ITV Studios Boosts Doc Portfolio

LONDON: ITV Studios Global Entertainment has increased its documentary catalogue by more than 80 percent year-on-year, and will be showcasing more than 100 hours of all-new factual programming at MIPTV.

The new programming comes from ITV Studios, as well as independent documentary makers such as Raw TV, Cream, PTV, Darlow Smithson and Zig Zag Productions. At MIPTV, the company will be premiering the brand-new program Police Women, commissioned by TLC in the U.S., and Breakout, produced by Raw TV and Cream.

ITV Studios has confirmed the launch of new seasons of the hit U.S. series The Truth Behind and the long-running I Shouldn’t Be Alive, originally commissioned by Discovery Channel.

Gary McDonagh, the acquisitions manager at ITV Studios Global Entertainment, said, “Our increased documentary slate is the results of a surge in demand from our global buyers. In 2009 we launched documentaries such as Living with Michael Jackson, Human Power Station and Built from Disaster, which have all been acquired by major broadcasters around the world.”

McDonagh continued, “It is a testament to the talented and innovative documentary producers we’re working with for creating compelling content which connects with all types of audiences. We are actively in the market for co-financing and acquiring further high-quality documentaries that can play to prime-time audiences, and I look forward to announcing new deals this spring."