Rain: The Untold Story

Type: Factual
Length: 3 x 60 minutes
Producers: Cwmni Da TV, MacTV, Below the Radar, LIC
Broadcaster: BBC Alba (Scotland); TG4 (Ireland); LIC (China)

The average person doesn’t think much about rain, unless it’s pouring down on them. It feels like one of life’s “banalities”, according to TVF International head of acquisitions and partnerships Will Stapley. But, he says, this three-part series from Welsh indie Cwmni Da TV covers a subject that is “universally relevant and of-the-moment”.

Each part focuses on how rain has impacted humanity, through the lenses of science, culture and environmental issues.

In episode one, Cwmni Da explains the birth and development of rain and rainfall prediction, and how its unpredictability has been minimised to such an extent by scientific advancements that global rainfall patterns are accessible at the click of a mouse.

The second part takes a more societal approach, digging into the idiosyncratic way people relate to rain: as a gentle soother to aid sleep, its employment by artists or its culinary uses in Asia.

Striking a more sombre tone, the final part explores the challenges of drought and floods, exacerbated by climate change, and how they are combining to cause a global lack of fresh, drinkable water. The episode looks at whether the water collection methods used by our ancestors could provide the key for future survival.

“The series is tapping into the zeitgeist of climate change and environmental conservation, but through the prism of something that everyone takes for granted, almost,” Stapley says. “This fits into science, history, culture, even arts. “Civilisations have been shaped and destroyed by rain, or lack of it, and that continues, probably in a more drastic form than it ever has, due to climate change. Each episode could stand alone, should we wish.”

Though aware of TVFI’s reputation for “high-brow science docs” and specialist factual, Stapley does not see this as a niche doc for “nerdy viewers”, given the everyday nature of its subject matter.

“It’s accessible science, told in an epic way. If you have a story that gives easy access into science, history, culture, that’s a great vehicle for being a bit nerdy but not losing your audience,” he says. “There’s intrigue, too. You think you know everything about rain, but actually you don’t know anything about rain.”

Its round-the-world journey – episode one travels to Ireland, the US, China, India, UAE and Scotland – broadens the story further, and Stapley says the BBC Alba co-pro with Irish public broadcaster TG4 and China’s LIC, adds a furtherstamp of quality. While the series is in Irish and Scottish-Gaelic, TVFI is offering an exclusive English-language version for international sale.

Stapley is confident of Rain’s potential in the market, with linear broadcasters, educational channels as well as “more specialist, high-brow streamers” in mind. “Solution-based climate stories, which aren’t too preachy, have been some of the best-selling content in our catalogue for the past 18 months,” he says. “It’s not going to date either. It’s the kind of show that’s going to sell for 10 years.”

Down For Love

Type: Factual
Length: 3 x 60 minutes
Producer: Attitude Pictures
Broadcaster: TVNZ (New Zealand)

‘A unique piece of TV, which is long overdue’

Down For Love is a three-part documentary that provides a fresh and uplifting insight into the lives of six young people looking for love. While that may sound like a thousand other shows, what makes this one distinctive is that the stars have Down’s Syndrome.

The series was created for New Zealand public broadcaster TVNZ by Attitude Pictures, an organisation that has built up a strong reputation for making TV and web programming about people with disabilities.

Global distribution on Down For Love is handled by TVF International (TVFI), which has a first-look agreement in place with Attitude.

TVFI head of acquisitions Will Stapley says the producer stands out because it makes shows that are both “entertaining and purposeful, adding: “Its philosophy is that the greater the exposure the public has to various forms of disability, the greater understanding and acceptance there will be.”

Stapley calls Down For Love “a unique piece of TV, which is long overdue”. He notes a shift towards programming about people with disabilities, through shows such as Love On The Spectrum and The Undateables, “but nothing provides this level of access and insight into the lives of people living with Down’s Syndrome”.

Set up as an ob doc, the series follows six young people navigating the ups and downs of modern dating. In episode one, the focus is on 21-yearold party boy Josh and 19-year-old actress Libby – neither of whom has ever been on a date before.

Episode two continues to explore Josh and Libby’s journey but also introduces 22-year-old cosmetics salesperson Leisel and 30-year-old photographer Carlos. The final episode extends the narrative by introducing thirtysomethings John and Lily, the latter a stage performer with a passion for The Lord Of The Rings.

The style of the series, says Stapley, is as hands-off as possible so that every moment is captured without artifice or any set-up construct. But while it doesn’t flinch from exploring the social challenges that the six stars face, “the story is told with respect and humour”, he adds.

“One of the things that really sets Attitude’s film-making apart is that it gives its characters genuine agency. Because it is a disability-first production company, its programming has authenticity and integrity.”

The series is currently in postproduction – and the plan is to show an episode at Mipcom. Stapley says the three-part format can work as a limited factual event, “but the team has been working hard and it is looking good for two more episodes to be added to season one to make it 5 x 60 minutes, with a second series to come in the new year”.

He adds that the show has the kind of beats that would make it work well as a format. “And Attitude has the expertise to feed into areas like casting and safeguarding, for example. They really understand the duty of care to the protagonists and have counsellors on hand in case the process gets too overwhelming for them.”

Stapley sees PSBs as an obvious port of call – and is in no doubt that the story has universal appeal. While series about people with Down’s Syndrome are rare, actors with Down’s Syndrome have appeared in several high-profile TV series, including Tommy Jessop in Line Of Duty and Lauren Potter in Glee. “Besides, this is an uplifting story about people looking for love, which is about as universal as it gets.”

Me and My Penis

Type: Factual
Length: 1 x 60-minutes
Producer: Burning Bright Productions
Broadcaster: Channel 4 (UK)

This film builds upon Burning Bright’s previous genitalia-focused special, 100 Vaginas, which was also distributed by TVF International. The one-off doc sees men bare all and open up to British artist Ajamu X, sharing experiences and the physical realities of the penis from sex and masturbation to infertility, sexual abuse and mental health, the film questions the narrow definitions of masculinity they have experienced and calls for change.

Lindsey Ayotte, head of sales at TVF International, says the film is emblematic of the sort of hard-hitting documentary the distributor looks for.

“We’ve been waiting a long time for someone in the UK to move into this space,” she adds. “It depends on the country of origin whether a programme like this can resonate and get off the ground. For years, we’ve seen programming like this from Germany and Austria, but in the UK this was a first to see erect penises on television and we were excited to be able to represent that first for British audiences.”

Ayotte notes that programming like this would still be beholden to “local customs and cultural differences”, and finding a US buyer might be tricky. However, in Scandinavia the pick-up has been strong.

The show has sold to numerous territories already including DR in Denmark, Sweden’s TV4, NRK in Norway, RTL in the Netherlands, SBS in Australia, Pro Plus (Slovenia), Dox TV across Central and Eastern Europe and Films Media Group. Most recently, AMC Networks International Southern Europe picked it up for its Sundance TV channel.

“Identifying where a programme like this fits is exciting, as is trying to break into those markets where it is a challenging topic,” she adds. “When we talk about having an erect penis on screen, which would probably be considered pornographic in most countries, the streaming platforms can get more value out of a programme like this than a traditional linear buyer.

“The conversations we have with buyers about the limitations they face are eye-opening conversations . But it’s our goal, and the producers would say the same, to to break those taboos. The whole point is to show these firsts on television.”

The film has seen interest from unexpected buyers, which Ayotte says adds to its “ground-breaking nature”, and talks with a German streamer are ongoing.

“It’s about the diversity of the stories in the film [which resonate],” she concludes. “A film about masculinity might typically cover masturbation, pornography, heterosexual relationships. This expands to talk about men who’ve experienced rape or men who have low sperm count and can’t have children. It delved into topics that for men are so difficult to talk about. I just don’t think a programming in the past has so genuinely got men to talk about that side of themselves.”

David Foster: Off the Record

Type: Factual
Length: 1 x 106-minutes / 1 x 89-minutes/1 x 45-minutes
Producer: Melbar Entertainment Group
Broadcaster: CTV, Crave (Canada); Netflix (UK, US and Australia)

Looking into the life of Canadian pop music producer and songwriter-turned-reality TV star David Foster makes for a “very shiny, very commercial” documentary, says Armston-Clarke.

Originally commissioned by Canadian commercial broadcaster CTV and its SVoD sibling Crave, the one-off doc explores the man behind some of the biggest songs and albums of all time, from artists such as Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and Madonna.

Featuring interviews with Foster himself, along with some of his high-profile collaborators including Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones and Michael Bublé, Off the Record gives detailed insight into the impresario and his colourful background.

The film was pre-sold by producer Melbar Entertainment Group to Netflix in the UK, US and Australia, with TVFI taking rest of world rights. The distributor has sold it to the streamer in several other unnamed territories and Armston-Clarke says it is “clearly a VoD property”.

“It works for the younger audiences, the artists are timeless, and because of David Foster’s TV career, he’s got a commercial celebrity audience,” she says, pointing to his past relationship with model Yolanda Hadid and link to the Jenner-Kardashian family through another previous marriage.

With TVFI in the process of closing deals with commercial broadcasters, Armston-Clarke expects further interest for the film. “Traditionally, music docs are a difficult sell, so they don't make up a huge part of our catalogue, but it is such a good story, which has insane access, and is already selling widely,” she says.