Distributor TCB Media Rights has ordered and funded original series from three production companies – Blackball Media/Woodcut Media, Title Role Productions and Spark TV. TCB has funded the shows before landing a broadcast commission as part of the company’s push into becoming a “mini-commissioner.”
The three shows — World’s Most Incredible Hotels (13 x 60 mins), World’s Most Extraordinary Families (6 x 60 mins) and Wild Tube (12 x 30 mins) — are fully funded by TCB, which will retain the worldwide rights. Hannah Demidowicz (pictured) , who joined the distributor in May from BBC Worldwide in the newly created role of commissioning editor, is supervising all three titles, which will be launched at MIPCOM this October.
World’s Most Incredible Hotels, co-produced by UK indies Blackball Media and Woodcut Media, takes viewers through the staff door of some of the world’s most exclusive establishments, including Solent Forts, Oberoi India, The Reverie Saigon and the Ice Hotel. Filming everyone from managers to maids, the show explores the inner workings of the super-luxury hotels and asks whether their hefty price tags are justified.
Title Role Productions’ World’s Most Extraordinary Families, looks into the world of trans-dads, five-parent households and teenage grandmas, “the concept of family has never been more fluid — or more surprising. By focusing on some of the world’s most extreme families, the series offers a fascinating insight into how other folks live and love.”
Spark TV, which has recently entered into a development deal with TCB, is producing Wild Tube for the distributor. Based in Bristol, Spark TV has combined blue-chip documentary techniques with UGC content to bring alive the real world of animals. Footage is accompanied by insights and explanations from wildlife experts into how animals mate, create homes, rear their young, hunt, mark territory and resolve conflict.
Demidowicz said: “Over the last six years, we’ve discovered exactly what our broadcast partners want: fresh and original concepts, engaging characters and universal stories. World’s Most Incredible Hotels, World’s Most Extraordinary Families and Wild Tube deliver exactly that — and a lot more besides. By developing and funding our own content, we are not only in control of our own pipeline, but totally invested in the quality and success of our shows. And that means we can offer a level of service that takes the traditional distributor-broadcaster relationship to a whole new level.”
This latest round of commissions reflects TCB Media Rights’ growing involvement in content development. In the last year, TCB Media Rights has greenlit approximately 50 hours of self-funded or co-funded projects, including First Look TV’s A Killer’s Mistake, Barcroft TV’s Extreme Love and Back2Back’s Crazy on a Plane, and is aiming to double this total over the next two years with producers around the world.
Staff Reporter
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