Introduction to Commissioning Briefs

For our commissions to stand out amongst other broadcasters, we need ideas to be noisy and appealing. They need a strong identity, they need to be addictive and they need to be memorable.

There are shortcuts to this. Top talent is always a draw for viewers to come to our network, and we have had success having A-List talent fronting our shows, such as David Mitchell, Katie Piper, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Ryan, Jimmy Carr, Stacey Dooley, Jamali Maddix, Mel Giedroyc, James Acaster, Nicola Walker, Josh Widdicombe, Emma Willis, John Richardson and Lucy Beaumont, and Gemma Atkinson and Gorka Marquez.

We have also grown fresh talent with great success. Big Zuu burst onto our screens in a UKTV original comedy food format and went on to win two BAFTAs and Derek Mathewson leads Bangers & Cash, a family-run car auction house which has become a standout success for U&Yesterday. We also help grow new comedians and are proud to host a yearly showcase of stand-up for comics who identify as disabled, in an effort to increase representation in the industry and to ensure producers recruit a wider range of incredible talent. Josh Pugh, Dan Tiernan, Lara Ricote and Harriet Dyer are just a few of the many comedians who have gone on to success after the annual Rosie Jones’s Disability Comedy Extravaganza, which streams on U.

In this section, you will find information on what kind of ideas we’re looking to commission. Although we commission for linear channels, it is important that ideas work on U as well. You will find ways to make your ideas appeal to a U audience, as well as details on the genres we are currently looking for.

Please only send in a proposal if you are affiliated with or from an independent production company. Proposals should be one to two pages in length. They should clearly state what the proposition is and how the format works in brief. To ensure your idea is logged and tracked, please submit the proposal to submissions@uktv.co.uk. We aim to respond within four weeks but please follow up if we are slower than this, as the inbox gets very busy.

U

In a growing digital landscape, it is important that the ideas we commission are tailored towards the audience we are building on U, our on-demand service. Find out more about our channels.

For commissions to stand out on the platform and to make sure viewers stick with watching our content, it is important that ideas:

• Make people want to watch the next episode. It is important that series have an arc covering multiple episodes or a cliff-hanger that ensure people stay on the platform.
• Feature talent that either already exists on U or new talent that would appeal to that audience.
• Cover genres that are already on the network, which helps drive viewers to similar content which sits alongside it.

Factual & Factual Entertainment

Commissioning Factual for U

Shows come in different shapes and sizes: short series to high volume and highly-returnable. Talent-led passion projects are always a driver for views on U, but we are looking for a range of factual ideas that do not necessarily need well-known talent, as long as they are knowledgeable and passionate about what they do.

Commissioning factual entertainment for U

For factual entertainment formats to work for U, they need to be entertaining shows that feel like a treat at the end of a busy day. Several of our talent-led commissions provide this for our audience. Katherine Ryan: Parental Guidance has Katherine visiting parents who have less traditional methods of parenting, and sees her interact with them, her husband Bobby and daughter Violet in her trademark comedic fashion. Gemma and Gorka: Life Behind the Lens has viewers watching Gemma Atkinson and Gorka Marquez’s life and relationship unfold in an unfiltered way.

We also love ambitious factual entertainment shows with a twist on the traditional format. Funny factual is a big focus for the network through adventure series like World’s Most Dangerous Roads providing celebrities with a risky, funny and unforgettable experience where they feel like they can be vulnerable but brave. Big Zuu’s Big Eats puts a twist on a food format full of high energy, delicious food, and celebrities having a good time. We are on the look out for exciting commissions that feel authentic to the talent attached to them, whilst not being afraid to lean into the extreme.

Meet the commissioners

Helen Nightingale

Head of Factual and Factual Entertainment

Kirsty Hanson

Senior Commissioning Editor

Emile Nawagamuwa

Commissioning Executive

Tracy-Jean (TJ)

Commissioning Executive

Comedy & Entertainment

We are looking for inventive, funny and smart comedy entertainment formats for peak with broad appeal on U. Ideas associated with A-List comedy talent which umbrella new faces, and female and diverse voices are a priority for the network.

We also are on the lookout for archive and retrospective formats celebrating the best of British comedy, primarily for Gold. Scripted comedy is less of a priority for the network as our scripted commissioners are focussing their efforts on drama.

Meet the commissioners

Mark Iddon

Senior Commissioning Editor

Jason Dawson

Commissioning Executive

Drama

Our ambition is to make U the home of great British drama. It will become the go-to destination for viewers across the UK to discover original stories that delight, captivate and resonate.

We are audience-led but creatively driven. We want original ideas that are writers’ passion projects; we’re currently working with Robert Thorogood, Chris Lang, and Mark Gatiss on theirs. But we also want to cut through to audiences by giving them the best new emerging talent, such as Mudtown from first-time writers Hannah Daniel and Georgia Lee. Connecting with and representing the whole of the UK is important to us and we’re looking to widen our slate to be as diverse and as inclusive as possible.

Culturally significant IP is always of interest, but we’re most interested in why it should be brought up to date and how it will offer the viewer something fresh, such as Toby Whithouse’s reimagining of Bergerac.

General note: U is primarily a platform for adult viewers. Although we want to cultivate the widest possible audience, we are currently not looking for shows that are YA or cater to younger/child viewing.

Meet the commissioners

Helen Perry

Head of Drama

Sarah Asante

Commissioning Editor

Claire Hookway

Commissioning Executive