CBC today announced the return of the Format Incubator for its second consecutive year, with a new partner - Warner Bros. International Television Production (WBITVP). From now until September 28, the hunt is on for fresh unscripted formats that break new ground in factual programming and have strong Canadian and international appeal. Full details are available at CBC's Independent Producer page. The collaborative venture is aimed at the Canadian independent production community, with the goal of boosting the creation of original, exportable television formats and bringing Canadian creative innovation to the world.
"CBC is a leader in the development of strong, distinctly Canadian unscripted content, and we're excited to partner with Warner Bros. International TV Production to support and champion fresh formats at home and abroad," said Jennifer Dettman, Executive Director, Unscripted Content, CBC. "We're proud of last year's results and look forward to seeing what innovative new formats Canadian producers come up with."
Commenting on the initiative, Adam Steinman, VP, Non-Scripted International Development & Sales, WBITVP said: "The Format Incubator truly levels the playing-field. It instantly gives Canadian production companies of any size access to a world-renowned public broadcaster, an international studio and distributor, as well as our network of international production companies for critical feedback, insight and a chance to get their series ideas on air."
The first pilot to come out of the Format Incubator initiative, ANYTHING BUT AVERAGE, aired in spring 2016 on CBC. Responding to Canadians' love for comparisons, surveys and revealing statistics, the selected concept's pilot used population stats, graphics and human stories to explore the nature of diverse families in Canada today. A full series is currently in development with Frantic Films and is represented in the international marketplace by Zodiak Rights, part of the Banijay Group (formerly Banijay International), who partnered with CBC for the inaugural Format Incubator.
For the second Format Incubator, CBC and WBITVP are seeking unique concepts that resonate with audiences and have the potential to spark a national dialogue about a topic that matters to Canadians. Canadian producers are invited to submit their original primetime unscripted formats in the following programming areas:
• Field-based factual: These formats take people on a journey of knowledge, have interesting characters, strong narrative, stylistic production and editing, and a unique point of view. They could be social experiments, such as THE WEEK THE WOMEN WENT or VILLAGE ON A DIET, which were both successful for CBC.
• Studio-based smart entertainment: For adults 25-54 and families, a collective viewing experience that reaches out to the audience to participate in the program in many different ways. CBC programs that have been successful in this sub-genre are CANADA'S SMARTEST PERSON, DRAGONS' DENand CRASH GALLERY.
Proposals are being accepted now, until September 28. Full guidelines and submission details can be found at CBC's Independent Producer page. Please visit:
http://www.cbc.ca/independentproducers/formatincubator .
Format Incubator will support up to three new unscripted pilots through the development and production process, and broadcast the pilots in prime time on CBC in September 2017. Chosen pilots will benefit from development and creative editorial support from CBC and Warner Bros. International Television Production, and an expedited distribution process to bring their concept to the international market.
Pilots will be financed by CBC and WBITVP, along with provincial and federal tax credits and CMF funding when applicable. Canadian producers will retain copyright of the program, and the format will be owned equally and jointly by the production company, CBC and WBITVP.
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About CBC/Radio-Canada:
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada's national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. We are Canada's trusted source of news, information and Canadian entertainment. Deeply rooted in communities all across the country, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages. We also provide international news and information from a uniquely Canadian perspective.
For more information including series synopses, press releases, hi-res images, video clips and bios, please visit the CBC Media Centre at cbc.ca/mediacentre.
About Warner Bros. International Television Production:
Warner Bros. International Television Production (WBITVP) produces local scripted and non-scripted programming through its network of local production operations in 15 countries across the UK, Europe, South America, Australia and New Zealand. WBITVP's production operations are responsible for both original programming as well as local versions of formats owned and controlled by the Warner Bros. Television Group, such as "The Bachelor," "First Dates," "Little Big Shots," "500 Questions," "Impractical Jokers" and "Who Do You Think You Are?" Where WBITVP has no local production capability, it licenses Warner Bros. formats to third parties.
For more information, please contact:
Tanya Koivusalo
Publicist, CBC
416-205-6863
