Channel 4 New Push in Northern Ireland

[Stuart Cosgrove]

According to Broadcast

Channel 4 has tasked three commissioners with finding returnable series from Northern Irish indies in a bid to reverse the “endemic” lack of commissions from the nation.

The broadcaster has singled out comedy, specialist factual and factual entertainment for special attention and incentivised commissioners Shane Allen, Julia Harrington and Alistair Pegg respectively to meet NI indies and encourage developments with scale. All three will remain London-based.

Currently less than £1m of the £115m that C4 spends out of London goes to NI commissions and there are no returnable series from NI on the channel. Recent NI projects include Bafta-winning film Hunger, which was backed by Northern Ireland Screen and which has just turned a profit.

Director of nations and regions Stuart Cosgrove said: “It’s no secret that we have been frustrated by slow progress in Northern Ireland. We have some promising projects but need more scale and returning shows. To do that we need to build more consistent contact with companies.”

Cosgrove noted that NI indies Green Inc and Double Band produced some of the biggest shows in that country, but remained low-profile in the UK. “It takes them off the development radar at C4 because they’re so busy,” he said.

C4’s move follows two recent joint ventures between English and Northern Irish indies, with Kudos teaming up with Generator and CTVC partnering Green Inc.

Cosgrove said two projects from C4’s £1m Nations Pilot fund were currently in development in Northern Ireland.

[Alec McPhedran]

Great to see NI being supported. Just met some amazing and incredibly bright talent working in Belfast.