Edinburgh TV Fest Selects 30 Ones to Watch

The Edinburgh Television Festival has announced the 30 chosen candidates for its Ones to Watch (OTW) talent scheme.

Founded in 1994, OTW is aimed at those who already have three or more years of experience in TV and are looking to take the next step in their career. Over half of 2019’s selected applicants are freelance, with the remainder coming from such production companies and broadcasters as BBC Studios, Studio Lambert, Fremantle and Shine TV. Among the group of successful candidates are producers, directors, writers and script editors. Women make up 97 percent of those chosen, 30 percent are from BAME backgrounds, 23 percent work outside of London and 13 percent are disabled.

While recruiting for Ones to Watch and its sister scheme The Network, all applicants were asked about how they consume TV content. When asked to name the three streaming platforms they use the most frequently, 92 percent of respondents named Netflix, followed by 78 percent naming BBC iPlayer, 38 percent All4, 35 percent Amazon Prime, 25 percent Sky/Now TV and 15 percent ITV Hub. Asked to choose their first choice for streaming content, 66 percent picked Netflix, 18 percent iPlayer, 6 percent Sky/Now TV, 4 percent All4, 3 percent Amazon Prime and 1 percent ITV Hub. Most of the respondents (77 percent) were age 30 or younger, with 49 percent being age 25 or younger.

The OTW candidates will take part in sessions, debate and networking opportunities over the course of five days at the Edinburgh TV Festival in August. Further, they will be showcased to more than 2,000 delegates at the event and will then receive 12 months of mentoring from senior industry figures.

Campbell Glennie, director of education and talent development at Edinburgh Television Festival, said: “This year’s 30 have been selected from our strongest field so far, with both the shortlist and interviewees scoring higher than ever before. Ones to Watch is unique in the audience it serves. It is a totally open scheme, nominations are not required, and there is no age limit. It means that applicants can back themselves to navigate the next stage of their career.”