{"id":11807,"date":"2018-10-31T10:13:11","date_gmt":"2018-10-31T14:13:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/fame-game\/"},"modified":"2018-11-01T09:49:28","modified_gmt":"2018-11-01T13:49:28","slug":"fame-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/fame-game\/","title":{"rendered":"Fame Game"},"content":{"rendered":"

Distributors share insights about why one-off biographies, docuseries and celeb-reality shows are filling broadcast schedules around the world. <\/em><\/p>\n

Biopics are everywhere in the scripted space these days. From noteworthy politicians to legendary singers, serial killers to members of scandal-ridden family dynasties, real lives are proving to be excellent fodder for drama producers. Of course, factual producers have known for a long time about the allure of stories on the rich or infamous. Whether it\u2019s a high-brow documentary about the Pope or a tongue-in-cheek celeb-reality series, viewers are hungry for an inside look at stories of people who became famous\u2014by destiny, design or accident.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s such a chaotic time in our world that people gravitate to this kind of factual storytelling and true stories about icons,\u201d says Elaine Frontain Bryant, the executive VP and head of programming for A&E at A+E Networks. \u201cBiographies offer an unbiased and unfiltered way to tell a story, and they don\u2019t say anything about the world we\u2019re in now. Viewers can draw their own conclusions if they want, but it\u2019s just a true story about these people and their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a demand for biography programming because the people covered in these shows are very much in the news all the time,\u201d states Jonathan Ford, the executive VP of sales at Kew Media Distribution, which has a catalog that boasts documentary programming on music legends such as James Brown, Frank Sinatra, Janis Joplin, The Doors and The Go-Go\u2019s. \u201cAudiences want to understand, get behind and get into their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul Heaney, the CEO of TCB Media Rights, puts it bluntly: \u201cViewers are obsessed with the minutiae of famous people\u2019s lives. People are looking for the scandal, the controversy. They want to know what these figures\u2019 human weaknesses are and what their humanity is. What we call a \u2018biography\u2019 is a very boring word for quite an interesting show.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an appetite as old as time,\u201d muses Harriet Armston-Clarke, division head at TVF International. \u201cI don\u2019t see that our interest in celebrities is going to wane.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a fascination with the celeb life, the grand life,\u201d maintains Melanie Torres, a sales consultant at GRB Studios. \u201cWe always want to know a little bit more about that lifestyle we don\u2019t have, and with biographies and celebrity-reality programs, we get to escape into it for about an hour.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two strong sellers from the GRB slate are Beyond Boundaries: The Harvey Weinstein Scandal<\/em> and Remembering Whitney<\/em>, about the life of the late singer.<\/p>\n

FAMILIAR FACES<\/strong>
\nFremantle has seen success with a strand that began as a one-off documentary titled I Am Bruce Lee<\/em>. It has since covered other well-known figures such as Martin Luther King, Jr., and Paul Walker. The latter, I Am Paul Walker<\/em>, is one of the titles that the company is introducing at MIPCOM, alongside Manson: The Lost Tapes<\/em>. Angela Neillis, the company\u2019s director of non-scripted acquisitions, International, believes this Charles Manson-focused doc will be a big seller, as it features rarely-seen footage and because \u201cfamous individuals bring their own audiences with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

And yet, not all shows about famous faces travel well, no matter how glamorous. GRB sells the celebrity-reality series Braxton Family Values<\/em> and its spin-off, Tamar & Vince<\/em>. \u201cCeleb-reality programming does well on certain channels, but not everyone is looking for this type of programming because some celebrities don\u2019t translate internationally,\u201d Torres cautions.<\/p>\n

Plus, TVF International\u2019s Armston-Clarke notes, \u201cSome celebrities might be in the spotlight today and not tomorrow.\u201d Though she adds, \u201cOur catalog features more timely [stars] like Madonna, so the programs continue to sell year on year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kew Media also has timeless personalities in its biography slate, including Princess Diana. \u201cWith Princess Diana: A Life After Death<\/em>, we took a different perspective on the 20th anniversary of her death,\u201d Kew\u2019s Ford says. \u201cOur documentary looks at Diana\u2019s life and the legacy she has had on her children, so it\u2019s not all based around the anniversary of her death; it has a bit more life to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was, of course, a slew of docs marking the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana\u2019s death. Producers must be careful not to fall into the trap of telling the same old story. \u201cThere tends to be quite a lot of competition in this space, so it\u2019s important to have a title that has a different and interesting perspective,\u201d advises Ford.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe world is just too saturated; there is too much competition these days,\u201d notes A+E\u2019s Frontain Bryant. \u201cYou have to be able to say \u2018We have something you haven\u2019t seen before.\u2019 There\u2019s no reason to do another show that somebody\u2019s seen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frontain Bryant stresses that this is particularly relevant today, when a quick Google search can deliver an individual\u2019s life story, replete with images, videos, tributes and more.<\/p>\n

GETTING PERSONAL<\/strong>
\n\u201cTimes have changed since the Biography franchise, which A+E Networks revived about a year ago, was first on the air,\u201d says Frontain Bryant of the strand. \u201cYou can pretty much get all the information you want about a figure online nowadays, so what we\u2019re looking for from our filmmakers is a unique angle, unique access and something new to tell.\u201d<\/p>\n

She explains that if the focus of the documentary is a deceased individual, the new element can come in the form of a family member offering interesting insight or an audio recording that hasn\u2019t been shared before. \u201cIt has to be something that is revelatory about that person\u2019s story that can be shared with the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frontain Bryant points to David Cassidy: The Last Session<\/em> as a biography that brings something new to the table because the musician revealed information about his life that had never been made public before.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t give buyers something too simplistic or too derivative,\u201d echoes TCB\u2019s Heaney. \u201cThey appreciate if there\u2019s something with a bit more guile and a bit more knowing. Otherwise, it\u2019s just a rehash of old archives, and buyers get a lot of that. You have to think a bit harder and work a bit harder, and a producer does, too, to deliver something that has some thought behind it, rather than just a collection of archives.\u201d<\/p>\n

TVF International\u2019s Armston-Clarke agrees that viewers \u201cdon\u2019t want to see the same talking heads in every single show. We\u2019re always trying to find some fresh angle so that programming feels new in some way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it\u2019s well made, can relate to now, and is something that\u2019s fascinating and offers a bit of an insight, then it will work,\u201d Heaney adds.<\/p>\n

And generally, these biography docs will work in more than one market. \u201cWe live in the age of celebrity, where people know celebrities from other countries,\u201d states Armston-Clarke. \u201cIf they\u2019re shiny and glossy and they live an aspirational life, then we find that the appeal is pretty broad across territories.\u201d<\/p>\n

Torres says that there is a market for biographies in all territories and adds that GRB is now doing co-pros, \u201cso one of the angles we can take is to work with partners on biographies of well-known artists or celebrities in their territories.\u201d<\/p>\n

TCB\u2019s Heaney has found that there are some figures who are universal\u2014such as the British royal family, Hollywood stars or big TV celebrities. Elizabeth<\/em> sold very well for TCB last year. Other big sellers include The Private Lives of the Tudors<\/em> and The Private Lives of the Monarchs<\/em>. There\u2019s an upcoming Private Lives<\/em> series that will take a broader look at historical figures like Al Capone and Napoleon Bonaparte.<\/p>\n

As for whether buyers are more interested in one-offs or docuseries, Fremantle\u2019s Neillis says, \u201cOne-offs are easier to sell, particularly if you are targeting public-service broadcasters; it needs to be something mainstream, often a documentary strand. But series are popular as well. It depends on the subject matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

GRB\u2019s Torres agrees: \u201cOne-offs on big celebrities sell better than series.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s versatile and flexible about biographies is that you can tie them together with a theme\u2014for example, music-related docs can go together\u2014and you can create packages for buyers,\u201d Neillis points out.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn our experience, it\u2019s one-offs, such as Diana: 20 Years On<\/em>, and miniseries, including Inside Windsor Castle<\/em> and Inside Buckingham Palace<\/em>, that sell best,\u201d explains TVF International\u2019s Armston-Clarke.<\/p>\n

\u201cBiographies and celebrity programming are among the most evergreen titles in our catalog, to be honest,\u201d she acknowledges. \u201cParticularly those about the British royal family. Programming about royals continues to sell. It\u2019s quite astounding the number of times that we are windowing, re-windowing and relicensing shows about them.\u201d<\/p>\n

LONG LIVES<\/strong>
\nKew\u2019s Ford also notes that documentaries on the royal family tend to have a longer shelf life. For instance, Kew sold Harry & Meghan: A Very Modern Romance<\/em> around their wedding this year and also saw renewed traction on Kate: The Making of a Modern Queen<\/em>\u2014a 2017 documentary about Prince William\u2019s wife\u2014as channels were relicensing the title or licensing it for the first time because they were scheduling programming blocks showcasing the royals.<\/p>\n

\u201cBiographies can easily be evergreen and they do have a long shelf life, provided that they are updated,\u201d GRB\u2019s Torres says.<\/p>\n

Ford warns that often with more topical documentaries\u2014such as one from Kew\u2019s catalog about former couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie\u2014\u201cyou have a specific window of time to sell in because people are only going to be interested in the Brangelina story for a period of time after they split up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThese types of films can have very short life spans in terms of really maximizing the revenues because of the time period and the slot in which people want these films, but demand is still heavy,\u201d Ford adds.<\/p>\n

Torres also cautions that celebrity-reality series tend to have a shorter shelf life and replay value because \u201cif you\u2019re keeping up with these people in the age of social media, something in the show might become a little outdated.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why Ford says it is essential to ensure that \u201cthere\u2019s something in a program that has replay value, because the channels buying the programs don\u2019t want a scenario in which a show plays once or twice and then goes out of play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Replay value is also a factor for digital platforms, which have self-curating audiences that may peruse their offerings to find a biography on a favorite celebrity or well-known figure.<\/p>\n

DIGITAL DEMANDS<\/strong>
\n\u201cThere are OTT platforms cropping up that are focusing on celebrity and royal-related content, including True Royalty,\u201d says Armston-Clarke. However, \u201cThe majority of the deals we close are with linear channels, but that\u2019s because celebrities and royals have a mass appeal. It\u2019s not specialist, it\u2019s not niche content.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a real hunger from the OTT platforms before because this type of programming wasn\u2019t really on the linear channels,\u201d says TCB\u2019s Heaney. \u201cSo it established a point of difference. The SVODs went into the royals and went into biography in a big way, and that helped establish it a bit more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHistorically, we\u2019ve always [sold to] linear, that was our model,\u201d says GRB\u2019s Torres. \u201cBut a lot of OTT players are trying to get content for younger audiences that are making use of these services, and OTTs are interested in biographies and celebrity-focused content.\u201d<\/p>\n

The key is knowing who is watching. \u201cNetflix used to buy a lot more music documentaries than they do now,\u201d Kew\u2019s Ford says. \u201cThey learned about their audience, which is younger. There\u2019s not a market for a documentary on a star from the \u201960s or \u201970s on Netflix.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ford notes that to be successful, \u201cIt\u2019s all about understanding the subject matter and who the audience is.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Distributors share insights about why one-off biographies, docuseries and celeb-reality shows are filling broadcast schedules worldwide.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":477,"featured_media":11808,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[79,69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11807","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-features","category-top-stories","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\nFame Game - TVREAL<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/fame-game\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fame Game - TVREAL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Distributors share insights about why one-off biographies, docuseries and celeb-reality shows are filling broadcast schedules worldwide.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/fame-game\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TVREAL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-10-31T14:13:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-11-01T13:49:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2017\/07\/2018-10-31-brangelina.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"319\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sara Alessi\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sara Alessi\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/fame-game\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/fame-game\/\",\"name\":\"Fame Game - TVREAL\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2018-10-31T14:13:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-11-01T13:49:28+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/#\/schema\/person\/3a30a856ec6d9cc2372bf054d26a0418\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/fame-game\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/fame-game\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/fame-game\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Fame Game\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/\",\"name\":\"TVREAL\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/#\/schema\/person\/3a30a856ec6d9cc2372bf054d26a0418\",\"name\":\"Sara Alessi\",\"description\":\"Sara Alessi is the associate editor of World Screen. 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