Greenlit: What I Hate About Me, The Style Network

What I Hate About Me (10×60′) -  Host Lisa Arch and a changing panel of experts help women to change ten things they hate about their lives, from debts to relationship issues to appearance.
Channel: The Style Network
TX: 2nd January 2010
Source: Cynopsis

Meet the Entertainment Commissioner: Zai Bennett, ITV

Zai Bennett, Director of Digital Channels and Acquisitions at ITV, outlined his commissioning needs to attendees of the Broadcast Entertainment Forum (as of September 2009).
Zai’s View on ITV

ITV2 is celebrity-led entertainment that has genuine access (Katie and Peter) or jeopardy (Jack Osbourne). Coleen, Paris Hilton etc. work well. Doesn’t want joe public fulfilling their dreams [...]

Meet the Entertainment Commissioner: Matthew Littleford, UKTV

Matthew Littleford, Controller UKTV, recently outlined his commissioning needs to attendees of the Broadcast Entertainment Forum (as of September 2009). Matthew commissions entertainment across several channels at UKTV: Alibi, Gold, Watch and Dave.
Matthew’s View on UKTV

Gold – transmits classic BBC comedy and programmes that support that comedy.
Alibi – Largely co-produced crime programmes; can’t afford to [...]

Meet the Entertainment Commissioner: Mark Sammon, Virgin Media

Mark Sammon, Head of Commissioning at Virgin Media TV, recently outlined his commissioning needs to attendees of the Broadcast Entertainment Forum (as of September 2009). Mark commissions programmes for Virgin 1, Bravo and Living.
Mark’s View on Living

Living is aimed at young women; its competition is ITV2 and BBC3.
Celebrities, dating, weddings and makeovers do well.  Dating [...]

Meet the Entertainment Commissioner: Mark Linsey, BBC

Mark Linsey, Controller of Entertainment Commissioning at the BBC, recently outlined his commissioning needs to attendees of the Broadcast Entertainment Forum (as of September 2009).

Photo by Torres CC BY 2.0
Photo by Torres CC BY-SA 2.0

Looking For:

* Main agenda for the BBC is new talent.
* New talent can be given a platform on BBC3 – when pitching, think about the format that would best suit them.
* There is room on BBC2 for some more established talent.
* Need a chat show to replace Graham Norton’s show.
* Want some bold and ambitious new talent on BBC1
* Strong and distinctive formats.

How to pitch

* Likes to talk about an idea in its earliest stages, before it’s been too formatted.
* Likes regular dialogue with producers.
* When pitching, talk about the ambitious, bold and distinctive top line idea first.

(Photo by Torres CC BY-SA 2.0)

Meet the Entertainment Commissioner: Richard Woolfe, Five

Richard Woolfe, Channel Controller at Five, recently outlined his commissioning needs to attendees of the Broadcast Entertainment Forum (as of September 2009).

Photo by Torres CC BY 2.0
Photo by Torres CC BY-SA 2.0

Richard’s View on Five

* Five is looking for ‘fun’.
* Wants entertainment to be the flagship genre for Five.

Looking For:

* Programmes that will make the channel famous – noisy, talked-about programmes that have a life outside of TV eg. in the newspapers or on forums.
* Doesn’t want “me too” shows that feel derivative.
* Talent is important – has just signed up Justin Lee Collins. Generally wants established faces rather than new talent.
* Ideas for viewers aged 16-34 years.
* Big shows that resonate with the nation.
(Photo by Torres CC BY-SA 2.0)

Meet the Entertainment Commissioner: Andrew Newman, Ch4

Andrew Newman, Head of Entertainment and Comedy at Channel 4, recently outlined his commissioning needs to attendees of the Broadcast Entertainment Forum (as of September 2009).
Andrew’s View on Ch4

Channel 4 offers an alternative to the mainstream terrestrial channels.
It’s a channel for big and bold programmes that no other channel would dare to do.
Derren Brown predicting [...]

Meet the Controller: Richard Klein, BBC4

Richard Klein is Channel Controller for BBC4; he recently outlined his current channel strategy and needs (as of August 2009).
Richard’s View on BBC4

BBC4 is challenging and intellectual but with a twinkle in its eye.
Programmes should be thought provoking – it’s a place for diversity of opinion and controversy. Polemical pieces that make us question our [...]

Meet the Commissioner: Claudia Rosencrantz, Virgin Media

Claudia Rosencrantz is director of TV for Virgin Media; she recently outlined her current channel strategy and needs (as of August 2009).

Claudia’s View on Virgin Media

* Virgin channels consist of Virgin1, Bravo, Living and Challenge. Trouble was recently cancelled as its audience was too niche (boys aged 12-14 years).
* Living is a channel for women under 44 years, with some shared viewing (budget £60-£120 per hour).
* Living 2 will be rebranded channel in autumn 2009.
* Virgin 1 is warm, smart, and mixes it up (and sometimes takes it too far) eg. The Naked Office, Sun, Sea and A&E, Trawlers, Rigs and Rescues
* Bravo is male skewed to younger men eg. Danny Dyer’s Deadliest Men
* Not currently commissioning shows for Challenge.
* Can often commission very quickly. Click through for more.
(Photo by Torres CC BY-SA 2.0)

Meet the Commissioner: Peter Fincham, ITV1

Peter Fincham is controller of ITV1; he recently outlined his current channel strategy and needs (as of August 2009).
Peter’s View on ITV1

In factual programming, ITV1 is comfortable with authored celebrity journeys and in the ‘blue light’ genre.

Coming Up

Survival with Ray Mears

Looking For:

Formatted fact ent and entertainment in subject areas not currently on ITV
Docusoap approaches [...]