COMMISSIONERS AT UKTV


Richard Watsham Director of Commissioning


Hilary Rosen Deputy Director of Commissioning and Head of Factual & Factual Entertainment


Helen Nightingale Senior Commissioning Editor


Kirsty Hanson Commissioning Editor


Emile Nawagamuwa Commissioning Executive


Bangers and Cash UKTV


UKTV is commissioning factual across its entertainment channel W and history and documentaries channel Yesterday, as well as a smaller amount for comedy platform Dave and archive-related content on Gold.


On W, UKTV wants formats and observational docs that are ‘scaleable, saleable and highly returnable.’ Delivering Babies with Emma Willis is a great favourite, while a successful new title is South Shore’s Extreme Food Phobics, anchored by Dr Ranjit Singh.


The flavour of shows that could work on W would be Channel 4 Dinner Dates or Come Dine with Me, or Discovery’s Don’t Tell the Bride. Touchpoint territories are the worlds of relationships, families, eating, travelling, self-improvement. It’s about real world casts; celebrity isn’t necessary. The tone is broad, warm, inviting and highly entertaining.


REAL WORLDS ON W


W is keen on real worlds, with ordinary people doing heroic jobs. Coming up is Nurse on the Ward from Label 1. Inspired by Label 1’s Hospital for the BBC, W collaborated with the indie to


find something with same warmth, intimacy and intelligence. Nurse on the Ward has a docusoap feel and highlights the nurses’ compassion, humour and warmth, as well as expertise.


In the same vein, there’s Making Babies with Alex Jones from RDF West, where Jones is learning about fertility treatment. On W, there’s a theme of celebrities leaning in and learning. Upcoming is Rochelle Humes: Interior Designer in the Making, from Outline. Humes is passionate about interiors, with an Instagram following on the theme. Here she’s let loose on real client homes, while also taking an interior design course.


Yesterday might be billed as a history channel, but it isn’t about monarchy or wars. Instead it opens a door into specialist worlds. Observational documentary hit Bangers and Cash, made by Air TV, follows the Mathewson family and their classic car auction business in Yorkshire. Another title that’s worked well is Secrets of the Transport Museum, from Middlechild Productions.


A new title for Yesterday is BBC Studios’ Scouting for Toys that follows one of the UK’s largest toy auctioneers, based


in Newcastle. Extra history and broader content distinguishes the programming from daytime. The Yesterday audience is interested in collectables and this cast is a passionate set of vintage toy experts. It’s a show at the intersection of knowledge, nostalgia and with a revelatory ‘how-much-is-it-worth’ Antiques Roadshow moment.


TOP TALENT ON GOLD


On Gold, factual shows need to feature big name talent to bring the BBC archive to life. Last year, Vicar of Dibley: Inside Out retrospective, produced by Expectation, was a winner, as was Double Yellow TV’s French and Saunders: Funny Women. Coming up is five-part series Billy Connolly Does, from Moonshine Features, where he talks about his life through archive.


UKTV will find higher budgets for big talent. Coming up on Gold is Ricky and Ralf’s Very Northern


Road Trip, with Ricky Tomlinson and Ralf Little from comedy drama hit The Royle Family.


On Dave, one recent commission is Special Ops: Crime Squad UK from Red Sauce. While the main push is comedy, UKTV also wants Dave faces in the factual entertainment space. It’s probably best to steer clear of travelogue as it’s already working on a reskinned version of Renegade Picture’s World’s Most Dangerous Roads, featuring comedy pairings.


What is UKTV not looking for? Shiny floor entertainment, sport or current affairs, or one-off films.


Nurse on the Ward, See the Televisual Factual Films at televisual.com 21


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