Anna Taganov, head of children’s content and programming strategy at the BBC, reveals the trends she expects to see in the kids’ space in 2023, why coproduction is “the way forward” and why the Beeb wants more comedy.
Anna Taganov
How will the streaming boom and influx of AVoD/FAST platforms continue to impact the business?
With more and more choice it’s harder to cut through, plus there are different access points for audiences. You have to offer strong content to get noticed and create something extraordinary, like [animated preschool hit] Bluey, if you hope to achieve global success. As the landscape evolves, one of the possible outcomes I can see more of is smaller niche platforms popping up and in several years there might be a case for streaming aggregators to emerge, which is already being pioneered in the US.
What are the biggest challenges and opportunities for kids’ TV in 2023?
Funding is a constant challenge, even for those with deep pockets, which means coproduction is the way forward. Granted things might take longer to negotiate and produce, but on the plus side, the production values and the quality of the creative could be higher.
What programming trends do you expect to see this year?
Every platform is after different types of content, but we keep saying we want more comedy. The world is hard enough with pandemics, climate challenges, wars and a looming recession all at the forefront of our audiences’ minds. Those Gen Alpha kids are a generation of activists, they care and they are here to change the world, which comes with understanding and sensitivity at a far younger age. We know there is a real need to give kids hope and give them tools to help overcome their growing anxieties. BBC Children’s & Education is doing a lot in this area but in addition to that, I feel sit-back shows – cleverly written, either warm and feel-good, witty and subtle or bonkers and laugh-out-loud comedies – for kids of all ages is the genre we can’t have too much of.
How will BBC Children’s be changing its strategy to adapt to the new landscape in 2023?
BBC Children’s has three core directions we have been following in the last couple of years, which we strongly believe will allow us to remain ahead of the curve. The first is maximising the commercial potential of our content while still delivering high-quality kids’ programming that reflects the UK and BBC values. The second is looking to strengthen alliances with public broadcasters worldwide, as well as forming partnerships within the UK creative industry. The UK has so much storytelling heritage to offer and a high proven potential to create and export amazing content for kids anywhere and everywhere. And finally, commission only the best! We are lucky and spoiled for choice when it comes to content that is pitched to us and we make sure to keep recommissioning our strongest shows and picking top notch new ideas.
How will consolidation change things in the year ahead?
M&A is not a new trend. I was with Disney when Marvel and Lucasfilm were acquired, which supersized both companies’ franchise portfolio exposure, and as well during the Disney/Fox merger in 2019. There is plenty of unique nuance to every new ‘business marriage,’ but on the whole, usually when the dust settles internally (restructures, overcoming culture clashes, pivoting business strategies etc) companies emerge stronger, benefiting from each other’s expertise and know-how in creating content, acquiring audience and building franchises. This is largely true for mid-size and small players. We’ve seen successes in distribution companies acquiring studios and kids’ content specialists joining general entertainment portfolios. It is all about new opportunities for those who are not opposed to constant change and can thrive fuelled by it.
