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SBS looks ahead as it prepares to unveil 2022 slate

SBS head of unscripted John Godfrey and SBS head of scripted Julie Eckersley.

The continued rise of streaming services has created a favourable climate for original scripted content while also highlighting the importance of investing in local unscripted programs, according to SBS heads of department Julie Eckersley and John Godfrey.

The broadcaster will unveil its slate for the year later this month in what was initially meant to be an in-person event but has since been changed to online as a result of the Omicron surge.

Eckersley, head of scripted, told IF while COVID remained an “obvious ongoing challenge” for the production sector, there was still opportunity within the landscape.

“[COVID] has increased costs and complexity for productions, with even more moving parts to consider and plan for, and that puts a lot of added stress on producers and production companies,” she said.

“With the continued rise of the streamers impacting the content pipelines of the big international production houses, it’s a great time to be making original content that does not already have international distribution in place as it is a seller’s market right now.

“At SBS we only take the Australian rights, and we’re seeing distributors are also coming on board quite early in the development process to ensure their involvement.”

Leading the broadcaster’s scripted slate last year was Goalpost Television’s goldrush drama New Gold Mountain, which is set to premiere in the US this month on AMC streaming service Sundance Now.

Coming up in 2022 is Bunya Productions’ murder mystery drama True Colours, set to also be screened on NITV.

Rarriwuy Hick as Detective Toni Alma in ‘True Colours’.

Having joined SBS in the middle of last year, Eckersley said it was “incredibly invigorating time” for the broadcaster.

“Content with diversity at its heart is travelling strongly internationally – and that’s right in the SBS wheelhouse,” she said

“We have reinvigorated our vision and are now making 6 x 1 hour and 8 x 30 minutes content as well as 4 x 1.

“We have an increased appetite for scripted content, we have increased the shows we have in development and are ensuring we develop shows really well before we put them into production.”

There is expected to be a hefty lineup of unscripted titles announced at the upfronts, including in the food and entertainment space, where SBS made its largest-ever commission in 2021, ordering 200 episodes of The Cook Up.

Godfrey, head of unscripted, told IF the demand for unscripted formats extended beyond the public broadcaster.

“The impact of COVID on international productions and increased international competition for content in terms of consolidation and more streaming platforms is placing more importance on investment in local unscripted content,” he said

“We’re also seeing some of the commercial free-to-air networks taking a few more risks with unscripted content than they used to.

“The push for more unscripted content is resulting in more format reboots here, like Australian Idol, MKR, and Big Brother, and in the United Kingdom with shows like You Are What You Eat, Gamesmaster, and Dancing On Ice reappearing.”

Some of the most notable programs on SBS in the past couple of years have been in factual, with Blackfella Films’ Filthy Rich & Homeless and Addicted Australia, and Northern Pictures’ See What You Made Me Do attempting to have an impact beyond audience numbers.

‘Australia Uncovered’

Last year, the broadcaster also presented Australia Uncovered, a strand of eight stand-alone documentaries exploring diversity and equality in contemporary Australia.

Godfrey said the strong response to the series was indicative of a wider trend he expects to become more pronounced in 2022.

“I think documentaries and single feature documentaries are becoming more and more noticeable,” he said.

“The success that Netflix, in particular, has had with Tiger King, Don’t F*** With Cats and My Octopus Teacher has shown the industry that they can get big audiences.

“At SBS, it was really encouraging to see Australia Uncovered do so well last year.“

Both Eckersley and Godfrey encouraged those aiming to pitch their ideas to be bold in their approach, with the former also noting new concepts didn’t have to come from producers.

“Your story craft needs to be sharp, your character arcs strong and your genre knowledge world-class,” she said.

“And you need to know who will write the core of the show and have that person attached.

More and more we are seeing writers coming directly to us as a broadcaster which can put the writer in a great position because if we are interested, they can then go and find a producer to come on board with the confidence that they already have network interest.”

Godrey said “noisy, high-risk format ideas” were a priority for SBS, given that taking risks was an important part of its commissioning strategy.

“Think outside the box and scare us with your ideas,” he said.

“Also, don’t invest time and money in developing props and reels without touching base with us. Often what is eventually commissioned can bear little resemblance to the original idea.”

SBS Upfronts will be held on February 21.