ITVS GE’s Maria Kyriacou Discusses Broad Slate

February 25, 2013 World Screen Top Stories
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NEW YORK: Maria Kyriacou, the managing director of ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVS GE), talks to World Screen about the staying power of beloved crime franchises, the appeal of hit factual formats, and new opportunities offered by digital platforms.

WS: Many of ITV Studios’ shows not only satisfy the British audience but also have international appeal.
KYRIACOU: We’re a fortunate distributor. We’ve benefited from shows like Mr Selfridge, which is a large volume order from a major U.K. network, ITV. It’s done really well launching to 9.4 million viewers (which is a huge number for a show in the U.K.) [It has since been re-commissioned for a second season.] A show like this from a well-respected writer like Andrew Davies, (everyone knows his reputation from shows he’s written [Pride and Prejudice, Little Dorrit] in the past), and with Jeremy Piven in the lead, in addition to the high-volume order and the ability for it to return year after year, attracts attention everywhere. We’ve announced a number of sales already and we’ll announce a few more before MIPTV.

WS: And the fact that it has a longer order is very important to a distributor.
KYRIACOU: There is nothing better than returning shows. We’ll be talking a lot at MIPTV about our crime franchises. Our shows may not have large individual season orders, but they come back year after year and they combine to become in some cases over 100 hours. One show we are highlighting this market is Agatha Christie’s Poirot. We launch the final season at MIPTV and are promoting it by bringing David Suchet, the star of the series, to mark the end of a chapter, quite literally, for Hercule Poirot.

We are known for our crime franchises. As well as Poirot we have new seasons of Agatha Christie’s Marple. Agatha Christie is loved the world over.
 
From the Inspector Morse franchise we have the 2013 season of Lewis and full season of Endeavour. Fans of Morse have responded very positively to the prequel, [which takes] Morse back to his youth.
 
WS: ITVS GE secured the international distribution rights for Rectify, Sundance Channel’s first original production. Is ITVS GE searching for more product from outside of the U.K.?
KYRIACOU: Yes, we are looking for more. We are a growing business and you should expect to see more U.S.-originated content. We are attracted to what we view as quality drama and Rectify is just that, a beautifully executed show and different to the mainstream. It challenges its audience. It’s a show we feel can become a real brand-builder for broadcasters. Interestingly, there is a single writer on the piece, Ray McKinnon, which is more of a European approach than American. Our strategy in selling a show such as this is to find the right broadcasters who value the show’s uniqueness.
 
WS: Are you looking to do more international co-productions like the Titanic mini-series?

KYRIACOU: Yes, we are. We respond to what broadcasters want, and there is an appetite for high-end drama and for events. And that’s what Titanic was—it was an event. But these are few and far between. When we have a good creative idea that fits the bill we will deliver. We are looking at a few ideas right now, but nothing to announce yet.
 
WS: Come Dine with Me has been one of the top-selling formats in Europe. What appetite are you finding for formats?
KYRIACOU: We celebrated our 4,000th episode of Come Dine with Me last year! We see broadcasters looking for tried and tested factual-entertainment shows that they know will deliver. Come Dine with Me does that because every episode is a different story. Come Dine with Me is a format that sustains its ratings over multiple episodes and seasons. Other shows that work in a similar way are Four Weddings and May the Best House Win. We’ve also seen a resurgence of older formats like Popstar to Operastar, which recently was acquired in Vietnam and is in its second season in Korea.
 
The growth of our format-distribution business in Asia, Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America is very exciting. We have recently sold Hell’s Kitchen to Romania, Ukraine and Russia; Come Dine with Me has been re-commissioned by Globo in Brazil and we secured our first Come Dine with Me deal in Asia with Star India, produced by Miditech.
 
WS: What opportunities are digital platforms offering you?
 
KYRIACOU: They are important clients. Digital platforms broaden our audience reach. For example, in Asia they are buying dramas that you normally wouldn’t sell to the linear networks. That’s true even in the largest commercial digital market, the U.S. We launched Coronation Street—the world’s most successful serialized drama going strong for over 50 years—on Hulu in January.
 
And where our shows are already popular on linear television, digital platforms give fans more flexible access. For instance in Scandinavia, where our shows perform well in the ratings, we recently signed deals with both Netflix and SF Anytime. Netflix for a range of drama titles such as Agatha Christie’s Poirot, Agatha Christie’s Marple and Prime Suspect and SF Anytime for a package of our long–running crime dramas, including Touch of Frost and Inspector Morse, to name a few.
 
WS: What other areas are allowing you to generate revenues, whether it’s consumer products or the DVD market?
KYRIACOU: We announced a DVD and download-to-own deal with NBCUniversal for Mr Selfridge last month. The home-entertainment market is critical to the commercial success of serialized dramas.
 
WS: Looking ahead 12 to 24 months, in what areas do you see the most potential for growth?
KYRIACOU: We’re very strong in drama, we’re really proud of that and we are going to continue to invest in this genre. We’ve always been strong in formats and factual and we are going to continue to invest in this area. You will see us increasingly globalize our presence, which means we will be more active in markets outside the U.K. and not only in selling but in creating and acquiring content.