TV Real MIPTV 2017

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TVREAL

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APRIL 2017

MIPDOC & MIPTV EDITION

Wildlife Docs / Travel Series / Factual Content Trendsetters ID’s Henry Schleiff / 60 Days In’s Greg Henry / Smithsonian’s David Royle

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CONTENTS FEATURES

Fascinated by the Real World

20 GOING WILD! Wildlife is still a top-selling genre, but producers and distributors know they need to keep raising the bar.

Real-life events and people are more interesting than any fictional story or character—never more so than in the past year.

Ricardo Seguin Guise Publisher Anna Carugati Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani Editor Kristin Brzoznowski Executive Editor Joanna Padovano Tong Managing Editor Sara Alessi Associate Editor Victor L. Cuevas Production & Design Director Phyllis Q. Busell Art Director Simon Weaver Online Director Dana Mattison Senior Sales & Marketing Manager Nathalia Lopez Sales & Marketing Assistant Andrea Moreno Business Affairs Manager

Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development TV Real © 2017 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website: www.tvreal.ws

We’ve seen the wave of populism that has washed across Europe and the Americas, Russia’s tampering with the U.S. election, the switched envelopes at the Academy Awards, Elon Musk announcing SpaceX will bring tourists to the moon in 2018, and so much more. The real world and its varied cultures, locations, natural beauties and wildlife are infinitely fascinating. Television’s unique ability to get up close and personal with animals and people, blending images and sound, provides breathtaking experiences for viewers in the comfort of their homes. Consider the success of Planet Earth II, which looks at diverse habitats from the animals’ point of view. Viewers flock in droves to this kind of blue-chip programming. In this issue of TV Real, we speak to several producers and distributors about new trends in wildlife programming—all pointing to bigger, better, bolder.

Another subgenre of factual programming that never loses its appeal is travel. But, here too, ordinary or seen-before doesn’t cut it with viewers. They are still intrigued by distant or exotic locales, but they expect more than a bland travelogue. As our feature examines, travel programs are incorporating food, lifestyle, history or adventure to attract viewers and an engaging and knowledgeable host is a must.

Real-world programming obviously includes everyday people, sometimes in heroic behavior, but too often not, which explains the enduring appeal of true crime. We speak with Henry Schleiff, the head of Investigation Discovery (ID), and discuss the storytelling and scheduling strategies that have made ID one of the fastest-growing cable networks in the U.S. We also talk to Greg Henry, executive producer on 60 Days In, the gritty, addicting series that placed volunteers as undercover prisoners in two county jails to help the sheriffs investigate corruption and wrongdoings. And we hear from Smithsonian Networks’ David Royle about the kinds of programming he’s looking for.

As viewers continue to demand compelling nonfiction programming, commissioners and buyers are tasked with finding the best projects. For the second year, in partnership with MIPDoc, World Screen is hosting View from the Top: What Do Buyers & Commissioners Want? on Saturday, April 1, at 10:30 a.m. at the JW Marriott Cannes. I will be moderating a discussion with National Geographic’s Hamish Mykura, Foxtel’s Hannah Barnes, ORF’s Andrew Solomon and Canal+’s Isabelle Antraygue. Join us!

—Anna Carugati

20 28 BON VOYAGE Travel series need to be much more than tourist guidebooks in order to stand out today.

42 WORLD SCREEN FACTUAL TRENDSETTER AWARDS National Geographic’s Hamish Mykura, Foxtel’s Hannah Barnes, ORF’s Andrew Solomon and Canal+’s Isabelle Antraygue are the recipients of the second-annual World Screen Factual Trendsetter Awards.

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34 ID’s Henry Schleiff

36 60 Days In’s Greg Henry

40 Smithsonian’s David Royle

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A+E Networks The Pop Game /The Curse of Oak Island / Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath Pop music mogul Timbaland works with aspiring young artists hoping to break through in The Pop Game, executive produced by Queen Latifah and Jermaine Dupri, among others. The Curse of Oak Island, meanwhile, takes viewers off the coast of Nova Scotia, where treasure may have been buried in the 1700s. “Oak Island could be hiding one of the greatest treasures in history, but no one has ever been able to crack the code of how to get at it,” says Denis Cantin, the VP, head of content sales for EMEA at A+E Networks. Leah Remini left Scientology after 34 years, and she meets with former high-level Scientology executives and church members who delve deep into stories of the abuse, harassment and heartbreak suffered by those who have left in Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath.

“A+E Networks is about pushing boundaries, inventing and reinventing genres; we’re not afraid to take risks.”

—Denis Cantin The Pop Game

Banijay Rights American Justice /Murder Calls / I Married a Murderer There is a slate of new crime-centric shows in the Banijay Rights catalog, among them American Justice. “With much of the world keeping a keen eye on what’s happening in the U.S. right now, American Justice will give real insight into the criminal justice systems there, through the prism of seven homicides and filmed over one long, hot summer in Florida’s murder capital,” says Emily Elisha, the company’s head of factual. There is also Murder Calls, a six-part truecrime series highlighting the telephone calls that cracked open one of Australia’s most shocking murder cases. The series I Married a Murderer tells the stories of couples whose marriages end in murder. The show is produced by Bellum Entertainment, which are “specialists in re-creationbased U.S. true-crime shows,” Elisha says.

“The global appetite for factual crime programming shows no signs of diminishing.”

—Emily Elisha American Justice

Beyond Distribution MythBusters: The Search /Outlaw Tech / Nippers Made by Beyond Productions for Discovery Science, MythBusters: The Search follows the hunt for the next mythbusting superstars. “Featuring a host of never-before-seen spectacular stunts, the teams continue to bust myths in a celebration of curiosity, questioning and experimentation that was the hallmark of the original series,” says Munia KannaKonsek, the head of sales at Beyond Distribution. The company is also launching Outlaw Tech, which explores high-tech crimes and the science behind how they were carried out.

There’s a new children’s series as well, Nippers, which spotlights the Surf Life Saving’s junior activity program in Australia.

“If there is a metaphor to encapsulate the series it’s that the beach can be exciting, unpredictable and sometimes scary— and so too can growing up,” Kanna-Konsek says.

“We continue to seek more content from up-andcoming producers to represent their programming internationally.”

—Munia Kanna-Konsek Nippers 368 WORLD SCREEN 4/17

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Blue Ant International Africa’s Claws and Jaws/Evil Nature/Home Chef to Pro Chef Some of the most dangerous animals on Earth, from the great white shark to the black mamba, are showcased in the 4K series Africa’s Claws and Jaws. Blue Ant International is also highlighting the new docudrama series Evil Nature, which tells of the murder and mayhem that take place far from the bright lights of the big city. In Home Chef to Pro Chef, one person has the chance to achieve his or her dream of running a dinner service in a real restaurant for actual paying customers. “These series are entertaining, informative and highly promotable programs across genres that have a track record of performing extremely well,” says Solange Attwood, the senior VP of international at Blue Ant. “These series all have universal appeal for our global buyers.”

“We will continue to grow our co-production partnerships in 2017 and look forward to showcasing our expanded catalog to existing and new global buyers.”

—Solange Attwood Africa’s Claws and Jaws

Canamedia Travel Time with Linda Travel Time with Linda is a new lifestyle-travel series that Canamedia is launching at MIPTV. Hosted by Linda Cooper, it’s “an exciting, upbeat new travel series offering global inspiration with all the key elements, including glamor, luxury and adventure,” says Andrea Stokes, the managing director of international sales and acquisitions at Canamedia. “Cooper takes us ‘Caribbean dreaming’ in each episode featuring exotic, bucketlist vacation hotspots,” such as Belize, Turks and Caicos, Costa Rica, Anguilla and Punta Cana. Stokes adds, “Travel Time takes a fresh look at top destinations while mixing just the right amount of adventure and glamor. Each episode highlights a new Caribbean gem, all while showcasing not just the luxury aspects but the flavor and essence of each locale while interacting with the local culture.”

“Lifestyle series have always worked well for Canamedia, and with the added element of luxury, Travel Time with Linda is guaranteed to satisfy the appetites of international travel channels.”

—Andrea Stokes Travel Time with Linda

Corus Studios Backyard Builds /The Baker Sisters /$ave My Reno Contractor and designer Brian McCourt and design expert Sarah Keenleyside work with homeowners to create one-of-akind structures in outdoor spaces in Backyard Builds. Corus Studios is also showcasing the 13-part series The Baker Sisters, which sees Rachel Smith and Jean Parker sample signature items from establishments across North America. The company’s slate also includes $ave My Reno, which sees savvy contractor Sebastian Clovis and DIY designer Sabrina Smelko help cash-conscious homeowners slash their renovation budgets. There is also Worst to First, about two brothers-in-law who help families transform homes, as well as the second season of the reno competition show Home to Win. The series sees a group of renovation and design celebrities come together to transform an average house into a dream property.

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DRG Gender Neutral School /Guiltology /The Churchills The two-part Gender Neutral School tackles the topic of gender identity among children. “This issue is really in the zeitgeist at the moment, and this doc, commissioned by the BBC in the U.K., is a truly groundbreaking social experiment that sets out to see if changing childhoods can challenge stereotypes and close the gender gap later in life,” says Katy Cundall, the senior VP of acquisitions at DRG. From Nutopia, Guiltology is a true-crime series that takes viewers inside the world of forensic investigation. “Great detective stories are always popular the world over, and true crime is a genre that we are growing at DRG as there is a real demand in the international market,” Cundall says.

She calls the 3x1-hour The Churchills a “must-watch for all history fans.”

“DRG is a great home for the best independent producers in the world, and our list of partners is growing all the time.”

—Katy Cundall The Churchills

FOX Networks Group Content Distribution Origins: The Journey of Humankind /Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric /Bare Knuckle Fight Club Brain Games’ Jason Silva hosts National Geographic’s new landmark series Origins: The Journey of Humankind, which mixes scripted and unscripted elements. “It’s a full-sensory, time-travel adventure that delves deep into history to find the pivotal moments that fueled our evolutionary ascension,” says Connie Hodson, the VP of content and marketing at FOX Networks Group Content Distribution. In Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric, the broadcasting legend and former CBS news anchor talks with scientists, psychologists, surgeons, activists, authors and families to learn more about the role of genetics, brain chemistry and modern culture on gender fluidity. Bare Knuckle Fight Club, meanwhile, uncovers the underground world of bareknuckle boxing.

“We are very proud to be one of the few distributors with a truly international catalog.”

—Connie Hodson Bare Knuckle Fight Club

NHK Enterprises Yayoi Kusama: My Eternal Soul /Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki /Wildlife The female artist Yayoi Kusama, known for her usage of vivid colors and polka-dots, is profiled in Yayoi Kusama: My Eternal Soul, which was shot in 8K and is also available in 4K. The Academy Award-winning animator Hayao Miyazaki is the focus of Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki. “We follow Miyazaki, who had been adamant about hand-drawn animation, confront the challenges as he creates his first CGI project,” says Yukiko Unno, the deputy general manager for program sales at NHK Enterprises. “Neither the Yayoi Kusama program or the Hayao Miyazaki program would have been shot were it not for the trust and long-term relationship that NHK’s directors had with both respective artists,” Unno says. NHK Enterprises is also releasing new episodes of Wildlife, four of which are in 4K.

“NHK is dramatically increasing its 4K program production.”

—Yukiko Unno Yayoi Kusama: My Eternal Soul 372 WORLD SCREEN 4/17

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Parade Andy & Ben Eat Australia /Chris Humfrey’s Animal Instinct /Around the World with Manu Feildel MasterChef Australia alums Andy Allen and Ben Milbourne serve up a multiplatform adventure down under in Andy & Ben Eat Australia. “Food just got cool,” says Matthew Ashcroft, the CEO of Parade. “Andy and Ben are back to discover their version of Australia’s menu from the ground up” as they explore the eating culture in Oz. Parade’s MIPTV slate also includes Chris Humfrey’s Animal Instinct, which sees the eccentric Aussie set out on a journey of discovery to understand how important it is to protect every living creature. In the six-part Around the World with Manu Feildel, the titular host travels the route of Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days and sees whether he can do what Phileas Fogg did on only $20,000.

“Andy & Ben Eat Australia is real, raw and outlandish.”

—Matthew Ashcroft Andy & Ben Eat Australia

Passion Distribution Cold Justice /The Art of Japanese Life /The Trouble with Dad Former prosecutor Kelly Siegler and a team of crime-scene detectives crack unsolved cases in the investigation series Cold Justice, executive produced by Dick Wolf. “These top-notch investigators dig into small-town murder cases that have lingered for years without answers or closure,” says Emmanuelle Namiech, the CEO of Passion Distribution. In the three-part series The Art of Japanese Life, art historian and lifelong Japanophile Dr. James Fox travels the country, climbing mountains, sailing the seas, exploring the forests and temples, and visiting the cherry blossoms and cities. Passion is also presenting The Trouble with Dad, which explores the relationship between comedian and writer David Baddiel, his brother Ivor and their father, Colin, who suffers from Pick’s Disease, a rare form of dementia.

“We’ve secured talked-about, stand-out, insightful shows that range from human interest to crime and investigation to access-driven documentaries to a growing number of iconic entertainment franchises.”

—Emmanuelle Namiech The Trouble with Dad

PBS International The Vietnam War /The Age of Consequences / Last Days of Jesus Directed by acclaimed filmmakers Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, The Vietnam War is a ten-hour documentary film series that was six years in the making. The TV event “tells the epic story of one of the most divisive, consequential and misunderstood events in history as it has never been told on film, featuring testimony from nearly 100 witnesses from all sides of the conflict,” says Tom Koch, the VP of PBS International. Meanwhile, The Age of Consequences “approaches climate change from a completely different perspective than other docs out there by focusing on how it impacts resource scarcity, migration and conflict through the lens of U.S. national security and global stability,” Koch says. Last Days of Jesus paints a different image of Christ than what has been depicted in the Bible.

“Our slate this year reflects many of the big topics of the day, from politics to climate change to breakthroughs in science.”

—Tom Koch Last Days of Jesus 374 WORLD SCREEN 4/17

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Red Arrow International Empire Builders / The Greatest Crimes of All Time / Motive to Murder Empire Builders explores history’s great empires by visiting significant sites that defined their achievements and legacy, combining CGI and dramatic reconstructions with insights from history experts. The Greatest Crimes of All Time uses neverbefore-seen archive material and brand-new footage from actual crime scenes to spotlight grisly stories. Motive to Murder combines dramatic reconstructions, crime-scene evidence and expert analysis from FBI profilers, criminal attorneys and police investigators. “Red Arrow International continues to expand its factual slate across all genres, building on the success of our social experiments and factual-entertainment shows such as Married at First Sight, and our work in factual specials and with big science entertainment brands such as Galileo,” says Henrik Pabst, the company’s managing director.

“Our non-scripted slate at MIPTV highlights our commitment to working with some of the world’s top creative talents in factual.”

—Henrik Pabst Empire Builders

Rive Gauche Television Egg Factor / Teens Who Kill / The Day I Should Have Died Each episode of Egg Factor takes viewers along on the journeys of people who turn to egg donors in order to have children. “Our show gives you an in-depth look into an agency that counsels and helps families find and meet potential egg donors to create a family,” says Jon Kramer, the CEO of Rive Gauche Television. “Egg Factor is the next groundbreaking series from Rive Gauche.” Teens Who Kill, meanwhile, approaches the crime genre from the perspective of 11 adolescents who committed murder. “We get a firsthand confession from the teens who killed,” Kramer adds. The company’s MIPTV slate also features The Day I Should Have Died, which Kramer says offers “chilling encounters of near-death experiences and a perspective on the will to survive against all odds.”

“Rive Gauche Television continues to find innovative ideas.”

—Jon Kramer Teens Who Kill

Scripps Networks Interactive HGTV/ Food Network / Travel Channel A focus for Scripps Networks Interactive as of late is the global rollout of HGTV. “We entered new markets in Asia, New Zealand, Australia, the Middle East and North Africa and, most recently, launched in Poland, our biggest launch to date and our very first in Europe,” says Derek Chang, the head of international lifestyle channels at Scripps Networks Interactive.

“We’ll see the brand launch in Germany in partnership with ProSiebenSat.1 later this year and [want to] further solidify our flagship brand as the leading home-lifestyle channel across the globe.” The Scripps bouquet also includes Food Network and Travel Channel. In 2015, the company launched Scripps Lifestyle Studios in the U.S. to create more new original content for multiple platforms, including social media, apps, websites, third-party digital media outlets and advertisers.

“Scripps Networks Interactive is the number one producer of lifestyle content in the world.”

—Derek Chang Fixer Upper on HGTV 376 WORLD SCREEN 4/17

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TCB Media Rights Hunting Nazi Treasure / The Boy with No Brain / The Highland Midwives The current investigation into the Nazi looting of artwork, gold and more that occurred during World War II is under the microscope in Hunting Nazi Treasure. The Boy with No Brain follows a child who was born with less than 2 percent of a brain. Paul Heaney, the CEO of TCB Media Rights, says, “There’s just no need to dress up this story. It’s a miraculous story, full stop. Such an amazing boy, with a tragic start but an incredible conclusion.” In The Highland Midwives, viewers get an up-close look at how a group of women delivers babies without consultants or epidurals. The show “has the added elements of an international cast of mothers and midwives set against a stunning backdrop,” Heaney says. He also notes that TCB Media Rights is “managing to [grow its] scale without compromising quality, which is the holy grail in our business.”

“With approximately 200 hours and 25 new series launches, this is again another ‘biggest launch ever’ for TCB.” —Paul Heaney The Highland Midwives

Terra Mater Factual Studios Badlands: Hard Rock, Tough Lives /Tribe Versus Pride / Lion Kingdom Viewers are immersed in some of the most unforgiving landscapes in South Dakota in Badlands: Hard Rock, Tough Lives.

“Here, bison, black-tailed prairie dogs and burrowing owls constantly fight for survival,” says Sabine Holzer, the head of TV at Terra Mater Factual Studios. The Maasai are the focus of Tribe Versus Pride, which explores the deep connection between the Maasai culture and the well-being of Africa’s lions. The company is also presenting Lion Kingdom, showing viewers what life is like for three lion families that have made Ruaha National Park in Tanzania their home. “There’s an unbroken demand for high-quality content in the international market,” Holzer adds. “Making use of new technologies, working with unusual perspectives and finding new angles of storytelling, we’re providing cutting-edge docs for the market.”

“Our films captivate with compelling stories and stunning visuals, and bluechip docs with unique visual concepts are king.”

—Sabine Holzer Tribe Versus Pride

ZDF Enterprises Big Pacific / Hitler’s Circle of Evil / Children of the Wild Making its World Premiere Screening at MIPDoc is Big Pacific, a blue-chip wildlife program. “Filmed in Ultra High Definition, Big Pacific presents the ocean and its denizens in a way never before seen on television—exploring the monstrous to the minute, the alien to the intimate,” says Ralf Rückauer, the VP of ZDFE.factual at ZDF Enterprises (ZDFE). Another highlight is Hitler’s Circle of Evil, which chronicles the rise and fall of the Third Reich. The series, produced by World Media Rights in association with ZDFE, is currently in production for delivery in the summer. Then there is Children of the Wild, which explores the phenomenon of wolf children. “Children of the Wild is the first-ever 4K production of German pubcaster ZDF and boasts breathtaking images,” says Rückauer.

“We have a lot on our plate, and we know that the quality we are proud of in our programs will also be [appreciated] by others.”

—Ralf Rückauer Children of the Wild 378 WORLD SCREEN 4/17

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ZDF Enterprises’ Big Pacific.

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Andy Fry checks in with producers and distributors of wildlife docs about innovations in the genre. atural history is a genre that constantly surprises. Just when you think producers have covered every inch of wildlife habitat and behavior, along comes a series that hits new storytelling heights.

In 2016, for example, the BBC Natural History Unit’s Planet Earth II became one of the year’s most acclaimed series. A spectacular exploration of the world’s wildlife, it has rated strongly in every market where it has aired to date. It was BBC One’s highest-rated natural-history documentary in 15 years. In the U.S., on BBC America, it was the most-watched nature program in five years.

“It’s been a huge success,” says Patricia Fearnley, the head of natural history and factual content at BBC Worldwide.

“And there are still a lot of territories where it is yet to air.

One of the most exciting things about Planet Earth II is the way it became appointment viewing for both families and hard-to-reach young audiences.”

Fearnley attributes the show’s appeal to a number of key factors. “The NHU has always had a reputation for using technology to get as close as possible to animals, and that paid off in Planet Earth II, where you get to see some amazing behavior. The show’s stylistic approach was also important because it told the story from the perspective of the predators and prey. This allowed the audience to become completely immersed in the series.”

The fact that the show was narrated by the comforting voice of wildlife icon David Attenborough was also significant. “I think the show fulfilled a particular need,” Fearnley continues. “Against the backdrop of Brexit and the U.S. Presidential election, it offered some escapism.”

Coming up is another landmark series, Blue Planet II, a BBC Studios NHU production, co-produced with BBC America, WDR and France Télévisions. Attenborough returns to narrate, 16 years after the original Blue Planet aired. “There have been more underwater discoveries in the last ten years than in the previous hundred,” says Fearnley, “because of the advances in diving and cam-

N

era technology. So there’s never been a better time to deliver a show like this. It’s another example of the NHU constantly raising the bar higher.”

HIGH DEFINITION ZDF Enterprises is also looking to push the boundaries with Big Pacific, an NHNZ production premiering at MIPDoc. “Distributing a blue-chip like Big Pacific is always a distributor’s dream,” says Ralf Rückauer, the VP of ZDFE.factual at ZDF Enterprises. I still remember when I saw the first sizzle two years ago. I just couldn’t stop watching it—and I had goosebumps for hours.” The five-parter is a co-production with PBS and CCTV, among other partners.

Like Fearnley, Rückauer stresses the importance of innovation in the genre. “Every time there is a technical innovation providing better pictures, wildlife benefits. There have been various technical inventions over the course of the last few years: HD, 3D, UHD, 4K, VR, drones, HDR (High Dynamic Range), photogrammetry, MPEG-H 3D Audio and so on. Referring specifically to 4K, we see it as a necessary investment to secure sales in the near future. With Big Pacific, Deep Ocean, Senses of Danger: How Animals Can Save the World and Children of the Wild we have four 4K programs in our lineup, with Why Size Matters to follow later.”

Japanese public broadcaster NHK has been at the forefront of innovations in the genre for a number of years. On the subject of 4K, Gen Sasaki, the head of the natural history unit at NHK Enterprises, notes, “We’ve been using 4K in our wildlife documentaries since 2014, ahead of other genres. With the commencement of regular 4K/8K broadcasts starting in 2018, we expect a dramatic increase of 4K program production in the fiscal year 2017. All of our documentary specials will be produced in the 4K format.”

Looking at NHK’s regularly scheduled weekly slots for 2017, for example, 20 out of 45 programs in Nature Wonder Land are produced in the 4K format, says Sasaki. It’s a similar situation with the Wildlife slot (16 out of 30), Four Seasons in Japan (29 out of 35) and Satoyama in Japan (all 32 in 4K).

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Blue Ant Media and Plimsoll Productions partnered for the Camp Zambia wildlife filmmaking initiative, where shows under way include the four-part Guardians of the Wild.

under our Love Nature brand.” Aside from 4K, Attwood Also, he says, “our new natural-history specials are all propoints to important innovations like HDR content, with duced in 4K. These include Orda Underwater Cave, Deep Alaskan Summer becoming available at MIPTV. Ocean, Geo Japan and Mitsuhiko Imamori: Life in Satoyama.”

NHK, of course, is not stopping at 4K. “8K technology, developed by NHK, is gathering great attention in Japan,” IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES says Sasaki. “8K has 16 times higher resolution than the Everything Terra Mater Factual Studios makes is in 4K current HD, and four times higher than the 4K format. “because it future-proofs our archive,” says Sabine Holzer, Together with 22.2 surround sound, we believe 8K techthe company’s head of TV. However, she stresses that it’s nology will be the core of near-future broadcasting, giving important not to let developments in technology drive viewers a feeling of actually ‘being there.’ Natural-history the creative process. “There are all kinds of new camera documentaries are expected to be one of the core contechnologies that bring us closer to animals, but, for me, tents that will be suitable for this 8K and also giantthe priority is still great storytelling and camera skills. I screen viewing.” see real potential in VR for natural history, but the craft Significantly, says Sasaki, “The equipment used in 4K will still be important. There’s a lot of bad VR already.” filming, such as drones, stabilizers like MoVI—a small, Such was the case with 3D initially, Holzer adds. vibration-controlled camera that can be mounted to an aniOn the issue of VR, ZDF Enterprises’ Rückauer says, “We mal—and low-light cameras that can film color images started distributing 360-degree experiences like Volcanos: under starlight, will eventually be developed to 8K. And so everything that we can do with 4K filming, we are sure we will be able to do with 8K soon.”

Blue Ant International has placed a lot of emphasis on 4K, says Solange Attwood, the company’s senior VP. Its current offering includes 350 hours of 4K nature and wildlife series and, by the end of 2018, it will add almost 500 4K hours to its slate. “Blue Ant International’s catalog includes the first round of deliveries from Blue Ant Media’s Camp Zambia 4K natural-history production project with Plimsoll Productions,” says Attwood. “The Zambia-based production camp is home to a team of the world’s best directors, story producers and wildlife camera operators with a mission to create 50 hours of content NHK Enterprises’ long-running series Wildlife, which uses cutting-edge camera equipment, has sold widely.

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Terra Mater Factual Studios’ 4K special Ant Mountain is narrated

by David Attenborough.

An Immersive Experience and Children of the Wild. Further clips will be released later this year. We are very excited about VR, which is a new medium that can rival or partner other media like cinema, television, radio and the gaming industry. But we shouldn’t forget that we are in a very early stage. We need to see where it will take us.”

Celine Payot Lehmann, the head of international distribution at ARTE Sales, believes wildlife is an area that lends itself well to VR because of the immersive nature of its subject matter.

“ARTE is very active in VR through its ARTE360 app. I can see the opportunity for new kinds of storytelling that will appeal to the education market and museums as well as the at-home audience, which can view content with cheap VR glasses.”

NHK has also begun experimenting with VR, according to Sasaki. “In January 2017, we aired a program about dinosaurs in Nature Wonder Land. The program used CGI to depict the behaviors of dinosaurs, and we made use of this in the VR promo. Also, the VR contents were posted on NHK’s Facebook page and attracted audiences of all ages, especially children. We plan to produce more programs about the ecology of ancient animals using CGI and would like to make use of the CGI for VR promos, as we did for the dinosaur one.”

Based on this experience, NHK would also like to try using VR for its live-action images of wild animals, says Sasaki. “We could take a 360-degree camera to places where animals gather—for example, a colony of seabirds, macaques in an enclosure, snow monkeys in a hot spring, a group of meerkats—and that kind of VR content could be quite powerful in terms of showing our viewers something new in wildlife programming.”

AUDIENCE APPEAL While technological innovation is certainly driving the genre forward, there are plenty of other traits required to get commissioners and buyers to open their wallets. And, as Danny Tipping, the director of programming and development at Sky Vision, explains, “Audiences have very sophisticated tastes, so if you are going to get involved in a bluechip project, you have to make sure it is genuinely groundbreaking. Projects like Planet Earth II require a lot of resources, so they don’t come along often.”

Tipping says Sky Vision’s portfolio at the top end of the market has included Snow Monkeys, a PBS production that followed a group of snow monkeys in Japan’s Shiga Highlands. “That show was four years in the making. It was a fantastic production that sold really well. The issue with natural history is that a lot of behavior has been seen before, so you either back a show that contains something completely new or one that uses innovations in production technology to get closer than ever to the animals.”

ARTE’s Payot Lehmann mentions the newly recorded behaviors on display in Into the Shark Pack, a 90-minute special that explores remarkable shark behavior in the seas around Polynesia. “We are looking for presales on this project. It revolves around a team of world-class divers and scientists who have discovered the largest grouping of sedentary sharks in the world. In the film, they dive among the sharks and capture amazing night-time behavior. We have the added advantage that the same director [Gil Kebaili] has already made The Marbled Grouper Mystery, an award-winning film looking at unusual grouper fish behavior in Polynesia. That production sold to key broadcasters, including NHK in Japan.”

BBC Worldwide’s Fearnley acknowledges that it’s not possible to bring an event like Planet Earth II to the market every year. “But we are in the fortunate position of having a steady supply of superb wildlife shows. For example, we are currently promoting Spy in the Wild, the latest series in John Downer’s award-winning Spy franchise.”

Downer’s approach is to use robotic animals (known as Spy Creatures) to achieve an in-depth look at unsuspecting animals. In this show, his most ambitious to date, he deploys more than 30 spies. “By doing so, he is able to show how animals mirror humans in terms of love, intelligence, friendship and mischief,” says Fearnley.

RICH DIVERSITY ZDF Enterprises also benefits from having a diverse wildlife slate, Rückauer adds. “We are the only distributor with a wildlife catalog focusing on European wildlife and nature.

And we benefit from building large sales packages with our Nature Now! brand.” The company is also bringing to MIPTV releases from Jörn Röver’s Studio Hamburg DocLights such as Wild Spain, South Africa and Germany’s Underworld; the Gruppe 5 production Ocean Heroines; and WildBear’s The Amazon of the East and Animals That Changed History.

Terra Mater Factual Studios generally focuses on blue-chip miniseries, Holzer notes. “Three parts is probably our preferred length, but sometimes stories need to be told across four or five episodes. We don’t ever go above six episodes because that is more difficult for broadcasters to schedule.”

In the experience of ARTE’s Payot Lehmann, singles and series can both sell well, though the latter tend to be more magazine-led and are usually more suitable for daytime scheduling.

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At MIPCOM 2016, ORF’s commercial arm, ORF-Enterprise, secured sales for titles such as Garden Wild! (RTL Germany) and Vanishing Kings: Lions of the Namib (Thai PBS Thailand). In addition, TVE Spain acquired a package that included Making an Ancient Forest and Vanishing Kings (an HD co-pro involving Interspot Film, ARTE and Smithsonian, among others). Marion Camus-Oberdorfer, the head of content sales international at ORF-Enterprise, says 2016 was an exceptionally satisfying year that offered “more and more opportunities in the nonlinear business.”

Illustrating the point, she says Amazon Prime in the U.S., U.K. and Japan has added more than 30 new ORF titles to its offerings.

TALKING HEADS

ORF-Enterprise’s Universum docs, among them Making An Ancient Forest, are strong sellers globally.

Sky Vision markets several shows with more of a magazine feel. “We have a family series called Zoo Juniors that is now in its seventh season,” Tipping explains. “It’s produced by a German company at Berlin Zoo and sells well for us on the international market.” Also at the magazine end of Sky Vision’s content market is Caught in the Act, an Aquavision production that has created a TV franchise out of the kind of footage usually seen on social media.

GLOBAL APPEAL Blue Ant’s Attwood says there is room in the market both for singles and longer-run productions and has found strong demand for “character-driven stories about specific animal behaviors. Growing Up Wild is a prime example of a character-driven story line. Great Blue Wild, meanwhile, follows a colorful array of species as they are born, mature and have families of their own.”

Blue Ant International has also identified buyer interest in hybrid genres, says Attwood. “We see an influx of nature content mixed with science and history.”

For NHK Enterprises, the strongest seller is the long-running series Wildlife, which now has over 100 episodes, Sasaki says.

“Some of the signatures of this series are footage shot over the long term, never-before-seen visual expressions using the latest equipment, and innovative storytelling from unique viewpoints.” Sasaki says there will be new episodes at MIPTV, “including the story of the battle of lions and hyenas in the African savanna. More than a half of our new episodes are filmed in 4K, and its amazing Ultra HD images give you a frontrow seat to get views of the dwarf mongooses in the African savanna, gharials from the Himalayas in Nepal, and the flightless cormorant in the Galapagos Islands.”

On the issue of whether broadcasters prefer presenters, the consensus is that they’re usually not needed—though the BBC’s Attenborough is a famous exception. “The appeal of presenters is always difficult to predict in advance,” ARTE’s Payot Lehmann says. “You just don’t know who the audience is going to like. If you are going to use a presenter, I think Englishspeaking is probably the best idea, and someone who really gets involved with the subject.”

In the post-standard definition world, wildlife docs don’t date quickly, “which is one reason why we tend to prefer non-presenter-led programming,” Sky Vision’s Tipping says. “Animals don’t wear flares.

That said, presenter-led shows work in some markets, so there’s always an option of making two different versions.”

Others take a similar view to Tipping on the issue of presenters. “We think it depends on the target audiences,” says NHK Enterprises’ Sasaki. “If the program is targeted to those audiences who love authentic natural-history documentaries, we don’t think a presenter is needed. On the other hand, if the program is trying to appeal to a wider audience, including those that are not necessarily interested in wildlife, it may be a good idea to use a presenter.”

Terra Mater’s Holzer agrees that presenter-less wildlife tends to be most in demand. “But there are situations where using a presenter is right for a specific project. We made a show on bioluminescence with David Attenborough. He was exactly the right person to make a complex subject simple to understand and stimulating for the audience. We’re working with him on another project [Ant Mountain] now that looks at colonies of ants.”

She also cites examples of shows where the onscreen talent is part of the story. “We’re making a one-hour special [From Cubs to Kings] with South Africa-based conservationist Kevin Richardson, about his efforts to save two lion cubs that have been tortured. We’ve worked with Kevin before, but he is not a presenter, he is part of the story.”

For Rückauer at ZDF Enterprises, “A presenter can help sell a program—provided they are a big name. I like celebrity-led series like In The Wild [with Julia Roberts and others] that Tigress Productions released two decades ago. But in 80 percent of cases, clients just want to go for a presenter-free wildlife program. If you are able to show the pure beauty of mother nature, why include human beings?”

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TCB’s Secrets of the National Trust.

In a cluttered landscape, travel shows need to be so much more than guidebooks to stand out.

By Sara Alessi e all want to be taken places and see locations we could only dream of visiting. Thanks to travel series, we can do that from the comfort and safety of the living room. But these days, viewers don’t just want to be shown the sites; they want an immersive experience with an engaging host who takes them along on a journey of discovery.

“The traditional bread-and-butter travel shows are not something buyers would look at today,” says Jon Kramer, the chairman and CEO of Rive Gauche Television. “They look at things that are out of the box. A show doesn’t have to be a pure travel series—it just has to take you places. It could be about eating, but it’s a travel show if you get to visit places.”

From aspirational to down-the-middle to adventure to food and character-led series, the travel genre now has something for everyone.

Angela Neillis, the director of non-scripted content at FremantleMedia International (FMI), finds that “there is still a demand for inspirational and educational travel shows. To appeal to audiences, series need to be specialized, provide something new and take viewers to places that they normally wouldn’t see or have the chance to experience.”

W

This “underlines the need for either a fresh approach to travel or the need to combine other sub-genres,” according to Natalie Lawley, the managing director of Escapade Media.

Indeed, with traditional sightseeing out, a new breed of series has emerged, combining elements of the travel genre with another component that grabs audiences’ attention.

“Keeping travel at the forefront but bringing in another element like food, lifestyle, history or survival, works well,” says Kate Llewellyn-Jones, the managing director of TCB Media Rights. “Anything that embraces the reasons people travel or is relevant to the experiences people want to have when they travel” can make a show successful internationally.

With this shift in the travel genre, Maartje Horchner, the executive VP of content at all3media International, has noticed a surge in demand for hybrid programs. “The standard way of showing what a location is like does not travel very well internationally.”

HITTING THE ROAD “Pushing the boundaries with travel is the most notable evolution” in the space, says Escapade’s Lawley. “That ‘money can’t buy experience’ can be seen in a number of successful series recently. Travel is a big part of Status: Vacant.” Shot in 4K, the series takes the viewer around the world to investigate abandoned destinations that are often off the beaten path.

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GRB’s Hayden Quinn South Africa is a popular hybrid show, fusing travel and food.

Even something as simple as introducing comedy into a series can help drive viewership. Travel Man: 48 Hours In..., hosted by Richard Ayoade, combines travel and comedy to keep viewers interested, with guests like Rebel Wilson lending their talents. The show looks at “places that normal tourists would go to through such a funny, different angle,” Horchner says, which makes the show attractive internationally. She also points to The Embassy, which creates a story arc by following people who work in the Australian Embassy in Bangkok and incorporates travel as the cast ventures around the city.

Rive Gauche is capitalizing on the hybrid trend with shows such as Buying the Bayou. The series “combines a number of genres,” Kramer says. “You get to travel to a very different place. You get to see houses that are built in the Bayou, which are much different from houses you’d normally see; and the people who live in the Bayou are unique, so you get to meet homeowners and real estate agents that are characters.”

According to FMI’s Neillis, “travel shows need to showcase destinations from a different angle and utilize new, exciting and unpredictable talent.” In Dara & Ed’s Road to Mandalay (working title), for example, “the two presenters take viewers through the bright lights of Malaysia, the jungles of Myanmar and unravel the region’s rich history and its link with the U.K. and Europe,” says Neillis. “Dara and Ed bring a lot of warmth and humor to the series and this makes them the ideal travel companions for audiences.”

Similarly, Ultimate Homes and Buying Hawaii, two pillars of Rive Gauche’s offering, provide audiences with aspirational real estate experiences. “Both series take viewers to exotic places,” Kramer explains. “Ultimate Homes appeals to a viewer who wants to see what the very rich have attained in terms of housing, while Buying Hawaii is for the normal person who wants to see what it’s like to buy a home in Hawaii.”

Mike Lolato, the senior VP of international distribution at GRB Entertainment, believes there is demand for hybrid shows because the combination of travel with other elements has the potential to bring in a younger audience as compared to typical travel series. “Networks need to satisfy as many viewers as possible,” he says. “What better way to do that than by doing a travel-adventure program instead GLOBAL TASTES of doing just a pure travel show or just an adventure show?

Food and travel has become a particularly lucrative hybrid.

You’re going to bring in different people, you’re going to “Food is such a key part of most cultures; it brings people attract more viewers, and that’s the name of the game.” together, and it’s so diverse, so it has a very natural and very One of GRB’s titles that has succeeded in luring elusive milappealing place in travel shows,” explains Holly Hodges, the lennials is Chug, in which host Zane Lamprey explores drinking deputy head of sales at Twofour Rights. “The Indian Dream cultures around the world. “Historically, travel shows have Hotel and Alex Polizzi’s travel series are just two examples been a little bit conservative and slower paced,” Lolato says. where food plays a key part in the structure of the series.”

“Then there was an explosion of new hosts [who are] different, edgier people.

Chug brings in a younger audience because 87-year-olds probably aren’t too interested in the great beers or a new vodka company from Malaysia, but young travelers who want to have a good time are going to gravitate toward these newer travel shows.”

“It’s the combination of genres that makes [the hybrid shows] attractive,” all3media’s Horchner explains. “It’s a different way of telling a story, which is quite hard in the travel genre. Trying to find something that lures people to stay tuned when the ads go on, to find a story arc, that’s where the combination of genres helps. It creates a story arc [that wouldn’t exist in] a straightforward travel show.”

Escapade’s Status: Vacant takes an ususual spin on travel, showcasing deserted locations across the globe.

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Ultimate Homes is one of several Rive Gauche titles that put a travel spin on the real-estate genre.

Jamie’s Super Food Family Classics, part of FMI’s offering, uses food as a vehicle to explore the diets and lifestyles of people who tend to live longer than those in the Western world.

The show “puts a completely different spin on a travel show, as not only does Oliver visit and showcase the impressive landscapes of Switzerland, the island of Sardinia and South Korea, but he also educates the viewers on local cultures, produce and methods of living a healthier life,” says Neillis.

The combination of genres can sometimes pose an issue.

“Funnily enough, with travel and food you’ve got to be careful because sometimes it leads to confusion for a buyer, where they’re asking if it’s a travel show or a food show,” adds all3media’s Horchner.

Even so, Lawley at Escapade reports, “The travel-food hybrid has been a very popular combination for some time now. Although still in demand, buyers are seeking this hybrid with a fresh approach.”

HOST WITH THE MOST Another key selling point in the genre is having a compelling and engaging travel companion. Rive Gauche’s Kramer points to The Illegal Eater as an example of how a host can make a show appealing. The series is presented by Steven Page, a former member of the rock band Barenaked Ladies.

“He’s a famous rocker, very personable, very quirky, and he takes you to a lot of strange places to eat,” Kramer explains.

Indeed, recognizable hosts can be a selling point in the international market. “There’s a strong desire for more wellknown talent,” says Matthew Ashcroft, the CEO of Parade Media. The company has done well with Andy & Ben Eat the World and Andy & Ben Eat Australia, starring two MasterChef Australia alums. According to Ashcroft, “You can go to the same locations again and again, but every star is going to have a different spin.” He adds, “We work on projects with new talent, but there’s risk aversion.”

Simply put, “famous faces still work,” all3media’s Horchner agrees. “Obviously, they’ll work in different territories, so people who are famous in Europe might not necessarily travel into Asia. They need to have some international link.” The company is leveraging baker and motorhead Paul Hollywood’s star power in the travel genre as well. At MIPTV, all3media is launching Paul Hollywood’s Car Nations, which takes viewers

to destinations like France and Germany, looking at these places through an automotive lens.

No matter how well known the host, “The immersive travel experience for the viewer needs to feel credible, and that’s achieved through the talent,” says Hodges at Twofour Rights, which distributes shows such as Alex Polizzi’s Secret Italy.

Hodges finds that Polizzi is “hugely popular [because] she offers a wealth of experience in travel and business [and] she’s a reputable, strong character.”

GRB’s Lolato believes that an engaging, authentic host has a voice and is not someone who simply wants to do a travel show. It’s important that the presenter has a genuine interest he or she would like to explore. In Hayden Quinn South Africa, the titular host and former MasterChef Australia contestant doesn’t have years of experience under his belt, but he’s making a name for himself and gaining a following because he feels authentic and has a passion for exploring the country’s food and culture.

“Hosts have to be engaging and lively, but they need to be credible,” echoes TCB’s Llewellyn-Jones. “You have to believe in the host. There needs to be a reason for them to be presenting,” so they must be doing something in which they have a level of expertise. In Ainsley Eats the Streets, part of TCB’s catalog, presenter and British chef Ainsley Harriott samples street food in different countries, and his cooking background brings credibility to the show.

FMI’s Neillis also believes that “hosts that are intellectual, reliable and genuinely interested in the culture of the location resonate extremely well with global audiences.”

“It’s really important that the host/guide has a passion for what he or she is representing, with solid experience and knowledge,” Escapade’s Lawley explains. “If we look at the most successful hosts to date, they are the essence of the series.”

HIGH-TECH TRAVEL Technology is also reshaping the travel genre. “Technology, including VR options, can provide a new perspective so that viewers can experience the destination or location,” says Lawley. “Food.Sail.Love., shot in true 4K, gives the viewer such a vibrant, sensual journey across the Mediterranean. True 4K breathes spectacular color and clarity into these destinations.”

Parade’s Ashcroft agrees, noting, “Technology and the drone have given production companies access to some of the most breathtaking locations and shots, which deliver premium onscreen value and some terrific cinematography.”

As technology continues to advance and viewers embrace interactivity, ancillary content is another element buyers are looking for to support travel shows. “You do need to be able to add value to programming,” TCB’s Llewellyn-Jones explains.

“We try to accompany all our projects with value-added content,” says Escapade’s Lawley, “including access to talent for interviews, promos, recipes, travel information and dedicated websites that viewers can visit to plan their own trip.”

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Among Discovery Communications’ most successful networks, Investigation Discovery (ID) has created a devoted, highly engaged audience base with its signature true-crime programming. Henry Schleiff, the group president of ID, American Heroes Channel and Destination America, has orchestrated the network’s move into the upper echelons of basic-cable rankings. He shares with TV Real some of the keys to ID’s success.

TV REAL: What’s been driving your ratings gains?

SCHLEIFF: As the leading, most established, most successful network in the popular genre of true crime, it’s our organizing principle of having a variety of series that look to do three things: entertain, inform, and, on occasion, inspire.

Under the rubric of entertainment, I’d look at the amazing success and record-breaking ratings that we had in all of our key demos for JonBenét: An American Murder Mystery. Following the success of that we have our next three-part event coming up in April, Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery. As you know, that was a phenomenal trial here, very controversial. That joins such successful core ID series as See No Evil, Murder Calls, Homicide Hunter, I Am Homicide, and, of course, one of our all-time favorites, Wives with Knives. In January, ID was the number one network in America out of all cable networks, for women 25 to 54, and the number two network for persons 25 to 54, behind ESPN. For examples of shows that inform, we’ve had tremendous success with magazine-like series—Vanity Fair Confidential, People Magazine Investigates, and coming up we have Scene of the Crime with Tony Harris and The Real Story with Maria Elena Salinas. They join our best-in-class roster of top investigative journalists like Paula Zahn, Chris Hansen, Tamron Hall and the ever-popular Barbara Walters.

And we’re extremely proud to have examples of shows that make a difference, and that over the years have come under our initiative that we have labeled “Inspire a Difference.” We have one coming up called Killing Richard Glossip, an amazing look at the American justice system—which is not always so just—directed and produced by the Emmy Award-winning Joe Berlinger. It’s the story of someone on death row who has been brought down to be executed on three separate occasions, but at the last moment, the procedure was stopped each time. We have a series called Hate in America, working with the Southern Poverty Law Center, that has looked at the rise of hate groups like the KKK over the years.

TV REAL: How have you developed stickiness and engagement on the channel?

SCHLEIFF: There are two aspects. To some extent, we schedule like series one after another, so if you liked that show at nine o’clock, chances are you’ll stick with it at ten o’clock. I will also tell you a little secret because we’re so far in the lead now: it’s the way we tell a story. We tell a story so that the ad breaks come at a critical time; they make you want to stay and watch through that break. It is the reason that we are the number one network out of all networks, cable and broadcast, for length of tune. More people watch us for longer periods of time, uninterrupted, than

any other network, cable or broadcast. ID is 50 percent higher than the cable or broadcast average for total day length of tune.

Not only is that pleasing for the viewer, it’s very important to our advertising partners because they then realize that their commercial spot is not only going to be watched, but it’s going to be watched with passion. The key word is engagement.

TV REAL: Tell us about ID’s move into scripted programming.

SCHLEIFF: Remember, we’re looking at a background of over 650 original hours of production this year, probably more than any other network like ours. In that context, we are getting into the world of scripted, starting with our first two movies. And these are true stories, amazing stories, that need further exploration. One is Dating Game Killer, produced by Leslie Greif at ThinkFactory. He tells the story of one of the most prolific serial murderers of all time, Rodney Alcala, played by the incredible Guillermo Diaz. The reason it’s called Dating Game Killer is because Rodney Alcala appeared on the popular late 1970s game show The Dating Game. He was actually a winner!

Can you imagine what the other two guys were like? And then our other movie is a phenomenally transfixing story called Final Vision, and it’s the true story of Jeffrey MacDonald, who claims he did not, but was convicted of, murdering his pregnant wife and two young children on an Army base where he was a wellrespected, well-regarded surgeon. He asked the author Joe McGinniss to become his biographer, so it’s about their relationship. MacDonald is played by Scott Foley from Scandal.

TV REAL: Are you looking at working with your international colleagues on any joint programming initiatives?

SCHLEIFF: By all means. International continues to be a growth area for ID. We have established ourselves quietly but successfully in over 168 markets. In the last year, the average for our audience was up a phenomenal 33 percent internationally year over year, with perhaps our biggest and most successful markets being in South Africa, Brazil, Mexico and the Netherlands. We’ve seen particular growth in Brazil and South Africa. It’s been phenomenal. We launched in Italy in October and France in December.

TV REAL: What are some of the biggest shifts that you’ve witnessed in true-crime programming?

SCHLEIFF: What I’ve seen in the last three, four, five years, in particular, is a growing recognition of the popularity of true crime. You’ve seen it in Serial, a podcast on NPR, you’ve seen that emulated by the success of The Jinx on HBO, you’ve seen that followed by Netflix with Making a Murderer. This is something that viewers just can’t get enough of. So it is particularly satisfying for ID to be recognized in that growing universe as the number one network, the network that is consistently playing this kind of product. I like that these other players, of all sorts—broadcast, pay TV, OTT—dabble on occasion, and quite well, in this area. To me, it looks like an hors d’oeuvre for viewers because they understand that they can come for the full and main dinner consistently, day in and day out, 24/7, 365, at ID. 4/17 WORLD SCREEN 395

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TV REAL: How did 60 Days In come about?

HENRY: Our company and our principals have done hundreds of hours of programming on prisons and jails across the country. We always [asked ourselves], How would we survive here?

How would we fare in this world? These are important stories about the challenges of doing time, but for viewers, it’s sometimes easy to dismiss those voices because you could say, Well, they did something to deserve being there. So seeing the world through the eyes of people who haven’t committed a crime, who don’t have a background where they’ve gotten caught up in anything, who have not experienced jail before, felt like an entry point we hadn’t seen.

TV REAL: What was the initial response from A&E to that pitch?

And how did you find your first facility?

HENRY: We brought this in as part of an A&E PitchFest. We had two ideas. One was Behind Bars: Rookie Year, which just finished its second season. They went straight to series on that.

They loved the second idea [for 60 Days In], but in that moment it was such a big swing, such a huge, epic challenge.

After working together on Behind Bars and realizing that we were good partners, they said, Let’s go ahead and try it. The process of finding the location took a little over a year. We approached hundreds of facilities across the country. We knew we wanted to be in a smaller county jail, with a sheriff who had a reason for doing a program like this. We also wanted to be in a place that was representational of America, so it didn’t feel too coastal, too rural, too anything. It was a challenge to put that Venn diagram together and figure out a place. But when I met Sheriff Jamey Noel, he was the one who said, “One of the ways I want to reform my jail is by putting undercovers in”—for him that meant undercover law enforcement. I said, What if we bring in [regular] people with a bunch of different perspectives?

By Mansha Daswani

A&E’s 60 Days In was the biggest and buzziest new series in the U.S. factual landscape last year. The boundary-pushing show placed seven volunteers as undercover prisoners in Indiana’s Clark County Jail for 60 days to help the local sheriff discover failings in the system. Before the first episode aired A&E had signed on for a second season, a decision for which the cable network was soon rewarded—60 Days In was cable’s number one new unscripted series in 2016 among adults 25 to 54 in Live+3, and A&E’s number one series among adults 18 to 49 in same-day viewing. This year, A&E greenlit another two seasons, taking the show to Atlanta’s Fulton County Jail. Broadcast on A+E Networks outlets in more than 100 markets, 60 Days In is also being distributed as a format, with a U.K. production company already on board. The series was created and produced by indie outfit Lucky 8 TV, co-founded by executive producer Greg Henry. Henry gives TV Real an inside look at the logistics of making 60 Days In.

TV REAL: How did you go about finding your participants?

HENRY: The casting process was both traditional and nontraditional. We started by talking to the sheriff about different archetypes and types of perspectives that would matter to him.

Through that, we began reaching out to law enforcement groups, victims groups, offenders groups, social work groups.

And we looked at some of the more tried-and-tested sources of folks who want to be on television. But it wasn’t that we were necessarily asking them to respond to us. We [were looking for] profiles—a retired police officer, a social worker who worked with at-risk youth; it was about finding people whose perspectives, opinions and experiences would be valuable information for the sheriff, and who would be representative of what we believe the audience would want to see. We knew this could not be a survival show, and it is not a game show, there is no prize. Therefore, the participants need to have a reason for wanting to do this and care deeply about affecting change in the system they’re entering.

TV REAL: Tell us about the preproduction work that was needed to get the facility ready.

HENRY:We had a solid six months of legal research and insurance research. We have a bible that no other company has because we’re doing something that’s never been done before. We had three housing units that we were working in primarily. We hung nine cameras in each housing unit, and we had roughly 64 microphones in each housing unit. We set up a control room. We had a team in there 24/7. Here’s the nerdy statistic: if you came

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Atlanta’s Fulton County Jail is the setting for seasons three and four of A&E’s risk-taking 60 Days In, which aims to help jailers uncover problems within their facilities.

to the office to look at the dailies [for seasons one and two in Clark County], you would walk in today and two years from now you would walk out. That’s how much tape we recorded. It’s a massive undertaking. And that’s just handling the data. Then obviously story is happening in real time, right in front of you.

Often the thing that you would put into your log and note as a story point, the underpinnings of it happened two days ago. Once that material hits post, we have a whole team of what we call “watchers” who will take a story point and then go back two days and watch all the lead-up. It is as hard as it looks.

TV REAL: Give us some insight into that editing process. How do you go about telling the stories of these individuals as well as of the institution and the challenges it’s facing?

HENRY: We lean heavily on the sheriff and the chief jailer we’re working with. Why do they want to do this? On the storytelling in the edits, we start with each of our participants as they go through the process. Our storyboards are really day one to day X of any participant. What was that person’s experience? What is so interesting is that what we see versus what [they talk about in] an interview versus what they think happened don’t all line up. The experience is so intense. “What was in your head when you did that?” “It was loud, I was being screamed at, I can’t tell you why I behaved that way.” Sixty days was chosen for a very specific reason. It’s long enough for them to experience all the different variations of what it means to be an inmate, from intake to getting money on your books to the first time you’re challenged to the first time you’re questioned about your crime. But as they get a month or so in they start to institutionalize ever so slightly. They start to get used to the rhythm, the day in and day out. Those are the hallmarks that we look for across the entirety of the series as we put it together.

TV REAL: What advice would you give international producers who license the format of 60 Days In? HENRY: Without becoming collaborators, you need to get the buy-in from the facility you’re working with. That facility needs

to see the value of what they can get out of this experience.

When we set out on the first season of 60 Days In, I brought the whole crew together, some 50 people on the ground in Louisville, Kentucky, and told them, “This is something that has never been done before, and we may not get a second chance at doing it. Take this seriously. Our main job is making sure that all these participants get in and out safely. If we do that job, we will make great television.” We take very seriously the program that we have created, and we do believe that there can be additive value to the facilities. We also know it will be entertaining programming. It’s that mix that has certainly resonated and allowed us to do it a second time. And then, of course, it also comes down to the makeup of the incarceration system in that country.

TV REAL: How did Lucky 8 first get into making criminal justice content?

HENRY: Kim Woodard, one of the other partners, used to work at National Geographic Channel. For years they had Lockdown as a strand. I helped create a series called Hard Time that also ran on National Geographic. We both fell into it at first because prisons were just starting to grant access [to producers] for longer-term projects. We became fascinated by the world. It’s a very important story to tell. There have been massive changes over the last decade, and the system continues to evolve. It’s a world where, for a storyteller, it’s all right there within the fence line. Both of us started in journalism. I worked in public television with Bill Moyers, and she used to work for Frontline. I believe the way you can affect change the best is to entertain and then hide the broccoli. In our first season of Behind Bars: Rookie Year, which did quite well for A&E, the central premise is that being a corrections officer is one of the last career jobs in America and your starting salary might well land you on food stamps. That’s not the headline of the series. The headline is that 18-year-olds are walking in to work side by side with convicted felons, but these are the underpinnings of what you come to learn as a viewer.

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TV REAL: Why was Singapore an important market to bring the channel into?

ROYLE: Singapore is an excellent fit for our target demo. It’s a well-educated and pretty affluent market, with a considerable English-speaking population. That made it a natural stepping stone for us into the international television market. We also needed a good partner, and we’re delighted to be launched there by StarHub, which gives us a strong foothold in the Asian market. I think this is going to be the first of many international launches outside of North America.

We launched first in Canada with Blue Ant, and that’s been very successful. This is a more adventurous step outside the confines of the North American continent.

It’s a very natural next move. Our programming sells all over the world, from Russia to Australia, from the U.K. to Korea. It’s now being shown by broadcasters globally. So we’re very bullish about launching channels. We know that there is an appetite for the type of programming that we’re making. We also think that there’s a dearth of quality factual programs now because of the rush toward reality programming, even though this trend may be winding down somewhat. This leaves a very big niche for quality, somewhat more traditional nonfiction entertainment.

People want to understand their world and they want to do it in a way that’s entertaining and credible.

TV REAL: Overall, what’s guiding the current programming strategy for the channel?

ROYLE: At Smithsonian Channel, we have a very clear sense of who we are. When we look at some of the zig-zagging that’s gone on with so many U.S. nonfiction channels, we feel vindicated by our commitment to true, quality nonfiction. We’ve believed for some time that a substantial niche has opened up on television for story-led, entertaining factual [programming] that has integrity. That’s what we’re focused on. We’re a brand where curiosity lives, inspiration strikes and wonders never cease. Our programming strategy is quite simple: it’s to look for programming that is dramatic, beautifully shot and has great storytelling in the areas that are at the heart of our brand, which are air and space, history, science, nature and pop culture.

By Kristin Brzoznowski

Having cemented its reputation as a destination for first-rate nonfiction programming in the U.S., Smithsonian Channel has set its sights on expanding the network in the international marketplace.

Already available in Canada, Smithsonian made its foray outside of North America last year with a launch on StarHub TV in Singapore.

David Royle, the executive VP of programming and production at Smithsonian Networks, tells TV Real about the Singapore service and building out the channel’s global footprint, and discusses the current programming strategy and plans in the 4K space.

TV REAL: What are you looking for with regard to commissions?

ROYLE: History is a very important area for us. We’re always looking for new ways of interpreting history and bringing history to a bigger audience. We have two new landmark series that we’re launching. America in Color tells the story of America in the 20th century exclusively through archival footage that has been beautifully colorized. The series puts the color back into history and brings it to life in a way that is mesmerizing and cinematic. The second series is The Lost Tapes,

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which comes from Tom Jennings, a very talented L.A.-based producer who created the Peabody-winning MLK: The Assassination Tapes for us. Tom takes footage that’s been shot at a particular moment in history, and he retells the story of that time without any narration or interviews; he uses photographs, film, radio and TV reports. It has a visceral, you-are-there-atthat-moment feel to it. It gets away from the historical programming that I think young people, in particular, don’t always want, which is programming that’s lecturing at you. Instead, you’re plunged into the middle of an event as if you are there and experiencing it as it unfolds in real time.

Also, we’re always looking for big anniversary programs. I don’t just mean the obvious ones, like the anniversary of Princess Diana’s death. But also the ones that relate to popular culture. We’ve completed a series based on Franco Zeffirelli’s Jesus of Nazareth; we got extraordinary access to the footage in Zeffirelli’s series, which has its 40th anniversary this year. We persuaded Robert Powell, whose portrayal of Jesus was considered to be a groundbreaking television portrayal, to go back to the Holy Land for us. The Real Jesus of Nazareth weaves Zeffirelli’s amazing film with the story of Robert’s trip as he analyzes and explores the historical truth of Jesus.

Natural history is another programming area that is important to us. We love it when people come up with new approaches to the genre. We have a series out called Polar Bear Town, which has a tinge of the reality genre to it but is entirely documentary. That series came from Canada’s Merit Motion Pictures and Earth Touch in South Africa.

Earth Touch has created another series for us that offers a new take on natural history. We did a pilot called Crazy Monster Frogs, and now we’ve expanded into a series that includes Crazy Monster Bats and Crazy Monster Fangs. The Crazy Monster series is slightly tongue in cheek. We certainly want producers who are thinking of pitching us to know that we’re not just looking for programming that is serious. Far from it! We want programming that is entertaining and fun and that draws audiences in—as long as it is grounded in veracity and reality because that’s the hallmark of who we are.

We also look for news-breaking stories. We commissioned The Unknown Flag Raiser of Iwo Jima from Lucky 8. It’s an investigation of the famous flag raising on the top of Iwo Jima that [was the basis for] the Clint Eastwood movie Flags of Our Fathers. The important thing here was that Lucky 8 had a completely new breakthrough in the interpretation of who was in the famous photo.

We love that sort of [program] where we take a story that you think you know and add a twist that brings a new interpretation and understanding to it. That is something we leap at.

between acquisitions and commissions. Our audiences don’t know or care about the difference between an acquisition, a commission or a co-pro. So we’re always looking for the same qualities. The storytelling is the first priority, and visual richness is a must. We look for something that feels like it’s exclusive in terms of what it delivers. It has to be in our wheelhouse of nonfiction programming genres.

TV REAL: Will Smithsonian continue to increase its commitment to 4K? ROYLE: We launched as an HD channel, with 5.1 surround sound, and that was key to our expansion in the U.S. market. It was at a time when there was very little HD out there, very few people doing 5.1 surround sound and so we met a need. We always believed we could become a leader in providing the ultimate viewing experience. We set out to combine factual integrity with strong, dramatic storytelling, and we were determined to create an astonishingly strong visual viewing experience. It’s been a very natural move for us to go rapidly into 4K production.

Just as it happened with HD, you’re seeing an explosion of people purchasing 4K TV sets. Those people are going to be craving television programs that take advantage of the new technology, and there aren’t enough broadcasters commissioning it yet. We intend to be among the first to offer the ultimate 4K experience.

We are now doing all of our original commissioning, and most of our co-production commissioning, in 4K. We’ve probably moved more quickly into this space than any other American channel. We are switching rapidly into full 4K production, and we are the first channel in America to announce the creation of a 4K VOD service. This is just the beginning for us.

TV REAL: Does what you’re looking for in acquisitions differ at all?

ROYLE: I don’t think there’s much difference in terms of what we look for 4/17 WORLD SCREEN 401

Natural history is a core element of the Smithsonian schedule, with recent highlights like Polar Bear Town.

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TRENDSETTER

AWA R D S ome of today’s great TV dramas draw a lot of attention and generate considerable buzz, but all programmers know of the ongoing appeal of factual programming. No doubt, the quality and scope of many nonfiction specials and limited series rival the high-end production values seen in dramas.

In today’s world where so many real-life events are infinitely more captivating than the best fictional stories, factual programs and documentaries do more than illustrate or explain current events; they transport us to the farthest reaches of the universe or exotic locales on planet Earth. They motivate us through stories of individual courage, resilience and stamina. They inspire us when showcasing scientific breakthroughs. They bring history to life and shed light on crimes. They entertain us with personal makeovers and home improvement.

Executives in charge of commissioning and sourcing nonfiction programming need to blend factual accuracy with entertaining elements to inspire, inform and even spark a sense of wonder among viewers.

In acknowledgement of this vital segment of the television industry, World Screen, in partnership with Reed MIDEM, is presenting the secondannual Factual Trendsetter Awards to honor four individuals who have made significant contributions to the television business.

The honorees represent services that offer the best in factual programming: Hamish Mykura of National Geographic, Hannah Barnes of Foxtel in Australia,

S

Andrew Solomon of ORF in Austria and Isabelle Antraygue of Canal+ Group in France.

These four programming executives will take part in the panel View from the Top: What Do Buyers and Commissioners Want? at MIPDoc on Saturday, April 1, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., in the Grand Theatre of the JW Marriott Cannes. World Screen’s group editorial director, Anna Carugati, will moderate a lively discussion that will focus on identifying ideas for shows that will satisfy viewers’ curiosity about the world around them.

“We’ve been thrilled with our partnership with Reed MIDEM to honor programming wizards who are tasked with building compelling schedules for audiences,” says Ricardo Guise, president and publisher of World Screen. “Given the complexities of today’s world, there is a premium on factual programming that accurately informs, engages and entertains, helping viewers understand issues and topics that are not sufficiently well served by quick headlines or brief news reports. These executives have developed keen eyes for spotting top-notch, on-brand shows to satisfy their demanding audiences. We look forward to celebrating their discerning tastes with this award. At the View from the Top: What Do Buyers and Commissioners Want? session at MIPDoc we’ll hear them share insights into their approaches to finding the best the global market has to offer. The must-attend session will surely provide plenty of useful information for anyone involved in lifestyle, factual and documentary programming. We are delighted to be honoring their achievements at MIPDoc.”

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FA C T U A L T R E N D S E T T E R AWA R D S HAMISH MYKURA Executive VP of Programming & Development National Geographic National Geographic is dedicated to bringing premium science, adventure and exploration content to audiences across the globe on a variety of platforms, including the channels National Geographic, Nat Geo WILD and Nat Geo People. Its on-air and off-air extensions reach 440 million households in 171 countries.

Last year, management dropped “Channel” from National Geographic’s name, while investing in ambitious projects that harness the power of storytelling to help change the world. As executive VP of programming and development, Hamish Mykura heads up content development and production for the channels outside the U.S. and commissions series and events that will air in the U.S. and around the world. He also develops and supplies programming for the channels and oversees regional production strategies in key territories.

HANNAH BARNES General Manager Lifestyle Group, Foxtel, Australia Foxtel is Australia’s leading pay-TV platform, and among the dozens of channels it offers subscribers is the Lifestyle Group, which includes Lifestyle, Lifestyle FOOD, Lifestyle YOU, Lifestyle HOME and the website lifestyle.com.au. This portfolio, delivering more than 4,000 hours of new shows a year, is a favorite destination among viewers 25 and older, especially women. Hannah Barnes, the general manager of the Lifestyle Group, oversaw the group’s rebranding in September 2016, which gave each channel its own unique character while unifying them all under one brand. Barnes’s strategy for the group is to mix expert Australian lifestyle talent with the best programming and formats from overseas. And 80 percent of the Lifestyle Group’s prime-time schedule consists of programming exclusive to the channels.

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FA C T U A L T R E N D S E T T E R AWA R D S ANDREW SOLOMON Head of Natural History & History ORF, Austria As Austria’s public broadcaster, ORF is mandated to serve all segments of the audience and reaches them with TV channels, radio stations and websites. While the main channel, ORF eins, targets younger, more urban viewers with entertainment, films, series, sports and news, ORF 2 is programmed for a more mature audience. Its schedule is rich in current affairs, documentaries, culture and science, and features two popular strands, Universum and Universum History. Andrew Solomon, ORF’s head of natural history and history, is responsible for both. Universum, a one-hour prime-time slot dedicated to wildlife programming, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Universum History offers programs about world history, great anniversaries and history films with a strong Austrian connection.

ISABELLE ANTRAYGUE Head of Acquisitions & International Co-Productions Planete+ Channels, Canal+ Group, France Since the founding of Canal+ in 1984, documentaries have played an important role in the offering of France’s pay-TV company. In 1988, Canal+ launched Planete, a channel dedicated to factual programming along with a suite of sister channels, Planete Choc, Planete Thalassa and Ma Planete. Over the years, that portfolio has changed, and as of 2013, it consists of Planete+ and, thanks to a long-term partnership with A+E Networks, the channels and online destinations Planete+ Crime + Investigation and Planete+ A&E Aventure Experience. Planete+ aims to offer viewers programs they cannot get on any other channel or service. Isabelle Antraygue is responsible for acquisitions and international coproductions at the Planete+ channels.

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