BBC Worldwide to take a production drive down MipTV

MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC?s commercial BBC Worldwide heads to the television trade event MipTV this month in Cannes, France. It will showcase new formats and a bolstered local production team looking for new partnerships around the world.

Heading the list is Baby Borrowers. This is a social experiment, which sees five teenage couples move in together for the first time, along with other people?s babies as they discover whether they are up for the toughest job of all: parenting.

People?s Quiz searches the UK for the best contestants for the ultimate quiz showdown. Hopefuls attend auditions across the country, with only the best making the final cut. The twist is that all the questions are already out there ? in the press

Get Me The Producer sees a senior broadcaster mentoring 12 young producer hopefuls who are challenged to bring their ideas to life across a different genre each week. The winning candidate will secure a 12 month contract with a top production company.

Panic Room is a BBC production which aims to cure you of your phobia for good, whether that be snakes, rats, feet or spiders. Each week, three hyper-phobics face their fears using expert therapy and exercise.

BBC Worldwide director of content and production, Wayne Garvie, said, ?Local productions and formats are key to our growth plans. With BBC Worldwide?s vast programme offering, there are fantastic opportunities to extend this to local versioning, not just with our entertainment formats but also with scripted formats from our drama and comedy catalogues. Our growing network of international partnerships and production bases, together with our expertise in this field, gives us the ability to create entirely new productions for our international audiences.?

Also coming to Cannes is one of BBC Worldwide?s most successful formats ever, Dancing with the Stars with over 30 broadcasters globally producing the hit show and the majority now into multiple series.

Just the Two of Us the BBC?s singing talent show, is attracting increasing international interest, having recently made its Chinese debut on Hunan TV, as well as in Australia, Belgium, Netherlands and Turkey.

The growing strength of its local production business has seen BBC Worldwide reach new heights in the past year. With a production office in Los Angeles, BBC Worldwide is now developing series such as Dancing with the Stars for ABC, now in its fourth season and You?re the One that We Want for NBC. The production office is currently producing three scripted formats for major US studios: Viva Blackpool (to be known as Viva Laughlin) for CBS, The Thick of It for ABC and I?m with Stupid for NBC. The quality of these productions has attracted major Hollywood talent including Melanie Griffiths, Hugh Jackman and the Farrelly Brothers.

In Australia this year, BBC Worldwide has signed a with local production partner, Freehand, to develop new formats in the territory and similar partnerships are being sought in Europe, Latin America and India where BBC Worldwide local productions are driving revenue growth.

In the UK, BBC Worldwide is looking to work more closely with independent producers to develop content for international export. These include agreements to develop entertainment formats (Fever Media) and distribute bespoke digital content (Baby Cow).