Leading drama commissioners weigh in on the kinds of projects they need to cut through a cluttered landscape. By Steve Clarke<\/p>\n
To say that drama is a must-have TV genre is an understatement. Scripted shows are driving prime-time schedules around the world like never before. Hit dramas such as HBO\u2019s Game of Thrones<\/em>, Netflix\u2019s House of Cards<\/em> and AMC\u2019s The Walking Dead<\/em> bring a buzz unmatched by any other type of show.<\/p>\n Even for channels that aren\u2019t typically identified by their dramas, high-quality shows can help enhance their reputations.<\/p>\n \u201cDrama is important for viewers and for the reputation of a broadcaster,\u201d explains Steve November, the director of drama at ITV, a channel whose fortunes were transformed by the success of English-country-house saga Downton Abbey<\/em>. \u201cEveryone is looking for signature shows that are channel defining.\u201d<\/p>\n Across the Atlantic, Sharon Tal Yguado, the executive VP of scripted entertainment at FOX International Channels (FIC) and head of FOX International Studios, agrees that in the digital era, the right kind of drama is a powerful tool for entertainment platforms.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is getting harder and harder to have appointment-to-view TV when people watch on catch-up or like to binge-watch on box sets,\u201d notes Tal Yguado, whose group co-financed The Walking Dead<\/em> and The Bridge<\/em>. \u201cFor shows like The Walking Dead<\/em> and Game of Thrones<\/em>, you can still find strong appointment viewing,\u201d she continues. \u201cPeople feel the urgency to watch them when they air.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDrama is something that brands a channel better than anything else,\u201d insists Piers Wenger, the head of drama at Britain\u2019s Channel 4, which recently achieved its highest-rated new drama in 20 years with Humans<\/em>, a sci-fi show co-produced with U.S. cable channel AMC. \u201cDrama gives the audience a depth of experience and creates an emotional attachment to a channel that no other genre can,\u201d elaborates Wenger.<\/p>\n Of course, TV drama is expensive to make. Premium sports rights aside, it is the most expensive of any TV genre.<\/p>\n BIG SPENDERS Precise figures are difficult to nail down. \u201cOur budgets are definitely up,\u201d says Josefine Tengblad at Sweden\u2019s biggest commercial station, TV4. \u201cWe didn\u2019t have a lot of drama before. It is becoming increasingly important for us.\u201d<\/p>\n Tengblad was appointed to the newly created post of head of drama at the Scandinavian broadcaster a year ago. One of her first commissions was the noir crime thriller Modus<\/em>, an eight-part series adapted by Emmy Award-winning Danish writers Mai Brostr\u00f8m and Peter Thorsboe from the novel Fear Not<\/em>, penned by Norwegian crime author Anne Holt. The budget is $8.6 million. \u201cWe\u2019ve put in around half the money,\u201d explains Tengblad. Modus<\/em> is produced by Miso Film, in collaboration with TV4 and Germany\u2019s Nadcon, with FremantleMedia International handling distribution.<\/p>\n BUILDING A BUDGET The BBC is a big player in drama. The department\u2019s new controller of drama commissioning, Polly Hill, is estimated to have inherited a budget of around \u00a3200 million ($308 million) a year. This may be affected by cuts as the British government forces another round of economies on the world\u2019s best-known public-service broadcaster.<\/p>\n \u201cWe continue to look for a broad range of drama and creatively will be writer-led,\u201d says Hill, sidestepping a question regarding budgets.<\/p>\n Likewise, Sky\u2019s head of drama, Anne Mensah, declines to provide financial details. But with Sky U.K. having bought Sky Deutschland and Sky Italia, there are economies of scale to be gained from the new pan-European structure.<\/p>\n \u201cSky is making more drama than it\u2019s ever made,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s not about the money; we are trying to make great shows. We are not making shows for slots. I don\u2019t have to fill spaces in the schedule just for the sake of it. We back great, original drama because that\u2019s what our customers want and expect from us.\u201d<\/p>\n Channel 4\u2019s Wenger says the broadcaster\u2019s drama budget is heading north. \u201cDrama budgets were up in 2015 against 2014, and next year will be the highest ever.\u201d<\/p>\n FIC\u2019s Tal Yguado says her budgets are static: \u201cWe try to be cost-efficient while keeping the quality high.\u201d<\/p>\n At Swedish public-service broadcaster SVT, Christian Wikander, head of drama, says that his budget remains fixed at around $35 million a year.<\/p>\n What are these commissioners investing in? Tal Yguado wants \u201ccharacter-driven shows\u201d that provide \u201cuniversal appeal.\u201d She emphasizes, \u201cI want thrilling plots, but they\u2019ve got to be character-driven.\u201d<\/p>\n She reckons the shine is starting to wear thin on supernatural and period dramas. \u201cI am looking beyond horror, supernatural and sci-fi, which are showing signs of increasing fatigue. I\u2019d say the same is true for period, but the vogue for period might last a little longer. There have been a lot of supernatural shows. The genre\u2019s become exhausted.\u201d<\/p>\n What, then, is the next big thing? \u201cWhat is missing from TV? I don\u2019t want to tell you too much about my development slate, but I\u2019m working on some really wacky ideas,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n If that all sounds intriguing, for now Tal Yguado is betting big on Outcast<\/em>, created by Robert Kirkman of The Walking Dead<\/em> fame. She claims it turns \u201cthe exorcism genre on its head.\u201d<\/p>\n MINDING THE MIX This all sounds very different from the genteel, upstairs-downstairs world of Downton Abbey<\/em>. The sixth and final season of the program broadcasts in the U.K. this fall. \u201cWe won\u2019t necessarily replace Downton<\/em> with another period drama,\u201d says November. \u201cWe might do something very different.\u201d<\/p>\n Even so, ITV is lining up several new costume pieces. These include an eight-part show focusing on Britain\u2019s Queen Victoria<\/em>, made by Mammoth Screen, which scored a U.K. hit with the revival of Poldark<\/em> on BBC One. Also upcoming is Jericho<\/em>, created by Sherlock<\/em> and Doctor Who<\/em> writer Steve Thompson. The eight-episode program is set in a late 19th-century industrial shantytown in Northern England.<\/p>\n Over at Channel 4, drama that wrings stories from contemporary themes are in demand. An exception was Indian Summers, set in the early 1930s as the British clung to power in the Indian sub-continent, which was ordered for a second run.<\/p>\n \u201cFor us it is not so much about genre as it is about topicality and telling stories with strong, contemporary themes,\u201d explains Wenger. \u201cHumans didn\u2019t come about because we desperately wanted to make a sci-fi show. It was because the writers had an interesting take on artificial intelligence. They wanted to make a piece that wasn\u2019t a Marvel-type supernatural or sci-fi piece, but one that was grounded in ordinary life. That is how we start. We look for big preoccupations of our audience.\u201d<\/p>\n HYPING UP HYBRIDS Sky Atlantic\u2019s recent heavily marketed Fortitude<\/em> began as crime but morphed into horror. One of Mensah\u2019s latest shows, The Last Panthers<\/em>, co-produced with CANAL+, is a crime show recounting the story of a gang of jewel thieves.<\/p>\n The BBC\u2019s Hill says she needs modern tales. \u201cWe are always looking for a show that can offer our audience something new and original in any genre. However, we are always looking for more contemporary drama,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n In Sweden, crime evidently pays. TV4\u2019s Tengblad is keen to broaden her palette. \u201cWe do a lot of crime, but we try to push the genre all the time,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n An example is Torpederna<\/em>, a comedy-drama broadcast last November. The central character is an ex-convict who tries to go straight and live the suburban life but fails. Costume drama is on Tengblad\u2019s radar too.<\/p>\n \u201cLast year we did a period crime, Agatha Christie-style drama set in the 1950s that was based on Maria Lang\u2019s stories,\u201d Tengblad adds. \u201cIt was our first period drama in a long time and was a big hit in Sweden.\u201d<\/p>\n NEW PERSPECTIVES At SVT, Wikander is seeking ten-part, one-hour shows for two peak-time slots on SVT1: the Sunday-evening crime slot and a Monday-evening slot reserved for feel-good drama.<\/p>\n \u201cBeyond that, we do three-part miniseries,\u201d he explains. \u201cFor these, it could be any genre, including crime or classical serials.\u201d<\/p>\n Recent commissions have included the second season of the dysfunctional family drama Thicker Than Water<\/em>, produced by Nice Drama with co-production partners YLE and Filmpool Nord, and the International Emmy-nominated 30 Degrees<\/em> in February. There\u2019s also Delhi\u2019s Most Beautiful Hands<\/em>, based on the novel by Mikael Bergstrand, and The Most Forbidden<\/em>. \u201cWe used to do a show in a year; now it\u2019s moving toward two years,\u201d says Wikander. \u201cThe costs are so high we need to have enough time to ensure our shows are of the highest quality. There are always problems. These dramas cost around SEK 8 million to SEK 10 million [$920,000 to $1.2 million] an hour. Five years ago it was SEK 7 million to SEK 9 million [$800,000 to $1 million] an hour.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTime frames are very variable,\u201d adds ITV\u2019s November. \u201cThe minimum is 12 months from pitch to screen.\u201d<\/p>\n The Last Panthers<\/em> took around three years to make; it debuts on Sky Atlantic in the U.K., Ireland and Germany and on CANAL+ in France this fall.<\/p>\n \u201cIt takes as long as it takes,\u201d says Sky\u2019s Mensah. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t move fast for the sake of it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe cycle can take two to three and occasionally five years,\u201d says FIC\u2019s Tal Yguado. Explains BBC\u2019s Hill, \u201cThe commissioning time frame differs on each show, depending on how long the development process takes, how long the shoot is and when the channel needs it. We can commission anywhere from 12 to 18 months ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n IT TAKES TWO \u201cWe have to start with the writer and the creative idea and ambition, as that is what we commission. So co-pros don\u2019t influence the decision to make a drama,\u201d Hill observes. \u201cHowever, they can be vital in bringing to screen those ideas that require substantially more investment than our license fee.\u201d<\/p>\n ITV\u2019s November knows that partnerships are often essential in today\u2019s bottom-line-obsessed culture. \u201cCo-production used to be a dirty word. It is the way of the world now that we are very interested in co-production. That\u2019s how you get bigger talent\u2014writers, directors, actors\u2014and bigger stories.\u201d<\/p>\n In the more hard-nosed U.S. market, broadcasters are keen to collaborate with British and other European partners.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is always helpful to increase volume at a great price,\u201d observes Tal Yguado. \u201cThere is great content coming from the U.K. and other markets.\u201d<\/p>\n At SVT, more than 80 percent of the drama Wikander greenlights is co-produced. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to raise co-production funds outside Scandinavia, but we work with partners in the U.K., France, Germany and the U.S.,\u201d he explains. \u201cWe need international co-production money to be able to make our core budget go further.\u201d<\/p>\n His commercial rival in Sweden is in the same boat. \u201cI have to do co-productions,\u201d says TV4\u2019s Tengblad. \u201cWe can\u2019t put up that kind of money.\u201d<\/p>\n With a global network of FOX-branded channels to provide content for, Tal Yguado knows her approach is different from that of her British peers.<\/p>\n \u201cAt FIS [FIC\u2019s studio], the objective is to make two to three tentpole shows a year that are aimed at both the U.S. and international markets,\u201d she stresses. Tal Yguado highlights the benefits of scale. \u201cMy experience on the international channels side taught me a lot about the global appeal of shows. I have a good sense of what works well and where. Regardless, we work closely with our local channels and sales arm, who keep us updated about specific trends and needs.\u201d<\/p>\n Both ITV and the BBC have in-house distribution businesses, but November and Hill insist their priority is to commission with local audiences in mind, rather than the requirements of ITV Studios Global Entertainment or BBC Worldwide.<\/p>\n \u201cI always look for the best show, regardless of where it comes from,\u201d November says. \u201cMy priority is the U.K. broadcast audience. That\u2019s where my editorial values lie. That\u2019s how we got Downton Abbey<\/em>, Broadchurch<\/em> and Scott & Bailey<\/em>\u201d\u2014 all produced outside of the ITV Studios network.<\/p>\n Adds Hill, \u201cWe don\u2019t commission shows on the basis of an international appeal, but on the quality and originality of the drama. We are looking for the most original British drama to offer our British audience, and we see that great drama has international appeal and finds an international audience.\u201d<\/p>\n Indeed, from Poldark<\/em> and Wolf Hall<\/em> to Bron<\/em> to Les Revenants<\/em>, it\u2019s clear that many dramas commissioned for local audiences across Europe are resonating with viewers around the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Leading drama commissioners weigh in on the kinds of projects they need to cut through a cluttered landscape. By Steve Clarke To say that drama is a must-have TV genre is an understatement. Scripted shows are driving prime-time schedules around the world like never before. Hit dramas such as HBO\u2019s Game of Thrones, Netflix\u2019s House …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5497,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[77],"tags":[183],"class_list":["post-5496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-features","tag-drama-commissions","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nEncouragingly, commissioners in the U.S., the U.K. and mainland Europe seem to have the money to keep levels of investment high\u2014or are prepared to form partnerships if they don\u2019t.<\/p>\n
\nIn Britain, ITV\u2019s November indicates that the channel\u2019s drama spend is getting bigger. \u201cIt is very difficult for me to be specific about budgets,\u201d he says. \u201cNext year there will be more drama in the schedules, which roughly equates to a slightly higher investment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nITV\u2019s November acknowledges that horror is hot. \u201cWe want to have a variety of drama genres on ITV,\u201d he says. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have too much of any one thing. No one is more excited by a crime drama than us, but we are moving beyond crime into horror\u2014not horror-horror, but very dark, psychological thrillers.\u201d One example is Mammoth Screen\u2019s three-part police drama Black Work<\/em>.<\/p>\n
\nAt Sky, it appears that no genre is off limits. \u201cI\u2019ll look at pretty much everything,\u201d reveals Mensah. \u201cWhat we do tends toward contemporary, but then we do something like Penny Dreadful<\/em> [a hybrid crime-occult series set in the 19th century]. We tend to follow passions rather than trends.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nThe new series Modus<\/em> \u201cis not a traditional thriller,\u201d Tengblad continues. \u201cWe meet the killer at the start. It is not a whodunit; it is a why-he-did-it. We are not doing any romantic or supernatural shows at the moment, but it is only a matter of time before we do something in those genres.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nProducing drama is a time-consuming process. As viewers\u2019 expectations continue to rise, production timelines are becoming longer still.<\/p>\n
\nA show involving multiple co-producers may take several years to get off the ground. Increasingly, however, co-production is central to a commissioner\u2019s strategy.<\/p>\n