U.K. Channels Guide: BBC Two

PREMIUM: Janice Hadlow, controller of BBC Two, discusses the channel’s need for original drama and informative factual fare.

How do you schedule the channel from morning through late night, Monday through Sunday?
Morning schedule is devoted to children until about 11 a.m. Factual programs at the core of peak-time are scheduled as “the beating heart of the channel’s identity.” Comedy is also important (especially on weekends).

Are you acquiring content from the international market?
Sometimes. Examples would be Mad Men (reruns) stripped late night. Nurse Jackie.

Are you buying second-run content from within your home market?
No.

What is your approach to commissioning new productions from domestic producers?
BBC Two will increase its hours of original drama, drawing on new funding, and will establish drama as a more regular treat in the schedule. The task is to create a distinctive voice for the channel’s output. New commissions include two-part adaptation of Money by Martin Amis. Comedy commissions include new series of last year’s hit Miranda and Whites, starring Alan Davies as an ambitious chef. BBC Two is the home channel of BBC Films.

Do you have any blocks or slots you are looking to fill?
Seeking factual programming that delivers pleasure alongside substance. Shows that combine genuinely informative content with entertainment values in a way that widens BBC Two’s appeal without diluting its distinctiveness. Many of channel’s most successful shows reflect the enthusiasms of its audience such as Top Gear, many food shows. Special interest in drama based on fact.

Are you pursuing international co-productions? If so, what kinds of partnerships and projects are you looking for?
Factual often co-produced, such as Do We Really Need The Moon? with Discovery. New spy thriller Page Eight, David Hare‘s first original screenplay for 20 years, will be distributed internationally by NBCUniversal. 

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