Blue Lights and The Rig creatives among International Horizons cohort

Creatives behind global hits Blue Lights and The Rig are among those selected for the second iteration of an international-focused Nations and Regions initiative backed by three of the UK’s screen agencies, Broadcast can reveal.

Louise Gallagher, executive producer on BBC Northern Ireland/BBC1 smash Blue Lights, and David MacPherson, writer of Wild Mercury-produced Prime Video tentpole The Rig, will join the second cohort for International Horizons: Scripted, a programme run by N&R training provider TRC and funded by Screen Scotland, Creative Wales and Norther Ireland Screen alongside the BFI. 

The programme’s return comes after an initial pilot round over six months culminated in nine regional indies heading to Series Mania earlier this year to develop their global scripted footprints. 

Spanning the three Nations, nine hand-picked indies will be provided with skills, insight and connections for competing in the international drama arena.  

Other indies represented include Banijay UK-backed Half Man co-producer Mam Tor, and Tree on a Hill outfit Fiction Factory. The participants from each indie are: 

• Bethan Jones, Red Seam, Wales 
• Brian J. Falconer, Out of Orbit, Northern Ireland
• Chris Patterson, Causeway Films, Northern Ireland
• David MacPherson, Inconceivable Productions, Scotland
• Ed Thomas, Fiction Factory, Wales
• Jenny Williams, Pirate Productions, Scotland 
• John Giwa Amu, Good Gate Media, Wales 
• Louise Gallagher, Hat Trick Productions, Northern Ireland 
• Morven Reid, Mam Tor Productions, Scotland 

The debut cohort included Synchronicity Films, Black Camel Pictures, Fine Point Films and Severn Screen. As a result of the programme, Black Camel recently secured funded development with BritBox for drama series Swan.  

International Horizons is led by Bafta-nominated producer and executive producer Caroline Levy, who has held senior roles at Paramount and BBC Studios and whose credits include Deadwater Fell (Channel 4) and A Gentleman in Moscow (Paramount+).  

Previous contributors to the programme included consultant and former Head of Amazon Studios Europe, Georgia Brown, as well as commissioners from Paramount, BritBox, Sky Studios, C4, UKTV, Disney, and execs from distribution companies such as Banijay Rights, All 3 Media, Sony, ITV Studios, BBC Studios, Night Train Media and Fremantle.  

Leading producers including Simon Heath from World Productions, Jamie Hall from Pulse Films, Lawrence Bowen & Chris Carey from Dancing Ledge were amongst others who gave master classes on running their companies and case studies of shows. 

Levy told Broadcast the programme’s focus and goals “remain unchanged”, but added that there would be “a greater emphasis on examining the role of the acquisitions market in securing financing.”  

She continued: “The programme’s impact has been significant not only for the delegates, but also, I hope, for the contributors, including commissioners and distributors. The first cohort’s slates developed substantially, enabling producers to secure meetings with companies such as Disney, Banijay Rights, and BritBox – opportunities that would not have been possible without the programme.  

“This experience has reshaped their international strategies, leading to stronger showings at Series Mania and the successful securing of co-production financing.”

Taking stock

Speaking ahead of the programme’s launch yesterday (2 September) in Glasgow, Gallagher told Broadcast the programme was the first time in five years she had “a moment to take stock”. Despite being the NI scripted chief for Derry Girls producer Hat Trick Productions, the exec is doing International Horizons in a personal capacity with her outfit Gallagher Films. 

“Coming into series four of Blue Lights, we don’t know what’s going to happen next, I’m asking myself: where does that leave me as Gallagher Films,” she told Broadcast.  

“What do I do with the company: do I employ people; can I employ people? How I can develop my business as an owner and a creative, while also growing my own personal confidence on dealing with the business side. 

The programme will give me time to think about whether I’m on the right track for projects I want to make and how am I going to make them internationally

“I’ve never had an opportunity to sit down and talk with someone about that, so I’m hoping the one-to-one elements of this programme will help me realise that.” 

Gallagher noted that her Belfast base and working for Hat Trick – which has a business affairs team and in-house distributor Hat Trick International – had separated her slightly from the distribution world, and International Horizons would help her bridge the creative and business ends of the industry. 

“It will give me time to think about whether I’m on the right track for projects I want to make, how am I going to make them internationally, who are the people I should be dealing with,” she said.  

“Someone said to me a long time ago: learn the business of showbusiness. In the last five years I’ve been in the depths of working with an incredibly talented development team to make Blue Lights.  

“When I joined Hat Trick, Blue Lights had been commissioned, then we had a project with a script commission from a broadcaster, a brilliant idea, then lockdown hit and everything changed. That project was dead in the water.  

“It’s a personal thing, but you sometimes feel a wee bit out of your depth trying to understand how the world now works post-Covid – what people are looking internationally, new financing models. I need to delve into the business of showbusiness.” 

Industry education

For MacPherson, coming into his first chief writer gig for The Rig was something of a “real trial by fire”, not just the writing, but the “process of producing the show”, about which he said he learnt a great deal. 

“I want to explore my options to take more ownership on my creative output,” he told Broadcast. “To be more ambitious on the projects I write, trying to educate myself about the industry and seeing if producing my own shows might be something I’d like to do.”  

He cited the work of Skins co-creator and fellow Scot Bryan Elsley, who has developed from his creative backgrounds to grow his indie Balloon Entertainment. 

“Bryan was the first person to option a script from me. I want to be writing but certainly in the long-term I want to be producing projects,” he said. “I had a great experience on The Rig, learning the mechanics of making a show, but I’m less experienced on how to run a TV company as a business – how does that work, particularly internationally, doing different deals. 

“I’d like to learn about the back end, and see which ones are best suited for my projects.” 

As a “proud Scot”, MacPherson stressed he would continue to explore projects that are local but with an international bent that suits his tastes. 

Financing for scripted TV production continues to be challenging and enabling indies to secure international partners is key to their future success

“When I wrote The Rig I said I wanted to do a James Cameron film set in Edinburgh on an oil rig. The streaming revolution is turning something that was niche into something that is no longer niche,” he added.  

“Scotland has a proud history in TV industry, we punch above our weight. And in the global age, having a distinct creative identity is helpful. The more local you make something, the more universal it becomes – a creed I’ve held onto.” 

Claire Scally, managing director of TRC, praised the success of the scheme’s inaugural group, adding: “The first edition of International Horizons: Scripted has been incredibly successful, and we are delighted to be able to bring it back thanks to our funders’ support.  

“The first cohort has already achieved outstanding results, with several international partnerships and upcoming productions directly resulting from the networking opportunity and training provided by our programme. We are proud to be able to continue championing the talent of an additional group of scripted drama companies in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales in the upcoming months.” 

Kieran Hannigan, head of scripted at Screen Scotland, said: “The first year of the International Horizons: Scripted programme proved enormously productive for the participating indies, who gained invaluable insight both from each other and the stellar contributors whom they had access to.  

“Financing for scripted TV production continues to be challenging and enabling indies to secure international partners is key to their future success.”