C4 reaches the Summit

CONTENT LONDON: Channel 4 drama controller Piers Wenger has come onboard as a speaker at C21’s International Drama Summit, which forms part of Content London between November 29 and December 1.

Piers Wenger

Wenger, who has served at C4 since 2012, helms all drama output across the broadcaster’s channels and platforms: Channel 4, E4, More4 and All4.

He will take part in a one-on-one controller interview discussing the broadcaster’s drama strategy and a slate that has included Humans, Indian Summers, No Offence, This is England 90, Cucumber and Banana.

Forthcoming new shows include Jack Thorne’s National Treasure, Howard Overman’s new E4 series Crazy Face, Peter Komisky’s much-anticipated drama about ISIS and Electric Dreams, a copro with Sony Pictures Television based on short stories by sci-fi novelist Philip K Dick.

C4’s international copro strategy is likely to be a topic of conversation at the event, after recent figures estimated that around 80% of the channel’s output will be coproduced as of 2017.

Wenger previously worked as a senior commissioning exec at Film4 and was an executive producer of the BBC’s Doctor Who. The UK’s Radio Times recently cited Wenger as a frontrunner for the vacant head of drama commissioning role the BBC, which is expected to be announced soon.

This week it was also announced that former BBC drama chief Ben Stephenson, now head of television at JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot, had joined the line-up for the International Drama Summit in addition to British screenwriter/director Tony Grisoni.

The International Drama Summit, part of C21’s Content London, takes place at Picturehouse Central between November 29 and December 1, with the venue opening for registration and the opening night party on November 28. You can find out more about the event and register online by clicking here.

The three-day event features an unrivalled conference agenda, drama premieres, screenings programme, coproduction marketplace, networking lounges, drama series case studies, broadcaster briefings, writers’ room strand, craft workshops, coproduction and finance sessions, kids’ content futures, and much more.

For the latest information about the event follow us on Twitter using the hashtag #C21DS.

We will be announcing one speaker a day between now and the end of September. Earlybird rates are available.

For more information email [email protected] or call C21 on +44 (0)20 7729 7460.