Channel 4 has selected four production companies to create new digital content aimed at 13-16 year-olds for its Teens strand, to be shared across E4’s social platforms.

Following an open call-out last year for new and diverse digital content ideas, with teens at the heart of the brief, the production companies selected will be giving a platform to voices from across the country, with at least 50% of the content produced by BAME and nations and regions led companies.

The initiative will be overseen by Head of Youth and Digital, Karl Warner and Head of Entertainment, Phil Harris and managed by Digital Commissioner, Navi Lamba.

Navi Lamba, Digital Commissioner said: “Engaging young people and allowing for the stories that impact their lives be heard is at the heart of our work and of this strand. The companies we are working with are already developing exciting propositions that we hope will resonate with teens in the UK.”

The Teens content is expected to land across 2021.

The production companies selected are:

CORNERSHOP TV

The Corner Shop’s content for The Teens strand will be led by Sindha Agha, an Emmy-nominated director and writer with a reputation for creating viral digital pieces with distinct and vibrant visuals. The content will be overseen by Cornershop TV MD, Anna Hashmi and Channel 4 Comedy Commissioning Executive, Laura Riseam.

For the Teens strand, The Corner Shop will produce a scripted comedy anthology series that hopes to tackle the trials and tribulations of adolescence and aim to give real teens their first co-writing credit with a collection of diary-style confessional short films.

TRUE NORTH
Based in Leeds and Manchester, True North has a track record of producing returning series for Teens, with over a hundred hours of programmes, including Teen Mom UK and Teen Mom UK: Young and Pregnant for MTV.

True North’s Teens content will be Executive Produced by Fiona O’Sullivan, Creative Director, True North. O’Sullivan’s credits include Teen Mom UK for MTV, The Lie Detective for C4 and “Living the Dream” a short form reality series for MTV International.

Their focus for this slate is on a new generation of factual entertainment formats, where digital and traditional content collide. From competitive challenges, confessionals and celebrity interviews, to transformation and talent. The themes aim to strike a chord with the target audience, but will also have universal appeal, lending themselves to shared viewing and sharing on social media.

The Connected Set
Shortlisted for Small Indie of the Year 2020 at the Edinburgh TV Awards, The Connected Set is an independent producer with a focus on young audiences, with half of its work spanning short form social content.

The Connected Set is behind online comedy and animation channel Mashed, which has passed 2.5 million subscribers and 1 billion cross-platform views, as well as launching verticals on Facebook and Snapchat Discover.

The Connected Set’s vision for the Teens strand will see it producing a mixture of high volume short form and mid form fact-ent formats. These will dig into topics like how to unwind, how to navigate the world of work, and consumer affairs, through to outright silly comedic formats and animations. 

VICE Studios

Launched in 2017, VICE Studios is the global production division within VICE Media Group, delivering original programming across documentary, scripted and film. creating content that resonates with youth audiences globally.

Fronted by a diverse range of voices and talents, VICE Studios will produce a mix of short form series for the Teens Strand, that will explore topics that are particularly pertinent to young people today. The original productions will speak to subjects young people care about – from crashing University parties to job hunting, starting a new business, sex, relationships, money and health – in an entertaining and engaging way.

 

Jon Creamer

Share this story

Share Televisual stories within your social media posts.
Be inclusive: Televisual.com is open access without the need to register.
Anyone and everyone can access this post with minimum fuss.