In a series of posts, I’ll share the UK’s highest-rated documentary and unscripted programs for the half-year in which Covid struck. My ratings snapshot for 1H 2020 is comprised of: The Top 50 in the combined Documentary and Lifestyle / Hobbies category. My Takeaways. Then #51-100. Going deeper In future posts, I’ll share the Top 25 History and Wildlife …
REELZ commissions around 200 originals each year and acquires another 50+ programs. The focus is on: Celebrity, particularly from the world of entertainment, and Notoriety, in the True Crime genre. Unlike most platforms like Netflix or U.S. cable nets, REELZ acquires only U.S. rights, allowing producers to profitably exploit rest-of-world in a popular genre. I …
CuriosityStream is the highly regarded streamer dedicated to traditional factual programs, and launched by Discovery founder John Hendricks: What is CuriosityStream‘s unscripted strategy? What do they want? What are examples of recent hits? For a Sunny Side Meet the Executive session, Jorge Franzini shared CuriosityStream’s vision and programming priorities. Watch our informative and exclusive Sunny …
France Télévisions is France’s multi-channel public broadcaster, buying 1,900 hours of documentaries / year. For a Sunny Side Meet the Executive presentation, Catherine Alvaresse shared France Télévisions’ vision. Watch my informative and exclusive conversation with Catherine Alvaresse: FRANCE TÉLÉVISIONS: CATHERINE ALVARESSE Recorded June 15, 2020 Overview What is the big picture for France Télévisions? Describe …
Smithsonian Channel is a partner of the Smithsonian Institution, and is recognized for its carefully curated factual schedule: What is Smithsonian’s documentary and unscripted strategy? What do they want? What are examples of recent trend-setters? For a Sunny Side Meet the Executive session, SVP Programming & Development Chris Hoelzl shared Smithsonian’s vision and programming priorities. …
Channel 4 is Britain’s youth-targeted, edgy broadcast network.: What is C4’s unscripted strategy? What do they want? What are examples of recent hits? What does C4 pay for programs? For a Sunny Side Meet the Executive session, Fatima Salaria shared Channel 4’s vision and programming priorities. Fatima announced today that she is departing C4 to …
Independent filmmaker Pat McGee explores the fast track production of his feature documentary Bernie Blackout: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised . We discuss: The Concept: documenting Bernie Sanders’ campaign and the media bias against him. His unique access to the Sanders campaign. The High-risk decision to commit to the production without a buyer. The …
In this intense U.S. election year, I caught up with filmmaker Pat McGee to explore his fast-track production of “Bernie Blackout: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”. Broadcast on VICE network on May 13, 2020, McGee‘s investigative documentary asks: How did the news media affect Bernie Sanders‘ 2020 presidential campaign? Was his campaign sabotaged by corporate …