Non-scripted producers and distributors didn’t get the Hollywood-strike-driven uplift they were hoping for, but they are arguably looking over at the kids’ and drama sectors and thinking, “I’m glad that’s not me.”
Ricardo Seguin Guise Publisher
Mansha Daswani Editor-in-Chief
Anna Carugati Editor-at-Large
Kristin Brzoznowski Executive Editor
Jamie Stalcup
Senior Associate Editor
Alexa Alfano
Associate Editor David Diehl
Production & Design Director
Simon Weaver Online Director
Dana Mattison
Sales & Marketing Director
Genovick Acevedo
Sales & Marketing Manager
Ute Schwemmer Bookkeeper
“We all saw significant growth [in commissions] in 2022 and 2021,” said Ampere Analysis’s Fred Black at the last MIPDoc in Cannes on the surge in new content creation at the height of the streaming wars. “Then we had this really big drop-off in 2023. For unscripted genres, the picture is more positive. Entertainment, documentary and reality were among the genres that grew the most in 2022 and fell the least in 2023.”
Black noted that the balance between scripted and unscripted has also shifted. “Documentary commissions have outweighed scripted commissions in eight of the last nine quarters. Over this period, reality commissions have been roughly equal to scripted commissions. So, while unscripted is in decline, it’s becoming more important for commissioners.”
Universal Television Alternative Studio’s Toby Gorman and BBC Studios Natural History Unit’s Mike Gunton and Holly Spearing took MIPTV delegates behind the scenes of The Americas at a session moderated by World Screen’s Anna Carugati.
A look at the making of Nat Geo’s Secrets of the Octopus.
The outfit’s CEO weighs in on industry trends.
Ricardo Seguin Guise President
Anna Carugati Executive VP
Mansha Daswani
Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development
TV Real
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What all of this means for IP owners is a key theme of the TV Real Festival this week and of this edition of TV Real. We have a Q&A with BossaNova’s Paul Heaney and behind-the-scenes looks at Nat Geo’s Secrets of the Octopus and the upcoming The Americas, NBC’s big bet on prime-time wildlife from BBC Studios Natural History Unit. Mansha Daswani
Buffalo Bill—The Inventor of the Wild West / Parents in the Wild / The Secret Knowledge of Animals
Albatross World Sales’ Buffalo Bill—The Inventor of the Wild West tells the story of the 19th-century showman who invented the popular romanticized version of the Wild West. Parents in the Wild follows wildlife parents and “has stories for everyone,” says Anne Olzmann, managing director. The Secret Knowledge of Animals delves into research that unveils the secrets that shape animals’ lives and behavior, combining “rare and beautiful footage and engaging scientific research,” Olzmann says.
“Our lineup underscores our commitment to delivering stories that not only entertain but also educate and inspire.”
—Anne OlzmannWunderland / Kui Buri—Thailand’s Hidden Eden / Railway Revolution—How Trains Shaped Our World
The documentary Wunderland, highlighting the people who work on the model railway system in Hamburg’s Miniatur Wunderland, leads Autentic Distribution’s slate. It “takes viewers on a magical and mesmerizing journey into the smallest world in the world,” says Mirjam Strasser, head of sales and acquisitions. Kui Buri—Thailand’s Hidden Eden explores the Southeast Asian national park. Railway Revolution—How Trains Shaped Our World examines the history of the railway from its beginning in England in the 1830s to now.
Railway Revolution—How Trains Shaped Our World
“We are thrilled to engage with buyers about our new summer releases—which include some truly captivating documentaries—at the upcoming markets.”
—Mirjam Strasser
Parents in the Wild
The Real Jungle Book / Nicobar Islands—A Monkey’s Long Tale / Corridors of Life
ORF-Enterprise has on offer The Real Jungle Book, filmed entirely in India. The title follows the daily and seasonal struggles of animals as they obey the unwritten laws of the jungle and strive to raise a new generation. Nicobar Islands—A Monkey’s Long Tale explores the unique tropical paradise, which is largely barred to visitors, along with the macaques and other species that live there. Corridors of Life spotlights the vital animal migration pathways that have been interrupted by human settlements, roads, factories and power plants.
The Real Jungle Book
Time: A Journey Through Thousands of Years / The Lost Women Spies / Wild Talk
ZDF Studios’ two-parter Time: A Journey Through Thousands of Years explores the discovery of time, the history of time measurement and the effect it has on our lives today. The Lost Women Spies is “a gripping, poignant docudrama series about the fate of British female spies in World War II,” says Ralf Rückauer, VP Unscripted. “There is a genuine demand from viewers wanting to discover more about women in war,” he adds. Wild Talk reveals how animals communicate, showcasing the scientists and technology at the heart of this research.
“Our catalog contains a wide selection of excellent documentaries created by talented producers and renowned co- producers.”
—Ralf Rückauer Wild Talk
Universal Television Alternative Studio’s Toby Gorman, BBC Studios Natural History Unit’s Mike Gunton and series editor Holly Spearing took MIPTV delegates behind the scenes of the big-budget event series The Americas at a session moderated by World Screen’s Anna Carugati. The ten-part blue-chip production, narrated by Tom Hanks with a score from Oscar winner Hans Zimmer, is set to air on NBC in prime time in 2025. The MIPTV panel saw Gorman, president of Universal Television Alternative Studio; Gunton, creative director at BBC Studios’ storied Natural History Unit (NHU); and Spearing, series editor at the BBC, showcase clips from the series while sharing insights into its five-year journey to the screen with Carugati, editor-at-large at World Screen. Gunton had long wanted to spotlight the natural wonders of the Americas, and knew he needed a partner of significant size to collaborate on the production. “For some reason, no one
had ever done a full job on the whole of the Americas. The scale was so huge, I thought, there aren’t many places that will be able to take this on.”
Gorman noted, “We would have never thought about doing it in our backyard. That’s what was so special about the concept Mike brought to us.”
Gunton added, “There’s nowhere on Earth that has this range; its head is almost in the Arctic, and its toes almost in the Antarctic. It splits the two greatest oceans on the planet: the Atlantic and the Pacific. It goes through the tropics, the equator, deserts and ice caps; you can’t imagine anything more diverse. As a wildlife filmmaker, it’s all about superlatives, and [The Americas] has all the superlatives. The biggest trees and rivers, the deepest canyons and A-list animals of an extraordinary nature. It was just a dream to do it.”
“We wanted to show things that people have never seen before.”
—Mike Gunton
To showcase all of that diversity, “we wanted to show things that people have never seen before,” Gunton said. “It’s all about firsts. Now, that’s tough. The low-hanging fruit has all been taken. The difficult things are left. One of the things we’ve been most gratified about is we have been able to do things that people have never seen before, in ways they’ve never seen before.”
The third installment of National Geographic’s Secrets of… franchise, Secrets of the Octopus, delves into the underwater creatures that are almost like aliens on Earth.
Adam Geiger, executive producer of the series and creative director of SeaLight Pictures, says the idea for the series came about because the production company was frequently diving and encountering the creatures. After conducting some research, they realized “just how incredible [octopuses] are and how much there is to learn about them,” he says.
Sy Montgomery, who authored the companion book of the same name and has past experiences with octopuses, as documented in The Soul of an Octopus , adds, “These are creatures who think and feel and know. Despite the fact they’ve got three hearts, blue blood and a brain that wraps around their throat and [can] change
color and shape and shoot ink and venom, you can be friends with an octopus.”
“They look at the world in some ways similar to the way we do,” Montgomery continues. “They want to play with the same toys that our children enjoy; they love play and exploration. We wanted our work to bring that truth to the public, to share that love for a creature that is different. It just expands your consciousness, your compassion and your world.”
The Secrets of… franchise is executive produced by James Cameron, who was involved behind the scenes. “He
“ Octopuses are kind of quirky and funny and mischievous.”
—Dr. Alex Schnell
is such an ambassador for our oceans,” notes Dr. Alex Schnell, a National Geographic Explorer and host of the series. “He loves deep sea exploration, and he loves octopuses. It was just so fascinating to hear his perspective and also about how octopuses had influenced his work in his new Avatar films and just the way he was connecting with the octopus.”
The three-parter also features Paul Rudd as a narrator. “Octopuses are kind of quirky and funny and mischievous, and we really wanted that to shine with our narrator as well,” Schnell says. “He’s done such a fantastic job.”
Since 2021, Paul Heaney’s BossaNova has been hosting its annual Development Day event, bringing together buyers and producers with a view to crafting shows that will meet a commissioner’s remit while also being able to cut through globally. The event has been a resounding success for BossaNova, spawning projects like The Flight Attendant Murders , a Flicker Productions doc that landed on Sundance Now in the U.S. and Foxtel Group and SBS in Australia. Heaney, founder and CEO of BossaNova, tells TV Real about how the indie is traversing the ups and downs of the market today.
TV REAL: How do you assess the state of the factual distribution business at present?
HEANEY: The often-mentioned “reset button” has been well and truly pushed; we are now coming out of the other side. We are in a higher-risk landscape without a doubt, so obviously, the rewards are greater, too. But we are talking factual, so it’s all relative in that regard. The
BossaNova team is finding it very encouraging right now. It seems to be projects from all areas of the content spectrum are coming our way—budgets big and small, one-offs and series—and the subject matter is showing signs of widening; it needs to! We were in danger of everyone crowding into a few subgenres and fighting for attention.
“Projects from all areas of the content spectrum are coming our way—budgets big and small.”
TV REAL: Is AVOD playing a greater role in your overall monetization strategies?
HEANEY: Yes, more and more, but in terms of financing, we are totally pragmatic. With barely 1,000 hours, we need to ensure that we are delivering the highest fees to our producers. AVOD is catching up here, but we have high expectations.
TV REAL: What’s your sense of what broadcasters and platforms are looking for in acquisitions?
HEANEY: Pretty much as before! Three main silos: A franchise with great access that could return, old favorites that can scale up and deliver even more episodes across a year, and noisy signature singles and short-run series to prevent churn and attract a subscriber base.
