BBC Worldwide Showcase Kicks Off 40th Edition with 700-Plus Buyers

LIVERPOOL: BBC Worldwide begins its 40th Showcase today with more than 700 buyers in attendance, and TV Latina is present as the only Latin American publication invited to cover all facets of the event.

During the three-day Showcase in Liverpool, buyers will be able to watch almost 6,000 hours of content in 600 digital screening booths.

Today, the event is devoted mainly to factual and entertainment shows, while the focus tomorrow will shift to dramatic productions.

BBC Worldwide has revealed that television and digital sales reached £345.3 million ($492.3 million) in 2014-15.

The factual slate is led by Planet Earth II, narrated by Sir David Attenborough. The new series is from the BBC’s Natural History Unit.

This year’s drama programming includes the BBC One commission SS-GB, starring Sam Riley (Control) and Kate Bosworth (Still Alice). Set in 1940s Britain, the series is an adaptation of the best-selling thriller by Len Deighton. The drama catalogue also features One of Us, New Blood, War and Peace and Maigret. The Durrells is a comedy series set in Greece during the 1930s and based on Gerald Durrell’s Corfu trilogy. SS-GB and The Durrells are produced by Sid Gentle Films for BBC and ITV, respectively.

In terms of documentaries, sports star David Beckham sets out to play a soccer match on all seven continents in David Beckham: For the Love of the Game.

The comedy front includes I Want My Wife Back, while the music catalogue features They Will Have to Kill Us First, which chronicles the jihadist control of northern Mali in 2012, filmed from the perspective of the country’s musicians.

In terms of formats, BBC Worldwide is offering The Getaway Car, which tracks couples as they compete in driving challenges. The history slate includes the Six Queens of Henry VIII, a four-part series that reveals the truth about King Henry VIII and his wives.

As for children’s content, Spot Bots is a new CBeebies production. The sketch show helps preschoolers develop their attention skills by playing games and observational puzzles.