Greenlit: You’re Booked, ABC

 You’re Booked  (Pilot) – Talent competition in which people perform for four judges in the hope that they might win a gig at a judge’s club. Channel: ABC Producer: Gogglebox Entertainment TX: TBC Source: Cynopsis

Greenlit: Tom and Barney Go Back to the Future, Channel 4

Tom and Barney Go Back to the Future w/t  (4 x 60′) –  The mind of inventor Tom Lawton is a busy place. In the real world, his inventions range from skate bikes and 360 degree bubble cameras to wind powered lighting systems. In this  series, Tom  looks at the world through the eyes of […]

Greenlit: Viva Los Vargas, Mun2

Viva Los Vargas – Docureality series that follows Fernando Vargas, who has twice been crowed world boxing champion, as he copes with the highs and lows of bringing up a family. Channel:  Mun2 TX: 2014 Source: Cynopsis

Greenlit: Britain’s Big Wildlife Revival, BBC1

Britain’s Big Wildlife Revival (6 x 60′) –  Ellie Harrison (Countryfile) presents a series that invites wildlife experts to advocate for an endangered British species; each week a different guest host will profile a different animal. Channel: BBC1 Producer: Outline Productions TX: Summer 2013 Source: TBI Vision

Greenlit: The Wanted, E!

The Wanted Life – Follows the five members of the band The Wanted as they prepare for a big tour across Europe and America. Channel: E! TX: 2nd June 2013 Source: Cynopsis

Greenlit: Hotel of Mum and Dad, BBC3

Hotel Of Mum And Dad  w/t (6 x 60′) – Factual entertainment show about the growing trend of young couples having to move back in with their parents or in-laws. One in 10 young people have moved back home with their partner – that’s a staggering 300,000 couples. But with sky-high house prices, fewer jobs, […]

Greenlit: Surviving Evil, Investigation Discovery

Surviving Evil –  Featuring dramatically and emotional stories of women who fought back against their attackers and survived against amazing odds, the show is hosted by Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel.) Carpenter is the survivor of a real-life incident that she endured more than 20 years ago and the series begins […]

Greenlit: Against The Odds, Military Channel

Against the Odds –  An emotional and awe-inspiring new original series that tells the stories of an outnumbered group of soldiers whom have found themselves in life or death situation with all the cards stacked against them. Their enemy is larger, stronger, and determined to win, but our band of brothers must pool their resources […]

Greenlit: Newlyweds: The First Year, Bravo

Newlyweds: The First Year (8 x ) – Docu-series that goes deep inside the lives of four newlywed couples and documents their most personal moments over the course of 365 days. The series follows each couple and captures everything from their wedding day to their one-year anniversary, chronicling all of the trials and tribulations that arise […]

Ken Burns on Telling Stories About History

Ken Burns, director of the engrossing and unsettling The Central Park Five explains in this video what draws him to telling stories about the past and what storytelling really means. Three of his key points are:

When you have truly great characters, the good guys have flaws and the villains are compelling – you then subject them to storytelling
Storytelling is telling lies at 24 times per second – which is a positive thing
In “in genuine stories 1+1 = 3”- the whole is greater than the sum of its parts

Greenlit: Cycling High: Doping to Win, Nat Geo

Cycling High: Doping to Win (1 x 60′) –  Documentary profiling one of sports’ most high profile scandals, dissecting the story of the science and scheming behind the saga of what’s been called “the most sophisticated and successful doping scheme in all of sports.”  It documents Lance Armstrong’s epic fall from grace, using infographics, re-creations, archival footage and […]

Greenlit: The Day Kennedy Died, ITV / Smithsonian Channel

The Day Kennedy Died (1 x 60′) – Documentary that uses eyewitness testimony to explore the events surrounding the assassination of US President John F Kennedy 50 years ago. Channel: ITV (UK) / Smithsonian Channel (USA) Producer:  Finestripe Productions TX: TBC Source: C21

Greenlit: Russians in the City, FOX UK

Russians in the City (8 x ) Observational documentary following the lives of super-rich and super-glamorous Russians liven and working in London. Channel: FOX UK Producer: Ricochet TX: TBC Source: TV Wise

Greenlit: End of Life Documentary, National Geographic Channel

End of Life w/t – A documentary project that examines a person’s life and legacy. Through documentary footage, home movies, personal testimonials and interviews with friends and family members, this Verité documentary series celebrates the lives of ordinary people, capturing their final struggles and revealing the lives they lived and the legacies they leave behind. […]

Greenlit: When Miranda Met Bruce, BBC1

When Miranda Met Bruce (1 x 60′) –  An entertainment show  to celebrate Sir Bruce Forsyth’s 70 years in show business. Filmed in BBC Television Centre’s Studio One, the same studio in which Strictly Come Dancing is filmed, Miranda Hart interviews the legend that is Sir Bruce Forsyth in her inimitable style. Featuring a mixture of […]

Greenlit: Burger Land, Travel Channel

Burger Land (11 x 30′) – From California to Connecticut, a great juicy hamburger is considered by all to be a classic American food. But burgers are not the same everywhere you go; from state to state, they all tell a different story. And no one understands this better than George Motz, a self-proclaimed hamburger […]

Asif Kapadia Explains Why Senna Isn’t a Documentary

When you pitch a TV show you have to be able to describe it so that potential funders know what you are talking about. One way of doing that is to use short-hand words, such as format, reality competition show, or more recently occu-reality (shows based in the work place) and comedy-reality (real characters in real situations, cut for humour). One of the most contested genres is documentary with purists insisting that it is one thing (pure observation with no intervention from the director, perhaps) to others playing more fast and loose with the term, happy to include biopics, essay-films and character-driven narratives. Here, Asif Kapadia, director of Senna, one of 2011’s best documentaries, explains why he doesn’t consider it to be a documentary (and why I think it might be a super-hybrid-documentary).

Greenlit: Beauty & the Blade Runner, Investigation Discovery

Beauty & the Blade Runner (1 x 60′) – Fast-turnaround documentary that explores the events around the killing of Reeva Steenkamp, girlfriend of Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, at his South African home. Channnel: Investigation Discoveryy Producer: Peacock Productions TX: 3rd March 2013 Source: Investigation Discovery press release (via KLAS-TV Las Vegas)

Greenlit: Trauma Doctors, Channel 5

Trauma Doctors (4 x 60′) – A medical observational documentary series set in one of the UK’s leading trauma centres, The Royal London Hospital in the capital’s East End and with the pioneering roadside trauma specialists London’s Air Ambulance who are based on the roof of the hospital. Here we’ll meet the Trauma Doctors – […]

Ten Reasons Not to Pitch Your Independent Documentary to Funders

All filmmakers have ideas. All filmmakers want to see those ideas realized. But not all filmmakers will do what it takes. Why not? Fear. A quite rational fear, as it happens, but fear nonetheless. Here are some of the objections you might be using to comfort yourself as to why no-one will help you make your idea and so what’s the point in trying? I’ve added some suggestions of how to overcome these stumbling blocks whether they are practical or psychological. Add your own tips in the comments or via @tvmole on Twitter. (Photo by dryhead CC BY 2.0)

Greenlit: Our Queen, ITV

Our Queen (1 x 120′) –  A landmark, in-depth portrait of Queen Elizabeth II during one of the most momentous years of her reign. The  documentaryhad unique access during the Diamond Jubilee year to members of the Royal Family, to Her Majesty’s staff – some talking for the first time – to her Prime Ministers […]

Greenlit: Bam’s Bad Ass Game Show, TBS

Bam’s Bad Ass Game Show (6 x 30′) – Jackass star Bam Margera is taking his wild stunt ideas to a whole new level with an over-the-top competition series. Each week, competitors will vie for $10,000 by facing off against each other in incredibly demented, potentially dangerous and occasionally painful challenges, like answering trivia questions while […]

Greenlit: Feed the Beast, Travel Channel

Feed the Beast (6 x 30′) – They say nothing good happens after 2:00 a.m., but late-night food expert Mikey Roe will show you otherwise! After years of exploring the most extreme and delicious open-all-night food spots, Roe is taking viewers on a tour of America’s best after-hours eateries. In each episode, host Mikey Roe […]

Up: Dolores Gavin, Executive Vice President, Discovery Channel

Dolores Gavin has been promoted to the post of Executive Vice President, East at Discovery Channel, reporting to Eileen O’Neill, Group President of Discovery Channel and TLC. Source: Realscreen

Greenlit: She’s Having a Baby, Sky Living

She’s Having a Baby (8 x 60′) – Docuseries following the trials and tribulations of two expectant mothers per episode. Channel: Sky Living Producer: Nutopia TX: TBC Source:  Realscreen

Book Review: Trailer Mechanics by Fernanda Rossi

“When demo, pitch and proposal don’t mesh well, the Holy Trinity becomes the Bermuda Triangle, into which you and your project can disappear forever, never to be seen again,” says Fernanda Rossi, documentary consultant and author of Trailer Mechanics, the industry bible on how to create a compelling pitch tape (or demo, as she calls […]

BVE North: The New World of Content Funding

At the recent BVE North (November 2012), I chaired a panel featuring Hugo Heppell, Head of Production, Screen Yorkshire and Lynne McCadden, Head of Development, Creative England. I had been expecting them to talk about TV and funding quotas for regional producers and to hear about the development and production grants that they had to […]

Greenlit: Neil Armstrong: First Man on the Moon, BBC2

Neil Armstrong: First Man on the Moon (1 x 60′) –  Documentary that explores the life and achievements of the world’s most famous astronaut. Channel: BBC2 Producer: Darlow Smithson TX: 30th December 2012 Source: Broadcast

Greenlit: Made in Milwaukee, DIY Network

Made in Milwaukee -Docuseries following the staff of Milwaukee interior design firm Flux Design. Channel: DIY Network TX: 4th January 2013 Source: DIY Network press release / Cynopsis

Greenlit: Red, Hot and Yummy, Food Network UK

Red, Hot and Yummy  (8 x 30′) – Obs doc series following Nichola Smith, chef and founder of luxury catering company Healthy Yummies Channel: Food Network UK Producer: Sharp Jack Media TX: March 2013 Source: Realscreen

Development Lessons From Some of the Best Films at IDFA 2012

Following on from an earlier post in which I revealed some of the most common concerns and comments given by commissioning editors during documentary pitches, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at some of my favourite films from IDFA 2012 to see what makes them work.

But first to recap: buyers like to see the following in a pitch:

Unique access to a person or place
A narrative, preferably unfolding
New light shed on a familiar subject
Passion and/or expertise in a subject on the part of the filmmaker
Unique approach
Topical hook or timeless story
Universal themes that audiences around the world can identify with
(Photo: Smash and Grab: The Story of the Pink Panthers courtesy of IDFA)

Need to Pitch Your Project? Here’s How (Not) to Do it at a Documentary Festival.

At Sheffield Doc/Fest in 2012 Barbara Truyen, Commissioning Editor, VPRO in The Netherlands gave delegates some tips on how best to network and soft pitch your project at the festival without being a nuisance [click through to read her tips]. She also said that she was looking for films that “make me cry with joy” and cited Searching for Sugar Man by Malik Bendjelloul as a good example. The film went on to win The BankGiro Loterij IDFA Audience Award at IDFA 2012. (Photo: Searching for Sugar Man courtesy of IDFA)

Greenlit: Golden Sisters, OWN

Golden Sisters (2 x 30′) – A real life comedy following the hilarious adventures of Mary, Josie & Teresa Bartnicki, three sisters who shot to fame after a web video of the ladies watching a celebrity sex tape went viral. With Mary in her eighties and her twin sisters not far behind, these three raucous […]

Greenlit: American Baking Competition, CBS

American Baking Competition – Reality competition series hosted by Jeff Foxworthy and based on the hit show Great British Bake Off (BBC2). The series will feature skilled amateur Americans competing in baking challenges with one ultimately being crowned the winner. Channel: CBS Producer: Love Productions USA TX: 29th May 2013 Source: CBS press release (via […]

Greenlit: Caras del odio, Discovery en Español

Caras del odio – Documentary that tells the stories of two Hispanic immigrant men who were killed in hate crimes in the USA. Channel: Discovery en Español TX: 28th October 2012 Source: Realscreen

Greenlit: Space Dive, BBC2 / Nat Geo

Space Dive (1 x 60′) -This  documentary captures the historic moment when basejumper Felix Baumgartner became the first person to free-fall through the sound barrier on October 15 2012, after jumping from 128,100ft (24 miles) to earth from the edge of space. The film follows Felix every step of the way on his journey to […]

Greenlit: Tropical Diseases, Discovery Western Europe

Tropical Diseases w/t (6 x 60′) – Docuseries that follows the staff and patients at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and other institutions that have to diagnose the unusual, and sometimes fatal, illnesses afflicting travellers returning from abroad. Channel: Discovery Western Europe Producer: Twofour TX: Early 2013 Source: Broadcast

Greenlit: Operation Homefront, Channel 5

Operation Homefront – Documentary series that follows the building adventures of a multi-skilled ex-military team, led by former Royal Engineer and Special Forces soldier Kevin Godlington. Over 60,000 service men and women will leave the armed forces over the next five years as part of defence budget cuts. At the same time, as austerity measures kick […]

Greenlit: Charley Boorman’s African Adventure, Channel 5

Charley Boorman’s African Adventure (4 x 60′) – Charley Boorman  gets on his motorbike again to travel  6,200 miles around South Africa, from Table Mountain along the scenic Garden Route. Channel: Channel 5 Producer: Big Earth TX: November 2012 Source: Broadcast

Greenlit: Airport 24/7: Miami, Travel Channel

24/7: Miami (6 x 30′) –  Docureality series following nine different people who work behind the scenes to keep Miami International Airport running smoothly around the clock.   Channel: Travel Channel Producer: 2C Media TX: 2nd October 2012 Source: Realscreen

Greenlit: Glam & Gold, WE tv

Glam & Gold (6 x 60′) – Docu-reality series chronicling the fast-paced life of Olympic Gold Medalist Sanya Richards-Ross and her husband, NFL star and two-time Super Bowl champion, Aaron Ross. Four Time Olympic Gold Medalist Sanya Richards-Ross, and her husband, NFL Star Aaron Ross, have achieved athletic super star status. Sanya has recently garnered […]

Greenlit: Supermarket Superstars, Lifetime

Supermarket Superstars (10 x ) –  Reality competition series hosted by Stacy Keibler, in which aspiring food product inventors will pitch their concepts to a panel of industry experts for a once in a lifetime chance to have their creation launched nationally in a major grocery chain. The show features contestants pitching their creations to three mentors. […]

Greenlit: Horizon Guide to the Universe, BBC4

Horizon Guide to the Universe (1 x 60′) –  A documentary that takes an in depth look at science’s quest to understand the mysteries of the universe – and asks if we’ll ever truly know what’s out there… Channel: BBC4 Producer: BBC Productions TX: TBC Source: BBC press release

Greenlit: Breaking Amish, TLC

Breaking Amish (9 x 60′) – In a world where “plain” is considered a compliment, this series pulls back the curtains to reveal the strict traditions of the Amish/Mennonite religion and lifestyle as cameras follow five people who have chosen to leave it behind and explore the world outside of their community. It provides a […]

Greenlit: What You Didn’t Know About the West, CCTV (China)

What You Don’t Know About the West w/t (7 x 30′) – Popular factual series that gives Chinese viewers a new perspective on the West. Channel: CCTV (China’s state broadcaster) Producer: Westminster University TX: TBC Source: TBI Vision

Greenlit: Drugs Live: The Ecstasy Trial, Channel 4

Drugs Live: The Ecstasy Trial w/t (2  60′) – Volunteers will take MDMA, the pure form of Class A drug ecstasy, as part of a groundbreaking scientific study that is using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the effects of MDMA on resting brain activity in healthy volunteers for the first time. Volunteers will […]

Greenlit: The Estate, Channel 4

The Estate (3 x 60′) – Documentary series that examines life on housing estates – good and bad. Channel: Channel 4 Producer: Keo Films TX: TBC Source: Broadcast

Greenlit: Lights Out, The Weather Channel

Lights Out ( x 30′) – When severe weather knocks out power and it’s “lights out!,” it’s the unsung heroes of the Entergy Arkansas power crews who come to the rescue. This series follows the modern day cavalry who comes to save the day when storms create havoc for communities. Winter ice storms, spring tornadoes, […]

Greenlit: Girl Power: The Story of the Spice Girls, ITV1

Girl Power: The Story of the Spice Girls w/t (1 x 90′) – Documentary that follows girl band The Spice Girls as they prepare for the premiere of a muscial based on their lives. Channel: ITV1 Producer: Burning Bright Productions TX: Christmas 2012 Source: Broadcast

Greenlit: Mars Landing 2012: The New Search for Life, Discovery Channel Canada

Mars Landing 2012: The New Search for Life – Daily Planet co-hosts Ziya Tong and Dan Riskin provide extensive coverage as NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab embarks on the final stages of the most complex Mars mission in history. Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), more lovingly known as Curiosity, weighs a metric ton. That’s 900 kilos of […]