NATURAL HISTORY


FACTUAL TV


Off the Fence saw a rise in demand during Covid. Chief creative officer Allison Bean says, “It’s one of those Switzerland places, where you don’t harm or offend anyone by watching the genre, it’s family friendly.” The streamers have all invested in natural


history. What’s not to love for an international service? It delivers universal stories that translate across boundaries. “They are all trying to out-shock and awe each other,” says Laura Marshall, ceo of Icon Films and chair of wildlife conservation story-telling charity Wildscreen. It’s a battle that needs deep pockets. “The streamers coming into the market has made the inflation in budgets enormous.” Large budgets for landmark shows will get


harder to land, warns Scholey, with BBC funding diminishing and streamer consolidation. He sees a “tightening” in the market; “everything’s got to be valued for investment.” “There are headwinds at the moment,” says


Holmes, referencing the cost-of-living crisis, alongside market consolidation. “But long term everybody wants to be in natural history. We’re working for unexpected clients, people who haven’t done natural history before and are dipping their toe in the water.” Producer and distributor Off the Fence has sold natural history to Curiosity Stream. While CNN aired its first natural history this year, six-parter Patagonia from Plimsoll. Producers report a squeeze on lower budget


shows at £500k or below for an episode. “Before, there were quite a lot of beautiful, well-told Natural


YOU DON’T HARM OR OFFEND ANYONE BY WATCHING


SWITZERLAND PLACES, WHERE


THE GENRE, IT’S FAMILY FRIENDLY”


“IT’S ONE OF THOSE


Worlds, or mid-range BBC or PBS shows that took a topic and explored in some detail, but without the bells and whistles,” says Marshall. At Off the Fence, the answer is co-production and pre-finance. They have delivered Destination Wild shows to Nat Geo each year, but the Disney-owned service is now looking for all rights. “We’ll end up making them for ourselves,” says Bean. “Nat Geo will buy them, and we will keep the rights.” Bean says that, beyond the landmarks, there’s


a content gap. Off the Fence is making around 20 hours of entertainment-led programming to bolster its natural history catalogue. There’s scope across a range of programming.


At True to Nature, founder Wendy Darke thinks of natural world programming in five camps: premium nature; talent-led; adventure and travel; childrens; and genre mash-up.


HYBRID FORMS To keep the audience engaged with premium shows, Sky-owned True to Nature has been bor- rowing from sports commentary as well as drama tropes. “You feel in the moment, it’s happening almost minute by minute,” explains Darke. Sky Showcase features premium programming of all kinds. “The audience has just watched a big match, a big drama, so tonally, it needs to have the energy, emotional sophistication, relatability so it sits comfortably in a world where most of the audience are seeking escapism, to have some fun and entertainment, to feel connected, but to learn in an effortless way.”


Summer 2022 televisual.com 37


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