The BBC is inviting production companies to pitch “bold new comedy entertainment formats,” with the successful submission turned into a 10-part series that will air on both its Licence Fee and commercially funded UK channels.
In addition to its BBC branded Licence Fee channels, the BBC also operates one of the UK’s largest portfolios of commercial channels through its UKTV subsidiary.
This portfolio includes advertising funded channels such as U&Dave, U&Really and the U streaming service, plus subscription channels, including U&Gold, which are only available to Sky and Virgin Media customers.
Despite carrying no onscreen acknowledgment of their place within the BBC Group, the highly profitable channels are 100% owned by the corporation.
The BBC has previously moved shows from its LF-funded channels to UKTV outlets and its two arms have jointly commissioned drama series.
The new commission is the first between UKTV and the BBC’s Entertainment division and is looking for “a fresh, funny and distinctive concept, aligned with both broadcasters’ comedic sensibilities – light, warm and driven by camaraderie, with a strong, repeatable format that works for both binge viewing and dipping in and out.”
Production companies are invited to submit ideas, with the process being jointly led by UKTV’s Mark Iddon and Jason Dawson, alongside BBC Entertainment commissioners Pinki Chambers and Sarah Clay.
Hilary Rosen, UKTV’s Director of Commissioning, says: “Laughter is the order of the day and collaborating with BBC Public Service in this space has been a long-standing ambition.
“UKTV has a strong track record of investing in innovative comedy formats, and this partnership feels like an excellent next step. By using our combined commissioning power we can work with production companies to create something fresh and funny for audiences across both of our networks.”
Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment at the BBC says: “We are really looking forward to this exciting new partnership with UKTV.
“We hope to discover a brand-new format that is bursting with big laughs and big personalities that viewers will want to return to on both the BBC and UKTV.”