{"id":5851,"date":"2017-10-16T08:00:16","date_gmt":"2017-10-16T12:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/worldscreen.com\/"},"modified":"2017-10-17T08:47:17","modified_gmt":"2017-10-17T12:47:17","slug":"next-big-thing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvformats\/next-big-thing\/","title":{"rendered":"Next Big Thing?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Jo Stephens hears from several leading buyers about the types of formats they\u2019re on the lookout for.<\/em><\/p>\n

If the most-asked question in format land is, \u201cWhere\u2019s the next big thing?\u201d then \u201cWhat do buyers want?\u201d is surely the second. There are, of course, as many answers as there are buyers and commissioners. Some want feel-good storytelling, some want shiny-floor glamour, others want poignant emotional journeys. But beyond genre and flavor, there are several common denominators. Everybody\u2019s looking for inclusive, topical and authentic concepts that are returnable, scalable, extendable, bendable and capable of delivering on both linear and digital. And, as Anette Romer, TV 2 Denmark\u2019s head of acquisitions and formats, points out, most also want something that\u2019s relevant to their audience\u2019s lives, cultures and experiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy perfect format would be a show that feels entertaining, engaging and inspiring,\u201d Romer says. \u201cA show that makes you feel that watching it has been time well spent.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the top of Romer\u2019s MIPCOM shopping list are factual entertainment and pure entertainment formats, mainly for TV 2\u2019s prime-time slots. She is also seeking shows capable of engaging younger viewers on TV 2 sister channels Charlie and Zulu. \u201cOur briefs haven\u2019t changed much over the years,\u201d she adds. \u201cWe\u2019re always looking for creatives who can paint the picture from a new and fresh perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n

Romer touches on a sensitive point. Over the past few years, there has been much talk about the format market\u2019s lackluster performance on the \u201cnew and fresh\u201d front. The creative end of the business has been criticized for failing to generate ideas strong enough to challenge the mega-format franchises that continue to clog up global schedules. Broadcasters, meanwhile, have been accused of risk aversion, me-too-ism and shortsightedness. As traditional funding models implode, budgets contract and digital continues to fracture and fragment the market, investing the time and money necessary to develop and grow successful formats has gone from standard practice to luxury.<\/p>\n

FACTUAL RENAISSANCE
\n<\/strong>Romer, however, believes the tide is turning\u2014creatively, at least. \u201cThere are a lot of good ideas coming our way. It seems that factual and factual entertainment are experiencing a creative boost at the moment.\u201d As for the prime-time stranglehold of the super-formats, she says, \u201cTo develop channels, you need a mix of well-known big brands and fresh, new, unproven formats.\u201d Producing the latter, she adds, requires both courage and a broadcast culture that gives permission to fail.<\/p>\n

Fellow Nordic exec Karolina Stallwood, the VP of content at MTG, also reports an uptick in creativity. The problem, she says, isn\u2019t a lack of big, brave concepts, but that, as video becomes increasingly ubiquitous, it\u2019s getting harder and harder to find them. In this saturated environment, \u201ceven the most creative formats can get crowded out,\u201d she observes. Meanwhile, the battle for eyeballs is intensifying, adding to the temptation to fall back on proven bankers. The irony, of course, is that audiences crave the shock and excitement of the new, not the predictability and safety of the old. As Stallwood points out, \u201cWhy not be bold and try new things? After all, that\u2019s exactly what our viewers are doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stallwood defines a format as \u201ca framework for telling stories\u201d and cites drama, reality and factual entertainment as particularly suited to MTG\u2019s mission of providing its viewers with engaging storytelling across its platform universe. \u201cCombining great formats and innovative platforms gives you a chance to tell better stories to more people\u2014at any time of the day,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

For Stallwood, genres are never out, or, indeed, in. \u201cThe power of a story to engage our audience is all that matters. There\u2019s no such thing as a perfect format, because the needs and behaviors of your audience are always changing. We have to understand our viewers and constantly reinvent ourselves if we want to keep engaging and inspiring.\u201d<\/p>\n

Given this philosophy, it is no surprise to learn that MTG is producer-agnostic when it comes to adapting formats to local markets, selecting the creative team it feels will \u201ctell the story best.\u201d Since MTG includes content powerhouse nice entertainment group, which consists of some 30 production companies in 17 countries, it has no shortage of creative options within its own corporate family.<\/p>\n

Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland employs a similar approach to localization. \u201cIt\u2019s actually simple,\u201d says J\u00f6rg Graf, COO of program affairs. \u201cTV is made by people and different people have different skills. Sometimes, the best EP for a real-life show is not the best EP for a shiny-floor event show.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, \u201cbringing together the best format with the best creative talent\u201d isn\u2019t always easy, or indeed possible in a global industry increasingly given to M&As and vertical integration. Fortunately, Graf says, smart media companies recognize that pushing formats through \u201cthe pipeline of a value chain\u201d is no substitute for investing in creative talent.<\/p>\n

Graf\u2019s acquisition strategy is not driven by notions of what\u2019s hot and what\u2019s not given that he has a wide range of RTL channels to feed, with correspondingly wide requirements. \u201cWe don\u2019t exclude any genre or time slot,\u201d he says. But what\u2019s definitely \u201cout,\u201d he adds, are \u201cformat owners, producers and broadcasters who don\u2019t think and act as partners, [since] each of them can prevent a format from being successful.\u201d<\/p>\n

When it comes to acquisitions, RTL\u2019s current focus is on prime-time reality, real-life and variety shows. Inter\u00adnational formats remain \u201can important pillar for our channels,\u201d Graf says, pointing to The Best Singers<\/em> and Dragons\u2019 Den<\/em> on VOX, and Ninja Warrior<\/em>, The Bachelor<\/em>, Got Talent<\/em> and Let\u2019s Dance<\/em> on RTL. While RTL\u2019s daytime fare has traditionally consisted of domestic productions, again this is not a hard-and-fast rule. \u201cWe would do international format-based shows, too, if they were promising,\u201d Graf reports.<\/p>\n

SURVIVING THE TIMES
\n<\/strong>Deciding which formats are most promising is greatly influenced by the willingness of the IP owner to allow the original concept to be \u201cGermanized,\u201d Graf notes. \u201cIt\u2019s not in our interest to jeopardize other people\u2019s IP or to dilute brands,\u201d he stresses. The object is not to buy a show and then reinvent it\u2014\u201cthat wouldn\u2019t make sense at all\u201d\u2014but to finesse the story\u00adtelling and certain elements, such as the role of the host, into a form that works for German audiences. This is something of an art form in itself and one that RTL has perfected in its home market. \u201cWe think this is the reason why we are so successful in keeping shows alive while they get canceled in other territories,\u201d Graf observes.<\/p>\n

TV 2\u2019s Romer backs up Graf\u2019s view about localization. \u201cAdapting a format is not about making as many changes as possible. It\u2019s about analyzing and understanding the core idea and launching the best possible version of it in your own territory.\u201d<\/p>\n

Back at RTL, Graf rejects the charge that, with the big format franchises still doing good business in prime time, broadcasters have neither the room nor the inclination to try out new concepts. In the past year, he points out, RTL alone has produced more than 20 new formats, both scripted and unscripted, including TBS\u2019s Ninja Warrior (<\/em>represented in Europe by The Story Lab), Warner Bros.\u2019 500 Questions<\/em> and Talpa\u2019s Dance Dance Dance<\/em>. Significantly, many of these new shows are inhabiting the time slots previously filled by international scripted drama and feature films, rather than going head to head with existing non-scripted formats.<\/p>\n

In the end, Graf says, it comes down to whether a new contender is a stronger proposition than the incumbent. \u201cWe all know that \u2018better\u2019 is the enemy of \u2018good,\u2019\u201d he points out.<\/p>\n

This is a sentiment echoed by Hannah Barnes, the general manager of the Lifestyle Channels at Foxtel, when she says, \u201cI believe there is always room for a great new idea.\u201d Barnes\u2019s portfolio includes Foxtel\u2019s flagship Lifestyle channel and its subsidiaries Lifestyle FOOD, Lifestyle YOU and Lifestyle HOME. \u201cWe acquire 1,200 hours per channel a year for all day parts,\u201d Barnes reports, citing returnable, aspirational lifestyle series that can \u201clive on linear and digital in a meaningful way\u201d as her top priority. Recent acquisitions include Studio Lambert\u2019s Common Sense<\/em>. Gogglebox<\/em>, Grand Designs<\/em>, Selling Houses<\/em> and Bake Off<\/em> have also been successfully re-versioned for Australia.<\/p>\n

When assessing a potential format, Barnes requires a full proposal, a sizzle and a producer or creative with a strong track record attached. Once the show is commissioned, she prefers to work directly with the format-holder to find the right production company in Australia. As to how much leeway Lifestyle demands when it comes to the adaptation process, Barnes says it\u2019s a fine line between respect for the IP and local relevance. The Great Australian Bake Off<\/em> provides an example. \u201cI think we are the only market in the world that didn\u2019t use a tent for Bake Off<\/em>, but a shed, which feels uniquely Australian.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unsurprisingly, in light of Lifestyle\u2019s mission to \u201cinspire and entertain,\u201d mean-spirited formats are definitely off Barnes\u2019s wish list. \u201cAs a broadcaster, we are always looking to surprise and delight our viewers,\u201d she says. \u201cBut being relevant and listening to your audience is more important than a quest for innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n

With \u201cadventure, survival and challenge\u201d in its editorial DNA, RMC D\u00e9couverte is keen on shows that innovate and disrupt. And according to Rodolphe Guignard, the French DTT channel\u2019s head of productions and broadcast, there is no shortage of the former. \u201cRegarding the level of innovation in today\u2019s format business, I\u2019m impressed. New tools are offering new opportunities to make great, visually amazing shows.\u201d<\/p>\n

CREATIVE LIMITS<\/strong>
\nGuignard is less upbeat, however, about the level of creativity. He attributes this to the major broadcasters\u2019 reluctance to take the road less traveled, both in terms of investing in new and surprising ideas, and daring to program against the genres du jour. \u201cWe notice that trends\u2014dating, survival, whatever\u2014have become widespread around the world,\u201d he says. Against this backdrop, format creators are not encouraged to pitch anything but the same old, safe old concepts.<\/p>\n

Altice Group-owned RMC D\u00e9couverte, however, is open to prime-time ideas that provoke, disrupt and provide its largely male-skewing audience with factual, factual entertainment and documentary content that is, as per its motto, \u201cplus fort que la fiction\u201d (\u201cstronger than fiction\u201d). \u201cWe\u2019re not after the same audience profile as the main channels, so it\u2019s easier for us to commission new shows on new topics,\u201d Guignard adds.<\/p>\n

Founded in late 2012, RMC D\u00e9couverte has come a long way in less than five years, much of it as a result of well-chosen and sensitively adapted international formats. By 2014, it had become France\u2019s leading HD DTT channel, posting the biggest audience growth in the French TV sector that year. In 2015, it was the first European channel to adapt BBC Worldwide\u2019s monster motoring format Top Gear<\/em>. In June, it renewed its agreement with BBC Worldwide France for seasons four, five and six of the French version.<\/p>\n

The success of Top Gear<\/em>, not just in France but in territories as culturally diverse as Australia, South Korea, China, Russia and the U.S., has much to do with the strength and clarity of what Ole Hedemann, head of format development at Norway\u2019s NRK, calls the \u201cbig idea.\u201d Listing the criteria he uses to assess a format, Hedemann says, \u201cI need to understand immediately why a show is unique and universal, how it\u2019s scalable and how it can be exploited on NRK\u2019s different platforms.\u201d Creatively, he is looking for content that tackles national topics and has the potential to \u201cget the nation talking\u2026. And we always ask ourselves why we, at NRK, should produce this show, and what audience need it addresses.\u201d<\/p>\n

CHASING THE BIG IDEA<\/strong>
\nHedemann says game shows tend not to tick the boxes of NRK\u2019s public-service remit. Genre-wise, a more likely bet is social-experiment reality and formatted documentary series, particularly if they are mobile- or online-first. In fact, don\u2019t bother to pitch linear-only concepts to NRK. \u201cBrave ideas,\u201d however, are always welcome. As to where Hedemann scouts for the \u201cfun, creative and modern formats\u201d that work best for NRK, he says he prefers to shop with the smaller distributors over the big, consolidated suppliers. \u201cConsolidation seems to stand in the way of local creativity, unfortunately,\u201d he observes.<\/p>\n

Hedemann defines his ideal format as \u201ca strong, ruling, modern, entertaining and interesting premise at the heart of a media project that can be exploited 360 degrees\u201d\u2014a description that will surely resonate with many format buyers as they struggle to balance risk and reward in an increasingly fragmented market.<\/p>\n

As the world becomes ever more precarious, and old certainties\u2014and political orders\u2014crash and burn, people are seeking clarity and credibility in their entertainment, RTL\u2019s Graf suggests. They want obvious protagonists and antagonists. They want authentic emotion. They want, in short, to know where they are. This return to basics may explain the resurgence of shiny-floor entertainment formats, with their warm, upbeat, aspirational messages. One of the year\u2019s stand-out successes, NBC\u2019s The Wall<\/em>, is a prime example of the feel-good phenomenon. \u201cIt\u2019s not enough to have the nice content vessel of a game show,\u201d Graf says. \u201cIt has to deal with existential needs in a credible way, especially in prime time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pictured: BBC Worldwide\u2019s<\/em> Stupid Man, Smart Phone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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