BBC - Commissioning - Arts on BBC Four

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Arts on BBC Four

• See all BBC Four briefs

Commissioner: Mark Bell

Overview

Our key intentions with the Arts on BBC Four are as follows:

• We should aim for more of a sense of danger and attitude. Arts on BBC Four need to be fertile and vigorous - so they should surprise, even in series and particularly in making smart connections between presenters and subjects.
• Substance is key. Programmes need to be about something, but they also need to have an opinion; stimulating debate and championing new thinking.
• We should dare to try interesting new young talent on BBC Four. Very open to new interesting talent with a real voice and opinion.
• Expertise and knowledge are more important than TV experience.

What's been working well gallery

The Beauty of Maps and The Beauty of Books: low cost but brought an engaging tone to a specialist topic and delivering expert knowledge.

 The Viking Sagas - excellent presented doc that brought a broad audience to a rarely examined subject.

Romancing the Stone - Ambitious 3-part history of British sculpture presented by Alastair Sooke.

Arts - BBC Four - Season ideas

Season ideas and ideas around season series are welcome - in particular, we are looking to contribute with singles in the style of the Horror season's A History of Horror with Mark Gattiss and Edgar Allan Poe: Love, Death and Women.

Occasional contextual pieces for BBC Two and Four cross-genre seasons (opera, books and forthcoming visual arts seasons).

Ambitious ideas are required, that will stimulate debate and satisfy curiosity.

Arts - BBC Four - Literary Singles

Literary singles with something new to say on an author.

Arts - BBC Four - Authored Series

We aim to commission a minimum of 3 distinctive authored series per year across the broadest range of subject matter - The Art of Germany, Romancing the Stone, In Their Own Words: British Novelists.

Arts - BBC Four - Events

We are looking for arts events - the shape may vary from visual arts interventions to site-specific theatre but they should aspire to be new, challenging and generate talk, from the recent Rupert Goold film of Macbeth to a visual arts event.

Where are the opportunities available?

Opportunities in 2012/13 and beyond in the in-house guarantee, independent quota and the WoCC. A number of hours in all categories are pointed towards the Nations.

How should I submit my ideas and who should I pitch to?

All proposals should be submitted via the e-commissioning system to the relevant genre controller or commissioner. Take a look at the Who's Who for the latest arts commissioning team contacts. 

Want to know more about the broader BBC Four service strategy?

If you would like to know more about Richard Klein’s BBC Four channel strategy, please visit the BBC Four page.