Madelyn (00:05) Hi, this is the Unscripted Files. I'm Madelyn Cunningham and I'm joined by industry expert Emily Wilson for our Monday mini sode. It is October 19th, somehow. Welcome, Emily. Emily Wilson (00:18) Thank you for having me. Madelyn (00:19) Absolutely. You you had a busy week last week. You were at Mipcom. I I want to hear all about it. Give me some of your key takeaways. Emily Wilson (00:28) My goodness. MIPCOM was crazy. If you've never been before, there were just so many incredible people there. Everyone from commissioning side to heads of department to producers pitching ideas from all over the world. So that was awesome to see. but yeah, quite a few different takeaways, a lot of formats on display. I attended the BBC Studios showcase where they had a format called The Big Date on display, which was AI driven. And I feel like we're gonna see a lot more of this. I mean, Banajay had AI Love You a couple of years ago, but they were basically talking about the success of the first season of the show, how the couple that actually performed higher in their AI survey wound up together after the show, and the couple with the low lower AI score. Actually, have broken up since filming. So that was their big sell on that one. we also saw The Yacht, which was interesting. That one's from Rebel Minds Media at BBC Studios. It's having its first series on NRK. And I met Daniel and Simon behind that format. It has a brilliant language twist in the midst of that. So I'm excited to see that one sell to more territories. I think there are a lot of key conversations around fandom and building fandom and building IP around fandom and that was, you know, at everywhere from BBC to Amazon. but yeah, everyone's still looking, like BBC is still looking for big Saturday night formats. They had a big statement where Kate Phillips said she's not commissioning for the algorithm, even though they are growing their YouTube presence from 34 to 50 channels. Jen Levy at Amazon was talking still all about bingeable narrative content. had BBC looking for more sports driven content, big Saturday shows. So some of those common themes are still on repeat about what these people are looking for. but it definitely felt quite optimistic overall and excited to see where the conversations land and and what happened of all the shows that were pitched over the past week. Madelyn (02:32) I love that. I hope you had a great time. You sent me a really incredible photo of you in the middle of the street. And it was just l shoulder to shoulder, people everywhere having a pint. It looked like so much fun. I'm so glad you brought this up actually, Emily. I don't know if you know this. I was talking about this with some of my other UK partners about the Saturday night slot. We don't do a Saturday, like Saturday night is not the night So The Bachelor, American Idol, The Voice, Dancing with the Stars is Monday or Tuesday night. It we do not have weekend nights. And I was talking I thought this was such an interesting culture differentiator because in the in the US, it's like there's not an assumption that you're home in front of the TV on a Saturday. Because, you know, we're out and about, whatever. And but Monday, Tuesday you can guarantee that like those are your primetime slots. And I thought that was I I didn't know that. And so you continuing to mention like Saturday prime time is so funny and interesting because it's it's n it's very different and shifted over here. Emily Wilson (03:32) And it will be interesting to see whether that shift will eventually come to the UK because you mentioned Dancing with the Stars there. I mean BBC showcased the Next Pro, which was a format that did really well over there. And one of the main points that Kate Phillips mentioned at the beginning of the BBC seminar was about the success of Dancing with the Stars on social media and cross platform in the US and how they really want to transfer that to the UK show. And I can see that happening internationally, just the appeal of that format in the US has just grown and grown. So hopefully the other countries will loom in. Madelyn (04:11) Yeah, that'll be really interesting to see. You also ran into some listeners of this podcast, which I thought was so fun. Shout out to Craig. Shout out to Craig or thank you for listening. the next biggest news we've had in the last week, is is not, you know, one that anyone wants to hear, some major layoffs and executive shifts happening over at Netflix with a staggering six percent layoff of their global staff. Talk to me about this news and overall what it means for this industry. Emily Wilson (04:43) I mean, I was shocked to read this one, mainly because I was at the Variety Vanguard Award session where I watched Baila Bajaria accept that award a mere four days before this news came out. So after ten years as Chief Content Officer, well ten years at the streamer, most recently as chief content officer, she is out and replaced with Peter Rice. Madelyn (05:06) Yeah, Peter is a former Fox and Disney executive. he will now lead Netflix's global content organization, overseeing scripted and unscripted film, live events, and more across all regions. This was a shocking exit, obviously. so around a thousand employees, were laid off last week. It's the largest layoff to date for the streamer. So despite Netflix winning sixteen primetime Emmys this year, it looks like it's their lowest primetime Emmys haul in about a decade. So it seems like they're really trying to look at their programming and do a major overhaul. it is interesting to see them really doubling down on creator, doubling down on podcasts, vodcasts, digital series, So, you know, hopefully it will be good for for our industry in general and for the unscripted side, which now includes digital and includes YouTube. But yeah, definitely a shock. Emily Wilson (06:02) And I think this echoes a lot of change that we've been seeing between the closure of the Skydance merger, between Channel Four and BBC Across the Pond, Channel Five's head just left after the Skydance consolidation as well. So yeah, it's sad to see this as happening from everywhere from broadcast and and now so heavily affecting streaming. Madelyn (06:22) let's let's bring the energy back up. I want to talk about a couple of new formats and things that are getting commissioned. So let's talk about stacks of cash. This is a new a new one from Fremantle, yeah. Emily Wilson (06:30) Yeah, so we've seen confirmed series commissions for this from CBS in the US as well as Seven Network in Australia. The format comes from Eureka, who are known for Holy Molly, The Floor, and most recently Wonka the Golden Ticket, which has been getting reviews all over network. Madelyn (06:49) Yeah, Eureka's known for those huge world building formats. So this will be really exciting. I'm encouraged by how many game shows I'm seeing lately. It's definitely feeling like, I don't know, a return to that like golden age of game shows and appointment viewing and collectively watching and being participatory, putting your phone down. I like to see this. I don't know, Emily. Do you guys play the game Assassin in high school? Is this a thing for you? Emily Wilson (07:17) I've never played Assassin before. Madelyn (07:20) Okay. So in a lot of high schools in America, in the United States you play typically a game called Senior Assassin and it's, you know, where everyone is assigned a kill, basically, and you have squirt guns or you have nerf guns and your job is to get your person, no matter what. So you'll see there's like if you look it up on TikTok, you'll see friends like who are assigned to get their best friends. And they'll hide in their trunk or they'll do whatever. It gets really intense, really fun. So this is taking that very well known IP and it looks like we have a celebrity behind it. Scarlet Johansson is executive producing and they're turning this into a a big competition format for Peacock. So this is gonna be a fun one. Emily Wilson (08:05) Yeah, with B seventeen Entertainment, which is part of Sony Pictures television behind it as well. I mean, Peacock is known for the traders so much now. So it will be interesting to see how this rides off the success of the traitors. And I'm excited to see this one and I'm sure it's going to travel. Madelyn (08:24) Yeah, also worth noting, you know, this is a little note at the end of the article, but really significant. The show was made outside of the Hollywood studio system and financed with brand deals. I mean, you can miss it. It's at the end of the article, but this is what everyone is doing and frankly having to do right now. Even with a celebrity executive producer, I find that fascinating. And even on a network that has Love Island and traders. It's like we're still we're financing these large formats with really recognizable IP with brand deals. Just just wanted to note that that one could have got gotten lost at the end and it's really exactly you know where our industry is right now. Emily Wilson (09:05) Yeah, I think you were speaking before on the amount of game shows we're seeing come through. I think that is so testament to the production hub model that we're seeing being built in so many countries. And so we're seeing a lot of these similar brand deals and brand funded formats in the UK. I'm excited to see more brands come into mainstream media and mainstream formats and do so in a way that isn't so in your face, but becomes naturally part of these formats. So I'll be interested to see. Who these brands are and how their brands, whether they have a part in the format as well. Madelyn (09:41) Yeah, certainly it's evolved from, you know, product policement and this challenge sponsored by to just brands essentially becoming executive producers and being part of the conversation and producing the content. Like it's it's shifted majorly in the past couple of years and, you know, isn't even called branded content anymore. So yeah, just again part of that huge shift that we're seeing. looks like Amazon picked up the rights to the Emmys for the foreseeable future. Tell me about this news. Emily Wilson (10:08) Yeah, it's a six year deal. So they're doubling down on what they believe is the long term success for the Emmys, which is great to see. But replacing networks like ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, it's gonna be streamed for free worldwide with no prime video subscription needed, which feels like the most significant part of this deal when I'm reading it. Madelyn (10:31) Yeah, a hundred percent. I'm the whole, you know, awards shows, Oscars, Emmys, AMAs, the VMAs, I feel like they're all kind of fighting for their lives right now, I can't lie. So, you know, it'll be especially when you can see so much of the content, like especially just the red carpets and the outfits on your phone. So we'll definitely be curious to see how Amazon incentivizes the viewership here. Emily Wilson (10:56) Especially the way that they've followed YouTube. I mean YouTube taking the Oscars from twenty twenty nine, Amazon getting this deal before them starting in twenty twenty seven is a significant mood to move to get ahead them as well. Madelyn (11:11) Yeah, absolutely. okay, let's wrap it up, Emily. I was excited because we have a documentary which falls in our purview that is having a massively successful theatrical release right now from a documentary filmmaker, although he just released his first narrative and scripted film primetime. Lance Oppenheim has also released a three hour long documentary with Elizabeth Holmes to a staggering fifteen million dollar opening. I find this crossover so interesting. It's incredibly difficult to cross over from documenty documentary to narrative. And I love seeing that this has been done. I like seeing the chances are being taken. Lance has been known for several incredible documentaries like Some Kind of Heaven, which was executive produced by Darren Aronofsky, also known for Renfare on HBO. so really cool to see this crossover and the fact that this documentary has had such a successful opening is is a bit encouraging and we need that right now. Emily Wilson (12:10) For sure. I mean reported more than two thousand sold out screenings ever since this premiered. It's been spoken about so much ever ever since the trailer was your launched across social media. So incredible to see the early success of this and and it's just opening weekend numbers and I'm sure it's going to go through and through. Madelyn (12:30) Yeah, I personally am going to be seeing it this weekend and I'm trying to avoid every spoiler possible. So I will come back and let you know how it goes. But just like I said, exciting to see that some of these things can break through. well thank you so much, Emily. I'm so happy that you enjoyed MIP. maybe one day I'll fly over the pond and I will join you at one of these events and we can tag team it together. We can go live from London. Emily Wilson (12:55) I would love that. Please come over. Madelyn (12:57) Yes, absolutely. Well, thank you so much for joining us again. You can follow Emily Wilson on LinkedIn where every single Friday she posts the top unscripted industry news or you can get it straight to your inbox via her Substack Unscripted TV News. Thank you, Emily. Emily Wilson (13:10) Thanks for having me.