ENTERTAINMENT
GENRE REPORT
PHIL HARRIS, HEAD OF ENTERTAINMENT, CHANNEL 4
formats. “Things are getting either much more expensive, or much cheaper,” say McLean. While the focus is on the big shows, there are still plenty of humdingers that come in at an affordable price-tag like long-runners Catchphrase on ITV or Pointless on the BBC. McLean has found ways of reducing cost
with new tech. “Post production cost has come down. We’re using 3D mapping and CGI for the start of Masked Singer, done by one guy on his laptop.” And with studio space at a premium, “people are having to be very creative. We’re looking at space that we can make look like studios. A lot more of the value added comes in post these days. The content is there in the studio, but it’s in the edit that it really comes to life.” At Banijay, Townley talks about bringing
technology into entertainment concepts. Since Banijay’s acquisition of Endemol Shine the superindie’s multi-million pound creative fund has developed nearly 100 projects. “We’re seeing a lot in the development pipeline that has that technology focus,” he says. While Remarkable has used VR on Your Home Made Perfect, there are other shows that use voting apps or AI. Banijay is in a great position to collaborate with international partners to bring ideas to the
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televisual.com Summer 2023
screen. Pretty much all entertainment ideas need international money. Entertainment is increasingly an international business, with formats originating all over the world. Belgium and the Netherlands are still hot spots, as are South Korea and the US, although the UK is high on the leaderboard. At ITV, Katie Rawcliffe talks about
“massive brands that go across the year every year,” There are “new things that we’re peppering in and around” but the focus is on big. Phil Harris at Channel 4 says: “I don’t think we ever want to go into an idea thinking it’s a small thing, because that’s quite a hard place to be.” And the other thing you don’t want in an
Entertainment show in 2023 is cruel. Tone is firmly with warm, funny and kind. “The best idea in the world can live or die by the tone that talent bring to it,” says Rawcliffe. So, it’s interesting to consider the very fine line that’s being trodden in Traitors, playfully hosted by Claudia Winkleman. “Bringing an element of darkness to gameplay is something that one may not think is a natural bedfellow for an ‘entertainment’ series,” says Patel Knight. “But the risk has certainly been worth the reward and is ultimately what the audience wants, which is what we are here for.”
What’s worked for you recently? Taskmaster does phenomenally well – with ongoing story lines and a big finish, it’s a model that brings people to linear and streaming. Tempting Fortune and Scared of the Dark are both noisy, fun reality shows with a touch of purpose. Tempting Fortune feels funny, escapist and it was in a proper world, a lovely place to be. Joe Lycett v David Beckham is a good example of talkability, noisy stuff that has a purpose to it, but is thoroughly entertaining as well. Similarly, Prince Andrew: The Musical - it’s extremely serious, but dealt with in a very satirical, unique and Channel 4 way that created lots of noise. What’s your focus at the moment? We’ve made a conscious move to commission reality. Alongside that we’ve tried to dial up live, to make that feel incredibly special, appointment to view, in the face of all the streaming choice. The Friday Night Live special rated fantastically well and won a BAFTA. Late Night Lycett was loud and proud, from his home town, Birmingham. It was uniquely us in terms of representation and naughtiness. And Last Leg Live on a Friday night. This year, with the return of Stand up to Cancer, we’ll be looking to make more talked- about live moments. These shows create huge noise on social. What are you looking for? I think we’re always interested in big talent doing things slightly differently. Claudia Winkleman and Ask One Question or Jimmy Carr’s I Literally Just Told You. They’ve never done a game show or quiz in that way. New talent is always interesting. We’re developing ideas with Munya Chawawa. And those shows that have a mixed economy of talent, like on Taskmaster. We have our 10pm training slopes. We’ll always be looking for streamable reality. And with singles, if ever there’s something noisy that feels big enough, we’ll always turn our heads.
LATE NIGHT LYCETT
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