MIPCOM Spotlight: BBC Worldwide

CANNES: Two of the top dramas in BBC Worldwide’s MIPCOM catalogue, War and Peace and Dickensian, draw on classic literature.

Andrew Davies is behind the new TV adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, and Tony Jordan is taking viewers back to a Victorian London populated by Charles Dickens’ most compelling characters with Dickensian.

“These two dramas are among the most ambitious the BBC has ever produced, both in terms of vision and scale and, of course, are based on well-known and internationally popular books,” says Paul Dempsey, the president of global markets at BBC Worldwide. “Dickens’ novels have been successfully adapted numerous times for the screen, so the characters in Dickensian will be familiar to viewers.”

Meanwhile, producers Tim Martin (Natural World) and Samantha Beddoes (The Great British Bake Off) have joined forces to create the high-stakes fishing competition show The Big Catch.

Among the format highlights BBC Worldwide is showcasing at the market is You’re Back in the Room, which has already been recommissioned for a second season by ITV in the U.K.

“The blend of comedy game show with hypnotism makes it a truly original, fun, family-friendly entertainment show,” says Suzanne Kendrick, the company’s head of format sales.

There’s also One in a 1,000. “While the show tests both mental and physical skills, the format is comparable to a sporting event, with all the drama and entertainment associated with that wrapped up into an epic night of television,” says Kendrick.

BBC Worldwide also has a slate of scripted formats for MIPCOM buyers, including The Office. “Everyone has worked for a boss that has driven them up the wall, as the universal appeal of The Office shows,” Kendrick says.