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Tag: BBC Studios

  • Trust issues? Prime Video’s The Traitors makes betrayal the main game

    Trust issues? Prime Video’s The Traitors makes betrayal the main game

    MUMBAI: Backstabbers, assemble Prime Video’s The Traitors wants your trust, then twists it. The gloves are off and the masks are on in The Traitors, Prime Video’s new psychological reality thriller where lies, suspicion, and manipulation rule the game. Set in a castle-like estate and packed with 20 familiar faces think Karan Kundrra, Uorfi Javed, Raftaar, and Maheep Kapoor the show turns deception into sport and betrayal into strategy.

    Adapted from the Emmy and BAFTA-winning global format by IDTV, and produced in India by BBC Studios for Prime Video, The Traitors isn’t just drama, it’s emotional demolition. Friendships are collateral, family bonds are bait, and trust? That’s your biggest weakness.

    Each week, contestants face daring tasks and emotional landmines. But it’s the infamous Circle of Shaq that leaves viewers clutching imaginary pearls. Here, alliances are shattered, accusations fly faster than clues, and even the most loyal hearts are accused of treachery. In the first few episodes alone, Maheep openly calls out Players, Apoorva takes no prisoners, and the air is thick with suspicion.

    Celebrities like Anshula Kapoor, Ashish Vidyarthi, Jasmine Bhasin, Sudhanshu Pandey, Lakshmi Manchu, Janvi Gaur, and more find themselves second-guessing every smile and decoding every handshake. With reputations on the line, each move is a gamble and in The Traitors, someone’s always bluffing.

    The series blends brutal gameplay with emotional vulnerability, an unpredictable mix of Survivor-style endurance and Bigg Boss-style showdowns, but with an added layer of psychological warfare.

    The Traitors premiered its first three episodes on Prime Video, with new episodes dropping every Thursday at 8 pm.

    So if you’ve ever wondered how far someone might go to win when lying is the rule, not the exception log in, watch your back, and remember: Rise and shine… it’s Dhokha Time.

  • BBC Studios names Robi Stanton EVP & GM of global media & streaming ANZ

    BBC Studios names Robi Stanton EVP & GM of global media & streaming ANZ

    MUMBAI: BBC Studios Australia & New Zealand has just made a bold move, appointing Robi Stanton as EVP & general manager of Global Media & Streaming for the region. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because she’s been a media heavyweight for over 25 years, shaping the industry with her expertise in distribution, commercial strategy, marketing, and advertising sales at some of the world’s biggest media companies-including CNN International Commercial, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Turner International. Now, she’s set to make waves at BBC Studios.

    Working closely with Global Entertainment ANZ EVP & GM Kylie Washington, Stanton will spearhead content sales, channels and streaming, and advertising sales. Their mission? Delivering innovative, pan-business growth solutions that elevate BBC Studios’ footprint across Australia and New Zealand. No small feat—but if anyone can do it, it’s her.

    Her appointment comes at a time when BBC Studios Global Media & Streaming ANZ is already firing on all cylinders. Recent milestones include enhancing BBC.com and the BBC app, launching six FAST channels on Nine, bringing BBC First to Sky NZ, extending natural history deals with Nine and TVNZ, and renewing a long-standing premium content partnership with ABC. It’s clear—BBC Studios is on a roll, and Stanton is here to push it even further.

    With ambitious plans for content, digital platforms, and streaming services, BBC Studios is doubling down on its global media dominance. Stanton is expected to bring her strategic acumen to the table, further solidifying BBC’s standing as a content powerhouse.

    One thing’s for sure—this is not just another corporate shuffle. It’s a game-changer for BBC Studios in Australia and New Zealand. The countdown begins—Robi joins later this month, and we’re here for the action.

  • BBC Studios considers shuttering Indian operations: Economic Times report

    BBC Studios considers shuttering Indian operations: Economic Times report

    MUMBAI: Is BBC Studios set to exit India?

    If a report in The Economic Times is to be believed it is strongly considering the possibility. Recently, its general manager Sameer Gogate quit the content production arm. 

    It is also considering other options like zooming in on a strategic investor who will share some of the challenges that have emerged in the severely  tested media and entertainment industry. Another option being toyed with is doing co-productions with Indian producers – something which has not been a huge hit in the Indian scenario as yet. 

    Sources indicate that consolidation and shrinking budgets from television broadcasters and OTT platforms have intensified competition for limited projects, significantly squeezing producers’ profit margins.

    Known for popular shows like Criminal Justice, The Office, Out of Love, and Nach Baliye BBC Studios, produces approximately 2,000 hours of content annually and operates in over 20 countries. It  also maintains a robust content licensing business in India, licensing British formats such as Dancing with the Stars* and Luther.

    Faced with a more selective landscape of OTT platforms and broadcasters, the pressure to maximize output under reduced budgets is prompting a re-evaluation of BBC Studios’ production strategy in India. A company spokesperson confirmed to The Economic Times that the management in the UK  is currently reviewing its  production operating model to enhance efficiency.

    The Indian M&E sector has experienced significant consolidation, with recent major mergers like the Star India and Viacom18 deal and discussions involving the acquisition of Tata Play by Bharti Airtel’s DTH arm, Airtel DTH.

    Experts suggest that BBC Studios’ production arm could be among the first casualties of this trend as margin pressures continue to mount.

    This potential shift comes as the BBC Group maintains its presence in India through various digital news platforms and joint ventures, including Sony BBC Earth and the recently launched BBC Player and BBC Kids on Prime Video.

    Additionally, BBC itself in the UK is under pressure. An audit report of the BBC  by the National Audit Office  expressed  this in no less words when it said: In 2023-24, BBC Studios’ income fell by £253 million (12 per cent) to £1,837 million and profits fell by £50 million (20 per cent ) to £202 million. This was partly due to challenging market conditions, including a reduction in spend by commissioners, including the BBC and global streamers, on the production of programmes and the ending of some high-value contracts which generated significant income in 2022-23. In addition its profits were reduced by higher costs as BBC Studios invested in its digital services such as BBC.com and BritBox International to support its future growth

    The audit report was also critical of BBC Studios and its inability to generate too many new IPs and for being dependent on BBC’s catalogue of shows before the production arm was set up in 2016. The report said: “In our 2020 report, we identified that BBC Studios had been less successful than planned in winning new commissions and generating IP.
    Since then, although generation of new IP has grown, BBC Studios has not met its targets in this area and remains reliant on the IP from BBC programmes created before it was first established in 2016. In 2023-24, of the 10 titles from its production business which provided the most profit to the BBC, only one was from new IP
    generated by BBC Studios.”

    Additionally, the Beeb is  on track to lay off close to 500 staff by March 2026 and generate savings of 200 million pounds sterling, according to reports.

  • India continues to be the largest market for BBC global audiences

    India continues to be the largest market for BBC global audiences

    Mumbai: The latest figures released by the BBC Global Audience Measurement (GAM) 2024 show that India continues to be the BBC’s largest market with over 80 million people consuming the BBC’s content in India every week.  

    BBC News Hindi remains the biggest language service among the 42 languages that BBC World Service operates in with 39 million people coming to the service on average every week.

    Across the BBC’s six Indian language services, a total of more than 50 million people came to the services during the election result week with BBC News Hindi reaching nearly 30 million people in that week alone.

    BBC News Marathi, BBC News Tamil, BBC News Gujarati, BBC News Telugu, and BBC News Punjabi all saw increases in reach figures as audiences came to the BBC for trusted, accurate and impartial news on the election.

    During elections in June 2024, the scores for the BBC in India increased on trust, impartiality, and Independence, as per the BBC Brand Tracker.

    The overall international audience reach of the BBC stands at 450 million people on average every week.

    The annual reach figure, which includes the total reach for BBC News, BBC World Service and BBC Studios, remains resilient in the face of increased investment and fierce competition from other news providers, including state-funded news companies. The weekly average global reach was recorded at 447m in 2023.

    The BBC retains the pole position for trust and is also ranked first for reliability and independence among international news providers.

    Collective Newsroom CEO Rupa Jha said: “These figures demonstrate our reach in India remains resilient following a year of big news events and audiences coming to the BBC for trusted news. I am immensely proud of what our Indian teams have delivered over the past year, and the outstanding journalism they have produced for audiences in India and around the world.”

  • Sony BBC Earth premieres ‘Planet Earth III’ narrated by Sir David Attenborough

    Sony BBC Earth premieres ‘Planet Earth III’ narrated by Sir David Attenborough

    Mumbai: Sony BBC Earth has announced the premiere of ‘Planet Earth III’, the latest addition to the groundbreaking and award-winning Planet Earth series. The eight-part series follows some of the world’s most amazing species and narrates extraordinary stories depicting drama, thrill, humor, and emotions. Presented by Sir David Attenborough, the show will premiere on Sony BBC Earth on 29 July 2024, at 09:00 pm.

    Produced by BBC Studios natural history unit, ‘Planet Earth III’ reflects the set of challenges that wildlife faces in the modern, crowded world. The show is making a comeback two decades after the original Planet Earth series first aired. It highlights some of the fantastic locations of India that include the teak forests where whistling wild dogs hunt prey three times their size and a village with venomous cobra co-existing with humans, leading to a change in their behaviour.

    The final episode sheds light on the ‘heroes’ across the globe who put their lives on the line to protect the wildlife and the critically important ecosystems of our planet.

    For the show’s premiere, Sony BBC Earth has launched a campaign titled ‘WilderThanYourImagination’. It focuses on mesmerising viewers with Earth’s unseen wonders, taking them to a world of incredible stories, beyond their imagination. Ahead of the premiere, the channel conducted screenings at the Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai science centers that saw over 1400+ students enjoying the content and learning from it.

    Sony Pictures Networks India chief marketing officer & business head – English cluster & Sony AATH, Tushar Shah said, “At Sony BBC Earth, we are dedicated to providing viewers with high-quality programming that ignites curiosity and fosters a deep connection with the natural world. Planet Earth III delivers on this commitment and perfectly embodies the brand promise. Narrated by the legendary Sir David Attenborough, this remarkable series is an immersive adventure into the heart of the wild. It showcases extraordinary tales of resilience, adaptation, and hope in the natural world.”

    Planet Earth III executive producer Mike Gunton said, “Planet Earth III is about the resilience and adaptability of nature and the remarkable animals changing their lives to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world dominated by us. This is the most ambitious Planet Earth series ever made, and we spent 1904 days filming it. We hold great responsibility as filmmakers to spark deep passion for our natural world, and we are excited for Indian audiences to have the chance to watch this fantastic series.”

  • Archie Panjabi joins BBC Studios as EP for ‘Anisha Accidental Detective’

    Archie Panjabi joins BBC Studios as EP for ‘Anisha Accidental Detective’

    Mumbai: Emmy award-winning actress, Archie Panjabi, has teamed up with BBC Studios Kids & Family to develop the new comedic mystery series, Anisha Accidental Detective.  

    Based on the successful book series of the same name, written by Serena Patel and illustrated by Emma McCann, the ten-part live-action series follows strong-willed ten-year-old, Anisha Mistry, whose life is upended when her auntie’s fiancé disappears a few days before their big Bollywood-style wedding.

    Anisha must use her super sleuthing skills to uncover what’s happened to her Uncle Tony and get him to the wedding on time. Utilising the framework of classic detective dramas, this is a binge-able whodunnit series for audiences aged seven plus, bursting with intrigue, laughs, twists and turns. Anisha’s race for the truth is set against the backdrop of a lavish, glamourous Bollywood-style wedding.

    Archie Panjabi, who was the first South Asian woman to win an Emmy award for acting and is best known for her work on The Good Wife, Blindspot, Bend It Like Beckham, and currently starring in Under The Bridge, has come on board as executive producer of the series.

    Archie said: “BBC Studios Kids & Family have pulled together an amazing team to bring these utterly delightful books to life. With a British Indian family at the heart, it’s a wonderful celebration of British Indian culture. Anisha was the character I yearned to see on screen when I was a ten-year-old. The series is a refreshing comedy mystery about friendship, family and growing up, packed with vibrant characters. It’s delightfully intriguing and will keep the whole family craving for more – just like Anisha’s granny’s parathas!”

    BBC Studios VP distribution South Asia Stanley Fernandes commented: “This announcement is really exciting news for our audiences in India who can already catch a fantastic variety of our BBC Kids and Family content on BBC Kids and BBC Player on Amazon Prime Video Channel. We’re really looking forward to seeing more detail on this show as it develops.”

    Serena Patel, author of the Anisha Accidental Detective books, which are published by Usborne and have been a success across countries including the UK, Australia and India, said: “I was thrilled when I heard that Archie Panjabi was coming on board as Executive Producer for the series. I have huge admiration for her career as an actor and for her to be involved in bringing my books to the screen feels like a dream come true.”

    The series is being developed by BBC Studios Kids & Family in a deal optioned by Emily Hayward-Whitlock at The Artist Partnership and Kate Shaw at The Shaw Agency, with up-and-coming screenwriter and children’s novelist Nikesh Shukla. Nikesh is the writer of the multi-award winning Two Dosas and the author of The Council of Good Friends and several YA novels. He is also co-founder of The Good Literary Agency, as well as working on a Spider-Man comic book miniseries for Marvel.  

    BBC Studios Kids & Family VP of development, Edward Barnieh, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with industry leaders like Archie Panjabi, alongside exciting new talent like Serena and Nikesh, to bring Anisha Accidental Detective to a global audience. The series will feature fresh, diverse characters and will be bursting with clues, suspects and hilarious mishaps and, with a ticking clock counting down to a big family wedding, it’s sure to keep audiences on the edge of their seats.”

  • BBC Studios and COLORS presents Qayaamat Se Qayaamat Tak

    BBC Studios and COLORS presents Qayaamat Se Qayaamat Tak

    Mumbai: The launch of ‘Qayaamat Se Qayaamat Tak’ marks a new move for BBC Studios’ Global Entertainment business into continuing drama internationally – an area already established as a huge area of specialism for the BBC in the UK.

    Set in the picturesque locations of Ujjain and produced by BBC Studios Productions India, ‘Qayaamat Se Qayaamat Tak’ premieres today, the 29 January 2024, and will air every Monday-Friday at 10:30 pm on COLORS.  

    ‘Qayaamat Se Qayaamat Tak’ is an eternal love saga that shatters the boundaries of societal norms, time, and even death itself. The show draws inspiration from true events of reincarnation and is based on the successful novel, ‘November Rain’ written by Mrinal and Abhigyan Jha. Starring actors Karamm Rajpal and Trupti Mishra in lead roles, the show chronicles the immortal love story of Rajneesh, a city-bred medical student, and Poornima, a resilient village girl; they fall for each other and unite with an eternal promise to stay together forever.  Will Rajneesh and Poornima’s love triumph against the odds?

    BBC Studios India general manager Sameer Gogate commented,  “Our latest offering, ‘Qayaamat Se Qayaamat Tak,’ signifies an exciting chapter for BBC Studios Productions India, contributing to our collection of premium scripted dramas and breaking in to continuing drama. With this collaboration with Mrinal, we are delighted to be back on COLORS with this romantic thriller, blended with mystery, and to be taking it to a wider audience.”

    Producer and writer Mrinal Jha said of the drama, “It is often said that there are very few wholly original stories, and, well, this one, Qayaamat Se Qayaamat Tak, is the mother of them all. Once we had experienced the events, my husband Abhigyan Jha and I were compelled to write it, and I’m thrilled to see the unusual story come alive on screen! It’s fantastic to see writers, directors, and actors team up to bring the themes of rebirth, destiny, and timeless love to life in a visually stunning way. Here’s hoping the viewers will enjoy watching the show as much as we enjoyed crafting it!”

    BBC Studios’ Global Entertainment business produces and licences premium quality scripted and unscripted programmes across multiple genres for global audiences. ‘Qayaamat Se Qayaamat Tak’ builds on drama originals ‘School of Lies’ for Disney+ Hotstar and ‘Expressway Ishk’ for Amazon Mini TV, recently produced by BBC Studios Productions India alongside established formats produced for the local market that include ‘Jhalak Dikhla Jaa’ (Dancing with the Stars) currently broadcasting on COLORS and ‘Broken News’ (Press) for Zee TV, with Season 2 in production.

  • Sony BBC Earth to premiere ‘Frozen Planet’ in India

    Sony BBC Earth to premiere ‘Frozen Planet’ in India

    Mumbai: The second season of the flagship television series Frozen Planet from Sony BBC Earth is about to make its Indian debut.

    Frozen Planet II is narrated by Sir David Attenborough and produced by the acclaimed Natural History Unit of BBC Studios in association with BBC America, the Open University, Migu Video, ZDF, and France Television. After an eleven-year hiatus, the eagerly anticipated six-part series is back on television.

    Sony Pictures Networks chief marketing officer & business head (English cluster & Sony AATH) Tushar Shah said, “Frozen Planet II is one of the biggest properties to make its way to Sony BBC Earth this year. While the first season of the show received a positive response from viewers, we hope that with this release we can provide an unparalleled experience of the frozen world and the life that thrives in it despite all odds. We are committed to offering the best to our viewers. We look forward to bringing more of this exclusive and premium content to the channel.”

    On 17 October, Frozen Planet II will have its world premiere. It will take viewers on an exploration of the fauna found in the globe’s highest mountains, frozen desserts, snow-covered forests, and ice-cold waters. This six-part series offers an opportunity to discover the wonder of our planet’s frozen realms like never before. It was shot in ultra-high definition using the most advanced camera technology, and it features dramatic new behaviours, intimate stories, and sensational natural spectacles captured on camera for the very first time.

    Frozen Planet II executive producer Mark Brownlow added, “With Frozen Planet II, we want to captivate viewers through new stories, breath-taking drama, and stunning landscapes to drive home the message that these true wildernesses on earth are literally vanishing right before our eyes at a speed faster than we can imagine and how these changes are impacting wildlife.”

    The first season of Frozen Planet, which has received a total of 10 awards and nine nominations, including four Primetime Emmys overall, takes viewers on an unprecedented trip around the polar areas of our planet. The channel hopes to increase viewers’ visual gratification with the debut of its sequel, Frozen Planet II, by providing them with yet another captivating glimpse into the frozen world, this time focusing on a planet that is about to undergo a significant transformation.

    Sony BBC Earth has also started an on-air contest in conjunction with the premiere of the series, and the winners will receive special invitations to the celebrity screenings taking place in several major cities. Additionally, lucky winners will have the chance to win food and drink coupons that may be used at affiliated businesses.

  • BBC Studios takes ownership of Firebird Pictures

    BBC Studios takes ownership of Firebird Pictures

    Mumbai: BBC Studios has taken full ownership of Firebird Pictures, the scripted independent production company set up by Elizabeth Kilgarriff and Craig Holleworth. The deal adds the company to its portfolio of majority-owned indie labels.

    Established in 2019 by former BBC executives Kilgarriff and Holleworth, Firebird works with and champions top level and emerging talent to create high-end character-led series for British and international audiences. BBC Studios has been a minority investor in the business since it was launched. The indie has recently had two major series green-lit: Wilderness, a six-part series for Amazon Prime Video, written by Marnie Dickens and based on BE Jones’ novel, starring Jenna Coleman and Oliver Jackson-Cohen and currently shooting in Canada and the US; and an adaptation of Nikki May’s best-selling debut novel, “Wahala”, written by Theresa Ikoko for BBC One, due to shoot in the UK next year. Firebird has multiple projects in development with many UK and US platforms, with more greenlights due to be announced later this year.

    BBC Studios managing director – scripted Mark Linsey said, “Since it launched three years ago, Firebird has been firing on all cylinders, attracting top and emerging talent and building an exciting slate with international appeal. With two major series now greenlit and a number of shows in development, we’re excited to bring Kilgarriff and Holleworths into the BBC Studios family and support them in this next phase of their journey. ”

    Kilgarriff and Holleworth said, “From the very beginning of Firebird’s journey with just a blank piece of paper and an empty office with one chair, BBC Studios have supported and backed us every step of the way, fully trusting in our vision and ambition and helping build the company to where we are today. We are delighted to now be cementing our relationship and are excited for Firebird’s future as we grow the company together.”

    The announcement sees the number of indie labels majority owned by BBC Studios grow to six. Others include Lookout Point (Gentleman Jack, Happy Valley 3), Baby Cow Productions (Chivalry, The Witchfinder), House Productions (Sherwood, Life After Life), Clerkenwell Films (Somewhere Boy, The End of the F**king World) and Sid Gentle Films (Killing Eve, Ragdoll).

    In August, the BBC’s commercial arm also announced that it was taking 25 per cent stake in Mothership Productions, the new factual indie set up by former Channel 4 deputy director of Programmes Kelly Webb-Lamb. Other BBC Studios minority-owned indie investments include Moonage, Various Artists Limited, Expectation Entertainment, Curve Media, and Boffola Pictures (a Lookout Point investment). In addition, BBC Studios represents hundreds of other independent production companies through first-look and distribution deals and returned more than £180 million to the UK independent production sector in 2021 – 2022 in development funding, rights investment and royalties.