L.A. Screenings Buyer Feedback: TV3’s Jeff Ford

DUBLIN: Jeff Ford, formerly the director of programs at Channel 5 and now head of content at TV3 in Ireland, felt the quality of the pilots at the L.A. Screenings was good, but there was no breakthrough show this year.

“There really wasn’t the standout that we had last year with The Following and Arrow,” he says. While the quality of the shows was high, there was “just nothing that you feel to be a break out or move the genre on.”

Ford joined TV3, the commercial broadcaster in Ireland, earlier this year and is responsible not only for TV3, but also for sister channel 3e, which targets a young demographic.

At the Screenings he thought the drama The Blacklist and the comedy The Michael J. Fox Show, both from Sony Pictures Television, created the most buzz.

As for what he may be interested in acquiring, Ford says, “Every studio had shows that were good. We are still working through which might work best for this market. We will be acquiring something for TV3 and the digital channel 3e. I am very keen to build this brand.”

Ford is looking for drama series for both channels and for comedies for 3e.