BBC looking to build ‘wall of great formats’ for primetime Saturday, says Kate Phillips
Kate Phillips (far right) at Mipcom with (L-R) Sumi Connock, exec VP global creative network and formats, BBCS; Vegard B Normann, head of entertainment, TV2 Norway; Niklas Vestberg, head of formats and development, TV4 Sweden; and Julien Degroote, EVP, content development, TF1 Group
MIPCOM: UK public broadcaster the BBC is looking for primetime Saturday night formats with “killer, distinctive ideas” and is open to pitches for singing talent shows once again, says chief content officer Kate Phillips.
The former director of unscripted was speaking at a BBC Studios Premium Unscripted Formats session here in Cannes, where she outlined the BBC’s current content needs.
The session saw producers and commissioners talk about some of the highlights of BBC Studios’ Mipcom slate, including Nation’s Dumbest and Wisdom of the Crowd.
“The unscripted space is in rude health,” Phillips told a roomful of buyers in the Palais des Festivals. “My background is in format creation, I used to run a formats company and I still get excited about new shows.
“The key is something that has the ability to grow. It could be low-cost, high-volume. It could be scaled up for primetime. If it’s got those great format beats at its heart, you can play around with it and adapt it to different markets.
“For us at the BBC, what we’re always looking for is that USP – that killer, distinctive idea. Everything has been done before, we know that, but how are we going to do things differently this time?”
The broadcaster’s Saturday night schedule is currently occupied by strategy and trust gameshow The Inner Circle, created by Tern, quiz super brand The Weakest Link, hosted by Romesh Ranganathan, and talent show juggernaut Strictly Come Dancing (Dancing with the Stars).
Phillips says despite the importance of content for its streamer iPlayer, formats still play a vital role in drawing millions of viewers to its flagship linear brand at the weekends.
“I’ve talked about our digital strategy and, yes, iPlayer is a big play for us going forward, but we still want our linear channels to be strong and Saturday nights are a real family destination,” she said.
“It’s really important to have a wall of great formats. So kicking off with a great gameshow, into a massive talent performance piece, then another great show. We feel like you can stick with us for the whole night.”
Phillips also believes that talent- and performance-based formats could be making a comeback after slipping out of fashion for a few years.
“I remember when I was selling formats and the BBC weren’t buying any more singing shows because they were tired of them,” she told delegates. “Then The Voice came along and everything changed because it was a really clever way of doing that kind of format. So I would never say never on any genre.”
