BBC - Commissioning Briefs - Daytime & Early Peak on BBC Two

What We Want

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Daytime & Early Peak on BBC Two

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Controller: Liam Keelan

Overview

Ambition and originality are key to Daytime. We are looking for bold, clear concepts which capture a mass audience.

Ideas need to have breadth. They must play equally well with a retired postman and a stay-at-home mum. We have a 40% male audience so ideas that alienate men are unlikely to be commissioned.

Ideas should have returnable potential. Can you imagine yours sustaining 25 episodes a year or even longer?

On-screen talent is key to a daytime show. We're keen to hear about the new generation of experts. The faces of daytime are all respected for their knowledge, charm and enthusiasm. We don't have to have established names but new faces need to be the sorts of people the audience would share a cup of tea with!

The Audience

There is no generic daytime audience. It is very diverse - from the retired, to home workers, shift workers, housewives and students.

Overall there is a female bias to the BBC Daytime audience but 40% of the audience is male so ideas must take their needs and interests into account.

The BBC attracts an older audience in Daytime but this does not mean they should be underestimated. The success and appreciation of new genres introduced over the last few years on BBC Daytime suggest an audience appetite for more challenging programmes.

The Daytime landscape has changed dramatically over the last few years. The audience now want high quality programmes during the day - an expectation driven by increased choice, the ability to time-shift and the availability of peak-time repeats on digital channels.

What's been working well gallery

Perfection - Nick Knowles hosts this popular quiz show. Its ‘true false’ game play means that all viewers can join in and play along and viewers stay tuned in to find out what happens in the compelling end round.

Perfection

Antiques Road Trip - The audience love the 'out and about' feel of this show, visiting real shops, antiques centres and places of interest with well known experts as their guide. Beautiful scenery, interesting items and a hard fought competition has proved a success both critically and in the ratings.

Antiques Road Trip

Great British Menu is the smash hit food series which is frequently the most watched programme in BBC TWO's Daytime and Primetime schedule. It takes world class British chefs and ground breaking recipes which hit a nerve with the discerning audience. At it's core is a compelling reason to cook - be it a banquet for the Queen, a celebratory dinner for the troops or a street party for inspirational Great Britons.

Great British Menu

Great British Railway Journeys with Michael Portillo is taking to the rails once more with series three. Using his Victorian railway guide this series allows the diversity and colour of modern Britain to come to life through the eyes of our fascinating forebears. Michael discovers a myriad of hidden stories that educate and entertain and his passion for our Victorian heritage is a powerful force in bringing the show to life.

Great British Railway Journeys
Commissioning slots

BBC Two – Entertainment: Min 20 x 45’ at 16:30

Tariff range: price targeted between £20K - £40K per hour

1630 on BBC Two was traditionally the home of cookery formats, but we have recently had successes with entertainment. The quiz Perfection has performed well here and we are keen to experiment further with new Entertainment shows.

Formats are important in this slot, shows with clear, dependable structures and strong entertainment values work well. Shows need to reflect the audiences' interests, and enable a level of 'joining in', be it playing along at home to some degree, or empathising with the participants.

BBC Two – Factual Entertainment: Min 15 x 45’ at 17:15

Tariff range: price targeted between £25K - £50K per hour

Factual Entertainment plays well in this slot against Pointless on BBC ONE. The audience want to gain some knowledge but shows need to let viewers into people's lives and their stories. Viewers are looking for escapism and aspiration but these must be tempered by some relevance to their lives and interests.

Escape to the Country, Antiques Road Trip and Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is perform well and fit with audience expectations for this slot.

BBC Two – Events: Min 15 x 30’ at 18:30

Tariff range: price targeted between £25K - £50K per hour

The key at 1830 is to provide a compelling alternative to the news. Shows need to provide enough substance for the older viewers who are settling for the evening but not be too challenging for people who are winding down after a busy day at work.

1830 is the bridge from daytime to evening viewing so the audience is looking for shows with peak time scale and quality.

Shows such as Strictly - It Takes Two, Great British Menu and Great British Railway Journeys work well in this slot.

Where are the opportunities available?

In 12/13 there are opportunities for programming within the WoCC and In-house guarantee. A number of these opportunities have a Regional and Nations quota attached.

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 daytime and early peak commissioning team contacts.

Want to know more about the broader Daytime and Early Peak service strategy?

If you would like to know more about Liam Keelan’s Daytime and Early Peak channel strategy, please visit the Daytime and Early Peak page.

BBC - Commissioning - Daytime & Early Peak on BBC Two