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Particle6 explores the science of formats

ruthlawes

ruthlawes

08-11-2021
© C21Media

Raj Kalra, VP of content and US distribution strategy at Particle6 Productions, discusses why being outlandish is not the key to a format’s success, as the company explores comedy and science.

Eline Van der Velden stars in and developed comedy Miss Holland

UK-based Particle6 Productions was started by Eline Van der Velden in 2015, shortly after the Dutch comedian and producer found success with her online comedy sketches, including a parody of a terrible first date.

Given Van der Velden’s comedic prowess and years spent studying physics at Imperial College London, it’s unsurprising that Particle6’s slate focuses on science, comedy and a combination of the two.

Brought in to spearhead the company’s US expansion earlier this year, Raj Kalra, VP of content and US distribution strategy, says a Particle6 show is always “fun,” irrespective of the subject.

“There’s a comedic sensibility to everything we do, and when we approach science projects, whether it be hard science or social science, we think about how to make it fun,” he adds. “We want people to leave our programmes feeling like they’ve learnt something but not like they’ve been taught something. Commissioners don’t want programmes to hit audiences over the head with issues; people still want to have fun.”

Raj Kalra

Kalra knows a thing or two about what buyers want, having joined Particle6 from A+E Networks, where he was director of international programming. He was previously director of global content distribution strategy for Marvel Television and has also worked in brand management for The Walt Disney Company.

For Kalra, formats need to be “fun, repeatable and accessible,” rather than involving advanced tech gimmicks or costing the earth. “If you look at a format like The Masked Singer, which has been really big, it’s not a technologically advanced format. It feels, to me at least, retro,” he says. “I don’t think the next big format will be some kind of industry-defining programme. It won’t be novel; it will be fun.”

Nor does Kalra think the global streamers will necessarily dominate the genre in the way they currently do with premium drama, for example. “As a consumer, I watch a lot of formats at home on the streaming services, but I’ve not seen anything that has been like, ‘Wow, they really did something new.’ Anything I’ve seen on the streamers, I could have easily watched on a broadcaster or cable network,” he says.

What Kalra does believe is crucial to a successful format, however, is the cast. “It really does come down to who is in the show. It’s the casting that keeps us tuned in,” he says. “Formats where we’ve been iffy on the presenter means we will switch off, while compelling judges mean we will keep coming back.”

Founder Van der Velden stars in and developed comedy Miss Holland, commissioned as a 5×6’ series by UK pubcaster the BBC. In it, she plays a beauty queen from Holland who sets out to explore British culture and find her Prince Charming. Among other activities, she is taught to be classy by a former royal butler and gets a makeover with Love Island star Chloe Crowhurst.

Spotting the potential in the character that Kalra compares to a female Borat, Particle6 has now developed Miss Holland from a shortform series into a series consisting of 30-minute episodes. It is also being adapted for international markets, including France and New Zealand. In the French version, for example, Miss Holland finds herself getting engaged at the Eiffel Tower and trying to replicate the Mona Lisa. “The character can really go anywhere,” Kalra says. “She is funny and brilliant, and it’s refreshing to see that kind of character from a female perspective.”

In the unscripted space, Kalra says the firm is looking to develop projects that tackle human rights and the environment. “We want to make shows that speak to those issues, whether it’s climate change or food scarcity, and that put entertainment first,” he adds.

Finally, entertainment-driven but also educational kids’ programming is Particle6’s other main development area. Kalra points to Hypatia’s Mathematical Maze, produced by the firm for BBC Teach, as an example of the shows Particle6 wants to produce more of for young audiences.