BBC Studios open for new business

BBC Studios Australia is looking to step up its business in Australia, expanding into scripted production and partnering on local projects.

BBC studios Managing Director of International Production and Formats Matt Forde oversees 7 production hubs around the world: Los Angeles, Paris, France, Mumbai, Johannesburg, the Nordics, and Australia, helmed by GM & Creative Director Kylie Washington.

“It always feels to me like there are three key English-speaking markets. One is LA, one is the UK, but the other is Australia. And I just don’t think we’re doing our best unless Australia is sitting at the centre of it. That’s something that I think we’ve achieved, but I feel like there’s a lot more potential and adding to that we’re delighted to have Warren Clarke arrive from Fremantle to fire up the scripted opportunities,” he tells TV Tonight.

“Fundamentally our foundations are those fantastic formats, like Dancing with the Stars, which we’ve sold into 60 territories and Bake Off, which has spin-off shows in around 30 territories. We also have a format sales division, where we don’t have Production, where we sell into the local broadcasters, and team up with local production companies to produce those shows.”

Recent Australian titles have included Mastermind with SBS, The Weakest Link with Nine, and The Great Australian Bake Off with Foxtel, local format Space 22 with ABC. Coming soon will be The Matchmakers for SBS and The 1% Club hosted by Jim Jeffries for Seven.

“We’ve successfully made The 1% Club in France twice now and it’s just come back and had really fantastic ratings in the second series. It’s also sold into Germany, Spain and various other places like Holland and Israel, and more to come,” he explains.

“I thought Space 22 was really extraordinary piece of TV actually. I found it very, very affecting and moving. We’re talking to customers in other territories about how you might make that in other in other places.

“And we’re now starting in original scripted production in two markets: France & India. So we’re lucky that we work for this huge, global company that’s been around for a while, but we’re a relatively young international production business.”

“Ghosts has been a huge hit on BBC One. We’ve also produced through our partnership with Lionsgate in the States, an American version of Ghosts, which has just been picked up for its third series on CBS. It is now the biggest comedy in the US if you look at the +7.”

Luther is also being adapted in India as Rudra: The Edge of Darkness using Mumbai as an “almost Blade Runner-esque backdrop to the show.”

Last week BBC Studios announced a ‘first look’ deal with Big Owl productions, led by former Head of Television at Warner Bros Australia, Shaun Murphy.

The hiring of Warren Clarke (The Heights) signals a push into scripted content, as BBC Studios looks to work with other creatives locally.

“Australia is interesting in that sense in that the Netflix’s and the Amazons of this world have done some stuff, but they haven’t done tons of stuff. Stan is very successful in its own right. So there’s opportunity both at the networks who remain hungry for good content, and also at the SVODs,” he continues.

“We will look at opportunities to work with the best Australian talent to develop original shows in the scripted area in Australia.”

Of Unscripted content he notes, “What I love about the, the Australian market, and it’s always been the case, is that there’s always been an absolutely amazing appetite for entertainment formats, but also what Australia does is kind of change them, adapt them, amp them up, if you like. MasterChef is a great example. That’s what I love about the Australian market.. it’s not a case of, ‘Here’s the show, let’s just remake it.’ It’s ‘Here’s the show, what are we going to do in Australia to make this really huge?'”