In North America,
BBC Worldwide’s innovative approach contributed
to above-average growth of 88% in format sales.
It has also resulted in three game shows either
on air or in pilot for threemajor US networks
– a remarkable result in the world’s
most fiercely competitive TV environment.
Dog Eat Dog airs on NBC; ABC is piloting a
new dating show, Nice Package; and CBS has
The Sack Race, in which two contestants race
to get fired by 3pm. In addition, Discovery’s
Learning Channel is having great success with
a US version of What Not to Wear.
BBC Children’s programmes broke onto
a major commercial US network for the first
time, as Robbie the Reindeer and its sequel
were licensed
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to CBS. Tweenies
will also be shown in the USA for the first
time from April 2003, on the children’s
channel, Noggin.
BBC Worldwide set up a unit to deal exclusively
with independent producers four years ago.
This year’s independent success stories
include Spooks, the hit BBC One series from
Kudos. Even before the second series of Spooks
had been made, both series of the contemporary
spy drama were licensed to A&E Networks
in the USA. And for the first time, BBC Worldwide
acquired global distribution rights for a
North American production: sci-fi action adventure
series Starhunter is a
co-production between UK independent Talisman
and Canadian production company Citadel Studios
Inc.
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