BBC, Screen Scotland join training outfit TRC to find entertainment formats

UK public broadcaster the BBC and Screen Scotland have partnered with broadcast and digital training provider TRC to find the next big entertainment format.

Kalpna Patel-Knight

The initiative, called Supersizing Entertainment Formats, will be open to independent production companies based in Scotland and will run from November 2025 to April 2026.

The fully funded training programme has been launched to support BBC Entertainment and BBC Scotland’s “aspiration to find ambitious and distinctive entertainment formats” to develop as potential co-commissions.

According to the BBC, “a commitment to growing big ideas from Scotland, seeing talent in Scotland on network screens and building the entertainment industry in the country” is central to its vision.

Successful applicants will receive a combination of in-person training, masterclasses, cases studies and business advice, to help them learn what it takes to develop impactful formats of scale and benefit from direct access to experienced entertainment executives who’ve built global hits and returning series.

Louise Thornton, senior head of commissioning at BBC Scotland, said: “Scotland is full of creative talent and we know the next big smash hit entertainment format could be sitting here. We just need to find it.”

Kalpna Patel Knight, head of entertainment at the BBC, added: “We are passionate about discovering bold, original entertainment formats that resonate with audiences across the UK and beyond. Supersizing Entertainment Formats is a brilliant opportunity to tap into Scotland’s creative energy and support the next generation of standout ideas. We can’t wait to see which ambitious ideas emerge from this initiative.”