Rebecca Yang, CEO of London- and Shanghai-based rights broker IPCN, tells C21 what Chinese channels are looking for and how the East is now taking more programming risks than the West.
What is the biggest issue facing the TV format business right now?
The lack of big ideas. Apart from Talpa Media's The Voice, there haven't been any big, expensive new formats in the past 18 months. Endemol launched 101 Ways to Leave a Gameshow and Extra Extra Small but they haven't really taken off. We need formats with scale and excitement. The big companies tend to rely on existing hits instead of developing new ones."
How has consolidation affected the international formats business?
Consolidation has led to monotonous concepts and homogenous execution. Cloning has become institutionalised - one company does Date My Job and another immediately does My Job Dates Me. Everyone is playing safe. Maybe it's due to the economic situation in the West, but nowadays you've a better chance of getting edgy formats away in less mature markets like China than in the developed ones like the UK.
What formats or genres are hot and what are not in your home market?
Talent-based entertainment formats, dating shows, social issue talkshows and situation comedies are very popular in China. Quizshows, however, are still struggling to have a footprint in the Chinese market. It's partly because there are regulations prohibiting cash prizes, but it's also due to Chinese viewing habits. Reality TV formats are becoming more interesting.
What are the latest format sales or acquisitions for your company?
We launched a Chinese version of US format Shear Genius on Shanghai New Entertainment Channel and the Rupert Murdoch-owned Star Chinese Channel in July. In August, we also debuted the Talpa format Dating in the Dark on Guangdong TV. The interesting thing about them both was they went into Saturday primetime slots. Most reality formats that get produced in China air in weekday slots.
We work with our sister production company 80 Entertainment of Shanghai on all our Chinese shows. As for other formats, we picked up Banijay Entertainment's Date My Car and are planning to launch a local version on a Chinese IPTV platform (Qiyi.com) in December or January. That is our first production for a new media platform. We've also got rights to Dance Your Ass Off, from NBCUniversal, and we're in negotiations with a Chinese channel for a launch this season.
We're also in pre-production on season three of China's Got Talent. The show reached 600 million viewers and a 5.91 rating in its Sunday primetime slot on the SMG channel Dragon TV in July. In China, shows are usually seen as hits if they get a 1.3 rating.
What new formats are you looking to buy or sell this season?
We have a number of formats based on China's rich culture. In particular, we and 80 Entertainment are working on a gameshow based on a folk game similar to Mahjong that has 3,000 years of history. So watch this space!
