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As part of our commitment to storytelling from Across the UK we’re looking for ideas for a single 60-minute current affairs documentary for Â鶹ԼÅÄ Three from an indie with a substantive base in the West Midlands.

Editorial brief

We are seeking a retrospective, scandalous story with fresh journalism and revelation.

This single documentary needs to grab the attention of 16-34s in the UK. The film we commission needs to drive clicks in an on-demand environment by telling a riveting story that reflects some of the biggest issues facing young Brits today and encourage real talkability.

We have seen how single-narrative, stranger-than-fiction stories with scandal at the heart and twists and turns throughout cut through with young audiences and we want to find a new and original story in this space.

The story should be set predominantly in the UK with a ‘hook’ that resonates with young audiences in the UK today, whether that’s through a modern-world precinct, a compelling protagonist, the themes or the timely questions the story asks.

It might centre on a person who has done something morally complex or criminal.

The story should have taken place in the last five years and have original journalism at its heart that provides new insight into the subject and adds to our audiences understanding of current issues.

We’d love to see fresh testimony or details revealed for the first time.

Rooting the story in the sights and sounds of a particular community or region of the UK can also help (as with Barrow in Liar: The Fake Grooming Scandal) but this is not essential.

We’d like to see pitches that detail how the story will play out over the episode. Please also include information about your level of access and what stage this is at, as well as any considerations we should be aware of around editorial compliance.

We encourage producers to think about how they would engage off-screen talent from the West Midlands within their production and will discuss this as part of the commissioning process.

We are interested in the following areas, but this is by no means an exhaustive list. We're looking for the most attention-grabbing stories so are happy to consider other areas if the story is strong:

• Extortion, scams and fake identities
• Celebrity and pop culture scandals
• Extraordinary tales of being young in modern Britain

Examples of successful programmes we’ve had in this space on Â鶹ԼÅÄ Three include:

Liar: The Fake Grooming Scandal

The Dangerous Rise of Andrew Tate

Bad Influencer: The Great Insta Con

Who Stole Tamara Ecclestone’s Diamonds?

A Very British Cult

Eligibility criteria

To qualify for this opportunity:

• Subject to commission, the supplier will need to have a substantive base in the West Midlands, which for this opportunity we define as: Birmingham, Solihull, Sandwell, Dudley, Coventry, Walsall, Wolverhampton, East Staffordshire, Cannock Chase, Lichfield, Tamworth, North Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Rugby, Warwick, Stratford-on-Avon, Redditch, Bromsgrove, Wye Forest.
• The supplier must have experience of developing and delivering at least one longform documentary of 30-minutes and over in the last five years for either a UK broadcaster or streaming platform.

How to pitch

The deadline for initial ideas and eligibility information is 21 November 2024.

Proposal should be submitted via the PiCoS submission system to Current Affairs Commissioning Executive Mark Harrison and include:

• An editorial proposal of up to two A4 -pages which summarises the idea.
• Confirmation of an existing West Midlands substantive base (added within the notes field).
• An outline of relevant experience delivering a longform documentary for a UK based broadcaster or streaming platform in the last five years (added within the notes field).

Note, for this opportunity suppliers can submit a maximum of two ideas for consideration.

Evaluation process and next steps

• After assessing the eligibility criteria we will consider the editorial submission.
• Up to three indies will then be selected for paid development (Secondary Development) of £5,000.
• Successful applicants for Secondary Development will be notified by 16 January 2025
• We expect to commission a 1 x 60 minute documentary from this process.

Tariff

Available Programme Rights Licence Fee between £140,000-£200,000 for the 60 min film, subject to agreed editorial, production schedule and programme delivery to include all costs, fees, and overheads. We are also open to discussions around third-party funding, including distribution advances.

Please note for this opportunity we define West Midlands as: Birmingham, Solihull, Sandwell, Dudley, Coventry, Walsall, Wolverhampton, East Staffordshire, Cannock Chase, Lichfield, Tamworth, North Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Rugby, Warwick, Stratford-on-Avon, Redditch, Bromsgrove, Wye Forest.