TV Real MIPCOM 2019

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OCTOBER 2019

MIPCOM EDITION

Doc Distribution Trends / Travel Series / Damian Lewis / Smithsonian’s Tom Hayden Homicide Hunter’s Joe Kenda / World of Wonder’s Fenton Bailey

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CONTENTS

Reality Bites At a price tag of about $400 million, Discovery, Inc.’s ten-year deal for the exclusive SVOD rights to BBC Studios’ naturalhistory slate (outside of the U.K., Ireland and Greater China) marked a defining moment in the doc streaming wars.

Ricardo Seguin Guise Publisher Anna Carugati Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani Editor Kristin Brzoznowski Executive Editor Chelsea Regan Alison Skilton Associate Editors David Diehl Production & Design Director Phyllis Q. Busell Art Director Simon Weaver Online Director Dana Mattison Senior Sales & Marketing Manager Genovick Acevedo Sales & Marketing Coordinator Andrea Moreno Business Affairs Manager

Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development TV Real ©2019 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website: www.tvreal.ws

BBC Studios’ largest ever content deal will power Discovery’s upcoming streamer, which is set for launch in 2020. Subscribers will be able to access iconic shows like Planet Earth, Blue Planet and Life; future landmark series; Discovery’s own deep library and original content.

It’s a compelling offer for natural-history buffs and a much-needed differentiator in what is becoming a very crowded space. To gain the attention of doc lovers, Discovery’s streamer will not only be competing with the likes of Netflix—whose One Planet landed ten Emmy nominations this year—and Disney+, the SVOD home of National Geographic, but also CuriosityStream, Smithsonian Channel Plus, Love Nature and more.

All this competition is fantastic for consumers and even better for producers, who now have many more places to pitch. For distributors, the streaming space presents loads of opportunities—and complications, per the executives I surveyed for a piece in this edition about the state of the factual-content-sales business. More clients—great. Pressures on traditional broadcast clients— not so great. Complex windowing strategies—worth it if the deals are lucrative; less so if it’s a rev-share pact with a platform that has yet to reach scale. Layer on top rapidfire consolidation that is locking up a lot of talent, and it’s clear that the doc-distribution game is not what it used to be. Whereas you could in the past pick up a fully funded completed show and take it worldwide, these days you generally need a seat at the table with producers and you have to be smart about how you slice and dice the rights you have to offer.

You also need to be able to deliver compelling access, a point that is stressed in our report on trends in travel docs.

And it really helps to have an engaging personality front your show. Like award-winning actor Damian Lewis, who Alaska TV and HISTORY enlisted for the new series Damian Lewis: Spy Wars. You can read an interview with Lewis in this edition. We also hear from Joe Kenda, the star of ID’s fanfavorite Homicide Hunter. Fenton Bailey, producer of RuPaul’s Drag Race, talks about fan engagement. And Smithsonian Networks’ Tom Hayden discusses the importance of having an iconic, recognizable brand in today’s fragmented landscape.

—Mansha Daswani

FEATURES 18 SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST Amid market shifts, factual distributors are redefining how they do business.

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28 A WORLD AWAY

Spotlighting innovation in travel docs.

28 INTERVIEWS

36 Damian Lewis

40 Smithsonian Networks’ Tom Hayden

44 Homicide Hunter’s Joe Kenda

46 World of Wonder’s Fenton Bailey

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A+E Networks The UnXplained with William Shatner / Damian Lewis: Spy Wars / JFK Jr.—The Final Year The A+E Networks anthology series The UnXplained with William Shatner, hosted by the world-renowned Star Trek actor, explores mysteries of the world with the help of top scientists, historians, engineers and researchers. Damian Lewis: Spy Wars features the Homeland star delving into covert missions in modern-day history aided by recently declassified information, experts and intelligence officers who were on the ground. Marking 20 years since the tragic death, JFK Jr.—The Final Year, based on a new book by Steven M. Gillon, unpacks evidence of the political aspirations of the 35th president’s son before his fatal plane crash. “A+E Networks offers some of the most groundbreaking and buzziest series in the media landscape, and we are building on that success,” says Robyn Hurd, the company’s VP of content sales for EMEA.

“The very foundation of our programming pedigree is truth, which is the primary strand of our storytelling DNA.”

JFK Jr.—The Final Year

—Robyn Hurd

ABC Commercial Wild Wars Australia / Wild Australians / Searching for Superhuman Leading ABC Commercial’s factual slate at MIPCOM is the four-parter Wild Wars Australia, which highlights the killing strategies that are used by the creatures that have been shaped by the island continent’s challenging environment. Over the course of six episodes, Wild Australians travels across the continent to explore some of its most fascinating animals that have evolved to survive within its ancient landscape. Searching for Superhuman provides a deep dive into recent scientific discoveries about how humans can be smarter and stronger and live longer and healthier lives. Josie Mason-Campbell, head of factual and entertainment for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, says, “All of these series are perfect for subprime-time viewing, have broad international audience appeal and are perfect for multichannel platforms.”

Searching for Superhuman

“We have a fabulous new slate of factual programs from our major new commission with WildBear Entertainment.”

—Josie Mason-Campbell

Albatross World Sales Beasts and Witches / Out of Europe: A New Story of Human Evolution? / Cruising the Baltic Sea: A Summer on the Water Mixing animation and wildlife images, the Albatross World Sales title Beasts and Witches debunks long-held beliefs about animals, exploring the fairytales about their magical abilities that have frightened people for centuries. Anne Olzmann, managing director at Albatross, says, “The superb artwork by John Howe, who is one of the most acknowledged fantasy artists in the world and famous for his works on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, will capture young and old audiences alike.” Fossil findings from Europe and Asia are used to challenge the “Out of Africa” theory of human evolution that has been accepted for the last hundred years in Out of Europe: A New Story of Human Evolution?

Meanwhile, Cruising the Baltic Sea: A Summer on the Water follows the paths of ancient Vikings.

Beasts and Witches

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“With the help of our international partnerships, we look forward to introducing our carefully handpicked content to worldwide audiences.”

—Anne Olzmann

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Betty Boop Forever

CLPB Rights History's Greatest Lies / Big Pharma, Gaming the System / Betty Boop Forever CLPB Rights is launching at MIPCOM the sales for History’s Greatest Lies’ third season as well as presales for its fourth installment. The ongoing history series uncovers the falsehoods of former heads of state, politicians and military leaders. Big Pharma, Gaming the System follows an investigation into the pharmaceutical industry and its lobbying practices that can lead to potentially troubling government health policies. In celebration of Betty Boop’s 90th anniversary, CLPB Rights puts the spotlight on the famous female cartoon character in the event production Betty Boop Forever. Julie Tolza, head of sales and international development, says, “We think that the film will interest a large audience as she’s worldrenowned. She is a feminist icon reference and more than linked to the #MeToo phenomenon.”

“We have a rich and diverse lineup, covering all genres.”

—Julie Tolza

Encore International The Last Night / But Why? / Distortion An investigative journalist spent two years researching to uncover the truth of a 45-year-old cold case involving two slain children for the Encore International title The Last Night. In But Why?, a media celebrity delves into matters of money, nudity, religion and parenthood as she tries to learn more about her curiosities, her discomforts and that which she fails to understand. Distortion, a TV adaptation of a podcast, explores strange stories of the digital age— from the dark web and conspiracy theories to the paranormal. Chrystine Girard, head of international distribution at Encore International, says, “Although different, each of our featured series at MIPCOM share one common denominator: they show the best and worst in human nature, and there is nothing more universal than that.”

Distortion

“We have an impressive slate of six new documentaries and factual series that are sure to fit what audiences are looking for.”

—Chrystine Girard

Speed Freaks

Keshet International Dom Does America / Speed Freaks / Animal Ambulance Dominic Littlewood immerses himself in dangerous U.S. institutions for 24 hours to find out what it takes to be one of America’s unsung heroes in the Keshet International highlight Dom Does America. In Speed Freaks, the legendary daredevil Zef Eisenberg pushes cars to their limits and attempts to break and set a new record. From the initial call into the animal emergency room to the reactions of grateful pet owners whose unwell companions needed urgent care, the documentary-reality series Animal Ambulance follows the hard work of emergency veterinary doctors and nurses.

“All three of these are high-octane, broad-appeal factualentertainment shows with heart alongside genuine jeopardy and drama,” says Rose Hughes, VP of sales for Keshet International.

“Keshet International has a guaranteed pipeline of fresh, diverse and highquality English-language factual finished tape and formats.”

—Rose Hughes 444 WORLD SCREEN 10/19

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LGI Media Cosmic Futurist / Irish Gangsters / Eye in the Sky NASA chief engineer and futurist Jon Cowart takes viewers into the future in Cosmic Futurist from the catalog of LGI Media, which has rebranded from Looking Glass International. The company is also highlighting Irish Gangsters, a one-hour doc led by true-crime author and former Essex gang member Bernard O’Mahoney that focuses on Ireland’s toughest criminals. The two-parter Eye in the Sky glides over Australia’s diverse landscapes— from the coasts to the outback to the cities and beyond.

“Each of the three programs mentioned reflects the continuing demand internationally for the core genres of science, natural history and true crime,” says Nha-Uyen Chau, founder and CEO of LGI Media. “They all carry high production values with great storytelling.”

“We’re moving into content creation and looking to partner with producers to develop and finance projects that LGI Media will take to the international market.”

—Nha-Uyen Chau

NHK Enterprises

Irish Gangsters

Amazing Dinoworld

An Artist of the Floating World / Amazing Dinoworld / Dynamic Genomes Starring Oscar-nominated actor Ken Watanabe and based on the novel of the same name by Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro, An Artist of the Floating World explores an aging painter’s ephemeral memories and the journey he must go on to face his past. It will be screened at MIPCOM in 8K as part of NHK Enterprises’ showcase.

Amazing Dinoworld, meanwhile, brings the world of dinosaurs to life. “This two-part series re-creates in gorgeous CGI not only what these creatures looked like, but also how they lived, fought and died,” says Fumina Koike, deputy manager. Lastly, Dynamic Genomes features cutting-edge research that takes viewers on a journey inside the human body to discover the genes that make us who we are.

“NHK will launch an 8K catalog, and we look forward to introducing more of our 4K and 8K titles.”

—Fumina Koike

Orange Smarty The Real Prime Suspect / The Great Hotel Escape / Stacey Meets the IS Brides The Real Prime Suspect—which is available at MIPCOM from Orange Smarty—reexamines some of the most intriguing British and American murder cases. It’s helmed by Jackie Malton, the inspiration behind the multi-award-winning drama Prime Suspect. Whether it’s a country manor, a 16th-century castle or a Jacobean farmhouse, The Great Hotel Escape unveils the people juggling renovation plans, inspections and interior facelifts before finally opening the doors to the public.

Meanwhile, Stacey Meets the IS Brides investigates a subject that has dominated headlines: how the West should respond when women run away to become the wives of terrorists. “With U.K. broadcasters attached, these exciting titles offer an opportunity for international engagement via co-production or presales,” says Karen Young, the company’s founder and CEO.

“Orange Smarty is a specialist in factual distribution; while remaining boutique, we offer an Aladdin’s cave of quality content.”

—Karen Young

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PBS International Country Music / The Serengeti Rules / The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia PBS International is highlighting Ken Burns’ nine-hour aptlytitled documentary Country Music, which tells the story of the genre from its beginnings to now, showcasing musicians such as the Carter Family, Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and many more. The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, profiles the titular royal, including his vision for the future, his handling of dissent and his ties to the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The company is also highlighting The Serengeti Rules, an award-winning film about the profound implications for the fate of life on our planet. It is produced by HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, “a mission-driven production company dedicated to crafting compelling, immersive films about science and scientists,” says Tom Koch, VP of PBS International.

The Serengeti Rules

“For over 20 years, the company has extended the reach of programming beyond broadcast while generating revenue for the public television system, stations and producers.”

—Tom Koch

Don’t Sleep

Rive Gauche Television Very Scary People / I Saw the Unknown / Don’t Sleep Very Scary People, on offer from Rive Gauche Television (RGTV) at MIPCOM, follows the twisted lives of some of the most frightening criminals in recent history. Each individual is chronicled in two hour-long episodes that trace their criminal acts and the eventual road to justice. The paranormal series I Saw the Unknown features everyday people recounting terrifying experiences. Don’t Sleep, meanwhile, is a competition format that tests participants’ abilities to stay awake.

Each season starts with 16 contestants, who are eliminated one by one until only a winner remains. “Sleeping is part of everyone’s DNA,” says Jon Kramer, RGTV’s CEO. “Don’t Sleep is a fun, intriguing format that tests the limits of your ability to stay awake while having fun and adding an element of entertainment that is bound to attract mass audiences.”

“RGTV’s goal is to make sure our product is of the highest quality, simply explainable and appealing to a defined audience.”

—Jon Kramer

TCB Media Rights How Did They Build That? / How I Created a Cult / Shipwreck Secrets How Did They Build That?, one of TCB Media Rights’ slate highlights for MIPCOM, introduces viewers not only to some of the world’s most audacious engineering projects—from an underground luxury hotel in China to a 500-meter sky garden in Singapore—but also to the designers and architects who dreamt up these visions and the builders who translated their dreams into reality. How I Created a Cult, meanwhile, features an architect of a different kind: Andrew Cohen built a worldwide spiritual empire only to see it crumble amid claims of control, extortion and psychological abuse. “The access is incredible, mixing jaw-dropping interviews with cult members with astonishing archive footage,” says Simona Argenti, TCB’s senior sales manager. Lastly, the six-part Shipwreck Secrets uses cutting-edge technology to explore lost vessels.

How I Created a Cult

“TCB has been focusing on broadening its portfolio of genres and formats to reflect the broader needs of its broadcast and platform partners.”

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Terra Mater Factual Studios Escobar’s Hippos / The Alps: Wild Mountains, Extreme Lives / Panda Goes Wild Terra Mater Factual Studios is showcasing Escobar’s Hippos, about the nearly 100 offspring of the hippos that the drug kingpin imported in the ’80s—which are currently occupying Colombia—and the ecological timebomb they’ve created. It follows vets and other officials on their mission to find a solution to the unusual problem. Meanwhile, the two-parter The Alps: Wild Mountains, Extreme Lives features footage of the mountain range’s majesty. “Unique animal behavior, breathtaking action and sunrises over world-famed peaks combine to [create] an ultimate portrait of the wild side of Europe’s Alps,” says Sabine Holzer, the company’s head of specialist factual. Rounding out Terra Mater’s slate highlights is Panda Goes Wild, which sees a panda born and raised in captivity get released into the wild of the Qin Mountains.

Panda Goes Wild

“Who doesn’t love pandas? Now, we’ll encounter how they actually behave in the wild, which, according to stories, is very different than in zoos.”

—Sabine Holzer

TVF International Night Force / Gauguin: A Dangerous Life / Ocean Wild The first slate highlight that TVF International is bringing to MIPCOM is Night Force, a BBC series that reveals the secret lives of night-shift workers and lifts the lid on what really happens in factories, bakeries, printers and warehouses while the rest of us are asleep. Also on offer is Gauguin: A Dangerous Life, which shows the famous painter in a different light. “This is the first film to view the artist in the light of feminist, colonial and indigenous studies and ask the essential and fundamental questions about Gauguin’s role in perpetuating the prejudices and myths that have tainted our lives,” says Harriet Armston-Clarke, the company’s director of distribution. The company worked closely with Tokyovision to produce the blue-chip 4K wildlife series Ocean Wild.

Ocean Wild

“We are continuing to grow while holding fast to our niche in the high end of specialist factual programming.”

—Harriet Armston-Clarke

Great Inventions

ZDF Enterprises Ancient Skies / Lost Kings of Bioko / Great Inventions Ancient Skies, on offer from ZDF Enterprises at MIPCOM, takes a look at the cosmos through the eyes of our forefathers. “We take a journey through past visions of the heavens from all over the world, from those of our earliest ancestors to the recent past,” says Ralf Rückauer, VP of ZDFE.unscripted. Lost Kings of Bioko explores an isolated island off the coast of Central Africa that’s covered in ancient rainforest ruled by one of the world’s least-known primate species, the drill. Meanwhile, Great Inventions celebrates the ways that innovative devices and technology have transformed society—from space travel to medical advancements. “In this series, we look at the successes and the failures, the brilliant ideas and some, well, not-so-brilliant,” says Rückauer.

“This series celebrates the million ways our great inventions have transformed our world.”

—Ralf Rückauer

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ZDF Enterprises’ Lost Kings of Bioko

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Survival of the

Fittest

Amid the emergence of a raft of SVOD buyers and rapid-fire consolidation among production companies, factual distributors are redefining how they do business. By Mansha Daswani

I

n some respects, there has never been a better time to be a documentary distributor. Channels, free and pay, remain committed to the genre. Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and others have all dedicated significant budgets to acquiring and commissioning documentary and factual series and specials. John Hendricks’ CuriosityStream is among a crop of dedicated nonfiction SVOD platforms operating worldwide, alongside upstarts like DocuBay and local and regional players like iwonder in the Asia Pacific. Discovery is gearing up for the launch of its global factual streamer in 2020, powered in part by content from BBC Studios. Even content about queens and princes has its own on-demand service (True Royalty TV). But just as the market is awash with new buyers clamoring for great shows, getting access to content is that much harder for indies as talent gets swallowed up into larger groups.

So what’s an indie distributor supposed to do? In a word, evolve. The journey of TCB Media Rights, founded as a boutique distributor by Paul Heaney seven years ago and now part of the Kew Media Group, speaks to the broader trends in the market.

“Before we were a straightforward distributor with presales, then a straightforward distributor with presales that could act as an agent in terms of introductions” between producers and broadcasters, says Heaney, CEO of TCB. “And then we started

working with producers at an earlier stage to develop content.

And you add on to that not just developing but actually commissioning, sometimes from scratch with no broadcaster attached. What else could we do? We had no alternative. We had to go this way. Each year it’s gotten harder and harder to find third-party.”

LAND GRAB Emmanuelle Namiech, the CEO of Passion Distribution, agrees, observing, “Very few producers are not affiliated with a group or broadcaster today. And those that are available may or may not have content that we might deem suitable for our brand.”

Nonetheless, for Passion—which is part of the Tinopolis Group, and therefore has several sister production outfits to tap into—third-party still accounts for the majority of the company’s catalog. Namiech says 70 percent to 75 percent of Passion’s slate comes from companies outside of the group.

Blue Ant International, similarly, features a slate that hails from sister production companies and external creators. “There is a ton of consolidation, and that does impact who your partners are,” says EVP Solange Attwood. “Equally, it’s really important for the entire content business to be investing in incumbent and new talent. We’re working with a lot of new production partners. Even in the world of consolidation, there continue to be highly successful, creative people that are spinning off from those larger consolidated groups.”

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ORF-Enterprise has found strong interest from both linear and digital buyers for its highend blue-chip titles like Africa's Wild West: Stallions of the Namib Desert.

The consolidation in the industry was among the factors that led ZDF Enterprises to acquire Off the Fence, says Ralf Rückauer, the VP of ZDFE.unscripted. “But on the other side,” he says, “most of the independent production companies, as well as companies that are part of broader networks, are still open for us to invest in their programs and work together with them to develop their ideas and projects.”

Sarah Coursey, GRB Studios’ new senior VP of international, agrees: “There are more independent producers than ever, worldwide, producing for the myriad of digital buyers as well as linear, and it is this renaissance that is creating more product.”

Since access to that product is becoming all the more competitive, providing top-notch service to your production partners is paramount.

“The producers who work with us can testify to the fact that we leave no stones unturned and are entrepreneurial when it comes to generating opportunities for their projects,” says Namiech. “That is a key differentiator. There is no low-hangingfruit strategy here! We work long term with some of our producers because they recognize we always go the extra mile.”

For LGI Media (formerly Looking Glass International), which is not part of a broader production group, building long-term relationships has been critical. Says Nha-Uyen Chau, founder and CEO of the boutique specialist-factual distributor: “There are relationships we have where producers will always come to us with their projects. They’ve trusted us in terms of maximizing revenues. We take on a handful of projects where we know we can give all of our resources to them, from development through to the marketing campaign through to distribution. It’s a turnkey approach that we’re able to offer these specific projects that we take on.”

WORKING PARTNERSHIPS Like many of its competitors, LGI Media is also boarding projects early, rather than just taking on a title after it’s been commissioned and is ready for rollout around the world. “We’re becoming more strategic and working to the broadcaster’s brief,” Chau says. “We will partner with production companies and work on developing projects in-house to produce for

broadcasters. It’s not so much entering the commissioning space, but it will be a hybrid model. We will work with both a broadcaster and a producer as well as source other alternative funding opportunities. It’s about how we cleverly punch above our weight when it comes to developing and producing programs for broadcast clients, while not being solely dependent on getting commissions from them, knowing their budgets are decreasing as well. In this way, we can retain more of the backend rights, which we will then share with producers.”

As an example, Chau references Spiky Gold Hunters, from Pango Productions. “LGI has raised the budget, besides the TVNZ license deal that Pango got, elsewhere. We presold it to BLAZE in the U.K., Viasat and Foxtel. This is an example where we see the commercial opportunity and we’ll jump on board and help them pretty much find 95 percent of the financing.”

MONEY ON THE TABLE ZDF Enterprises has been actively involved in partnering with producers early in order to help them secure financing, Rückauer says. “This year, we’ve gone a step further: we’ve commissioned a series called Great Inventions with World Media Rights, Off the Fence, doc.station and k22film on board.”

Being involved in projects early is based partly on necessity, Blue Ant’s Attwood suggests. “You need to be in earlier to secure rights. You also need to be in earlier to take advantage of sharing any market intelligence you have to help facilitate the best return for your production partners.”

As for how to best work with producers, TCB’s Heaney says it’s a balancing act between having a “shopping list,” of sorts, without putting restrictions on their creativity. “If you’re too prescriptive, you end up getting something that is made by numbers,” Heaney explains. “We’ve got to allow the producers to have their natural creative bent. We try to work with producers who we know are well recognized and have integrity with the broadcasters and the SVOD platforms. We brief the hell out of the producers and bug the hell out of the broadcasters to make sure we’re getting a detailed brief. We’re very close to the channels. We’re always reiterating and rechecking and reaching a level of trust and trying to work with them as closely as we can to make sure that when we’re handing out a brief, it’s not

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Passion Distribution’s catalog includes Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over from Firecracker Films, a sister production company.

competitors at times. However, we are thoughtful in our approach, looking to add independent content to our catalog that we know has a unique selling point and that we will be able to monetize globally.”

There are indeed many factors to take into account when determining if a title should be taken on for international representation.

“It’s not a question of just adding hours to a growing catalog for volume’s sake,” says Namiech at Passion. As for what she looks for, Namiech notes that her brief has evolved over the years. “A few years back, I probably would have said we were looking for long-shelf-life, evergreen, universal shows that would be set to continue to do well. Now, because the market is so polarized, I would say what we look for is primarily a show that proudly stands out in a crowded market. It needs to be something that gets the conversation started.”

Coursey says that she and the GRB team ask questions like, “Is the execution remarkable? Is it fantastic storyGRB Studios offers its production partners a “bespoke” telling that will cut across cultural lines? Does it hit at service, according to Coursey. “We don’t acquire anysomething that is a prime human emotion or instinct, and thing without giving it a fine-tooth comb analysis, to explore that in an interesting or new way?” make sure it is highly salable in the most territories pos“It’s always easy to find content,” says Heaney at TCB. “It’s sible. This might mean that we pick up less than our getting harder to find good content that will sell.

I made the mistake many times of picking up content just because it was available.”

And as for what will sell, Heaney points to market polarization as being a significant new factor to consider. Broadcasters and platforms “want big noisy and then want volume at a lower cost,” he says. “The middle ground area is getting harder and harder to fund. So we have to make sure we’re doing both premium and higher volume that has to look good onscreen even if it is low cost.”

A significant factor driving this market polarization is, of course, SVOD. While complicating windowing and financing strategies, the entry of the global streamers into the factual space and the launch of new dedicated platforms has been a boon to the industry.

“The growing VOD market allows us to expand our customer base,” says Armin GRB Studios has the distribution rights to Man at Arms: Art of War.

too detailed and it’s going to work not just for one channel but for a few of them.”

Passion’s Namiech stresses the importance of being flexible with financing models: “We finance projects through a range of different scenarios, whether it’s an advance, deficit funding, raising presale funding, brokering co-productions or more recently fully funding some of the shows we felt had really good international potential. And then beyond the financial aspect, we also provide them with feedback on a project’s commercial viability, the international potential. We sometimes introduce them to commissioning platforms that are based overseas that might be open to working with some of our production partners. And then, by marketing their content and showcasing them as creatives, we help increase their visibility on the global scene.”

VOLUME BUSINESS

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Blue Ant is looking for slots for Big Cat Country outside of the markets covered by commissioning platform Love Nature.

Luttenberger, the head of international content sales at ORF-Enterprise. “CuriosityStream, amongst other platforms, has been acquiring from ORF-Enterprise the rights for wildlife and nature packages, including programs from ORF’s renowned UNIVERSUM strand, since their establishment in 2015.”

Rückauer says that ZDF Enterprises has been working with on-demand platforms for years, both with acquired content and co-pros. “So we are happy to have more players in the market and more competition. I see them more as an add-on to the existing partnerships; as an expansion with a lot of fantastic and new opportunities,” he says.

“The impact has been positive on balance,” says Passion’s Namiech of the emergence of a factual on-demand segment.

“There’s a dynamic linked to the recent market disruption that is overall quite stimulating since it creates additional competition. The disruption impacts both commercial and editorial discussions. Whether it is how viewers consume the content, how a show is financed or even how it can spark editorial trends like how true crime came back in a serialized form with Making a Murderer.”

DIGITAL GAINS Passion now makes about 30 percent of its revenues from nonlinear platforms, Namiech states. “That’s not insignificant.

And it’s been increasing—last year it was closer to 25 percent.

There’s definitely a change and this is set to continue for some time, given the number of new services being launched.”

“There are far more prospective buyers than there ever have been before,” adds Blue Ant’s Attwood. “That has increased the demand for original first-run programming in the factual space.

That’s great for everybody. Some people will benefit a great deal, and some may not be able to. Having a whole new set of buyers that are very well capitalized is going to have positive benefits for the vibrancy of the market itself. There’s far more competition. That has also opened a lot more possibilities from an editorial perspective. So different types of stories are now finding homes that may not necessarily have had that opportunity in the past.”

LGI’s Chau agrees that SVODs have created platforms for shows that may not have been able to find homes on linear.

“Broadcasters’ slots are quite rigid,” Chau notes. “It’s either a science program, a wildlife program or a lifestyle program and of course, they only have so many slots per year they acquire for.”

Heaney says that TCB has broadened its acquisitions remit in response to increasing demand from SVOD platforms, recently moving into theatrical docs and premium factual. “Those 1x90-minute, 3x60-minute formats wouldn’t have been looked at a few years ago,” Heaney says.

DEMANDING TIMES Dealing with streaming services does require a new set of skills, Attwood says. “If you’re looking to tap into these new buyers, you need to understand how to sell at a commissioning level, understand how to structure co-production models and be able to capitalize on effective sales-deal flows. And then, of course, exploring alternatives for the funding models as well as the traditional licensing business, which remains important.”

ORF-Enterprise’s Luttenberger says that streamers are increasingly looking for worldwide rights, “raising the complexity of licensing as well as the commercial potential.”

As such, having smart, strategic windowing strategies is critical. “It’s increasingly important for us, as well as our competitors surely, to retain global SVOD rights, or hold them back for shorter and shorter windows, to better serve these emerging platforms,” says GRB’s Coursey. “This is not always an easy endeavor, but worth fighting for.”

“The key factors that are relevant to worldwide licensing include complex management of distribution rights, holdbacks and territorial overlaps,” Luttenberger adds. “The exploitation strategy also has to be examined globally and extensively with regard to brand awareness, placing our blue-chip lineup on premium platforms first.”

LGI’s Chau says that Netflix remains the “first port of call when it comes to any global deal that you would consider for an SVOD window. It does complicate the mix in terms of windowing, and linear broadcasters still want their premieres. That takes SVOD out. But you can negotiate up, depending on how much they want your programming. You’ll know how much they want your program when they choose to either shorten that SVOD window or extend that SVOD window. They will have to

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LGI Media raised a large portion of the financing on Spiky Gold Hunters, which was commissioned by TVNZ and has been presold to the U.K. and Australia, among other markets.

pay a higher license fee if they do want a longer exclusive period.”

When weighing up a global SVOD opportunity versus a territory-by-territory rollout, Heaney at TCB cites “exposure” as a significant consideration. “Is this show going to get returned?

There’s no point going for the big deal if season two doesn’t happen. Recently, we went for a slightly lower offer from a channel, knowing they’ll probably come in on season two.

There’s no point going for flights of fancy. Are they going to nurture that show?”

“The allure of an Amazon or Netflix sale cannot be denied, both in terms of prestige and also in terms of global coverage,” notes GRB’s Coursey. “A show gets an automatic international footprint and is localized into different languages, giving more people access to the content and providing instant impact for our homegrown productions as well as third-party programs.

However, our distribution team’s main focus is monetizing

TCB Media worked with Curve Media on How Did They Build That?, a new engineering series.

[titles] at the highest possible price point, and country-bycountry sales often bear more fruit over the long run, adding up to bigger license fees per episode. The bottom line is if the global SVOD license is big and attractive enough, and we can put limits on exclusivity in key territories, then it becomes an interesting proposition.”

“We simply have to recoup and earn back the money that we have invested at a very early stage,” says Rückauer at ZDF Enterprises. “We have more than 25 years of market expertise, so we can exactly calculate which sales in which territories are realistic or not. We’ve had some experiences with [revenue] share models in the past. You automatically stop selling this way on the day you get a statement for $24 on a one-year exploitation of a 500-hour package.”

SWITCHED ON Navigating this changing landscape, TCB’s Heaney says one key to success is simply keeping up. “We all have to move faster. There’s no room for anything that doesn’t move the dial or grab you editorially. It’s never easy. You have to work harder on the relationships. So ‘super-serving’ is the word I always use about us. We have to super-serve those producer relationships and broadcast relationships; otherwise, we won’t get good content.”

And there is plenty of good content being made, says Blue Ant’s Attwood. “It does feel like there’s a real renaissance in the factual space and people are willing to take big swings. It’s a really exciting time. You have to continue to be pretty diverse in terms of the offering that you’re presenting. You have to make sure you’re taking care of everybody’s needs, and you’re tailoring your business to make sure you satisfy those needs.”

ZDF Enterprises’ Rückauer anticipates a rush to access “prestigious programs, especially feature-length and awardwinning titles. The swamp men will disappear and people will be interested again in the big questions of mankind: Where do we come from? What can we learn from history? How can we save our planet? Will we ever be able to live on other planets? There is so much to be explored and to be told in beautiful pictures. So much time to watch and learn!”

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TVF International’s Brilliant Corners.

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The strong demand for travel docs is being fueled by innovative concepts, technological advancements and some compelling personalities. By Neil Crossley ew genres instill a sense of aspiration and wonder quite as successfully as the travel documentary. From breathtaking cinematography to ever more innovative concepts, travel documentaries continue to attract audiences across the globe. Research released by Parrot Analytics in August 2019 shows that travel is among the top genres within the documentary market. While science and nature documentaries still dominate, Parrot Analytics’ research concluded that travel docs experienced sustained growth from Q1 to Q2 in 2019. These findings are supported by producers and distributors, who report that demand for travel documentaries remains strong.

“There will always be a need for travel documentaries because we all want to be taken places and see locations we dream of visiting,” says Holly Hodges, Twofour Rights’ head of sales operations and a VP of sales. “What to eat, where to drink and knowing the inside scoop on secret spots to explore are all part of a person’s travel experience. This genre has something for everyone.”

It’s a view echoed by Harriet Armston-Clarke, director of distribution at TVF International, who says that travel is one of the company’s most requested genres. In particular, aerial travel documentaries continue to perform well, says Armston-Clarke, who cites “ever-popular” series The World from Above as well as Aerial Asia, Thailand from Above and Vietnam from Above.

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These series appeal because they give audiences the chance to see places “from a perspective they would not usually be able to access,” says Armston-Clarke. She also highlights the importance of standing out in what has become an increasingly crowded space.

OFF THE BEATEN PATH “In a world where travel is easier and cheaper than ever before, and most people have a camera on their phone, viewers can feel they have seen it all before,” she observes. “So we are looking for shows that take viewers off the beaten track and that offer a reason to travel that isn’t just to take another photo for Instagram.”

Such shows include Special Delivery, in which six adventurers travel on a mission to bring aid to people living in some of the most remote places on earth, and Brilliant Corners, in which pro surfer Sam Bleakley travels the globe exploring emerging surf cultures.

This drive to expose viewers to ever-broader cultural experiences is also reflected in the current slate of travel documentaries offered by German distribution company Albatross World Sales, as Polina Axenova, senior sales manager, explains.

“We believe that a travel show needs to explore something new and unseen,” Axenova says. “Great cinematography combined with strong characters giving a feeling of diversity and a multi-faceted exploration of a given place, culture or society are important. It’s always good to let the locals talk and get that behind-the-scenes feeling.”

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Si King and Dave Myers take an iconic road trip in Twofour Rights’ Hairy Bikers: Route 66.

She cites as examples Greece! The Islands and its sequel, Greece! From the Mountains to the Shoreline, which feature stunning aerial images and “lovable, if sometimes quirky, protagonists.”

REGIONAL TRENDS Axenova believes that travel docs are less “universal” when compared to nature or science documentaries. She says that distributors need to be aware of each region’s specifics with regard to culture, religion and traditions—food, alcohol and clothing, for example—while at the same time, not forgetting about the current trends.

“A wine-tasting travelogue won’t be a bestseller in Muslim countries,” she says, “but there are also less obvious cases, as travel trends are very different across the globe.”

One example is hiking tourism, says Axenova, which is big in Europe. The trick, she says, is to know the broadcasters’ and platforms’ needs and restrictions, and to offer the right title to the right buyers and their audiences.

“There are a lot of travel programs out there, so we try to focus on those that are special in some way: a fresh concept, a charismatic host, a powerful story. Travel docs encompassing more than just travel-guide or travelogue types of content—especially if they are visually powerful— are generally more successful with international broadcasters and platforms. When talking about travel programs, it’s also important to mention airlines, which are naturally interested in travel content; our inflight sales have increased in the last few years.”

Distributors and producers report that demand for travel shows is coming from specialist channels as well as free-to-air and OTT services. “The demand is seen across the landscape,” says Amy Kemp, head of sales at Orange Smarty. “Some free-to-air broadcasters have regular lifestyle/travel slots to fill, but there are also volume deals to be made with the specialist channels and some OTT services.”

Armston-Clarke at TVF International also says demand is coming from all areas: “Linear and VOD, traditional

free to air and OTT.” She adds that such broad audience reach highlights the distinct appeal of the travel doc across the market.

“Travel is easy to watch, inoffensive and can appeal to a broad range and all gender identities, where other genres perhaps can’t,” she says. “We recently licensed Fabulocity, a series from OUTtv that sends vibrant hosts to cities all over the world, to Journy, Ovation’s VOD platform in the U.S.” With demand for travel series remaining strong, there is rich potential for ancillary content to help promote and grow the brands. While some producers report limited demand for supporting content from broadcasters, others are proactively pursuing this option.

MILEAGE PERKS Twofour adopts a very honed process for maximizing its productions with value-added content to make them stand out.

The company has a dedicated team to build a social media presence for its brands. “We now consider what we can offer by way of additional assets: interviews, promos, recipes,” says Hodges. “This is an area we are focused on developing, and we are starting to see viewers finding our branded YouTube channels.”

Orange Smarty’s main priority is to localize any ancillary content to make it relevant to audiences. The company offers broadcasters supporting interviews and Q&As with the main presenters for some of its travel shows. In some instances, it will provide cut-down versions of the program that can be used for online promotion.

As audiences seek unique and aspirational experiences, the pressure is on producers to deliver a fresh spin on welltrodden locations. One of the most effective ways of doing this is via hybrid productions, which are documentaries that combine travel with other subgenres such as food, property, lifestyle, science, adventure and history.

“Hybrids provide an opportunity to put a different spin on the travel show format, so there is a desire for these types of shows,” says Orange Smarty’s Kemp. Strong

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Albatross World Sales’ The Borderless Sky is part science doc, part travel series.

sellers include long-running property series A Place in the Sun, which Kemp says continues to generate ongoing and new sales. “Combining both travel and property, the series follows house-hunters finding their dream homes in the sun. This returnable series allows the broadcasters and platforms more opportunities to promote the series and invest in the brand.”

By combining two genres, travel hybrid shows broaden audience reach and attract different demographics. “The hybrid travel shows have the potential to attract a younger audience,” observes Hodges. “Channels want to satisfy as many viewers as possible, and combining travel with other elements will likely bring more viewers and different demographics. I think the combination of genres helps create a story arc that wouldn’t exist in a pure travel show, and this lures people in to stay tuned.”

FOOD FOR THOUGHT Travel and food is a potent hybrid, a fact borne out by Hairy Bikers: Route 66. The Twofour series, commissioned by BBC Two, will see Si King and Dave Myers riding along the iconic U.S. road through spectacular scenery, sampling the diverse range of regional cuisine across eight states.

Weird Food Diaries, Vanishing Foods and Big Food are among the series being distributed by TVF International, while long-running series At Our Neighbour’s Table has proven to be a strong seller for the German factual outfit Autentic Distribution.

“If you look at At Our Neighbour’s Table, which travels around Europe and meets locals that cook regional dishes, you can experience how food adds so much passion and emotion to a travel show,” explains Patrick Hörl, the managing

director of Autentic. “Involving the viewer is key. That’s why mixing travel and adventure is also a good idea.”

When it comes to creating travel documentaries, the role of presenters can be paramount. Albatross’ Axenova says that “open and funny” presenters work best for travel and lifestyle hybrids, while experts well versed in their fields are best suited for travel series with a scientific or educational slant. For travel documentaries focusing on a specific place or culture, meanwhile, local protagonists with interesting and unusual location-specific occupations or hobbies work well, she says.

Armston-Clarke at TVF International believes established, well-known presenters resonate best in the English-speaking international market, such as Penelope Keith in Hidden Villages and John Torode in John Torode’s Asia. But elsewhere, TVF has found a real appetite for young presenters with an international background, a neutral accent and ideally some social media following, such as Sharda Harrison and Adrian Jalaludin, presenters of the new series Walk This Way.

TOUR GUIDES Twofour’s Hodges cites the “honest chemistry” of the Hairy Bikers, which is built on over 25 years of friendship and shared passions. She also praises hotelier and presenter Alex Polizzi, hugely popular around the world because she offers a wealth of experience in travel and business—and is a reputable, strong character loved by global viewers.

“Recognizable hosts can be the real selling point in the international market,” she says.

Hörl at Autentic says there is a stable and extensive market for hosted shows. These are mostly fueled by commercial broadcasters, specialist factual channels

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Orange Smarty’s Michael Palin In North Korea was produced by ITN for Channel 5 and National Geographic.

and SVOD services, he says. Clients who opt for hosted shows demand credible, authentic hosts with personality, he adds, although not every market appreciates hosted travel shows.

“There is still a distinct, affluent market segment that generally rejects hosts,” he says. “These are often non-Englishspeaking markets and, most frequently, public broadcasters.”

The evolution of travel shows in recent years has been driven by one defining factor—technology. 4K productions have emerged as the new gold standard for travel shows, resulting in high production values and allowing viewers to immerse themselves in beautiful landscapes and locations.

Drones, too, have transformed the space, offering stunning panoramic views, while VR is also making its mark, helping to instill new clarity and color into vibrant destinations.

“In the digital age, there’s absolutely no mercy for badly produced shows,” says Hörl. “Production values are absolutely

key. If you can combine those with a particular perspective on the destination you’re covering, you can stand out.”

“Travel is increasingly being produced in stunning 4K, which allows viewers to experience exotic locations from the comfort of their living room,” says Armston-Clarke.

While technology enables viewers to see well-trodden locations through dynamic new perspectives, shifts in traditional storytelling techniques also play a significant part.

TRAVEL BUDDIES

There is now increasing interest in strong characters within travel documentaries. These characters are generally on a mission, and they experience interesting people along the way.

Such characters are crucial to the story arc of good travel shows today, says Hörl at Autentic, as travel becomes a much more specific expression of one’s interests and personality. “As a consequence, we can see a long-lasting trend toward specialization in travel programs. Traveling to dangerous places, dark tourism (to places where dark moments in history took place), visiting spectacular architecture—all kinds of journeys become topics of travel shows that resonate with modern viewing habits.”

Such encounters will become increasingly important in travel documentaries, concludes Hörl.

“What we find is that new trends in real-life traveling are reflected in new travel formats. It’s no longer just about distraction, escapism and lying on the beach.”

Secrets of Arabia is among the travel doc offerings from Autentic Distribution.

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Damian Lewis D

amian Lewis already knew a fair bit about espionage before signing on to executive produce and present the A+E Networks U.K.–comissioned series Spy Wars. He did, after all, play an MI6 agent in Our Kind of Traitor, based on the John le Carré novel, and a U.S. prisoner of war who returns home and is hailed as a hero as he secretly plots a terrorist attack in Showtime’s Homeland. Damian Lewis: Spy Wars sees the British actor recounting notable stories of espionage from the last four decades, spanning from the Cold War all the way through to the contemporary war on terror. The eight-part series produced

by Alaska TV in association with Lewis’s own Rookery Productions sees him speaking directly to camera and features expert interviews and dramatic reenactments. Lewis tells TV Real about what appealed to him about the docudrama, which A+E Networks is rolling out this MIPCOM.

By Mansha Daswani

TV REAL: Tell us about the genesis of Spy Wars. How did you come to be involved in the show?

LEWIS: My brother [executive producer Gareth Lewis] was already involved, he was going to be directing parts of it. He said, Do you want to do this? I said, I don’t really do factual, I’m not a presenter. But I got sucked into these eight spy stories. I came on as a co-producer and tried to get to the bottom of what makes a man or woman do heroic or traitorous things on behalf of their country. That was it really. It came to me by invitation and my curiosity was tickled.

TV REAL: As you got into the details of these stories, what were some of the things that surprised you?

LEWIS: To be honest, a lot of what happens in the spy world is pretty unscientific. There’s still quite a lot of buccaneering and derring-do, if you like. It’s not riskaverse. It’s pro-risk, and often it can seem a bit chaotic, a bit ramshackle, and even at times a bit amateurish.

Exotic words like “dead-drop” and “brush past” and things like that can simply be someone walking into a supermarket with the same plastic bag and putting it down and then each leaving with each other’s bag. It’s not exactly high-tech. While you’re looking for a slightly more sci-fi, James Bond aspect to these stories, they don’t exist. So the challenge for us was how to make the stories gripping and suspenseful. We tried to get into the minds of the individuals and what was at stake for them. What are the documents in that bag?

What happens if that individual is caught? Why is the individual doing it? If the individual is a KGB officer and he’s caught, he’s going to be executed. If he’s a Western intelligence officer, he’s going to be imprisoned

for life. We were trying to find out why these men and women are motivated to do these things. The motivation is often grubby and personal. It can be for simple revenge, a need to be heard, a need to belong to something, to be loved. People turn traitor for all these different reasons. So the surprise was constantly the grubbiness! And the desperation that’s there. And the extreme risk that these people are prepared to take in order to keep going.

TV REAL: How did the team decide on which events to focus on?

LEWIS: It was Cold War and post-Cold War spy stories.

A lot of the success of an episode depends on who you can get access to. We had to drop two episodes because we realized we weren’t going to get the access that we needed. We had to move pretty quickly to find other storylines. Accessing the right people for interviews is essential. And the irony is of course that whilst it’s exciting that you can get to Robert Gates [former U.S. Secretary of Defense] or Leon Panetta [former director of the CIA] or Charles Powell, who was an advisor to Margaret Thatcher, a lot of these guys are still bound by official secrets acts, and they can’t often talk in a lot of detail. So you have the wow factor of people who were actually there. [Mossad agent] Danny Limor, for example, extracting thousands of [Ethiopian Jews] to a fake scuba-diving school on the coast of Sudan. We had access to Danny Limor. He was there—actually an operative in the field. And he was able to talk about it.

But often they’re not allowed to talk about it. So you never quite know what you’re going to get. And there’s a budget for all these things. You can’t keep flying

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Commissioned by HISTORY in the U.K., Damian Lewis: Spy Wars is being distributed worldwide

by A+E Networks.

around the world to find people to talk to. You have a finite amount of time in which to get the interview. You don’t know until all the component parts are assembled.

It’s like a big pile of washing. It’s all thrown in a basket, stuck in the middle of the production office, and then you pick through it. And you slowly start to realize whether you have a compelling [episode]. You know the story is good because you did your research, but you don’t know if you have a compelling way of telling that story until you’ve sorted through all the washing!

TV REAL: I’ve heard that so much of the craft of acting is about the interactions with your co-stars. What was it like for you spending so much time talking directly to the camera?

LEWIS: It was interesting. We were trying to find ways to take off that presenter style that journalists all seem to have. Like a journalist standing outside the White House or a reporter standing outside the Houses of Parliament. Our sets, in a soft way, were designed to reflect the world we were in for each particular story. I wasn’t in full costume. Just because we were in the Sudanese desert, I wasn’t in full combat desert gear! But nevertheless, I wore tones that spoke to that sort of landscape. And we tried to dress up the set a little bit so it would integrate seamlessly into the real landscape. And then in terms of presenting style, we talked about the camera work.

Should we have matching cuts? So if you’ve just cut away from Danny Limor or one of the agents who was an operative in Sudan and you were in close-up, then come in close-up to me, so the audience feels the presenter

is integrated into the action a little bit. We tried to make it a bit more immediate that way, so the action doesn’t get hacked off every time you come to me. At the same time, there is an element of handholding in my role in this. Summing up at the end of episodes, end of episode parts, before and after commercial breaks, that’s the format we’re working in. I’m reminding the audience of what the story is, I do a little summing up. It was an interesting experience! I don’t think I will become a factual presenter. I don’t think that’s what I want to do. I want to remain an actor. But it was part of me being involved in the series and being part of telling these stories. I think it would not have been the smartest use of my time just to ask me on as a producer and not put me in front of the camera! [Laughs] I say that in all modesty. I think it was clear that it was going to be useful.

TV REAL: Do you have a favorite episode?

LEWIS: From a journalistic point of view, I really like the episode “Spies Next Door.” It runs directly in an interesting way to recent events here with Sergei Skripal [a Russian intelligence officer recruited as a spy by British officials] and Putin. For just a really fun story and the sheer incredibility of what they achieved, I would say “Exodus” is a big story [about the rescue of Ethiopian Jews by Israel in 1977].

And in terms of the disintegration of an individual through the pressures of spying, you couldn’t do better than “Trojan Horse,” which is the story of Vladimir Vetrov [a KGB officer and secret operative for the French Intelligence Service during the Cold War].

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TV REAL: How did you set about bringing the values of the Smithsonian Institution to television?

HAYDEN: Matt Blank, Showtime’s CEO at the time, asked me if I would lead an effort to translate the Smithsonian Institution brand to television. I jumped at the chance.

What an iconic brand! Here in the United States, in particular, everybody has a profound emotional connection to it.

The brand umbrella encompasses so many different subject areas. And that was the opportunity and the challenge. The Smithsonian Institution has been affectionally known as “America’s Attic.” But the last thing we wanted to do was to create “Museum TV,” so to speak. So, we knew what we didn’t want to do—sometimes that’s a good place to start.

We needed to take this museum brand and make it a highquality video-entertainment brand. Initially, the business plan was to be a 40-hour VOD service targeted to cable operators.

We had visions, down the road, of linear channels and possible international growth, but that wasn’t front and center. So we started the process of developing a compelling value proposition for consumers and distributors. In 2006, cable and satellite operators were looking to have fewer linear channels, not more, and here we were, some would say late to the game. But when you bring a brand like this to the table, you get people’s attention. We also planted a flag by committing that all of our programming would be produced in high definition. In 2006 there wasn’t anybody doing that to the extent we were, and DIRECTV was interested, but in a linear channel first. So, we launched the linear channel in September 2007 and the VOD service followed in March 2008.

By Mansha Daswani

ounded in 1846 with a mission to promote “diffusion of knowledge,” the Smithsonian Institution is today the world’s largest museum, education and research complex. Among its iconic centers, primarily located in Washington D.C., are the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History and the National Zoo. In 2006, the Smithsonian sealed a deal with Showtime Networks to bring its brand values to the cable TV space.

Tom Hayden was tasked with leading that initiative, with Smithsonian Channel making its debut in 2007 as a service focused on key categories like history, space and wildlife. Hayden, who serves as president of Smithsonian Networks and executive VP of Showtime Networks, talks to TV Real about the channel’s growth, international expansion and the launch of a direct-to-consumer SVOD service.

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TV REAL: I imagine the iconic nature of the Smithsonian brand is even more important in the fragmented media landscape today.

HAYDEN: Absolutely. Our programming is entertaining documentary and nonfiction, and there haven’t been a lot of channels in that space over the last decade. Some of the more traditional nonfiction brands moved more into realitybased programming. That wasn’t something that our brand gave us permission to do. But we’re happy to be in the lane of high-quality nonfiction, documentary-style programming. It’s on-brand, and viewers have responded.

TV REAL: Tell us about how the relationship works with the Institution. What resources can you tap into with them?

HAYDEN: We have a content access agreement, which gives us unique, preferential access to the research and the

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Epic Yellowstone, narrated by Bill Pullman, is a Smithsonian Channel original that rolled out earlier this year.

artifacts of the Institution. We also have access to what is, in effect, the world’s largest fact-checking organization.

They review every one of our programs. That sounds daunting, but they do it incredibly well and incredibly quickly. They’ll raise an issue if something is inaccurate.

They are also there to make sure we don’t do anything that jeopardizes the integrity of the brand.

TV REAL: What’s driving the success of your programming strategy in the U.S.?

HAYDEN: History performs very well for us. David Royle, [executive VP and chief programming officer] does a great job of plumbing history as a category and making it relevant. America in Color is a great example of how we utilized advanced colorization technologies to bring historical stories to a new audience, a younger audience, in color for the first time. Color makes it all that more personal, more emotional, more vibrant. The air and space genre is probably our most popular. The National Air and Space Museum is the world’s foremost expert on all things aerial. They help us out a lot in vetting those shows. High-quality nature and wildlife programming is also very popular with our viewers. We had a four-part series called Epic Yellowstone, which did exceptionally well, earlier this year. Bill Pullman narrated it. And then we have a very popular programming strand that feeds our seemingly endless fascination with the British royal family, with shows like Million Dollar American Princesses and Inside Windsor Castle.

TV REAL: What led to the launch of your direct-to-consumer OTT offering?

HAYDEN: We started thinking about going direct to consumer in 2014. Our linear channel footprint in the U.S. has been about 40 million subscribers, not 50 million, 60 million or 80 million. We had to find a way to create a product that we could get out to households that didn’t have access to the linear channel.

We launched a beta service called Smithsonian Earth in 2015. This service had different programming from our linear channel—that was a contractual requirement we had

with our traditional distributors. We committed to delivering an all 4K subscription video-on-demand service. We worked with our Canadian channel partners, Blue Ant Media, to develop and acquire high-end 4K nature and wildlife programming. Our objective with the service was to learn what it takes to establish directto-consumer relationships and to understand the technical challenges of filming and distributing in 4K. At the end of last year, once we were contractually able to launch a direct-to-consumer service that takes advantage of the vast array of Smithsonian Channel programming, we transitioned the service to Smithsonian Channel Plus. We still have the commitment to an expanding library of 4K programming as part of it, but we have been able to add our full complement of Smithsonian Channel programs as well.

TV REAL: What’s the international strategy? Are you focusing on a linear channel rollout or are you taking the direct-toconsumer route?

HAYDEN: We’re doing both. Our first international channel launch was in 2013 with Blue Ant Media, our partners in Canada. We just signed a deal with them to extend our relationship—they are representing us in the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. This year we launched our linear channel in the U.K. and Brazil, the year before with DIRECTV Latin America. This year we also launched Smithsonian Channel Plus, our SVOD product, with Apple TV, which is expected to be in [100-plus] countries by year-end.

As a joint venture, we have to fund our strategic growth initiatives within our own P&L, so we had to do it intelligently and in a financially affordable way. In the beginning, we didn’t know how the brand would resonate in different parts of the world. But in traveling around different film and television markets, you find out that in places like Western Europe and Southeast Asia, the Smithsonian brand resonates quite well. But even in other parts of the world, our brand is valued because of the quality of our programming catalog. People were encouraging us to take the brand and try to go global with it, and we’ve been able to do that. The challenge, of course, is getting enough programming with a full complement of international rights to sustain a really strong consumer value proposition. That, in part, is what has taken us a little time.

TV REAL: What are your overall goals for Smithsonian Networks in the 12 to 18 months ahead?

HAYDEN: We’re focused on trying to expand our footprint here in the U.S. We’re in around 40 million households; we hope to get to 55 million to 60 million. That continues to be our primary focus. We want to continue to expand internationally as well. Currently, we are in discussions with operators in Argentina, Peru and Mexico, to name a few. And our third priority is to expand the distribution of our direct-to-consumer SVOD product, here and overseas.

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oe Kenda spent more than two decades in law enforcement. As a detective in the Colorado Springs Police Department, Kenda solved 356 homicide cases out of 387 investigated—a solve rate of 92 percent. He left the force in 1996, but being a retired detective was not to be his final act. In 2011, Investigation Discovery (ID) premiered Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda, featuring the detective recounting some of his most infamous cases. Produced by Jupiter Entertainment and sold by Rive Gauche Television, Homicide Hunter has been one of the network’s biggest successes. Kenda announced this summer, at the network’s annual IDCon fan event, that season nine would be his last. He sat down with TV Real to weigh in on his television career and the universal appeal of true-crime shows.

By Mansha Daswani TV REAL: How did your association with ID come about?

KENDA: A producer saw a news tape of me being interviewed

by Diane Sawyer on a program called Turning Point. He was impressed with it. He thought he could make a TV show out of it. He came to me. I wasn’t interested. My wife pressured me into calling him back for three days. I called him back. We created a pitch reel for the show, and ID was interested. That’s how it started.

TV REAL: As you reflect on nine seasons of this show, what’s this journey been like for you?

KENDA: It’s been remarkable. I never thought it would be successful. I never thought it would be on television! I didn’t. I told my wife, This is just murder, no one is going to be interested. She said, You don’t understand. Well, apparently I don’t. Because it’s been absolutely crazy. It’s all over the world. It’s well thought of everywhere. The real point of it is, it’s true. There are no Hollywood conventions, no gun battles, no chases, none of that. It’s investigative work, one foot in front of the other. Why do people do what they do? That’s what people find most interesting.

TV REAL: What led you into law enforcement?

KENDA: I was 9 years old and my parents took me to the zoo.

That’s a big deal in a kid’s world, going to the zoo! We go there and there’s a sign in front of the primate house that said, Around this corner is the most dangerous animal on Earth.

Everyone ran around the corner and it was a mirror from the ceiling to the floor. Everybody was disappointed—everybody but me! It struck me. You’re looking at humans. And you realize it’s true. We have eliminated entire species. We now have the ability to eliminate life on Earth. We are the most dangerous animal on this planet. Murder must be the worst crime because we’ll do the worst to you for doing it. We’ll kill you or put you away for forever. That’s what I wanted to do. I

focused my work on getting to that point. I got there and it turned out I was pretty good at it!

TV REAL: You’re also good on television! How has that transition been, from full-time detective to being on screen?

KENDA: It’s very easy. I spent a whole career in front of cameras, constantly in front of the press. So they turn on this camera—it’s just another camera. OK, I’m used to standing in front of nine cameras, this is only one? This will be easy! There’s no script. I say whatever I want to say. They eliminate the profanity. I don’t know why they do that—it’s the language of the street!

TV REAL: Is it difficult to relive your cases?

KENDA: It’s been therapeutic for me, which is why I wanted to do it. I don’t care about the money. It doesn’t interest me. I have a policy: if I have it, I spend it, and I don’t spend it if I don’t have it. So it wasn’t that. It was, maybe if I talk about the cases I’ll feel better. And I do. For me, that’s the value of it. It’s therapy to discuss these things that I never discussed in detail before.

TV REAL: As you mentioned, it has sold well around the world.

Why do you think it has resonated in so many territories?

KENDA: This is human behavior. And humans behave badly.

When your emotion overcomes your judgment, you do something incredibly violent because it is human nature to be violent. Picture yourself in the Serengeti Plain in Africa, millions of years ago. And you notice a creature 4-feet tall, covered in hair, and he grunts to other creatures like him and they seem to be able to communicate. You’re looking at early man.

And you admire this clever little creature for a while and you realize he makes weapons and he’s able to kill animals three and four times his size. But it’s not in your best interest to try to pet him, and it still isn’t. Nothing has changed. Clothing is more sophisticated, better lying, better willingness to go along, but ultimately that button is still there.

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technology too; we’re able to film things so much more easily than we were able to. You can almost do anything now at the touch of a button! One of the great things about that is all of these opportunities for telling stories in a different way.

That’s all unscripted is, telling stories in a different way. It’s a golden age of documentaries and unscripted series.

TV REAL: What do you think took Drag Race from a niche proposition to a global phenomenon?

BAILEY: To Randy [Barbato, World of Wonder co-founder] and I, it always felt like this art form of drag was potentially mainstream and does have appeal to a broad audience. It took many years to find a home for the show. Something I’ve noticed more recently, as I spend more time going overseas and talking to production executives in other countries, is that they will say, We’ve never heard of the show, but our kids love it! It speaks to the fact that drag does appeal to kids; kids don’t bring to it the generational baggage and prejudices that perhaps, unfortunately, people have grown up with. Drag is nothing new. Societally it was seen as some outer limit, beyond the pale, ultra-avant-garde thing. That’s not what the nature of drag is. It’s this creative form of expression that hasn’t been recognized. RuPaul wanting to do this show is such a generous thing on his part, to give this platform to everyone else and share it with the world.

TV REAL: What types of stories are you trying to tell at WOW? BAILEY: Randy and I are always moved and inspired by people who live their lives out loud, people who don’t edit

By Kristin Brzoznowski

D

ocumenting the search for the next drag superstar, the Emmy-winning RuPaul’s Drag Race is heading into a 12th season in the U.S. The show, which began airing in 2009 on Logo TV and moved to VH1 in season nine, has become something of a phenomenon. World of Wonder (WOW) Productions is behind Drag Race, among a slew of other unscripted successes. Cofounder Fenton Bailey talks to TV Real about the company’s mission to tell authentic stories of people who “live their lives out loud.”

TV REAL: How have you seen the factual genre evolve?

BAILEY: Whether it gets called documentary or reality—I quite like the word “unscripted” because that explains its appeal as well—audiences love something that feels real. There’s nothing wrong with scripted, but I think viewers like the feel of something that hasn’t been created by a writer or willed into existence by a creative force. It’s just people as they are and as they find themselves. This is a genre that has literally exploded, in many different ways, across all aspects of culture over the last 20 or 25 years. It goes hand in hand with

themselves, who don’t try to fit in with everybody else.

That’s always inspired us. Drag queens tick that box for sure. We are drawn to stories about people who, in some respects, are under-revealed—even if they may seem overexposed. It’s about telling the truth. We’re in such an age of all-out lying about everything, especially in politics. It gets us excited to tell the truth about people and things.

TV REAL: What led to the creation of the SVOD service WOW Presents Plus?

BAILEY: Ru often talks about “finding your tribe.” World of Wonder really is a tribe, a family. Everyone who enjoys Drag Race may also enjoy other things that we create, that don’t necessarily fit what cable or network TV is looking for. That’s where WOW Presents Plus came along. It’s $3.99 per month, which is less than the price of a latte, and you get all this content! It’s a way for people who enjoy Drag Race and the programs we make to enjoy them all in one place. There’s a sense of membership, of an extended family or a club.

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