we now have a much larger pool of talented young journalists.”

13 December 2013 | Broadcast | 51

In Focus THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY A ROBBER’S TALE

Back to the scene of the crime Ben Dowell speaks to the producers of BBC1’s The Great Train Robbery about turning back the clock to 1963 – and the moral ambiguity at the heart of this cops and robbers story CREDITS Producer World Productions Commissioners Ben Stephenson; Danny Cohen Length 1 X 90 minutes TX 8pm, Wednesday 18 December, BBC1 (followed

by A Copper’s Tale, also 1 X 90 minutes, at 8pm on Thursday 19 December) Writer Chris Chibnall Producer Julia Stannard Director Julian Jarrold Production designer Helen Scott Editor Mark Eckersley DoP George Richmond Executive producers Polly Hill (BBC); Roderick Seligman; Simon Heath; Chris Chibnall

Ready for business: the gang on the train; below: Jim Broadbent as DCS Tommy Butler

I

t’s a Tuesday in March, the week before Easter, and men in army uniforms are unloading a stash of mail bags from an army lorry at an ugly concrete-clad farmhouse.

The men are recreating the Great Train Robbery in the first of a twopart BBC drama that examines the 1963 heist from the perspective of both the robbers and the cops.

A Robber’s Tale, the first film, captures the tension of the operation, with the gang holed up in a farmhouse before and after the robbery. In real life, this all took place on a humid August night in Berkshire. Today, we are in the wilds of South Yorkshire and snow is fluttering down.

“Jack, Jack, those mailbags are meant to be heavy,” barks director Julian Jarrold as

52 | Broadcast | 13 December 2013

actor Jack Roth (robber Charlie Jarrold calls his final “cut” before Wilson) lifts the props a little too darkness descends and the words easily. Roth (son of Hollywood actor hang in the air. It is a poignant Tim) quips back: “I’m Charlie Wilson, moment because luck deserted the I’m made of Kryptonite.” real robbers. Most were arrested and, The performers are all clad in combined, they were sentenced to duffel coats and hats as they 307 years in jail. await their cues, socks filled Days before this scene to the brim with silica was shot, the plucky cast warming pads, hands and crew had cleared the clutching cups of tea to unseasonable snow Number of days spent shooting keep them warm. from the nearby fields the first film We’re mid-way and trees using shovels through a 22-day shoot and powerful hoses. But for the first film and it’s the atmosphere is still time to shoot key scenes of the jolly and upbeat. gang’s getaway from the farmhouse.

Evans says that thanks to the large The schedule is so packed they are not array of “characters” in the cast, he sure if they can fit it all in in the failing has enjoyed filming. The real-life light. A handful of beautiful vintage Reynolds died between him taking the cars are revved up and raring to go as job and the start of filming, something Luke Evans’ Bruce Reynolds (the he says gives him an even greater leader of the operation) delivers his responsibility to do Reynolds justice. verdict on the robbery: “A thing of There’s a very male feel about this beauty.” He urges them to “enjoy your ensemble (a few nightclub scenes, bread... and be lucky”. featuring the robbers’ wives and girl-

22

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friends, had already been shot and that’s pretty much it for the fairer sex).

The cast are tight knit, all staying in the Malmaison in Leeds, secured for cheaper than normal by the evereconomical BBC thanks to the promise of hefty bar bills.

But this was before the week-long Easter regimen of night shoots for the robbery – the ‘day’ running from 6pm to around 4am. The weather has not improved much, but at least they have the use of a whole train track and a train (almost exactly like the real one) for five days courtesy of the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, which was so pleased to be involved that a volunteer even painted the main engine the same green as the real one.

“At least in the pitch black, you won’t see their breath during the robbery,” quips executive producer Simon Heath, who is on hand on what turns out to be a very fiddly day of filming. Jordan Long, who plays robber Tommy Wisbey, had been worried that they would be asked to suck on ice cubes to stop their breath being visible.

Getting into specifics For this project, World Productions executive Heath is reunited with producer Julia Stannard and writer Chris Chibnall. The team previously collaborated on acclaimed BBC2 film United, about the Munich air crash, before Chibnall went on to have stellar success with ITV’s Broadchurch.

As with United, this is a drama in which the audience are aware of the main event but perhaps not the specifics. Heath admits to being surprised that it has never been dramatised before (the Phil Collins film Buster was about one of the robbers and ITV’s Mrs Biggs took a tangential look at the wife of another).

“One thing that immediately surprises you is how young they were – we all imagine them as the older guys they later were,” says Heath. “Even though they look older in these clothes and with these haircuts, it is striking.”

Among the many facts I was unaware of was how minor Ronald Biggs’ role was compared with what his reputation suggests: his job was to find and look after a train driver who botched his job. But Heath says each detail is carefully adhered to.

He is speaking in the comparative warmth of the rundown farmhouse strewn with 1960s props. It is beautifully done – even a fleck of newspaper blocking a window is from May 1963. www.broadcastnow.co.uk

‘It was the end of an era; a crime against an establishment that had done nothing for them’ Julia Stannard

The farm was a fortunate find: in the middle of nowhere, it is not overlooked and bears an astonishing likeness to the (now demolished) Leatherslade farm that the real gang used but failed to burn down, leaving clues that led to the capture of most of the gang. Stannard speaks fondly of an amateurish era when coppers were coppers and villains were villains, and they all drank in the same pubs.

“It was face to face, more honest,” she says. “It was the end of an era; in some ways, a crime against an establishment that had done nothing for them.”

Heath agrees that it feels different to modern crimes, adding that the distance of 50 years – the drama had initially been intended for a summer broadcast on the anniversary but was withheld for the Christmas season – helps to look at events objectively.

“It’s something your parents may remember but it feels like there’s an overlap – you are passing it on to the next generation,” he says. “It was the time of Profumo and Lady Chatterley.

The post-war consensus was coming to an end and the robbers were emblematic of people who turned against the establishment.”

For the robbers, the ends were pretty grim, so much so that people speak of the curse of the Great Train Robbery. I suspect the same will not be true of this drama.

Top down: the robbery; enjoying the moment; the gang in court

THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY MORAL QUESTIONS Executive producer Simon Heath (pictured middle) and producer Julia Stannard (right) are aware that controversy still surrounds the robbery – some people believe that in coshing train driver Jack Mills, the robbers went beyond the pale; others hold them as romantic villains, kicking against a ruthless establishment that punished them severely with exceptionally long sentences when they were caught.

They insist that their drama does not take a particular stance. Heath maintains that the robbers only used violence as a means to an end and were not armed with guns, adding: “We are not in the business of wagging fingers.”

Stannard says there is still some dispute about the extent of Mill’s injuries, suggesting the police exaggerated them to reduce sympathy for the

robbers. “They also thought they would get shorter sentences if they didn’t carry guns – but they got around 20 to 25 years, more than you would get for murder,” adds Stannard.

Writer Chris Chibnall (above left) sees it as a morality tale. “It is not really my job as a writer to sit in judgement on either side,” he says. “What I hope the audience will take from it is a greater sense of detail about both sides of the story. Then they can come to their own conclusions.”

13 December 2013 | Broadcast | 53

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As you know we do not typically need to advertise, but we had to fill numerous roles pretty quickly. These roles were varied and outside our normal area of expertise and knowledge. The responses came in thick and fast and the vast majority were of a very high quality. We have now filled most of the roles with people who applied to the advertisements in Broadcast”.

NBCUNIVERSAL SEEKS DEVELOPMENT PRODUCERS, APs and RESEARCHERS FOR CENTRAL CREATIVE UNIT NBCUniversal is putting together an ambitious new development unit, tasked with dreaming up the next big global Factual Entertainment and Entertainment television formats. We’re looking for the very best creative minds in the business, from Researcher to Senior Producer level, to join the project.

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Senior Producers, Producers and APs must have a proven track record in Fact Ent and Ent TV development. CVs should be sent to: developmentjobs@nbcuni.com Researcher positions are open to those with or without previous TV experience, but applicants must live and breathe telly and be bursting with ideas. Those who apply will then be asked to submit an application form along with an example format idea.

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Ratings Mon 2 Dec – Sun 8 Dec

ITV is king of the jungle I’m A Celeb holds off Strictly to top the table in a week when ITV shows dominate the top 20

BY Stephen price

It’s almost a Dickensian scene: the remains of a roasted goose sit on a table as a fat, rosy-faced uncle rests contentedly by a roaring fire, sipping his sherry and contemplating his works.

This week, ITV was that fat uncle as the channel enjoyed a portly week. I’m A Celebrity’s live ratings average was bigger than last year.

With soaps wallpapered in between, ITV dominated, while BBC1 will be grateful to Strictly. And as a man and an era passed away, how will we be able to tell our children just how immense Nelson Mandela was?

On Monday, even before the axe fell, BBC1’s Ripper Street (3.3 million/13%) was easily beaten by ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! (8.2 million/32%; 541,000 +1) from 8.30pm.

ITV’s Tuesday was transformed with a jungly soap-fest. At 7pm, a 60-minute Emmerdale achieved 7.2 million/33% (189,000 +1); at 8pm, Coronation Street managed 7.5 million/32% (340,000 +1); while at 8.30pm, I’m A Celebrity hit 8.4 million/34% (513,000 +1). BBC1’s EastEnders suffered with 5.1 million/22% at 7.30pm, as did 8pm’s Holby City (3.5 million/14%).

BBC1’s Last Tango In Halifax suffered its lowest live rating yet: 4.5 million/18%.

It was Corrie’s turn to go supersized at 7.30pm on Wednesday (8.6 million/39%; 234,000 +1), followed at 8.30pm by I’m A Celebrity’s 8.6 million/37% (433,000 +1). BBC1’s Nigel And Adam’s Farm Kitchen at 8pm lost with 3 million/13%, while a repeat of New Tricks at 9pm fell likewise (2.8 million/12%).

56 | Broadcast | 13 December 2013

BroadcasT/BarB Top 100 neTwork programmes 1 2 3 4 5 6 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 29 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 38 40 41 41 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

Title

Day

Start

Viewers (m) (all homes)

Share %

Broadcaster/ Producer*

I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

Strictly Come Dancing Strictly Come Dancing: The Results The X Factor Results I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

Coronation Street Coronation Street I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

The X Factor Coronation Street Coronation Street Emmerdale EastEnders Emmerdale Emmerdale Coronation Street Emmerdale Emmerdale EastEnders Coronation Street Countryfile BBC News At Six BBC News At Six Pointless Celebrities BBC News At Six EastEnders BBC News At Ten BBC News At Six BBC News At Six BBC News Robbie Williams: One Night… Palladium Last Tango In Halifax The One Show Atlantis Pointless Pointless Pointless The Paradise Pointless The One Show The One Show The One Show BBC News At Ten BBC News At Ten Restoring England’s Heritage Pointless

Sun Sat Sun Sun Fri Wed Tue Mon Wed Thu Mon Sat Sat Fri Tue Mon Mon Tue Thu Fri Wed Fri Thu Sun Sun Thu Mon Sat Wed Tue Thu Fri Tue Sun Fri Tue Thu Sat Mon Fri Wed Sun Tue Mon Tue Fri Wed Mon Thu Thu

21.00 19.10 19.20 20.00 21.00 20.30 20.30 19.30 19.30 20.30 20.30 21.45 20.15 19.30 20.00 19.00 20.00 19.00 19.00 20.30 19.00 19.00 20.00 19.00 18.20 18.00 18.00 18.20 18.00 19.30 22.00 18.00 18.00 17.50 20.00 21.00 19.00 20.15 17.15 17.15 17.15 20.00 17.15 19.00 19.00 19.00 22.00 22.00 19.30 17.15

10.94 10.61 9.37 9.23 8.98 8.93 8.93 8.87 8.86 8.83 8.75 8.64 8.44 8.03 7.87 7.53 7.38 7.38 7.23 7.02 6.89 6.84 6.81 6.78 6.29 5.64 5.61 5.48 5.14 5.14 5.12 5.10 5.00 4.97 4.79 4.51 4.45 4.34 4.34 4.21 4.15 4.15 4.14 4.13 4.09 4.08 4.07 4.05 4.01 4.00

42.26 44.69 35.23 35.18 39.40 38.04 35.98 39.56 40.14 37.51 34.26 39.77 36.36 39.22 33.40 35.89 29.51 33.80 35.08 31.14 34.78 34.98 30.81 26.11 27.82 30.48 29.72 27.43 28.98 22.48 27.17 28.97 27.12 24.83 22.25 18.17 22.10 18.63 27.32 27.06 27.21 15.80 27.06 19.66 19.68 20.87 21.76 20.93 19.07 25.80

ITV BBC1 BBC1 ITV/Thames/Syco ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV/Thames/Syco ITV ITV ITV BBC1 ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV BBC1 ITV BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 BBC1/Remarkable Television BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 BBC1/Red Production Company BBC1 BBC1/Urban Myth Films BBC1/Remarkable Television BBC1/Remarkable Television BBC1/Remarkable Television BBC1 BBC1/Remarkable Television BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 BBC1/Pier Productions BBC1/Remarkable Television

Figures include HD and +1 where applicable

robbie Williams: One night At the palladium

restoring Britain’s heritage www.broadcastnow.co.uk

All BARB ratings supplied by: Attentional

Source: BARB

51 51 51 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 61 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 77 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 85 87 88 88 90 91 92 92 94 95 96 97 98 99 100

Title

Day

Start

Viewers (m) (all homes)

Share %

Broadcaster/ Producer*

ITV News & Weather BBC News The Chase: Celebrity Special Match Of The Day BBC News At Ten ITV News & Weather ITV News & Weather BBC News Special BBC News Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets The One Show ITV News & Weather Off The Beaten Track Tales From Northumberland With R Green ITV News & Weather ITV News & Weather Holby City Panorama: Where’s Our Aid Money Gone?

Casualty New You’ve Been Framed!

Match Of The Day BBC News At Ten Ripper Street The Graham Norton Show ITV News & Weather A Question Of Sport BBC News BBC News At One University Challenge MasterChef: The Professionals The Jonathan Ross Show ITV News At Ten & Weather Nigel And Adam’s Farm Kitchen ITV News At Ten & Weather Home Alone ITV News & Weather BBC News At One MasterChef: The Professionals ITV News At Ten & Weather New Tricks Britain’s Secret Treasures Mrs Brown’s Boys ITV News At Ten & Weather Songs Of Praise Britain And The Sea Secret History: The Terracotta Warriors MasterChef: The Professionals The Paul O’Grady Show MasterChef: The Professionals The Paul O’Grady Show

Mon Sat Sat Sat Tue Thu Tue Thu Sun Sat Wed Wed Fri Mon Fri Sun Tue Mon Sat Sat Wed Fri Mon Fri Sat Fri Sat Thu Mon Tue Sat Mon Wed Tue Sun Sun Mon Mon Thu Wed Thu Thu Wed Sun Sun Sun Thu Mon Wed Wed

18.30 18.00 19.15 22.25 22.00 18.30 18.30 21.50 22.00 15.25 19.00 18.30 20.00 20.00 18.30 22.05 20.00 19.30 21.00 18.45 22.35 22.00 21.00 22.45 18.30 19.30 22.00 13.00 20.00 20.00 22.45 22.00 20.00 22.00 17.25 18.45 13.00 20.30 22.00 21.00 20.00 21.30 22.00 17.15 21.00 20.00 20.00 17.00 20.00 17.00

3.92 3.92 3.92 3.89 3.85 3.80 3.77 3.73 3.70 3.63 3.58 3.58 3.55 3.54 3.49 3.48 3.46 3.43 3.37 3.36 3.34 3.29 3.26 3.22 3.19 3.15 3.09 3.09 3.07 3.05 3.03 2.96 2.95 2.93 2.92 2.92 2.83 2.81 2.81 2.80 2.78 2.75 2.75 2.72 2.69 2.64 2.63 2.62 2.51 2.50

19.34 21.16 16.39 23.76 20.46 18.99 19.10 16.35 17.07 24.70 17.43 18.69 17.27 14.99 18.17 16.52 14.29 15.31 14.66 16.26 30.21 15.21 12.99 22.00 16.13 15.39 14.17 40.27 12.99 12.60 20.34 15.53 12.70 15.98 13.52 13.20 39.97 10.66 16.15 11.99 12.56 11.77 14.94 14.58 10.29 10.06 11.42 17.16 10.77 17.00

ITV/ITN BBC1 ITV BBC1 BBC1 ITV/ITN ITV/ITN BBC1 BBC1 ITV BBC1 ITV/ITN ITV/Spun Gold TV ITV/Shiver ITV/ITN ITV/ITN BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 ITV BBC1 BBC1 BBC1/Tiger Aspect BBC1/So Television ITV/ITN BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 BBC2 BBC2/Shine TV ITV/Hot Sauce ITV/ITN BBC1 ITV/ITN C4 ITV/ITN BBC1 BBC2/Shine TV ITV/ITN BBC1/Wall to Wall ITV/Potato BBC1/Boc-Pix/RTÉ ITV/ITN BBC1 BBC1 C4/Lion TV BBC2/Shine TV ITV BBC2/Shine TV ITV

*To include producer credits email robin.parker@emap.com by noon on Tuesday. Tables exclude programmes timed under 5 minutes long and omnibus editions, eg soaps.

Off the Beaten track www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Secret history: Secrets Of the terracotta Warriors

On Thursday, another hour-long Emmerdale averaged 7 million/ 34% (198,000 incl +1) from 7pm for ITV. At 7.30pm, BBC1’s Restoring England’s Heritage achieved 4 million/19% before EastEnders, shifted to 8pm, hit 6.8 million/31%, defeating ITV’s Britain’s Secret Treasures (2.7 million/12%; 142,000 +1). At 8.30pm, I’m A Celebrity’s 8.5 million/36% (292,000 +1) reduced BBC1’s Keeping Britain Safe 24/7 to 2.2 million/9%. The Mrs Brown’s Boys repeat at 9.30pm (2.8 million/12%) was interrupted with news of Mandela’s death. BBC1’s 10 O’Clock News, extended to an hour, averaged 5.1

‘The Mrs Brown’s Boys repeat was interrupted with the news of Mandela’s death’ million/27%, while ITV’s News At Ten was 2.7 million/16% (96,000 +1) for 70 minutes.

At 8pm on Friday, BBC1’s Robbie Williams: One Night At The Palladium achieved 4.8 million/22%, ahead of ITV’s 8pm Off The Beaten Track (3.3 million/16%; 121,000 +1) but behind Coronation Street (6.7 million/30%; 289,000 +1) at 8.30pm. At 9pm, I’m A Celebrity averaged 8.7 million/38% (278,000 +1) for 90 minutes. BBC1’s obituary Nelson Mandela: The Fight For Freedom drew 2.2 million/10%, shunting Have I Got News For You to 11.30pm, where 2 million/ 20% found it. PVR will help.

BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing was Saturday’s top performer (10.6 million/45%) from 7pm. ITV’s best were The X Factor (8.2 million/ 36%; 206,000 +1) from 8.15pm and I’m A Celebrity (8.4 million/37%; 292,000 +1) from 9.45pm.

On Sunday, BBC1’s Strictly Results at 7.20pm (9.4 million/ 35%) just clipped The X Factor (9 million/34%; 327,000 +1).

Opposite, BBC1’s The Paradise achieved 4.2 million/16%, while Channel 4’s Secret History played a strong hand, with Secrets Of The Terracotta Warriors delivering 2.4 million/9%; 277,000 +1.

The I’m A Celebrity final hit 11 million/42% (incl +1) at 9pm.

BBC1’s Britain And The Sea held steady on 2.7 million/10%.

See over for digital focus, plus channel and genre overviews 13 December 2013lk | Broadcast | 57

Ratings Mon 2 Dec – Sun 8 Dec Channel Overview

BBC2 rises to the Challenge

BY Stephen price

Some years ago, while snowbound at a friend’s house in Switzerland, we played Trivial Pursuit. Not any old Triv, mind: 1960s songbird Petula Clark’s very own set, which she’d left there. With a fondue on the go, it was a long evening. Still, I knew it would come in handy one day as cooking and a quiz top this week’s table.

On Monday, BBC2’s University Challenge achieved 3.1 million/ 13% at 8pm. BBC2’s MasterChef followed with 2.8 million/11%.

Opposite, Channel 4’s A Great British Christmas With Sarah Beeny averaged a less-great 1.1 million/5% (175,000 +1), while Channel 5’s The Gadget Show was further behind with 800,000/3% (29,000 +1) for an hour.

At 9pm, C4 launched Liberty Of London to a respectable 1.6 million/6% (436,000 +1), just behind BBC2’s The Choir: Sing While You Work’s 2.1 million/8%.

The best MasterChef was Tuesday’s 3.1 million/13%, ahead of C4’s Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners (1.1 million/5%; 162,000 +1) and Channel 5’s Cowboy Builders (500,000/2%; 40,000 +1).

Until Sky grabbed it, Elf was C4’s bankable movie to play as a backdrop to Christmas tree decorating.

This year, Home Alone filled the gap handsomely – it was C4’s best performer with 2.9 million/14% (incl +1) at 5.25pm on Sunday.

Source: BARB

Week 49 Average hours per viewer Daytime share (%) Peaktime share (%) w/c 02.12.13 Peaktime share (%) w/c 03.12.12 YeAr TO dATe Average hours per viewer Audience share (%) Audience share (%) 2012

BBC1 5.55 18.87 20.72 21.95 BBC1 5.63 20.93 21.31

BBC2 1.62 5.90 7.01 7.09 BBC2 1.55 5.75 6.07

ITV1 5.56 13.87 29.24 22.83 ITV1 4.39 16.31 15.85

C4 1.51 5.74 5.82 6.47 C4 1.55 5.77 6.48

Start

Viewers (m) (all homes)

Share %

58 | Broadcast | 13 December 2013

Total 27.27 100.00 100.00 100.00 Total 26.89 100.00 100.00

TOp 30 BBC2, CHAnneL 4 And CHAnneL 5 Title

Day

1

University Challenge

Mon

20.00

3.07

12.99

BBC2

2

MasterChef: The Professionals

Tue

20.00

3.05

12.60

BBC2

Broadcaster

3

Home Alone

Sun

17.25

2.92

13.52

C4

4

MasterChef: The Professionals

Mon

20.30

2.81

10.66

BBC2

5

Secret History: The Terracotta Warriors

Sun

20.00

2.64

10.06

C4

6

MasterChef: The Professionals

Thu

20.00

2.63

11.42

BBC2 BBC2

7

MasterChef: The Professionals

Wed

20.00

2.51

10.77

8

Strictly Come Dancing – It Takes Two

Mon

18.30

2.37

11.70

BBC2

9

Strictly Come Dancing – It Takes Two

Tue

18.30

2.07

10.52

BBC2

10

The Choir: Sing While You Work

Mon

21.00

2.05

8.17

BBC2

11

Liberty Of London

Mon

21.00

2.02

8.03

C4

12

Strictly Come Dancing – It Takes Two

Fri

18.30

2.00

10.40

BBC2

13

Strictly Come Dancing – It Takes Two

Wed

18.30

1.91

9.99

BBC2

14

Wild Burma: Nature’s Lost Kingdom

Fri

21.00

1.86

8.04

BBC2

15

Homeland

Sun

21.00

1.79

6.85

C4

16

Celebrity Antiques Road Trip

Mon

19.00

1.78

8.22

BBC2

16

Getting Rich In The Recession…

Thu

21.00

1.78

7.62

C4

18

Strictly Come Dancing – It Takes Two

Thu

18.30

1.76

8.81

BBC2

19

The Simpsons

Mon

18.00

1.71

9.07

C4

20

24 Hours In A&E

Wed

21.00

1.69

7.21

C4

21

The Goonies

Sun

15.30

1.66

10.32

C5

22

Gogglebox

Wed

22.00

1.64

9.13

C4

23

The Simpsons

Thu

18.00

1.57

8.51

C4

23

The Simpsons

Tue

18.00

1.57

8.50

C4

25

Mastermind

Fri

20.00

1.55

7.55

BBC2

26

Dad’s Army

Sat

18.30

1.52

7.62

BBC2

27

George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces

Thu

20.00

1.51

6.57

C4

27

Snooker: UK Championship 2013 Live

Sun

19.00

1.51

6.08

BBC2

29

The Mary Berry Story

Tue

19.00

1.47

6.73

BBC2

29

QI

Fri

22.00

1.47

6.63

BBC2

Figures include HD and +1 where applicable

Multichannel 34.00

Audience for C4’s Stephen Hawking: A Brief History Of Mine – below the 989,00 slot average (Sat, 7.15pm)

Others 11.96 50.37 34.00 37.88 Others 12.68 47.16 46.07

Daytime is 09.30-18.00. Peaktime is 18.00-22.30. Figures include HD and +1 where applicable

dAYTiMe SHAre (%) w/c 02.12.13

peAkTiMe SHAre (%) w/c 02.12.13

795k

C5 1.06 5.25 3.22 3.78 C5 1.10 4.08 4.23

BBC1 20.72

ITV 29.24 C5 3.22 C4 5.82

BBC2 7.01

Multichannel 50.37

1.1m

BBC2 cold War doc The Silent War faced a frosty reception against the 1.7 million slot average (Thu, 9pm)

BBC1 18.87

ITV 13.87

BBC2 5.90 C5 5.25 C4 5.74

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

All BARB ratings supplied by: Attentional

Genre Overview

Source: BARB

toP 10 cHiLdren’s ProGrammes Title

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The Scooby-Doo Show Gigglebiz Sarah & Duck All At Sea Show Me What You’re Made Of Wizards Vs Aliens Newsround Peter Rabbit Wizards Vs Aliens Horrible Histories

toP 10 FactuaL ProGrammes

Day

Start

Viewers (Age 4-15)

Share (%)

Channel

Thu Friday Friday Wed Tue Tue Thu Friday Mon Mon

16.00 17.15 17.10 17.00 16.30 17.00 16.20 16.45 17.00 07.45

260,900 246,800 235,500 232,100 230,800 227,400 217,900 217,600 214,700 213,700

20.99 14.17 13.97 13.86 15.68 14.13 15.29 13.78 13.53 16.37

CBBC CBeebies CBeebies CBBC CBBC CBBC CBBC CBeebies CBBC CBBC

Title

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Countryfile The One Show The One Show The One Show The One Show Restoring England’s Heritage The One Show Off The Beaten Track Tales From Northumberland…

Masterchef: The Professionals

Day

Start

Viewers (millions)

Share (%)

Channel

Sun Thu Mon Tue Fri Thu Wed Fri Mon Tue

18.20 19.00 19.00 19.00 19.00 19.30 19.00 20.00 20.00 20.00

6.29 4.45 4.13 4.09 4.08 4.01 3.58 3.55 3.54 3.05

27.82 22.10 19.66 19.68 20.87 19.07 17.43 17.27 14.99 12.60

BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 ITV ITV BBC2

➤ the scooby-doo show shot to the top of the table, replacing last week’s victor Dani’s Castle. It was another good week for CBBC, which registered new entries including show me what you’re made of and a repeat of Horrible Histories.

➤ the one show had a good week, dominating the top five with the exception of countryfile, which was down 1 million but still unmoved at the top. restoring england’s Heritage was a new entry, as was a strong showing for masterchef: the Professionals.

toP 10 drama ProGrammes

toP 10 entertainment ProGrammes

Title

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Last Tango In Halifax Atlantis The Paradise Holby City Casualty Ripper Street New Tricks Homeland The Mentalist The Doctor Blake Mysteries

Day

Start

Viewers (millions)

Share (%)

Channel

Tue Sat Sun Tue Sat Mon Wed Sun Tue Thu

21.00 20.15 20.00 20.00 21.00 21.00 21.00 21.00 21.00 14.15

4.51 4.34 4.15 3.46 3.37 3.26 2.80 1.79 1.09 1.02

18.17 18.63 15.80 14.29 14.66 12.99 11.99 6.85 4.38 15.11

BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 C4 C5 BBC1

➤ Last tango in Halifax secured its lowest audience on record, but still topped the drama line-up in a quiet week for the genre. the Paradise bowed out on a low, while the now-axed ripper street was up slightly.

uP Sunday’s I’m a Celebrity gains 1.3m

down Countryfile loses 980,000

uP Saturday’s Strictly Come Dancing adds 510,000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Match Of The Day Match Of The Day Match Of The Day 2 Final Score Snooker: UK Championship 2013 Live Ford Super Sunday Motd - World Cup 2014 Draw Snooker: UK Championship 2013 Football Focus The Football League Show

I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of… Strictly Come Dancing Strictly Come Dancing: Results The X Factor Results I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of… I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of… I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of… I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of… I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of… I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of…

down Last Tango In Halifax drops 1.8m

Start

Viewers (millions)

Share (%)

Channel

Sun Sat Sun Sun Fri Wed Tue Thu Mon Sat

21.00 19.10 19.20 20.00 21.00 20.30 20.30 20.30 20.30 21.45

10.94 10.61 9.37 9.23 8.98 8.93 8.93 8.83 8.75 8.64

42.26 44.69 35.23 35.18 39.40 38.04 35.98 37.51 34.26 39.77

ITV BBC1 BBC1 ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV

uP Atlantis gains 250,000

down Holby City down 1.4m

uP Ripper Street rises 200,000

toP 10 current aFFairs ProGrammes Day

Start

Viewers (millions)

Share (%)

Channel

Sat Wed Sun Sat Sun Sun Fri Sun Sat Sat

22.25 22.35 22.30 16.30 19.00 15.30 16.30 13.55 12.00 23.50

3.89 3.34 2.32 1.97 1.51 1.49 1.43 1.20 1.13 1.09

23.76 30.21 17.48 13.34 6.08 8.74 10.19 8.53 15.05 12.84

BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 BBC2 Sky Sp 1 BBC2 BBC2 BBC1 BBC1

➤ Three editions of match of the day blocked out competition in the sport table as a batch of mid-week Premier League games performed well. BBC2 potted three places with the snooker, making it the only sport outside of football to feature. next week comedy and music & arts www.broadcastnow.co.uk

1 2 3 4 5 6 6 8 9 10

Day

➤ i’m a celebrity…Get me out of Here! concluded with its biggest finale audience since 2010. It outmuscled a series high for strictly come dancing on Saturday, but the same day’s edition of the x Factor was crowded out by return trips to the jungle.

toP 10 sPort ProGrammes Title

Title

Title

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Panoram: Where’s Our Aid Money…

The Andrew Marr Show The Agenda The Crash That Shook Scotland Sunday Politics Newsnight Newsnight Newsnight Newsnight Young, British And Broke

Day

Start

Viewers (millions)

Share (%)

Channel

Mon Sun Mon Mon Sun Fri Tue Mon Wed Tue

19.30 09.00 22.35 23.25 11.00 22.30 22.30 22.30 22.30 21.00

3.43 1.32 1.10 0.96 0.61 0.59 0.58 0.57 0.55 0.43

15.31 18.93 7.86 12.31 7.80 3.68 4.37 4.16 3.81 1.75

BBC1 BBC1 ITV BBC1 BBC1 BBC2 BBC2 BBC2 BBC2 BBC3

➤ A Panorama investigation on aid money topped the table with more than 3.4 million viewers, while the andrew marr show was more than 2 million behind. BBC1 dominated proceedings, with the agenda ITV’s only entry in the top 10.

See over for demographic and digital focus 13 December 2013 | Broadcast | 59

Ratings Mon 2 Dec – Sun 6 Dec Demographic focus Channels

Source: BARB

Individuals Share (%)

Adults ABC1 Share (%)1

Adults ABC1 Profile (%)2

Adults 16-34 Share (%)1

Adults 16-34 Profile (%)2

Male Share (%)1

Male Profile (%)2

Female Share (%)1

Female Profile (%)2

63.65

ITV

20.52

18.43

35.96

19.91

17.14

16.46

36.35

23.89

BBC1

20.50

25.14

49.11

11.11

9.57

20.24

44.76

20.71

55.24

BBC2

5.93

7.23

48.81

3.43

10.22

6.97

53.30

5.06

46.69 56.72

C4

5.47

5.72

41.84

7.39

23.86

5.23

43.28

5.68

C5

4.22

3.62

34.29

4.22

17.66

3.92

42.05

4.47

57.94

ITV3

2.71

2.71

40.05

0.60

3.91

2.36

39.42

3.00

60.58

ITV2

2.59

2.27

35.02

4.05

27.57

2.08

36.34

3.02

63.67

E4

1.81

1.89

41.75

5.20

50.66

1.80

45.08

1.82

54.94

Film 4

1.48

1.34

36.28

1.36

16.32

1.93

59.21

1.10

40.80

BBC3

1.23

1.15

37.30

3.15

45.09

1.38

50.75

1.11

49.25

More 4

1.13

1.14

40.23

1.11

17.27

1.15

45.85

1.12

54.11

Dave

1.06

1.08

40.57

1.86

30.89

1.48

63.27

0.71

36.73

Sky Spts 1

0.91

1.14

50.10

1.39

27.11

1.42

71.05

0.48

28.95

5 USA

0.87

0.72

32.90

0.70

14.28

0.88

45.53

0.87

54.51

Yesterday

0.82

0.71

34.98

0.23

4.92

1.04

57.83

0.63

42.13

BBC4

0.79

1.15

58.11

0.30

6.79

0.98

55.97

0.64

44.03

Sky 1

0.74

0.77

42.04

1.27

30.43

0.90

55.27

0.60

44.73

ITV4

0.66

0.64

38.75

0.52

13.91

0.88

60.08

0.49

40.01

Drama

0.62

0.53

34.36

0.30

8.57

0.62

45.28

0.62

54.70

40%

BBC1’s swift obituary, Nelson Mandela: The Fight For Freedom, displaced Have I Got News For You on Friday at 9pm, attracting a more upmarket audience than the 30% AB1 slot average

Share covers all hours. Figures include HD and +1 where applicable 1: Each channel’s share of total demographic. 2: Demographic as a percentage of the channel’s total viewers.

Digital focus

Big result as E4 beats C4

BY Stephen price

You know why the song Istanbul (Not Constantinople) left it there? It was because trying to get in “oh, and it was also Byzantium” would have caused chaos. BBC4 did its bit to tell us the tale of this labyrinthine city this week. Elsewhere, jungling did nicely and E4’s bangs were still big.

E4’s The Big Bang Theory was on top again with 1.8 million/7% at 8.30pm on Thursday, the second best of this series, just behind the launch episode on 31 October (1.82 million/9%). It was again ahead of the back half of Channel 4’s George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, which averaged 1.6 million/7% (incl +1) from 8.30pm.

The best of ITV2’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here Now! was Sunday’s final episode: 1.7 million/10% at 10.05pm, 200,000 ahead of last year. ITV3’s best was Midsomer Murders’ 1 million/5% on Friday at 9pm.

BBC4’s Byzantium: A Tale Of Three Cities achieved 770,000/ 3% on Thursday at 9pm. A repeat at 2.30am added another 92,000.

60 | Broadcast | 13 December 2013

Source: BARB

dIGITAl HOMes

TOp 30 MulTICHANNel prOGrAMMes Title

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 9 11 11 13 14 14 14 17 18 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 26 28 29 30

The Big Bang Theory I'm A Celebrity...

Live Ford Super Sunday I'm A Celebrity...

I'm A Celebrity…

I'm A Celebrity...

I'm A Celebrity...

Midsomer Murders Hollyoaks Foyle’s War The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory Only Connect The Big Bang Theory Lewis I'm A Celebrity...

Hollyoaks Hollyoaks Doc Martin Lewis New. Family Guy I'm A Celebrity...

Lewis The Big Bang Theory Byzantium: A Tale Of… Lewis Hollyoaks The Big Bang Theory Orbit: Earth’s Extraordinary…

The Big Bang Theory

Figures include HD and +1 where applicable

Day

Thu Sun Sun Fri Mon Tue Thu Fri Mon Sat Mon Thu Mon Tue Thu Wed Tue Thu Thu Tue Sun Sat Mon Thu Thu Sun Wed Wed Tue Fri

Start

20.30 22.05 15.30 22.30 22.00 22.00 22.00 21.00 19.00 20.00 18.30 18.30 20.30 18.30 21.00 22.00 19.00 19.00 20.00 21.00 22.00 22.45 21.00 20.00 21.00 21.00 19.00 18.30 20.00 18.30

Viewers (millions)

Share (%)

Channel

1.77 1.69 1.49 1.09 1.03 0.99 0.98 0.97 0.95 0.95 0.94 0.94 0.88 0.87 0.87 0.87 0.85 0.83 0.83 0.82 0.81 0.80 0.79 0.78 0.77 0.76 0.76 0.75 0.73 0.71

7.37 9.71 8.74 7.01 5.92 5.90 5.38 4.52 4.54 4.09 4.65 4.70 3.32 4.42 4.17 5.04 4.09 4.13 3.59 3.92 3.81 5.38 3.71 3.51 3.30 3.43 3.84 3.92 3.00 3.72

E4 ITV2 Sky Spts 1 ITV2 ITV2 ITV2 ITV2 ITV3 E4 ITV3 E4 E4 BBC4 E4 ITV3 ITV2 E4 E4 ITV3 ITV3 BBC3 ITV2 ITV3 E4 BBC4 ITV3 E4 E4 BBC4 E4

Channels

Share (%)

ITV BBC1 BBC2 C4 C5 Total multichannel ITV3 ITV2 E4 Film 4 CBeebies BBC 3 BBC News More 4 Dave Pick Sky Sports 1 5 USA

20.52 20.50 5.93 5.47 4.22 43.35 2.71 2.59 1.81 1.48 1.27 1.23 1.14 1.13 1.06 0.91 0.91 0.87

Figures include HD and +1 where applicable

102k Channel 4 format The Audience transferred to More 4 for its muted return (Thu, 10pm)

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

All BARB ratings supplied by: Attentional

NoN-PSB toP 50 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 31 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 45 47 48 49 50

Title

Day

Start

Viewers (000s) Share (all homes) %

Broadcaster/ Producer*

Live Ford Super Sunday Live Ford Super Sunday Live Ford Saturday Night Football Live Man United V Newcastle United The Simpsons The Simpsons Elementary Gillette Soccer Saturday Storage Hunters The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons Storage Hunters The Simpsons The Simpsons Yonderland The Simpsons The Simpsons Mock The Week The Fast And The Furious The Simpsons The Simpsons Gillette Soccer Special QI XL Cadfael The Blacklist Stargate Atlantis Porridge Inside RAF Brize Norton Not Going Out The Simpsons Live Swansea V Newcastle United Stargate Atlantis The Simpsons Porridge The Simpsons Mock The Week The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons Press Preview UK Border Force Not Going Out Dracula Star Trek: Enterprise Storage Hunters Sky News At Ten Star Trek: Enterprise Strike Back: Shadow Warfare

Sun Sun Sat Sat Sun Tue Tue Sat Sun Wed Thu Thu Tue Sun Tue Sun Sun Mon Wed Sun Sat Sun Fri Wed Thu Sun Fri Wed Sat Thu Thu Mon Wed Fri Wed Sun Fri Sun Sat Mon Sun Thu Sun Thu Thu Fri Sun Thu Thu Mon

15.30 12.30 17.00 12.00 18.00 19.00 21.00 12.00 20.30 19.00 19.00 19.30 18.30 20.00 19.30 20.00 18.30 19.00 18.30 22.20 21.00 19.30 19.30 19.00 20.00 21.00 21.00 20.00 21.40 20.00 21.40 20.00 19.00 20.00 19.30 20.20 19.00 21.40 20.30 19.30 19.00 22.30 17.00 21.00 21.00 19.00 11.30 22.00 19.00 21.00

1,492,600 689,500 684,400 630,300 528,700 453,000 400,200 398,700 389,800 369,400 353,400 349,000 345,700 344,700 343,900 335,000 328,400 326,000 321,600 316,800 311,300 309,700 300,700 298,100 292,500 291,100 288,800 287,600 286,600 285,200 284,600 284,400 283,600 282,800 281,500 280,700 280,200 278,900 278,800 276,300 276,200 274,200 269,700 263,700 263,200 263,200 260,500 260,400 260,300 259,900

Sky Sports 1 Sky Sports 1 Sky Sports 1 BT Sport 1 Sky 1 Sky 1 Sky Living Sky Sports News Dave/T Group Sky 1 Sky 1 Sky 1 Sky 1 Dave/T Group Sky 1 Sky 1 Sky 1/Working Title Sky 1 Sky 1 Dave/Angst Productions Dave Sky 1 Sky 1 Sky Sports News Dave/Talkback Drama Sky Living Pick Yesterday Sky 1 Dave/Avalon Sky 1 BT Sport 1 Pick Sky 1 Yesterday Sky 1 Dave/Angst Productions Sky 1 Sky 1 Sky 1 Sky News Pick Dave/Avalon Sky Living Pick Dave/T Group Sky News Pick Sky 1

8.74 6.48 3.48 7.08 2.54 2.18 1.61 3.54 1.46 1.86 1.75 1.66 1.75 1.34 1.50 1.30 1.51 1.55 1.68 1.90 1.44 1.16 1.47 1.33 1.27 1.20 1.25 1.24 1.30 1.24 1.31 1.20 1.28 1.31 1.32 1.06 1.43 1.17 1.20 1.23 1.10 1.67 1.46 1.13 1.13 1.31 3.32 1.30 1.26 1.03

Figures include HD and +1 where applicable

Elementary www.broadcastnow.co.uk

The Fast And The Furious

26k

Larry David and John Hamm gave Sky Atlantic a slight lift from 22k slot average with Clear History (Fri, 9pm)

Drama’s monk is heaven sent STEphEn pricE

It seems we love a detective no matter where in space or time they are from, as long as there’s a good juicy murder. This week, a monk did nicely and everyone tried to resist the gag about it just being a habit. Elsewhere, football dominated but yellow cartoons and a stateside Sherlock led the rest.

Sky Living’s Elementary achieved 400,000/1.6% at 9pm on Thursday, with much more to come from recording, making it the channel’s best of the week.

Following the death of actor Paul Walker, star of The Fast And The Furious franchise, Dave played the first in the series on Saturday night at 9pm to 311,000/1.4%.

Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Larry David starred in Sky Atlantic’s movie Clear History on Friday at 9pm to a wee audience of 26,000/0.1%.

There’ll be some recording.

A new addition to Drama’s offering is a medieval monk detective.

Cadfael achieved 291,000/1.2% on Sunday at 9pm – the channel’s best of the week.

Football occupied the top four slots, led by Sky Sports’ Sunday coverage of Arsenal v Everton, averaging 1.5 million/8.7% from 3.30pm. BT Sport 1’s best was its coverage of Manchester United v Newcastle United from midday on Saturday: 630,000/7.1%.

The highest-rated non-sport show was Sky 1’s The Simpsons on Sunday at 6pm: 529,000/2.5%.

13 December 2013 | Broadcast | 61

Ratings Mon 25 Nov – Sun 1 Dec

All BARB ratings supplied by: Attentional

Consolidated Ratings

Heroic stand for S.H.I.E.L.D.

BY Stephen price

They say never meet your heroes.

Over the years I’ve met a few: England cricket captains, World Cup-winning prop forwards, campaigning journalists and, of course, Timmy Mallett. But once met, do they not just become, well, like us?

So it seems to go with TV heroes.

They are eagerly anticipated, watched in goodly numbers and then gradually, with familiarity, reduced to humdrummery.

Elsewhere, dancing in the jungle might be a format for the future, while a cartoon princess impressed the children again.

Source: BARB

4.5 million/18%. The episode on 29 November achieved 2.1 million/9% after 754,000 recorded and watched; the lowest yet. Its 16-34s share was 14% – also the lowest.

However, for individuals, it is achieving double the slot average and for young audiences, more than three times the average. Saturday’s repeat has averaged another 1.3 million/5% individuals with an 8.8% share of 16-34s. This makes for a combined 3.4 million, which is not to be sniffed at.

up with Monday’s episode to deliver a consolidated rating of 11.3 million/39% at 9pm.

The most recorded edition of the week was Saturday’s episode, with a final rating of 10.2 million/41% at 9.45pm after 1.7 million recorded and watched. However, the biggest show of the week was BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday at 7pm, with 11.4 million/44% after 1.1 million recorded and watched.

BBC1: Atlantis

Sofia The First, Disney Junior’s animated princess, achieved a live individual rating for The Floating Palace of 415,000/2% on Monday 25 November at 5.30pm. It was recorded and watched by a further 441,000 to deliver a final rating of 856,000/4.5% – Disney Junior’s best rating, overtaking the previous best, Sofia The First: Once Upon A Princess, on 7 December 2012 (670,000/3.6%). The Floating Palace is also now the biggest of the series for children aged four to nine (355,000/26%).

BBC1 family drama Atlantis achieved 5.3 million/20% on Saturday 30 November at 8.15pm after 1.2 million recorded; the lowest so far. Its best remains 28 September’s debut of 7.4 million/29%. After nine episodes, the series average stands at 6 million/23%.

Channel 4: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

ITV: I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

Channel 4’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. began on 27 September at 8pm with an impressive

The best of ITV’s I’m A Celebrity…

Get Me Out Of Here! this week was the least recorded: 977,000 caught

Disney Junior: Sofia The First

TOP 30 CONSOLIDATED RATINGS: RANkED By GAIN

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 19 21 22 23 24 25 25 27 28 28 28

1.7m

Audience for BBC2’s wildlife doc Kangaroo Dundee after 57,000 caught up

UP Last Tango adds 180,000

DOWN Graham Norton loses 1.4 million

Sign up to receive our ratings newsletter at broadcastnow.co.uk

Title

Day

Start

Viewers (m) (all homes)

Share %

Gain (m)

Gain %

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

Last Tango In Halifax Ripper Street Atlantis I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

Strictly Come Dancing I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

Casualty Homeland I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

Coronation Street Coronation Street Coronation Street Have I Got News For You Coronation Street EastEnders Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. The Mentalist Elementary The Big Bang Theory The Blacklist EastEnders Coronation Street Person Of Interest EastEnders EastEnders Emmerdale The Graham Norton Show

Sat Fri Tue Mon Sat Thu Wed Sat Sun Sat Sun Mon Fri Wed Mon Fri Fri Thu Fri Tue Tue Thu Fri Fri Mon Thu Tue Mon Thu Fri

21.50 21.00 21.00 21.00 20.15 21.00 21.00 19.00 21.00 21.00 21.00 21.00 20.30 19.30 20.30 21.00 19.30 19.30 20.00 21.00 21.00 20.30 21.00 20.00 19.30 22.00 19.30 20.00 20.00 22.40

10.24 10.59 7.60 4.27 5.26 10.66 10.78 11.38 11.21 4.65 3.13 11.30 9.12 10.21 10.67 4.57 9.61 8.40 2.11 2.04 1.24 2.36 1.04 7.64 10.43 1.45 8.79 9.20 7.59 3.84

40.74 40.38 28.71 14.83 20.35 39.74 40.72 43.81 39.05 17.29 10.75 38.90 36.94 42.87 37.29 17.11 42.80 36.87 8.71 7.59 4.66 9.02 3.95 32.43 42.71 7.48 37.12 34.64 29.86 24.20

1.71 1.29 1.26 1.21 1.18 1.17 1.13 1.13 1.05 1.04 1.02 0.98 0.94 0.86 0.84 0.81 0.80 0.76 0.75 0.75 0.74 0.72 0.69 0.67 0.66 0.66 0.65 0.62 0.62 0.62

20.10 13.80 19.80 39.50 29.00 12.30 11.80 11.00 10.30 28.80 48.30 9.50 11.50 9.20 8.50 21.60 9.10 10.00 55.50 57.90 147.00 44.00 197.90 9.60 6.70 82.00 8.00 7.20 8.80 19.10

Broadcaster ITV ITV BBC1 BBC1 BBC1 ITV ITV BBC1 ITV BBC1 C4 ITV ITV ITV ITV BBC1 ITV BBC1 C4 C5 Sky Living E4 Sky Living BBC1 ITV C5 BBC1 BBC1 ITV BBC1

Figures include HD and +1 where applicable

62 | Broadcast | 13 December 2013

www.broadcastnow.co.uk

Outside Broadcasts for Winners

Contact: Adam Berger: adam@ctvob.co.uk or Bill Morris: bill@ctvob.co.uk / 020 8453 8989 / www.ctvob.co.uk Photo credits: Ryder Cup: Hugh Routledge / Rex Features. BRIT Awards: David Fisher / Rex Features. NFL: Terry Harris / Rex Features The Ashes: Glyn Thomas / Rex Features. Open Championship Golf Tournament: Hugh Routledge/Rex Features. BAFTA Awards: BAFTA/Richard Kendal

Off Cuts

Contact robin.parker@emap.com

ALL A TWITTER Dammit, I really like #RipperStreet. A historical drama that’s *not* about posh knobs in waistcoats being unrealistically non-sexist/racist. @DebbieBMoon (Debbie Moon) Writer, Wolfblood

Photo fan: Beryl Vertue (centre)

Loach takes aim at Sky Hartswood Films boss Beryl Vertue got into the party spirit in Broadcast and Screen’s photobooth at last Friday’s Women in Film and TV Awards. The event featured rousing renditions from the London Gay Men’s Chorus, while host Ruby Wax shared her TV highs and lows, from Celebrity Shark Bait to getting the chop. “I knew eventually I’d be replaced by someone younger and more beautiful,” she said of her 25-year stint. “It was Alan Yentob.”

Ken Loach was the most revered man in the room, name-checked

35 years in the business & NEVER made @Broadcastnow’s Top 100. Give up work & suddenly there I am. Clearly should’ve stepped down years ago!

several times by award-winners, and was characteristically unafraid to criticise, noting the ‘corporatisation’ of events and highlighting lead sponsor Sky’s link to Murdoch – and page 3. “Hardly the best match.” Nevertheless, it was partly thanks to sponsors that the drinks flowed and merriment was made.

AND FINALLY ...

Leaving do love-in

What words or phrases do you most overuse?

I seem to reference everything as “a case of the Emperor’s new clothes” and I definitely use the word “definitely” too much.

Where would you put a webcam?

On Russell Brand’s forehead. I imagine that literally seeing the world from his perspective might be entertaining and disgusting.

Which TV or radio programme would you resuscitate?

Trapdoor – a brilliant claymationstyle animation TV series about monsters living in a castle cellar.

What subject would you choose if you were appearing on Mastermind?

Things in my house that I regularly lose and the places that I eventually find them in.

What’s the worst rejection you’ve ever had?

I was told by Chuck Norris (pictured) that if I touched him again I’d lose my arm.

What would you do with a million quid?

Buy a house with at least one secret room hidden behind a revolving bookshelf.

How do you get your own way?

Bribery, begging and sexual favours.

What keeps you awake at night?

Enough caffeine to stun a small horse – and strange voices.

Karl Warner may have single-handedly put an end to all BBC leaving dos after receiving a send-off that no other mortal will ever match.

Danny Cohen read out what one guest described as an “open love letter” to Karl, while a video featured the great and the good espousing his considerable charm, including Shane Allen in the guise of Kevin Spacey, voiced by Kayvan Novak (if you’re not in on the joke, ask Karl). Some wondered if it was more launch party for his new indie than leaving do. The earliest date commissioners can get in Warner’s diary is, we hear, February. In time for Valentine’s Day, Danny.

@alexwtw (Alex Graham) Co-founder, Wall to Wall

So it seems today’s targets for misbehaviour are Norton & Comic Relief. Is it opposites day? @saltbeefTV (Jeremy Salsby) Founder, Saltbeef TV

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson opened Flix’s latest venture, a 24,000 sq ft post and studios complex opposite MediaCityUK. Founder and United fan Leo Casserley (right) said the company would have folded two years ago without business partner Paul Hardman’s (left) 11th-hour intervention. A last-minute reprieve of which the inventor of ‘Fergie time’ would be proud.

I wonder how many TV companies have ever approached Frankie Boyle with a satirical series called Frankie Goes To Hollyrood. 17 at least. @mrchrisaddison (Chris Addison) Comedian/actor

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Mark Damazer said handing Ofcom responsibility for the BBC could work, but warned: “If you go down this route, it would require Ofcom to have, deep in its remit, operating procedures and culture, an understanding of the BBC’s

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£1m severance deal for former BBC director general Mark Byford was a particular flash point, with ex-Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons admitting that he discussed the payment, but did not approve it.

Trust director Nicholas Kroll told MPs repeatedly that the governing body is only allowed to intervene on remuneration matters relating to the director general, meaning it could not prevent other payoffs.

Neither did the Trust secretariat brief Lord Patten on the issue when

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