Hollywood Stars Flooding To UK Premium Factual, Says BBC Studios Unscripted Boss

A “massive influx of Hollywood storytellers and auteurs” have flooded to the UK to take up the premium factual mantle, according to BBC Studios unscripted boss Kate Ward, who said “this is a new space for us to grow into.”

Ward cited Tom Hanks, Stanley Tucci and Ryan Reynolds, huge names who have helmed natural history, science and travel shows made by BBC Studios.

“These are Hollywood talent from the scripted world coming to the UK’s specialist factual community, not just for the legacy at BBC Studios but the craft and community we have fostered here,” Ward told an Edinburgh TV Festival unscripted debate.

Ward, who was recently promoted, said there was a chance that these A-listers could have “diluted brands” but instead it has “bought BBC Studios to a whole new global audience.”

Natural history had “never been on U.S. network TV before” The Americas aired on NBC, she added, saying that “none of us knew what was going to happen” before it launched.

“When dealing with America we have to talk ourselves up not down,” urged Ward of the UK production community. “We should be proud of our incredibly creative culture, heritage and legacy.”

‘Destination X’ tender a “horror”

Ward was speaking on an unscripted panel alongside Syeda Irtizaali and Ed Havard, the architects behind the BBC-NBC partnership that has so far birthed The Traitors and Destination X, the latter of which has launched on the BBC and Peacock in the past few weeks.

They are now seeking a new show for the same partnership that will be original British IP. Irtizaali, who is interim unscripted chief at the BBC, said the process will be very different to the tender for Destination X.

“I know a lot of [producers] went through the horror of the Destination X tender, which was necessary, but thank god we’re not doing that again,” she said of the process that started with dozens of indies and was eventually whittled down to ITV Studios-backed Twofour.

Havard said he “believes the next big unscripted hit is coming out of the UK.” He claimed 80% of American unscripted launches are coming from international markets, with the UK being the “biggest creator.” “It’s a new trend – the UK is the most exciting market in the world right now,” he added.

Tim Carter, who used to run Destination X producer Twofour and is now overseeing all of ITV Studios unscripted, said partnerships with non-UK producers are key, pointing to ITV’s latest Nobody’s Fool gameshow from the UK’s Lifted Entertainment and America’s Nobody’s Hero.

More than ever, Carter said unscripted producers are being “incredibly resourceful in terms of how you set up productions.” “We’re looking at investment cases around hubs, studio shows where you can flip a set 180 degrees, or a location that can be repurposed from one brand to another,” he added. “All of these are ways to make money go further.”

The group were speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival on the same day as the likes of Shonda Rhimes and Roy Wood Jr.