Yesterday, a British free-to-air factual channel, launched as UK History back in 2002 before changing to UKTV History two years later. Still a part of the UKTV network of channels, Yesterday rebranded to its current name back in 2009 and has more recently shifted away from its history-centered focus to branch out to other genres within the factual space.<\/p>\n
According to Gerald Casey, channel director of Yesterday, \u201cThe factual landscape has never looked healthier. You can see from the increased investment by SVODs and the WarnerMedia\/Discovery merger that all the major players are trying to ensure they\u2019re a one-stop-shop for all TV needs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAny viewer with a particular passion or interest, however obscure, is either being served somewhere on TV or is finding like-minded individuals focusing on the same niche interest on YouTube or through a podcast,\u201d Casey adds, noting that broadcasters are now more likely to order from producers a deep-dive docuseries on any given topic, rather than a summarizing documentary.<\/p>\n
Casey has seen a boost in demand for docudramas, which have long been a fixture in true-crime content but are now becoming more prevalent in the history documentary space, as well as for volume factual formats.<\/p>\n
At Yesterday, the focus has shifted from positioning itself as a history documentaries channel to one that offers content set in the present that provides a nod to the past. \u201cWe talk about Yesterday as offering fuel for curious minds; our viewers are knowledgeable, and we\u2019re there to top up their knowledge on content that they\u2019re passionate about\u2014be it engineering, motoring, collectibles or travel,\u201d says Casey. \u201cRelatability and personality are key; we want our presenters and contributors to be just as passionate and enthusiastic about these subject matters as our viewers.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Casey, audiences have had an increased appetite for comforting content across all genres over the last two years, during which the global community has been learning to live amid a pandemic. They have been looking \u201cfor something that triggers nostalgia, positivity or a human connection,\u201d says Casey. \u201cThat\u2019s playing out in factual too; satisfying a need to learn isn\u2019t enough on its own anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
At Yesterday, much of the channel\u2019s recent success has come from its UKTV original commissions. Among them are Bangers and Cash<\/em> and The Architecture the Railways Built<\/em>, as well as its next big commission, Scouting for Toys<\/em>, made and distributed by BBC Studios. \u201cIt\u2019s an ob-doc following a vintage toy auctioneer in County Durham,\u201d says Casey. \u201cIt\u2019s dripping with relatability and nostalgia and made me wish I\u2019d kept hold of some of my old Star Wars<\/em> toys from the \u201980s, as they\u2019d be worth a bit of cash now!\u201d<\/p>\n The company has also found success with its acquisition of Smoke & Steel<\/em>, hosted by Dr. Shini Somara and made by Like A Shot Entertainment, which is also behind Abandoned Engineering<\/em>.<\/p>\n At present, Yesterday is aiming to expand its motoring and classic cars content offer, as well as its slate of engineering and factual titles that provide context through the past. The channel is also on the lookout for travelogues with personality and ob-docs with an entertainment skew guided by a U.K. focus or U.K. talent overseas. \u201cIt\u2019s not our main priority, but I\u2019d love to find a way to land accessible science or tech content in the long-term,\u201d notes Casey. \u201cBut no history documentaries, please!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s definitely more work to be done with viewers to fully land our evolution as a brand beyond its history channel origins, but it\u2019s a perfect opportunity to inject some real personality into Yesterday,\u201d adds Casey. \u201cWe\u2019ve got some great new shows coming up.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Gerald Casey, channel director of UKTV’s Yesterday, talks about the channel’s mission to offer more than the history-centered content it’s known for amid a booming factual industry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1033,"featured_media":17827,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[68,69],"tags":[6101,309,3745],"class_list":["post-17826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-profiles","category-top-stories","tag-gerald-casey","tag-uktv","tag-yesterday","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\n