Over the past few years, Scotland has developed quite an enviable track record in what we refer to as features and lifestyle programming and, by extension, daytime programming. I understand that daytime programming might not sound as exciting as returning drama, but it has factual genres that provide, in many respects, lasting throughput for production companies. A successful example, which is not a Channel 4 show but one that is produced by STV Productions, is the long-running “Antiques Road Trip” on the BBC, which is the kind of production that allows a company to retain and develop talent. I have mentioned Raise the Roof Productions, from which we have recently been lucky enough to bring somebody in and which continues to be a key supplier. The company spun out of the already successful IWC Media, which continues to deliver “Location, Location, Location”. Not every individual, couple or family that we see on the show buying a house is necessarily based in Scotland; crucially, though, the show is made in Scotland by Scottish production talent.
Beyond that, there has always been a tradition of quality documentary storytelling in Scotland, and we are starting see the emergence of companies in the specialist factual space. Indeed, STV Productions is one of the suppliers in that space for us. However, from another perspective, we are now working with a new company called Red Sky Productions, which is headed by Jane Rogerson and Ross Harper, whose expertise is in factual and specialist factual entertainment. The importance for us of that is that those are probably growth sectors for Scotland. There is definitely the capacity for us to do more, but we produce long-running daytime series in Scotland, such as “Fifteen to One”, which is recorded at the BBC’s Pacific Quay studios.
As a neat segue to your question on the capacity of studios, I can think of only one specific example. It was a daytime quiz show back in early 2015, which, because of a lack of capacity, the production company was forced to record elsewhere. I believe that the show in question was called “Benchmark”, from Victory Television, but I would need to check those details.
On the question of scripted content, Channel 4 has an important part to play in that regard but, to be honest, across any given year there is a limited number of slots on Channel 4 for scripted content. Arguably, the most enriching thing for a channel’s reputation is to find scripted content that will bring a big audience and have halo effects in terms of not only audience appreciation but people being employed in the production sector. We have on-going dialogue with a small number of Scottish independent production companies such as Synchronicity Films and, crucially, with Sarah Brown at STV Productions, who is highly respected by the Channel 4 team and is involved in on-going development conversations with us.
It is interesting that Alan Clements’s and Rob Woodward’s discussion around drama has been mentioned. Drama development can be a torturously long process—I do not think that any company in that business would disagree with that—but it remains a great opportunity for Scottish production companies, which look for something in that space. We do not have that, but we have a real strength in multiple factual genres that has allowed to emerge more production companies, trust in the skills in the sector and, because of the relatively long-running nature of daytime and features programmes, the retention and training of quality staff, which is important.