{"id":8171,"date":"2015-10-01T09:38:25","date_gmt":"2015-10-01T13:38:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/boys-club\/"},"modified":"2016-01-26T18:22:01","modified_gmt":"2016-01-26T23:22:01","slug":"boys-club","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvreal\/boys-club\/","title":{"rendered":"Boys’ Club"},"content":{"rendered":"

Survival and motoring titles are hoping to quench the male audience\u2019s thirst for adventure.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

In their bid to supply broadcasters with content that will appeal to the much-sought-after male demo, producers and distributors worldwide are heeding the call of the wild.<\/p>\n

Within the last decade, outdoor adventure series and survivalist fare pitting rugged explorers against Mother Nature have comfortably found spaces not just in traditionally guy-skewing channels, but in general-entertainment networks as well. In fact, these titles are more often than not popping up in programming slots once dominated by such go-to male genres as sports and history. Even classic manly offerings like motoring are pumping up the testosterone levels, replacing formats heavy on talking heads with charismatic characters and real-world thrills.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re seeing a lot of demand for shows with that heightened sense of adventure,\u201d says Prentiss Fraser, the senior VP and global head of content sales at FOX International Channels\u00a0 (FIC). \u201cAudiences, especially male audiences, want to experience something extreme through someone else\u2019s eyes, and that is a welcome departure from what you\u2019re used to seeing in these kinds of factual programs.\u201d<\/p>\n

WILD AT HEART<\/strong>
\nAt the core of these adrenaline-pumping titles is a curiosity factor, as many of these series offer their primarily male viewers glimpses of gritty lifestyles far removed from the contemporary urban experience. \u201cThere\u2019s a trend toward a\u00a0 \u2018re-wilding,\u2019 a reaction against the pace of modern life,\u201d says Andrea Olsson, the head of factual entertainment and lifestyle at BBC Worldwide, which is presenting the off-the-grid showcase Where the Wild Men Are<\/em> with Ben Fogle at MIPCOM. \u201cThat rejection of the nine-to-five and the ideas of adventure and exploration and endurance are really at the heart of these shows, and men are paying attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

Authenticity is also key when it comes to finding a solid male audience. \u201cThe genre just feels more real, more raw, and it provides a unique perspective on how we interact with the environment,\u201d says Sally Habbershaw, the VP of international programming, production and operations at A+E Networks. In June, the company\u2019s male-friendly HISTORY brand premiered the competition series Alone<\/em>, a show that upped the ante on the age-old struggle with nature by placing hard-core survivalists in remote locations without the assistance of production crews.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt didn\u2019t have flashy camera angles or any sense that the contestants had the security of a production team there,\u201d Habbershaw says. \u201cWhen any one of the protagonists was out there, they were truly exposed. It\u2019s that sort of extreme endurance that leaves the audience in awe.\u201d<\/p>\n

John Pollak, the president of Electus International, adds that wish fulfillment is also an important factor in assessing the genre\u2019s sudden popularity. \u201c[Audiences] want to watch because they think to themselves, \u2018What if I were stranded in the middle of the ocean with nothing but the supplies that I have with me? What if I were stranded out in the middle of the wilderness with just the stuff I\u2019m able to rummage?\u2019\u201d he says. \u201cThat really does happen to people, but up to this point you\u2019ve actually never seen it on TV.\u201d<\/p>\n

PRIME PLAYERS<\/strong>
\nElectus counts several survivalist titles in its catalogue, among them series starring British adventurer Bear Grylls, who is often credited with mainstreaming the genre with shows such as Discovery Channel\u2019s Man vs. Wild<\/em> in the mid-2000s. According to Pollak, the popular presenter is also responsible for shifting adventure programs away from niche channels and into more general-entertainment networks.<\/p>\n

\u201cBear has really spearheaded this movement and changed how people think about survivalist programming,\u201d Pollak says. \u201cHe has definitely found a way to turn these amazing outdoor adventure shows that have primarily lived on cable into prime-time network hits that reach a vast, diverse audience.\u201d<\/p>\n

As an example, Pollak lists Running Wild with Bear Grylls<\/em>, in which the titular explorer shares his survival skills with a roster of celebrities. A special taped in September, airing later this year, featured U.S. President Barack Obama. That show\u2019s second season aired on U.S. broadcast network NBC this summer in a weekday prime-time slot. Another Grylls show featuring celebrities\u2014this time British ones\u2014is Mission Survive<\/em> for ITV.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of our adventure shows do really well with broad audiences,\u201d says FIC\u2019s Fraser. \u201cThey may first debut on, say, National Geographic, but then on the second window they go to big free-to-air broadcasters, networks like Channel 4 [in the U.K.] or CCTV in China or ZDF in Germany. It\u2019s these big, broad channels that give the shows as much exposure as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having a big, marketable personality leading the show also helps spread word of mouth on a title. \u201cIn order to bring in a large enough audience, you need presenters who have an authentic interest in the subject matter and who are charismatic,\u201d says Olsson of BBC Worldwide. \u201cAnd if they\u2019re recognized internationally, even better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an important part of the pull of a program to have a character who knows what he\u2019s doing,\u201d says Paul Heaney, the CEO of TCB Media Rights. The company\u2019s catalogue features seven seasons of the Canadian production Survivorman<\/em>, which airs globally on Discovery Channel and Discovery Science. \u201cGuys like Les Stroud of Survivorman<\/em> seem to be coming to the fore because of the intensity they convey. When he\u2019s out there in the wild, he\u2019s filming himself\u2014he\u2019s on his own. That kind of commitment can relay the idea that, yes, this is as real as it gets.\u201d<\/p>\n

And that attention to detail goes a long way in creating a bond between the male viewer and his onscreen proxy. \u201cA show\u2019s appeal goes back to the person in front of the camera,\u201d says Munia Kanna-Konsek, the head of sales at Beyond Distribution. \u201cThere has to be a general empathy and maybe even a love for these hosts, because they\u2019re not doing it just to exploit certain feelings, or just for the sake of doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kanna-Konsek highlights Tim Noonan, the producer and host of Beyond\u2019s Boy to Man<\/em>, a series in which the filmmaker immerses himself in remote cultures to undergo at-times dangerous coming-of-age rituals.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe went through all of these initiation ceremonies with each of the tribes he visited, like eating the eye of an animal or getting his chest cut as part of a rite,\u201d Kanna-Konsek says. \u201cAnd he did all that because he had a passion and love for the subject matter before it morphed into a series. That\u2019s evident from the start.\u201d<\/p>\n

GEARED FOR SUCCESS<\/strong>
\nOutdoor survival isn\u2019t the only genre taking advantage of that primeval male urge for thrills and chills. Motoring has also adopted an edgier hue in order to draw male crowds, with many pointing to the BBC juggernaut Top Gear<\/em> as the series that ushered in the sea change.<\/p>\n

Launched in 1977 as a conventional motoring show, the series underwent a 2002 revamp that brought in guy\u2019s guy Jeremy Clarkson as host\u2014and later Richard Hammond and James May\u2014and added Y-chromosome-pleasing features such as full-throttle races and daredevil stunts.<\/p>\n

\u201cTop Gear<\/em> is one of those shows that really cuts through and reaches all types of male demos, producing some pretty incredible numbers,\u201d Olsson of BBC Worldwide says. \u201cWatching it achieve that success has been phenomenal.\u201d<\/p>\n

The car show will undergo yet another makeover next year, once British presenter Chris Evans takes over hosting duties. (Clarkson, Hammond and May, meanwhile, are making a reportedly very expensive show for Amazon.)<\/p>\n

\u201cMen have always been attracted to machinery, and a car show that provides plenty of that will do well, but to really stand out you have to also provide interesting personalities and an interesting backdrop,\u201d says TCB\u2019s Heaney. Among the motor-head titles in the company\u2019s lineup is Inside Jaguar: Making a Million Pound Car<\/em>, a Channel 4 commission that sees classic-car fanatic Mark Evans follow the construction of one of the world\u2019s most exclusive vehicles.<\/p>\n

Michael Lolato, the senior VP of international distribution at GRB Entertainment, also highlights the importance of motoring as a space where boys can be boys.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a show called Car Crazy<\/em> that\u2019s exactly what the title says,\u201d he notes. \u201cIt showcases the newest technology, the newest models, anything having to do with the world of cars. It\u2019s aimed at die-hard auto enthusiasts, who, let\u2019s face it, tend to be male, and it really relishes that. They can talk all they want about cars and have fun doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

CHANGING TASTES<\/strong>
\nThat male-clubhouse attitude has also bled into other factual genres, transforming the very definition of what constitutes male programming.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea of what guys want has been changing,\u201d says Lolato. \u201cSurprisingly, what\u2019s doing very well for male audiences right now are cooking and food shows. Something like our series BBQ Pitmasters<\/em> features cooking, which tends to be female-skewed, but it throws in these manly characters and a competition angle, so it becomes a perfect hybrid for the male viewer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jon Kramer, the chairman and CEO of Rive Gauche Television, agrees that lifestyle genres usually associated with female audiences can be easily flipped to hook guys\u2014as long as they have the right sort of edge.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t want a show where you\u2019re just sitting in front of a TV watching somebody scramble an egg,\u201d Kramer says. \u201cA male viewer gets bored with that. You need cooking with action in it.\u201d Kramer highlights the Rive Gauche offering The Illegal Eater<\/em>, in which former Barenaked Ladies frontman Steven Page takes viewers on tours of underground restaurants.<\/p>\n

\u201cShows that bring in high volumes of male viewers don\u2019t necessarily have to focus on traditionally male subjects,\u201d adds BBC Worldwide\u2019s Olsson. \u201cIt\u2019s interesting to note that [in 2014] more men watched the final of The Great British Bake Off<\/em> than watched the FA\u2008Cup final on BBC One, for instance.\u201d<\/p>\n

If spiced up enough, any lifestyle format can be redirected at men, says Kanna-Konsek of Beyond. \u201cOur show Chuck\u2019s Week Off: Mexico<\/em> features chef [Chuck Hughes] immersing his culinary skills and love for adventure in another country. So there\u2019s the food and the travel element, but it\u2019s presented by a masculine host who is not only appealing to women, but also to men, who watch and learn and pick up information.\u201d<\/p>\n

CO-VIEWING DEMANDS<\/strong>
\nThough more and more male-focused channels such as Spike TV are popping up worldwide, distributors are still targeting general-entertainment networks. And to do that, they\u2019re realizing the late James Brown may have been on to something when he famously crooned, \u201cThis is a man\u2019s world, but it wouldn\u2019t be nothing without a woman or a girl.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat co-viewing area is the holy grail for a lot of broadcasters,\u201d says Heaney of TCB. \u201cSo in order to sell well and widely, many producers are finding elements that will get women involved in these shows.\u201d<\/p>\n

Olsson says that women made up 37 percent of total viewers during the latest season of Top Gear<\/em>, which equates to 2.2 million viewers in the U.K. \u201cTraditionally, men are much harder to reach, so being able to also attract [the male] demographic is really valuable to broadcasters,\u201d Olsson explains. \u201cBut channels are increasingly trying to balance their audiences, to be less gender exclusive and more appropriate for co-viewing. So what we refer to as \u2018male-skewed\u2019 at BBC Worldwide tends to be factual programming that appeals to men without alienating women.\u201d<\/p>\n

BEING INCLUSIVE<\/strong>
\nA+E Networks\u2019 Habbershaw also notes that shows produced with men in mind very often can strike a chord with women viewers. \u201cVery interestingly, in Singapore, Pawn Stars<\/em>\u2019 audience is a 60-percent female skew, quite an anomaly [compared] to other markets,\u201d she says. \u201cThere is an appeal to the transactional play and informational takeaway.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additionally, a host\u2019s relatability does wonders for getting women to stick around series focusing on seemingly \u201cboys-only\u201d subjects. Electus\u2019s Pollak highlights Bear Grylls as the sort of personality able to bridge the gender gap.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, Bear is a compelling figure,\u201d says Pollak. \u201cAnd it helps that he\u2019s a good-looking, charismatic guy. People love watching him, both female and male.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, Pollak makes it clear that the thrill of an adventure should remain at the root of any factual show.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are tired of the constructed, fake reality,\u201d he says. \u201cThey want to see a show where, if you need food, you\u2019re jumping on the back of an alligator and killing it because you need to eat it, where there\u2019s not a food truck waiting for you once the camera stops rolling. Viewers watch because these shows are relatable adventures that bring them as close to the real thing as they can get from the safety of their homes. I think that is the real appeal.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Survival and motoring titles are hoping to quench the male audience\u2019s thirst for adventure.\u00a0 In their bid to supply broadcasters with content that will appeal to the much-sought-after male demo, producers and distributors worldwide are heeding the call of the wild. Within the last decade, outdoor adventure series and survivalist fare pitting rugged explorers against …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":291,"featured_media":8172,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8171","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-features","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\nBoys' Club - 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\/boys-club\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Boys' Club - TVREAL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Survival and motoring titles are hoping to quench the male audience\u2019s thirst for adventure.\u00a0 In their bid to supply broadcasters with content that will appeal to the much-sought-after male demo, producers and distributors worldwide are heeding the call of the wild. 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