BBC Commissioning Supply Report 2020 Introduction 1: Supporting the sector 2: Inspiring Great 3: Backing brilliant ideas, 4: Delivering our ambitions 5: Nations, Children’s and Looking ahead through Covid-19 British creativity talent and companies and commitments Education, Sport and appendix 1 Welcome to the BBC Commissioning Supply Report 2020 Introduction 1 2 3 Introduction Chapter 1: Chapter 2: Chapter 3: from Charlotte Supporting the Inspiring Great Backing brilliant Moore sector through British creativity ideas, talent and Covid-19 companies Further 4 5 information Chapter 4: Chapter 5: Looking ahead Delivering our Nations, Children’s and appendix ambitions and and Education, Sport commitments £1.2 billion 28,000hours Strictly Come Dancing, Original TV content Original TV content BBC Studios, BBC One Cover image: Noughts + Crosses, Mammoth Screen, BBC One Commissioning Supply Report 2020 Introduction 1: Supporting the sector 2: Inspiring Great 3: Backing brilliant ideas, 4: Delivering our ambitions 5: Nations, Children’s and Looking ahead through Covid-19 British creativity talent and companies and commitments Education, Sport and appendix 2 his has been one of the have been at the heart of that – toughest years for the UK working with producers to keep television production sector content, commissioning, and Tin living memory. Having to livelihoods going where we could. halt productions in their tracks, see landmark events cancelled, freelance Despite all the challenges thrown up staff furloughed or laid off, was truly by the pandemic, BBC Commissioning heart-breaking for everyone involved has continued to work with the most – and left us short of amazing content exciting talent, producers and for audiences at a time when they partners to bring brilliant British wanted it most. stories to the screen. However, a world class creative sector Charlotte Moore came up with world class creative BBC Chief Content Officer solutions – and the BBC is proud to At the heart creativity of British Commissioning Supply Report 2020 Introduction 1: Supporting the sector 2: Inspiring Great 3: Backing brilliant ideas, 4: Delivering our ambitions 5: Nations, Children’s and Looking ahead through Covid-19 British creativity talent and companies and commitments Education, Sport and appendix 3 What we have achieved in 2020 Context What we’ve achieved We are proud of what we achieved in 2020 against the odds – of what we delivered to BBC TV is here to commission bold British In 2020 we maintained our position as the audiences, how many producers we helped content – from world class production broadcaster with the strongest creative and and the support we put in place for talent. teams across the UK. We actively promote economic footprint in the Nations and English But inevitably the Covid-19 crisis has had breadth and diversity across the production regions. We worked with more producers an impact on some of our key performance sector, and across all four Nations, to than any other broadcaster – keeping more metrics in this exceptional year. encourage the richest range of ideas, companies in business, especially the stories and voices. Our goal is for the most vulnerable. Despite dramatic disruption to the production most brilliant producers and talent in the pipeline we met the vast majority of our business to do their best work at the BBC. Despite the pandemic, we maintained the regulatory requirements in 2020/21. range and diversity of our supply base, However, unavoidably we missed three This mission was massively challenged continuing to work with a high volume of new targets in 2020 for the first time in BBC Freddie Flintoff: Living with Bulimia, in 2020 by the Covid-19 pandemic and companies and talent – and we increased our TV’s history. We actively sought to minimise South Shore Productions, BBC One the national lockdown it triggered. Many investment in training and skills to support the those – and have announced new plans of our productions were stopped in their freelance community. to exceed these quotas in future years. I May Destroy You, Various Artists, BBC One tracks, global sporting and entertainment BAFTA Director, Writer, Actress and Mini Series Awards events were cancelled, travel across the This report demonstrates we have: This report focuses on performance in 2020. UK was restricted, and the commissioning • Offered critical support for the TV For more background on how we work, please landscape was turned upside down. production sector through the see the BBC Commissioning Supply Report Covid-19 crisis. 2018 and the BBC Commissioning website. As a commissioning team, we had to tear • Communicated with more producers than The first three chapters focus on Network TV*. up our schedules and focus on what was ever before – sharing opportunities in an possible rather than ideal. We had to design open and transparent way. new content that met the Nation’s needs. We • Delivered against our public purposes and % % listened to producers to understand what the principles of our Commissioning 54 57 they needed from us, and put in place an Process Framework. Network hours Producers outside unprecedented package to support the sector. • Met the vast majority of our regulatory Independent producers London commitments – and increased levels of competition. 343 66 Producers New producers Lose Weight and Get Fit with Tom Kerridge, Bone Soup Productions, BBC Two * Network TV covers Network Drama, Comedy, Entertainment, Factual, Daytime and News related Current Affairs. Non‑Network Commissioning Supply Report 2020 TV, Children’s and Sport have their own sections. On page 11 Children’s and Sport are included in Network TV as part of our Nations and English regions support where relevant. Introduction 1: Supporting thethe sectorsector 2: Inspiring Great 3: Backing brilliant ideas, 4: Delivering our ambitions 5: Nations, Children’s and Looking ahead through Covid-19Covid-19 British creativity talent and companies and commitments Education, Sport and appendix 4 Chapter 1: Supporting the sector through Covid-19 96 30% As the UK’s biggest broadcaster the BBC has a Small companies supported Increased development spend critical role in supporting the long-term health Hospital, Coronavirus Special, Label1 Television, BBC Two, of the creative sector. If we are to excite, Edinburgh TV Festival Creativity in Crisis Award educate and entertain audiences in the years to come, we need the most creative talent to be there to work with. The events of 2020 put that under threat – and we responded with an unprecedented package of support – to help keep creativity alive, focused and ready to thrive in the future. Our gratitude and admiration goes out to everyone who worked on a BBC production in 2020 who kept programme making and creativity alive – and put safety centre stage. The BBC, and our audiences, are indebted to your resilience, innovation and imagination in such a challenging year. Staged, Staged Films, BBC One Commissioning Supply Report 2020 Introduction 1: Supporting thethe sectorsector 2: Inspiring Great 3: Backing brilliant ideas, 4: Delivering our ambitions 5: Nations, Children’s and Looking ahead through Covid-19Covid-19 British creativity talent and companies and commitments Education, Sport and appendix 5 Support for production companies In April we announced a five-point plan to A company-centric Case study: support independent producers during the Small Indie Fund disruption of Covid-19 – with a focus on approach smaller companies, diverse led indies and Once the scale of the disruption became Doubling the value of this new fund meant those in the Nations and English regions. clear we reached out to producers – and we could support twice as many companies We have delivered or exceeded on those put their considerations at the heart of through Covid-19. In total in 2020/21 we commitments – with positive outcomes our response. supported nearly 100 companies across all across the UK. four Nations. Our offer included: In the early days of the pandemic we • Flexible delivery, scope adjustments Although the original objective had been to worked closely in partnership with other and changes to cash flow to help support company growth – the focus switched Broadcasters and trade organisations to companies adapt. to survival when Covid hit. introduce health and safety protocols • Fast-tracked topical commissions, to get production back safely, and with compilations and iPlayer acquisitions • 48 companies received a strategic support the government to support the launch of to keep income streams active. package tailored to their needs. This was The Big Night In, BBC Studios, BBC One The Film and TV Production Restart Scheme. • Working in partnership to get shows safely used to strengthen company development back into production as lockdown eased. including funding key additional roles In addition we invested in cultural activity, • Supporting additional Covid-19 safety or pilots. wellbeing support and skills development to costs and Government Restart Scheme • 48 companies received targeted help creative freelance talent through the Normal People, Element Films, BBC Three premiums where appropriate. development funds with clear objectives. pandemic. They are the lifeblood of our BAFTA Leading Actor Award These were smaller investments to keep industry – without them we can’t deliver companies creatively focused in areas outstanding content for audiences. “ It felt like a direct conversation on equal terms – shared where there was clear commissioning need. Doubling our investment experience – we’re in this All companies were given a commissioning in small indies together mentality.” mentor. Those with strategic support also had access to commissioning masterclasses and In spring 2020 we announced a £1m fund to BBC Covid-19 Survey 2020 free NFTS training places. support the growth of small independent production companies with turnovers + By April 2021, more than 20 programmes had below £10m. 130 been commissioned from companies on the BBC productions applied fund, with many more ideas still in active After lockdown we doubled that support – and to government Film and development.