Showcase: Passion Distribution

Channel 4 has made a lot of noise in the U.K. over the last few weeks with its edgy new format Virgin Island, which, as its name indicates, takes a group of adult virgins to a luxurious island. There’s a lot more to the concept than what’s on the tin, according to Nick Tanner, the director of sales and co-productions at Passion Distribution, which represents the series globally.

Virgin Island is a taboo-busting social experiment that puts 12 virgins with intimacy hang-ups through a bespoke course of therapy designed to help them overcome their anxieties.

“It’s a social experiment, not a bikini reality show,” Tanner explains. “While it is about relationships, this is a societal and cultural conversation starter. With the U.K. launch, it’s become a national talking point.

“It’s not about thrusting potentially vulnerable people together and seeing what happens; it’s about positively addressing genuine intimacy issues,” Tanner continues. “It can be dialed up or down depending on what a particular audience in a market might want. We’re familiar with social experiments and dating shows in the sun, but we’re not familiar with combining those things to put a focus on an experience that is universal to the human condition and giving it the time and space that it needs to allow the people that are involved to move on in a safe space.”

Virgin Island is also reflective of the “purposeful but mischievous” and risk-taking values that Passion Distribution is known for, Tanner says. “For Passion as a mid-size operator in the distribution market, having a clear positioning around our sense of IP is crucial. Our overall mission to be familiar with a twist, have a point of difference, and not be afraid of provocation helps us to define a space in the market. We’re not one of the big studios. We are not vertically integrated with a channel. We’re owned by Tinopolis Group, one of the few truly independent groups of indies, which allows us to have some bedrock IP. Our parent company is transatlantic; we have two big production labels in the U.S. with A. Smith & Co. and Magical Elves, and our U.K. stablemates, including Mentorn Media, Pioneer Productions and Firecracker Films. This gives us a deep well of content, IP and knowledge of these key territories, outside of which we are free to work with whomever we choose. That gives us enormous flexibility to engage with channels, streamers, production partners—any number of different funding entities—on our terms, and it can be project-specific. All of this gives us an arsenal of opportunity.”

Passion Distribution’s slate of factual-entertainment formats also features Mums Make Porn from Firecracker Films. Tanner has seen increased interest in the format, which first arrived on U.K. screens in 2019. “This is a great example of a factual-entertainment show that deals with one of the most taboo subjects,” Tanner says.

In it, mothers explore the adult movie business with a view to producing films to share with their teenage children. “We’re seeing a renewed interest in this now because internet culture has moved on,” Tanner says. “For example, OnlyFans has changed the perception of what an internet celebrity might be. The culture we’re living in has become more open.”

The latest adaptation of this format arrives on Belgium’s Streamz this summer, featuring a new twist: celebrity moms. “You’ve got recognizable faces on the key art. It’s a great marketable idea and title taken to another degree by the subjects it addresses and who’s doing the experiment. That’s an exciting turn of the wheel of the format. And we’re working on other versions in other territories now.”

Compelling factual entertainment has long been at the heart of Passion Distribution’s lineup, and demand for the genre remains robust, Tanner notes.

“Audiences always want to see themselves mirrored back in some way. What makes factual entertainment so compelling and endearing is that it’s relatable, ordinary people doing something extraordinary. That level of holding up a mirror to oneself, combined with escapism, is exactly what we need in the challenging times we all live in. Shows that handle societal issues sensitively but with entertainment are relatable and highly marketable.”

Passion Distribution is also still finding traction on Paradise Hotel, which Tanner refers to as the “original dating reality in paradise-type shows. And it got it right the first time.”

Addressing its longevity—it premiered in 2003—Tanner says of the show: “The recipe is irrefutably returnable and attracts audiences on different platforms. It also attracts different types of partners and revenue streams, whether that’s across sponsorship, branding or ancillary. There are 18 adaptations so far. Five territories will have new versions this year. That comes down to the flexibility of casting and location, as well as easy refreshes. The Polish version changes location every season. They’ve done a double order for seasons 11 and 12 this year. It’s reliable and consistently wins audiences. It has the demos that brands and other commercial partners want to align with.”

On the tape sales side, Tanner says the factual segment is polarizing into two distinct segments. “At one end of the market are high-volume returning franchises that fit into the weekday schedules on linear and can do a job on broadcasters’ streaming platforms. We’re well resourced there with series like Traffic Cops, Call the Bailiffs, The Motorway, Car Pound Cops and Coastguard: Search & Rescue SOS. These are stories at a human scale, but they provide escapism. They can be produced in volume, with a relatively quick turnaround and done fairly cost-effectively.”

At the other end are the bigger swings, Tanner says, like Virgin Island on the factual-entertainment side and on the doc slate, Who Stole Kim Kardashian’s Diamonds? (w.t.) for the BBC. “Provocation, marketability and noise are critical. Also, recognizability is huge. That means the biggest stories and the most iconic places and people. If you have one, two or three of those things, particularly in documentary, you have a much higher chance of standing out in a crowded and competitive market.”

Specialist factual still has a place in schedules and Passion’s slate, Tanner adds, with offerings like Monsters of the Deep, Dinosaur with Stephen Fry and Engineering Reborn finding numerous homes internationally.

In the year ahead, Tanner says Passion Distribution plans to continue tapping into the scale of the Tinopolis Group; touting its lineup of buzzy, noise-making shows; and “developing, enhancing and representing intellectual property so that it can be monetized most efficiently and continue to grow,” Tanner says. “Passion is highly selective about the ideas and content we invest in. That’s to ensure that everything we represent meets demand and aligns with our brand. Our customers come to us because they are expecting a point of difference.”

Scaling UpStream Media, its digital channels and social media arm, is also critical. “We’ve expanded further by launching a digital-first production studio,” Tanner says. “We’re looking to leverage our traditional business in every possible way, including in the digital space, and cross-fertilize the two.”

Ultimately, the company “prides itself on being strategic and knowing who we are,” Tanner says. “We are forward-thinking, unafraid of risk and want to break through the noise. We’re not chasing. We’re trying to be distinctive and think about what the future of unscripted content might be.”

View Passion Distribution’s Showcase here.