Major Project Unit - research

Channel 5's commission statement for docs and factual-

What We Are Looking For in Factual and Documentaries...


7.30pm
High Volume commissions and medium length runs skewed towards shared viewing. We’re aiming at soap avoiders here.
All programs must be ad funded for the 7.30pm slot. Examples are: How to take Stunning Pictures, Chinese Food in Minutes, Mexican Food Made Simple, Highland Emergency. Easy to watch technology shows could work here with lots of information take out.

8pm and 9pm
Wildlife - Obs doc series’ follows animal lovers who are experts in their field such as The Man Who Lives with Bears, Alone with Grizzlies, Sharkman, Mr. and Mrs. Wolf. Also light docs featuring nature and humans co-existing and/or living in strange situations such as There's a Hippo in My House.

Nature Shock Strand – Amazing and unusual tales of wildlife and the natural world, such as The Whale that Ate the Great White or Cannibal Hippos.

Adventure – Travel and adventure series featuring well known talent. E.g.: JLC: Turning Japanese, Extreme Fishing with Robson Green, Paul Merton in China and Paul Merton in India.

History – A modern take on well known events, legends or iconic figures, either series' or one offs. Also looking for interesting ways of getting into contemporary history and skewing younger. E.g.: Battle over Arnhem.

Revealed Strand – Attention grabbing mainstream subjects either series’ or one-offs, featuring iconic, historical figures, and/or stories that haven't been told. We're seeking a large, broad audience here from a wide spectrum of areas from WW2 to Tudors for example.

Extraordinary People Strand – Must feature tales of individuals or groups who live with extraordinary conditions. We’re looking for bigger and better stories with new and fresh subjects which must not have been seen before.

Engineering and Technology – Extraordinary feats of pioneering engineering. Commissions and acquisitions for 8pm. We are looking to move the genre on from Monster Moves and Megastructures and to re-invigorate this genre with specials and 3-4 part series and/or expert/presenter-led explorations. They must be big and extreme.

10pm
Looking for obs-docs here and younger skewing docs/series that appeal to a younger audience. Think out of the box. Example Candy Bar Girls.