Torchwood

Creating logoCreating Entertainment

The vast majority of television watched in all markets is locally produced (Ofcom). Audiences like to see local talent and local culture reflected in their programming. Our catalogue of TV formats is a rich source of ideas for shows we can localise with broadcasters around the world, whether it's Strictly Come Dancing (as Dancing with the Stars) in the US, Top Gear in Russia or Baby Borrowers in India.

In addition, we have been developing an international network of production offices so that we can produce local versions of our formats for customers and thus earn extra revenues from production fees while ensuring the finished version stays true to the programmes' brand values. This production capability - sometimes wholly owned, sometimes in partnership with local indies - is also a resource for creating new, locally relevant content for our growing portfolio of BBC-branded channels and to add to our distribution catalogue.

How we are creating more local content:

  • The tenth series of Dancing with the Stars was made by BBC Worldwide Productions in Los Angeles for ABC. It aired to a record first-night audience and the finale was seen by 18m
  • The LA team was commissioned to make a 10-episode American version of Top Gear for HISTORYTM to air in autumn 2010
  • Being Erica - a drama made by Temple Street, our joint venture in Toronto - was recommissioned for CBC just after year end and has been sold by our Sales & Distribution team to around 85 territories
  • Penelope K, by the way - a factual series for pre-school children - was commissioned by our CBeebies channel in Australia. It was produced by Australian indie Blink Films in association with our joint venture there, Freehand. The series will be shown on the CBeebies channel in Australia and other territories, as well as being distributed by Sales & Distribution elsewhere
TOP

Torchwood goes global

The next series of sci-fi drama Torchwood will be developed and produced by BBC Worldwide Productions on behalf of BBC Wales, BBC Worldwide and US premium pay-TV channel Starz. Written by Russell T. Davies and starring John Barrowman and Eve Myles, this fourth series of the BBC's hit show will continue to be distributed outside the US by BBC Worldwide, and the additional co-production funding invested by Starz will enable Davies and the writing team to tell a more global story, using international locations.

* Throughout this Review, sales include Group revenue and the Group’s share of joint-ventures’ revenue, and profit refers to operating profit before specific items. Specific items are not defined under IFRS and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. Specific items are material items which are highlighted by virtue of their size or importance to enable a full understanding of BBC Worldwide’s performance. A full definition of specific items and a reconciliation to profit before tax is provided in Financials.

During the year, BBC Worldwide has voluntarily chosen to employ International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), as adopted by the European Union, as the basis for the preparation of its consolidated financial results. This is in line with best practice and to allow greater comparability with other organisations. Throughout this Review all results are extracted from BBC Worldwide’s financial statements and presented consistently under IFRS, unless otherwise stated.