How to Take Your Audience on Vacation with Kedoo’s Olivier Bernard

Kedoo Entertainment has been slowly growing its slate of unscripted series over the past several years, with Let’s Go!/¡Vamos!, The Wonder Guys and Faraway finding success. Olivier Bernard, COO and co-founder of Kedoo Entertainment, chats with TV Real about the inner workings of creating this kind of travel content for a digital-first audience.

TV REAL: When making a travel docuseries, what main components are you looking for?
BERNARD: When we develop travel docuseries, we start with stories and points of view about specific subjects. Locations are also important; we are going where the audience has particular interests, whether in very remote or intriguing locations.

Another key point is that our show hosts are seasoned journalists and broadcasters. Their experience as professionals, combined with their natural curiosity and cultural openness, gives every series a premium feel that travels well across digital, broadcast and streaming platforms.

As a digital-first company, we also encourage them to open up about themselves and share their feelings about what they are experiencing, bringing an “influencer” tone to each show while keeping the journalistic aspect of it.

This gives a very hybrid proposal; the viewers see relevant and interesting content in a format that is more relatable to them, and it works.

TV REAL: What are some strategies for launching travel docuseries on digital platforms?
BERNARD: We usually begin with a small run of pilot episodes to test concept, format and even hosts before greenlighting a full season. By tracking engagement, retention and viewing patterns, we quickly see what truly lands with viewers, and what doesn’t.

Those insights then shape the series, from structure and pacing to narrative focus and visual language. This way, every new episode is better tuned to both fresh audiences and returning fans around the world.

TV REAL: How do you maintain your relationship with viewers through YouTube and direct-to-consumer models?
BERNARD: Maintaining a strong relationship with viewers starts with responsiveness and consistency. We track viewing behavior and audience feedback to understand what people want; we then discuss with our team and our show hosts and respond in ways that actually matter to viewers.

We also try to deliver high‑quality releases and complementary content on social platforms that meet those expectations, building trust and loyalty. This not only attracts new viewers but also keeps existing fans coming back and strengthens their connection to our shows.

TV REAL: Tell us the process of what it was like to create something like your series Faraway and The Wonder Guys.
BERNARD: Creating each series is a collaborative, iterative process that starts with talent and point of view. For ¡Vamos!/Let’s Go! and The Wonder Guys, development began with their hosts/directors, who were experienced broadcast professionals keen to create for digital. Together, we shape the concept and editorial lens, using our digital know‑how to test the market and reach audiences effectively.

Faraway grew from a concept proposed by the host of ¡Vamos!/Let’s Go!, who moved into a producer role after the success of his own show. Once we’ve defined the narrative arc, we look for hosts who combine professional expertise with genuine, on‑screen curiosity.

Our production and content teams then work closely with talent to secure access, manage safety and logistics, and align on editing and release schedules. Throughout, we use performance data to keep refining the format so the series connects on a personal level while still meeting the premium standards expected on broadcast and streaming platforms.

TV REAL: What are some freedoms you have when creating for a digital-first platform that you wouldn’t get if you were trying to produce a travel docuseries for a more traditional broadcast?
BERNARD: I wouldn’t say that it gives us more freedom than doing it for broadcasters, but it allows us to get immediate feedback and react to it.
Essentially, you can get more creative with the storytelling, allowing us to take risks with subjects, destinations and perspectives if the audience demands it, which may be considered too niche or unconventional for broadcasters.

At the same time, we can experiment with episode length, pacing and format to match online audience consumption.

But we also keep a lot of content, which also allows us to produce and adapt each episode for traditional broadcasters and streamers, ensuring that each show can work across platforms without losing its original energy.

TV REAL: What have been some lessons learned from creating travel docuseries for a “mobile” generation?
BERNARD: We understand that each episode needs to hook viewers within the first few seconds, with visually compelling storytelling and clear stakes that reward continued viewership. Pacing is therefore faster than traditional TV content to engage audiences immediately.

We’ve also learned the importance of format flexibility across platforms to create a deeper connection with viewers. Audiences consume bite-sized content on the go but prefer long-form content on TV or larger screens at home. So each episode needs to work as short-form segments to attract viewers on mobile while still supporting long-form premium storytelling.

TV REAL: What’s the future of audience building?
BERNARD: Audience building is becoming increasingly data-driven and community-focused. With viewers consuming content across platforms and devices, creators need to understand not just who their audience is, but how, when and why they watch. Analytics and insights will continue to guide decisions around format, pacing and distribution, while helping identify new audience segments.

Equally important is cultivating an authentic community. Audiences want to actively interact, engage and become part of the narrative. We envision that the most successful series in the near future will combine high-quality storytelling with flexible formats and ongoing, two-way engagement, enabling viewers to connect with both the content and the host immediately and deeply.