Media
Angela Jain and Hamish Mykura
Published Friday, Aug 22 2008, 17:51 BST | By James Welsh | Add comment
Welcome to our blog of the E4/More4 joint controller interview session with Angela Jain and Hamish Mykura.
16.48: Chances are this will go out a little less "live" than our other blogs: sadly, the intensive Bluetooth sessions have taken their toll on my poor old Nokia - and that recent Qik-ie with Richard Woolfe sapped it of any remaining strength. It's now being lovingly recharged. As such please consider this time-shifted, on-demand, etc.
16.58: Angela Jain begins by saying smaller budgets do not result in a diminished appetite for programming. E4 will be focused on original drama and comedy/entertainment.
16.59: With More4, the subject of Peter Dale's decision to quit over budget cuts starts the discussion. "When I look into the coffers, there seems to be... a pretty healthy budget for commissioning on the channel." He suggests that hanging the schedule around one or two key shows results in a "big bang".
17.01: Of The Inbetweeners being recommissioned, Jain said: "It was clear from the minute it hit the screens it was a perfectly funny piece - an antidote to Skins." She adds that the online activity suggested lots of young people identified with the series.
17.03: New Skins comment from Jain: "This is about a group of people on the cusp of adulthood. Once they've grown up and moved on it's less interesting. The more exciting, more dramatic thing to do, is to keep one person going and to get a new cast and move the series on."
17.05: When asked about Nearly Famous and Dogface not doing well in the ratings compared to Fonejacker and Skins: "When you've got the bar set as high as that it's hard... those two shows didn't work as well as we'd hoped".
17.06: Mykura says he is learning the different approach to digital channels - the shifted peak hours, the different methods by which audiences move through the schedule. One of the key strands for More4 in the coming months will be the US general election. "With big topical stories like that More4 can take advantage of them and become the place to go."
17.07: He adds that production values must remain high and as such big dramas - such as The Trial of Tony Blair - must be commissioned selectively. He plans to aim for 1 a year.
17.08: "We measure our success by the number of 16-34s who watch the channel", says Jain, denying the channel has seen a significant share drop in its demo.
17.10: Mykura on ER replacements: The Closer gets top billing. "The repeats we get are from Channel 4, so less US stuff doesn't affect us that much."
17.11: More4's news hour is essential for keeping the channel "feeling live" rather than like "someone loads up the DVDs at the beginning of the week and b***ers off", says Mykura. He adds that the channel is a ratings success, claiming a 26% rise in ABC1 audience numbers.
17.14: Both controllers dislike the term "360 commissioning" but Mykura notes that a web presence "makes [a proposition] much more attractive". Jain notes that 16-34s watch TV, text and surf the net at the same time, and holds up Skins as a prime example of her approach to commissioning. She adds that there is a divide, at present, between "geeks and creatives".
17.23: Jain highlights Dead Set ("I had to stop watching this week because I was slightly s****ing myself"), while Mykura picks True Stories: Chosen ("one of the most gruelling things I've watched in a long time") as one of his top autumn shows.
17.26: E4's commissioning opportunity is 10pm weekdays in comedy/entertainment and drama.
17.27: Mykura is focusing on True Stories. "I'm quite keen to make the mix slightly richer - some more films that are more UK based in among the international films". He also wants to commission centrepieces for big event programming.
17.29: On funding, Mykura says he is willing to accept finance from a range of organisations - including commercial entities - as long as editorial control is not compromised.
17.32: "I think our programmes speak for ourselves," says Jain, answering a point that Danny Cohen is seeking to make noise at his new home at BBC Three.
17.34: "I don't have to make shows with any worthy intent whatsoever," says Jain, saying that PSB is served by the bringing through of new talent such as on Skins and E4 Music. Mykura argues that BBC Four is "celebrating our recent cultural history... applause for our own culture", and that More4 offers a "counterblast".
17.38: Big Brother has "settled at a level... 13 weeks as opposed to 52 weeks. I don't see it expanding beyond 13 weeks," says Jain.
16.48: Chances are this will go out a little less "live" than our other blogs: sadly, the intensive Bluetooth sessions have taken their toll on my poor old Nokia - and that recent Qik-ie with Richard Woolfe sapped it of any remaining strength. It's now being lovingly recharged. As such please consider this time-shifted, on-demand, etc.
16.58: Angela Jain begins by saying smaller budgets do not result in a diminished appetite for programming. E4 will be focused on original drama and comedy/entertainment.
16.59: With More4, the subject of Peter Dale's decision to quit over budget cuts starts the discussion. "When I look into the coffers, there seems to be... a pretty healthy budget for commissioning on the channel." He suggests that hanging the schedule around one or two key shows results in a "big bang".
17.01: Of The Inbetweeners being recommissioned, Jain said: "It was clear from the minute it hit the screens it was a perfectly funny piece - an antidote to Skins." She adds that the online activity suggested lots of young people identified with the series.
17.03: New Skins comment from Jain: "This is about a group of people on the cusp of adulthood. Once they've grown up and moved on it's less interesting. The more exciting, more dramatic thing to do, is to keep one person going and to get a new cast and move the series on."
17.05: When asked about Nearly Famous and Dogface not doing well in the ratings compared to Fonejacker and Skins: "When you've got the bar set as high as that it's hard... those two shows didn't work as well as we'd hoped".
17.06: Mykura says he is learning the different approach to digital channels - the shifted peak hours, the different methods by which audiences move through the schedule. One of the key strands for More4 in the coming months will be the US general election. "With big topical stories like that More4 can take advantage of them and become the place to go."
17.07: He adds that production values must remain high and as such big dramas - such as The Trial of Tony Blair - must be commissioned selectively. He plans to aim for 1 a year.
17.08: "We measure our success by the number of 16-34s who watch the channel", says Jain, denying the channel has seen a significant share drop in its demo.
17.10: Mykura on ER replacements: The Closer gets top billing. "The repeats we get are from Channel 4, so less US stuff doesn't affect us that much."
17.11: More4's news hour is essential for keeping the channel "feeling live" rather than like "someone loads up the DVDs at the beginning of the week and b***ers off", says Mykura. He adds that the channel is a ratings success, claiming a 26% rise in ABC1 audience numbers.
17.14: Both controllers dislike the term "360 commissioning" but Mykura notes that a web presence "makes [a proposition] much more attractive". Jain notes that 16-34s watch TV, text and surf the net at the same time, and holds up Skins as a prime example of her approach to commissioning. She adds that there is a divide, at present, between "geeks and creatives".
17.23: Jain highlights Dead Set ("I had to stop watching this week because I was slightly s****ing myself"), while Mykura picks True Stories: Chosen ("one of the most gruelling things I've watched in a long time") as one of his top autumn shows.
17.26: E4's commissioning opportunity is 10pm weekdays in comedy/entertainment and drama.
17.27: Mykura is focusing on True Stories. "I'm quite keen to make the mix slightly richer - some more films that are more UK based in among the international films". He also wants to commission centrepieces for big event programming.
17.29: On funding, Mykura says he is willing to accept finance from a range of organisations - including commercial entities - as long as editorial control is not compromised.
17.32: "I think our programmes speak for ourselves," says Jain, answering a point that Danny Cohen is seeking to make noise at his new home at BBC Three.
17.34: "I don't have to make shows with any worthy intent whatsoever," says Jain, saying that PSB is served by the bringing through of new talent such as on Skins and E4 Music. Mykura argues that BBC Four is "celebrating our recent cultural history... applause for our own culture", and that More4 offers a "counterblast".
17.38: Big Brother has "settled at a level... 13 weeks as opposed to 52 weeks. I don't see it expanding beyond 13 weeks," says Jain.
More: Media, Edinburgh TV Festival 2008
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