Interim unscripted director Syeda Irtizaali and chief content officer Kate Phillips have defended the BBC’s dedication to British IP, after Ian Katz claimed Channel 4 is demonstrating a greater commitment to it than his PSB rivals.
Speaking during the BBC’s Edinburgh TV Festival Spotlight session, Irtizaali responded to Katz’s assertion that C4 is taking risks in British formats, while peers play it safe with old or imported formats.
The BBC has had huge success with international formats in recent years, with twin pillars of Dutch title The Traitors and reboot of US hit Gladiators, standing out. In the last year, the corporation has also bought in Denmark-originated dating format Stranded on Honeymoon Island from Seven.One Studios International and Belgian tentpole Destination X, from Geronimo.
It is also eyeing a reboot of Fremantle-owned gameshow Hole in the Wall, based on Japanese format Brain Wall, pointing to a significant investment on imports. However, Irtizaali believes this has had a stimulating effect on UK indies.
“We make 3,000 hours of content in unscripted every year, and most of that is British IP,” said Irtizaali, who also insisted that the British adaptation of Dutch original The Traitors served to “re-energise” the British market.
“It allowed other indies to develop new fact-ent titles that perhaps wouldn’t have happened. A rising tide floats all ships.
“Lots of indies have said ‘Thank you for making The Traitors because allows us to do more things on other channels.’”
She added: “Of course we want to make British shows with British IP.”
Phillips also flatly rejected the notion the BBC is not pulling its weight, referencing shows including Sort Your Life Out (Optomen), Chess Masters (Curve), I Kissed a Boy (Twofour) and The Hit List (Tuesday’s Child).
“We are the biggest commissioner of original content in the UK,” she claimed. “Our job is really simple: to commission the best content for the audience. We are all about the viewer. The idea of saying ‘I don’t think we should commission that because it is a foreign format’ is crazy.”
Committed to Doctor Who
BBC leaders revealed the BBC is also committed to Doctor Who in the long term, after a period of uncertainty over its future.
The Russell T. Davies-helmed Disney co-production is expected to go through a hiatus following two series led by Ncuti Gatwa.
Chief content officer Kate Phillips said: “Any Whovians out there, rest assured Doctor Who is going nowhere. Going forward, with or without Disney, Doctor Who will still be on the BBC.”
Drama director Lindsay Salt added: “The BBC is always committed to that brand. In drama it is the biggest brand with under 35s, so it’s hugely important.”