TV Real April Digital MIPTV 2021 Edition

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APRIL/DIGITAL MIPTV 2021 EDITION

Andrew Zimmern / Wipeout’s Matt Kunitz / Mike Rowe

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CONTENTS

The SVOD Gambit

Ricardo Seguin Guise Publisher Anna Carugati Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani Editor Kristin Brzoznowski Executive Editor Chelsea Regan Managing Editor David Diehl Production & Design Director Simon Weaver Online Director Dana Mattison Senior Sales & Marketing Manager Genovick Acevedo Sales & Marketing Coordinator Andrea Moreno Business Affairs Manager

Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development TV Real ©2021 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website: www.tvreal.ws

MATT KUNITZ Wipeout is back with a brand-new look and feel. Co-creator and showrunner Matt Kunitz on rebooting the iconic format.

As Quibi wound down in October 2020, founders Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman pondered if their expensive bet was misguided (premium mobile-first content for a fee) or if launching in the middle of a pandemic was simply too much of a hurdle to overcome.

Meanwhile, discovery+ also launched mid-pandemic and, by all accounts, is faring well. David Zaslav, president and CEO of Discovery, Inc., referred to the new SVOD platform as “the most distinct, clear and unique streaming service in the world,” in introducing it to investors and press last November. By the end of February, Discovery had reportedly hit more than 11 million direct-to-consumer subs worldwide. To drive those numbers, discovery+ is aggressively acquiring and producing new content after launching with more than 55,000 episodes from Discovery’s own brands, the BBC’s natural-history slate and A+E Networks, among others, as well as 50-plus original series. Among those is Six Degrees with Mike Rowe, who in this edition tells us about the inspiration for this show. We also check in with Intuitive Content’s Andrew Zimmern about his approach to making content and hear from Matt Kunitz about rebooting Wipeout for TBS. We also go behind the scenes of the new travel series Extraordinary Escapes.

—Mansha Daswani

GET DAILY NEWS ON THE FACTUAL BUSINESS

ANDREW ZIMMERN The popular television personality is producing a raft of shows at his Intuitive Content outfit focused on feeding a thirst for “adventure learning.”

MIKE ROWE The Dirty Jobs star on his latest show, Six Degrees with Mike Rowe.

EXTRAORDINARY ESCAPES Tuesday’s Child’s Steph Harris and All3Media International’s Rachel Job introduce the new travel show.

SKY-HIGH DEMAND Loren Baxter, head of acquisitions at Off the Fence, and Stefanie Fischer, managing director of sales, on what makes for content that can prove compelling in a multitude of regions.

HUNTING DOWN HITS Passion Distribution’s Nick Tanner highlights the company’s spring product launches.

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A+E Networks Assembly Required / Great Escapes with Morgan Freeman / History’s Greatest Mysteries presented by Laurence Fishburne Assembly Required, distributed by A+E Networks, takes place in the workshops of everyday DIYers, who compete against each other for a cash prize.

“Assembly Required is a fun, family-friendly, close-ended competition format that can be regionally replicated and is quite producible within Covid-19 guidelines,” says Robyn Hurd, VP of content sales for EMEA. There are also Great Escapes with Morgan Freeman, which unearths the stories behind infamous jailbreaks, and History’s Greatest Mysteries presented by Laurence Fishburne.

Assembly Required

“We boast an incredible roster of A-list, diverse talent in front of and behind the camera.”

—Robyn Hurd

Albatross World Sales Wild Horses—A Tale from the Puszta / Metamorphoses—The Return of the Wilderness / Wild Heart of Europe—The Return of an Ancient Forest Albatross World Sales’ Wild Horses—A Tale from the Puszta introduces viewers to the rare Przewalski’s horses that occupy the grassy plains of Hungary. “Filmed over a three-year period by an award-winning team, the film is a journey into their secret world,” says Lisa Anna Schelhas, sales manager. The series Metamorphoses—The Return of the Wilderness takes the audience to regions that have undergone radical change. The Bavarian Forest National Park is the setting for Wild Heart of Europe—The Return of an Ancient Forest.

Wild Horses—A Tale from the Puszta

“With many productions canceled or halted, we were able to acquire relevant content from award-winning producers covering topics from all over the world.”

—Lisa Anna Schelhas

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ARTE Distribution Dates That Made History / Anti-Semitism, 2000 Years of History / Emoji Nation ARTE Distribution is showcasing the second season of Dates That Made History. After episodes spotlighting 1492 and the beginning of the Black Death in season one, new dates include 753 B.C., the foundation of Rome, and 1776, the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. ARTE Distribution is also highlighting Anti-Semitism, 2000 Years of History, which follows historians as they retrace the genealogy of anti-Semitism from its origins to the present day. Additionally, the playful and offbeat investigation Emoji Nation explores the world of the little ideograms.

Emoji Nation

Beyond Rights Pooch Perfect UK / Saved & Remade / Countdown to War Beyond Rights launched the Australian series Pooch Perfect at MIPCOM and heads to MIPTV with a new U.K. version. “Buyers are going to love Pooch Perfect—whether it’s the new ready-made series for BBC One or the format—as it combines our great love of dogs with the huge popularity of competition shows and makes for perfect family viewing,” says Connie Hodson, head of partnerships and business development. Saved & Remade sees neglected items transformed, while Countdown to War looks at the run-up to World War II through the eyes of Adolf Hitler.

Saved & Remade

“We want buyers to know that we are a reliable partner with significant volume and a constantly refreshed catalog.”

—Connie Hodson

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Boat Rocker Studios COVID America / My Trans Journey / Relative Race Boat Rocker Studios’ slate includes the docuseries COVID America, which looks at how people in the U.S. have dealt with the pandemic. In My Trans Journey, Dr. Carys Massarella’s patients work to overcome personal challenges and thrive in their transitions. The competition series Relative Race follows contestants’ ten-day odyssey to discover new relatives and compete for a prize. “All three tell powerful and emotional stories with immense human interest while tackling subjects with global resonance and real contemporary relevance,” says Natalie Vinet, VP of global sales for factual.

COVID America

“The COVID America team set out to capture the true stories of Americans, discovering strength and hope among the anguish and uncertainty.”

—Natalie Vinet

BossaNova King of Tigers with Ross Kemp / Cats and Dogs at War / Borderforce USA: The Bridges Paul Heaney and Dina Subhani, the founders of TCB Media Rights, opened the distribution and co-production outfit BossaNova late last year, and MIPTV marks the company’s first market.

Highlights of the slate include King of Tigers with Ross Kemp, produced for ITV. “We believe that a noisy human-interest show with a popular host made for a major network in a prime-time slot is a pretty good start,” says Paul Heaney, co-founder and CEO. There’s also Cats and Dogs at War, along with three seasons of Borderforce USA: The Bridges.

Cats and Dogs at War

“We have a track record from TCB that shows that we listen to what the buyers want and very often then return to provide them with content that fits their brief.”

—Paul Heaney

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Hunan TV Key to Heart / The Sound / Super Vocal Key to Heart is a new Hunan TV dating show in which singletons stand on either side of a giant screen representing a smartphone that browses through photos and information to select potential matches. “It was the most popular show in its time slot with the highest share for Gen Z,” says Lester Hu, head of formats and international business for the R&D Center at Hunan TV. The company’s catalog also features the awardwinning celebrity dubbing reality competition The Sound and ratings juggernaut classicalcrossover singing competition show Super Vocal.

Key to Heart

“As renowned risktakers in China, we are constantly on the hunt for fresh, entertaining and innovative ideas.”

—Lester Hu

Media Ranch What’s Your Problem? / Good Times / Recipe for Love What’s Your Problem?, a celebrity talk and game show on Media Ranch’s slate, tests the limits of what you can say and do in public.

Each episode of the quiz show Good Times revisits a specific year, with celebrities competing to guess which year is being referred to. A dating show with a cooking twist, Recipe for Love celebrates romance for those over 50. “We use MIPTV as a true launch for the coming year to present our freshest shows,” says Sophie Ferron, founder, president and executive producer at Media Ranch.

Recipe for Love

“For the past several years, this is the time that people have been focused on formats, and Media Ranch brings some of the best in the world.”

—Sophie Ferron

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Off the Fence Cher and the Loneliest Elephant / 5G. The Speed of Wave / Plane Crash Recreated Cher’s campaign for the release of an elephant named Kaavan is at the center of the Off the Fence highlight Cher and the Loneliest Elephant. 5G. The Speed of Wave explores the technology’s impact on the present and future.

Plane Crash Recreated takes a look at famous airline disasters from a new angle. “We unpack each crash using a state-of-the-art simulator, asking what would happen if pilots were under the same conditions that caused these fateful crashes today,” says Loren Baxter, head of acquisitions at Off the Fence.

Cher and the Loneliest Elephant

“We expect to continue to secure more shows as the months go on to enable and entice further conversations over the summer and up to the fall.”

—Loren Baxter Hemingway

PBS International Hemingway / Pandemic 2020 / First We Eat From Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, Hemingway delivers a portrait of the esteemed writer that delves into his complicated existence. “In an era when people are reevaluating so many icons, Hemingway is a particularly compelling figure to revisit,” says Tom Koch, VP of PBS International.

Pandemic 2020, filmed around the world, shines a spotlight on a year of living with Covid-19. First We Eat sees filmmaker Suzanne Crocker feed her family of five only food that can be hunted, fished, gathered, grown or raised around Dawson City, Yukon.

“We look forward to connecting with buyers online to share our new lineup.”

—Tom Koch

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Survivors

Rive Gauche Disaster Déjà Vu / The Killer Truth / Survivors Disaster Déjà Vu on Rive Gauche’s MIPTV slate sees history repeat itself as it showcases cities that have been hit by devastating disasters both in historical and modern times. The Killer Truth tells the story of a single murder through the five people most intimately connected to the case in each episode. In the documentary Survivors, interviews with victims and medical experts tell the stories of those who’ve dealt with opioid addiction. “All three titles are quite universal,” says Marine Ksadzhikyan, Rive Gauche’s COO and executive VP of sales.

“We’re looking forward to connecting with our clients virtually to hear their programming needs.”

—Marine Ksadzhikyan

Terra Mater Factual Studios Critical Kingdoms: Stories of Hope / Cheetahs United / Cher and the Loneliest Elephant The Terra Mater Factual Studios highlight Critical Kingdoms: Stories of Hope showcases individuals and organizations that have gone to great lengths to restore the Earth. “The world needs stories of hope; we intend to deliver them,” says Sabine Holzer, head of specialist factual. Set in South Africa, Cheetahs United centers on two cheetah mothers who joined forces to raise nine cubs in an unforgiving landscape. Cher and the Loneliest Elephant follows the icon’s mission to relocate an elderly elephant to a new home and safety.

Cheetahs United

“Cheetahs United is an absolutely unique story.”

—Sabine Holzer

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The Wall Duet

Workpoint Group The Wall Duet / The Rapper / 10 Fight 10 The Workpoint Group highlight The Wall Duet offers up an amusing test to determine the identities of singers performing behind a wall.

“With seemingly deceitful clues from fellow singers, you’ll never know who it is—until the wall is lifted!” says Dhanasak Hoonarak, the chief business development officer at Workpoint. The rap competition series The Rapper has been produced for two seasons in Vietnam, and a deal has also been made for the program in France. 10 Fight 10 features famous faces battling it out inside a ring in real boxing matches.

“Workpoint serves a unique taste of TV formats to the world.”

—Dhanasak Hoonarak Crime Scene: Antiquity

ZDF Enterprises Myths—The Greatest Mysteries of Humanity / In Touch with a Giant Pacific Octopus / Crime Scene: Antiquity ZDF Enterprises’ Myths—The Greatest Mysteries of Humanity aims to determine how much truth is in historical lores. In Touch with a Giant Pacific Octopus delves into the private lives of these sea creatures, while Crime Scene: Antiquity sees modern forensics and experimental archaeology used to identify criminals. “These programs use the latest scientific knowledge, provide deep insights and tell fact-based stories in an entertaining manner,” says Ralf Rückauer, VP of ZDFE.unscripted.

“ZDFE.unscripted’s aim is to enhance the genre and deliver the best-quality factual programs.”

—Ralf Rückauer

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Matt Kunitz

Wipeout O

nce deemed the king of reality television, Matt Kunitz has been behind a string of non-scripted format hits, including Wipeout. Upon its launch on ABC back in 2008, the series quickly blazed a trail across the globe, notching up local versions as well as a slew of tape sales on the U.S. version. The show went off the air in America in 2014 and this year was resurrected by TBS. Produced by Endemol Shine North America and distributed by Banijay Rights, the reboot premieres on TBS at the beginning of April. Kunitz, cocreator and showrunner, tells TV Real about bringing back the beloved show with a new look and feel.

By Mansha Daswani

TV REAL: Take us back to the beginning; what inspired you to create Wipeout?

KUNITZ: I was the executive producer on Fear Factor, which had just come to an end. One of the things I loved about Fear Factor was the big physical side of it. But whenever people talked about Fear Factor, all they ever talked about was the gross! Scott Larsen, co-creator of Wipeout, and I spoke and said, Is there a way we can come up with a show that has all the fun of Fear Factor, without the gross? From that conversation, Wipeout was born.

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A brand-new edition of the Banijay Rights format Wipeout landed on TBS in the U.S. in April.

TV REAL: Did you update the obstacle course?

KUNITZ: TBS wanted it to be a little more athletic than it was in the past. So we worked on a balance between athleticism and humor.

They wanted decision points, so on many of the obstacles, the contestants have to make choices: this route or that route. Those choices make it more of a competitive show. We also wanted a bigger focus on the contestants. We’ve done that in two ways. One is we’re doing all pairs. If you’re out there running the course by yourself, you’re not talking that much. You’re just trying to power through the course. If you’re out there with your mother and she’s screaming at you, you’re communicating and that communication helps the audience get to know you. The other thing we’ve done to get to know the contestants better is, in addition to having Camille [Kostek] do interviews, we’re doing packages on them.

For me, with reality casting, it’s always been [to find people who are] super relatable, so you can live vicariously through them when you’re watching the show. You don’t have to be a super athlete to be on this show. That’s what sets us aside from many of the other competition reality shows. The people who come on maybe didn’t train that much, but that’s what makes it fun. It’s the world’s

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largest obstacle course, designed for people who probably shouldn’t be on an obstacle course!

TV REAL: What are some of the biggest shifts you’ve witnessed in reality television over the last few years?

KUNITZ: The biggest shift is where you find the viewers. Back in the day, it would not be unheard of for us to get an 8.0 in the demo.

Today, 1.4 is considered a success! We used to have 18 million people tune in on a single night to watch a show. Those numbers

“We used to have 18 million people tune in on a single night to watch a show. Those numbers don’t happen anymore.”

don’t happen anymore. But we’re still finding the viewers—through social media, streaming, video on demand. When you’re editing these shows, you’d have the traditional thought of saying, We’ll be right back after the commercial. Now, most people aren’t watching that commercial because they’re streaming the show, they’re watching clips on Facebook, it’s on-demand. So we tweaked the language there. We’re aware that our audience is coming from many different places. You may not have 18 million people tune in on the first night, but we’ll still get those numbers—it’ll just be spread out over a couple of weeks.

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Andrew Zimmern Intuitive Content ndrew Zimmern has a long list of credits to his name, among them: four-time James Beard Award-winning chef, TV personality, writer, teacher and social justice advocate. His television work has included serving as the creator, executive producer and host of Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods franchise and Food Network’s Big Food Truck Tip, among others. Over the last five years through his production company, Intuitive Content, Zimmern has continued to create impactful stories and brand-focused entertainment through the lenses of food, culture and travel.

By Kristin Brzoznowski

A

TV REAL: What led to the launch of Intuitive Content?

ZIMMERN: For years, I wanted to start my own production company because I noticed a considerable amount of tension among the various departments and stakeholders at the networks and the makers. I realized that creating great content could be done differently and could solve some problems for the buyers. Having been in the talent seat, I have a unique perspective, which I knew would be invaluable to the content I’d create within my own production company. So I began my research, and I learned that many other people with roots in the TV and film industry had started their own production companies. I’m a serial entrepreneur—a chef, author and content producer—and the most exciting part about what I do is ideation, developing

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The Intuitive Content slate of projects includes Family Dinner for Magnolia Network.

concepts that have resonating public appeal. I found that my particular voice would be meaningful to creating impactful television, so I launched Intuitive Content. It’s been a thrilling ride.

TV REAL: What are the types of stories you want to tell?

ZIMMERN: It’s important to tell stories that will make the world a better place after having told them. This is my top priority: a framework for efficiently creating robust content that cuts through the daily noise. Recognizing the virtues of entertainment, I want to create television that will put a smile on viewers’ faces; that will, in essence, release them from their tough, arduous days and help them relax with a glass of wine. There are incalculable ways to actually make the world a better place through content, so that’s the chief tentpole at Intuitive.

Another tentpole is what I’ve defined as “adventure learning” because I think that learning should be a fun adventure where we collectively remain teachable. While that sounds onerous, in my opinion, it’s an incredibly freeing concept. No matter the genre of

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show, I want viewers to relate their own experiences to whatever they’re watching; I want them to be amazed by what they learned. I’m confident that content production, at its best, can satisfy these desired life experiences.

TV REAL: What other genres would you like to move into?

ZIMMERN: We’ve had immense success with our first-ever truecrime series, How to Survive a Murder, so it’s a genre I’d like to see the company further develop. We also are moving more into

“There are incalculable ways to actually make the world a better place through content, so that’s the chief tentpole at Intuitive.”

documentary specials and series, which began with MSNBC’s What’s Eating America, and making great progress with several titles that will go to the big streamers.

We’re also experimenting with the game and competition space. And, 2021 is going to be our year for dipping into the scripted landscape. No matter how we explore new genres and formats, Intuitive Content’s through line has always been about crafting and telling great stories. Through our superb storytelling, we hope to inspire an unyielding thirst for “adventure learning” and make the world a better, more curious place.

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Mike Rowe

T

he creation of the humble horseshoe is just six stops in history away from digital dating and right-swiping to marriage matches in Six Degrees with Mike Rowe, a new series fronted by the Dirty Jobs star that launched on discovery+ earlier this year. Inspired by his father’s career as a history teacher, Rowe unexpectedly links fascinating people, places and things across time periods and timezones, hoping to pique the interest of those who might not consider themselves history buffs with a fun approach to learning more about the world we live in. Rowe talks to TV Real about what sets Six Degrees apart in the factual genre. By Chelsea Regan

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TV REAL: How did Six Degrees come about?

ROWE: This show is for my dad, who was a history teacher. He always said, My job as a history teacher is not to hit the kids over the head with facts or information; it’s to get them interested in the past in some way. I always thought that if I could find a way to make a history show for people who normally wouldn’t watch a history show, then we might be onto something. That general idea was always in the back of my mind.

Suddenly there was a pandemic, and we had some time on our hands and an opportunity to shoot in a way that was a little more controlled. But it turned into something very different than I thought it was going to be. Each episode starts with a seemingly ridiculous question like, Can a horseshoe find your soulmate? The more weird and random the question, the better. The answer to those questions is always yes, but the fun of answering them is what the show is about. I travel through time on a budget. We have animation, we have re-creations, we have puppets.

TV REAL: What do you hope your viewers take away from watching this series?

ROWE: First and foremost, I hope they have a few laughs, have fun. I hope they wind up learning something, or maybe even becoming interested in something that they didn’t know they cared about. [Dirty Jobs] connected a lot of people because everybody has work in common.

That show attracted a lot of people from both sides of the political aisle. Today, the idea of finding a topic that unites us a little more than divides us is good. History is one of those topics.

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Extraordinary Escapes

W

hether a lofty lighthouse, a towering treehouse or a seaside sanctuary, Extraordinary Escapes offers the perfect chance to satisfy your travel bug. This brand-new factual series, produced by Tuesday’s Child Television for the U.K.’s Channel 4 and sold by All3Media International, follows Sandi Toksvig and some of the very best names from her little black book of travel companions as they explore the delights of the wildest, most remote and beautifully designed holiday hangouts the U.K. has to offer.

In the initial four-part series, there are 12 very different properties visited by Toksvig and a cast of female friends. As the show was filmed amid the Covid-19 lockdown in the U.K., Steph Harris, executive producer of Extraordinary Escapes

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and creative director of popular factual at Tuesday’s Child Television, describes the production process as “a bit of a jigsaw” strategically to work out what the properties would be, the locations available, how the cast and crew could get in and how long they could be there for.

Along with the locations featured in the show, having Toksvig on board is a key draw. “Sandi is very much a national treasure in the U.K.,” says Harris. “Although Danish-born, we have taken her into our hearts. She’s been a stalwart on our screens. She’s known for her comedy, for her presenting; she has an incredible depth of knowledge, a curiosity, sharp wit and sense of humor.”

“Sandi Toksvig is very much a national treasure in the U.K.” —Steph Harris

“Extraordinary Escapes was particularly attractive to us because right now everybody just wants to escape,” says Rachel Job, senior VP of non-scripted content at All3Media International. “Travel shows are always really interesting and popular with international buyers, but escapism is what everybody is saying is on the top of their must-have list.”

She adds that this is more than just a travel show; “it’s a companion show, and it’s relaxing to watch,” she says. “It’s funny as well. This is what escapism TV really is.”

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SKY-HIGH DEMAN

Loren Baxter, head of acquisitions at Off the Fence, and Stefanie Fischer, managing director of sales, on what makes for content that can prove compelling in a multitude of regions. By Chelsea Regan

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MAND

A

leading 360-degree nonfiction content company, Off the Fence develops, finances, produces, coproduces and distributes top-tier Off the Fence’s Plane Crash factual programming for the global Recreated. marketplace. With titles that cut across natural history, science, travel and adventure, lifestyle, history, people and culture, crime and feature docs, Off the Fence knows what makes for content that can prove compelling in a multitude of regions, with international relevance, alongside access, style and story proving to be the winning ingredients for successful shows.

“The stories really are key, and if you can craft a great story, then that really sells itself,” says Loren Baxter, head of acquisitions at Off the Fence. The company is interested in such documentaries that have a strong narrative interwoven among internationally trendy topics such as ancient history, crime stories, aerial travel shows or those that explore unique places around the globe. Also of high priority are natural-history shows that explore environmental solutions and science series that cover engineering or health topics.

With headquarters in Amsterdam, London and Bristol, Off the Fence has long had to think and operate on an international scale, says Stefanie Fischer, managing director of sales, pointing to the relatively limited commissioning appetite in the Netherlands. “We have had to rely heavily on pan-regional channels such as National Geographic, Discovery

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and European broadcasters, including ZDF, ARTE, the BBC and similar,” says Baxter. Like thinking internationally, co-productions and early development financing have also long been a part of the Off the Fence DNA with its Bristol- and Amsterdam-based production arms. “We consider ourselves an international company, whose remit has grown to include Netflix, YouTube, Amazon, CuriosityStream and many more,” says Fischer. “With more

“If you can craft a great story, then that really sells itself.”

—Loren Baxter

options and choices for content, it can be difficult to navigate which is the best deal financially or editorially. With our team of ten salespeople, we can penetrate territories deeper than most and provide continuous sales after the first financing window.”

Amid the ongoing restrictions due to Covid-19, Off the Fence, like many companies, has relied on technology to keep the deals coming and production moving, finding an environmental silver lining in the disruption of business-as-usual. “Stories have become, by default, more internationalized, and we’ve reduced our carbon footprint in the process by traveling less!” says Fischer.

“Hopefully there’ll be some takeaways here to stay with regard to our global footprint when producing these shows now and in the future.”

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Passion’s Murder in a Small Town.

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Hunting Nick Tanner, director of sales and co-productions at Passion Distribution, highlights the company’s spring content launches. By Kristin Brzoznowski

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assion Distribution’s focus remains, as always, to offer high-quality, differentiated non-scripted programs that have broad appeal. “Our showcase reveal leading to our spring content launch does just that across definitive true crime, aspirational lifestyle, extraordinary documentary projects and premium factual entertainment,” says Nick Tanner, director of sales and co-productions. “We’re proud that a number of our biggest franchises are back for new seasons and new localizations. Be it RuPaul’s Drag Race reaching new heights or Stacey Dooley back for a new season [of Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over] embedding (literally) in unusual family life, we continue to bring the biggest entertainment and uncover remarkable human stories.”

In the unscripted space, Tanner has seen a trend toward programming that provides an escape for viewers and a desire for entertainment that takes people away from the reality of the current times. “Escapist lifestyle or travel (where possible!), absorbing history series, makeovers and provocative social experiments do just that,” he says. “Premium true crime

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is drawing big audiences on linear TV as broadcasters up the ante in this genre.”

He adds that Passion is continuing to respond to the trends that are important now, while also looking to the future. Highlights from the company’s spring slate include Untold, featuring four true-crime miniseries that give the definitive story of some of Britain’s most notorious crimes; Here Comes the Gypsies, a

“Premium true crime is drawing big audiences on linear TV as broadcasters up the ante in this genre.”

—Nick Tanner

documentary series that reveals the hidden world behind this community; and Murder in a Small Town, which hears from Luke Mitchell, who was accused of murdering his high school girlfriend 17 years ago and continues to maintain his innocence. There are also the lifestyle series Lap of Luxury: Ultimate Escapes Down Under, which explores the extravagant lodges of New Zealand and Australia; a second season of Inside the Police Force, which takes viewers behind station doors; and RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, the Australian and New Zealand adaptation of the hit series.

With this spring slate, as well as all of its programming, Passion aims to “continue to be the provider of thought-provoking and entertaining non-scripted content to all platforms,” Tanner says.

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