Factual
MipTV: ITVS to launch two factual series
MUMBAI: ITVS Global Entertainment (ITVS GE) will debut two new factual series from The Garden at next month‘s television trade event MipTV as part of their distribution agreement with the UK-based Indie.
‘Keeping Britain Alive‘ and ‘Baby Makers‘ will launch at the market as both finished shows and format.
Keeping Britain Alive is a medical ob doc that tells the story of 24 Hours in the life of the world‘s biggest free health care system – the NHS. Using over a hundred camera crews to shoot across Britain in hospitals, doctor‘s surgeries, ambulances and helicopters – all captured at and connected by, a specific moment in time. With nothing off limits, it takes a fresh look at everything from life or death emergencies, to controversial topics like plastic surgery and weight loss.
ITVS GE will launch this ob doc as a format titled ‘Keeping Your Nation Alive‘ at MipTV. ‘Keeping Britain Alive‘ is produced by The Garden for BBC TWO.
‘Baby Makers: The Fertility Clinic‘ is a look at the fertility frontline. With exclusive access to The Hewitt Centre – one of the largest IVF clinics in Britain, the patients are met. Through candid accounts from staff that deal with the endless sperm and egg collections, to patients facing low sperm counts and ticking biological clocks, this documentary reveals the moral minefield of IVF.Baby Makers: The Fertility Clinic is produced by The Garden for BBC FOUR.
ITV Studios Global Entertainment director of global acquisitions and co-productions Ruth Clarke said, “Hot on the heels of The Audience, we are delighted to be unveiling two new shows from The Garden at MIPTV. Known for their ground-breaking and thought-provoking series, we look forward to continuing our partnership with them to represent both of these new factual offerings at the international marketplace.”
DUBLIN: Ireland is betting big on reality television. In a move that has Hollywood scouts scrambling for their passports, Dublin has unveiled Europe’s first tax credit dedicated solely to unscripted programming—think The Traitors rather than Game of Thrones.
The scheme offers producers a juicy 20 per cent rebate on qualifying expenditure, capped at €15 million ($17.5 million) per project. It’s a cultural credit with strings attached: programmes must pass a test proving they genuinely promote Irish and European culture. No word yet on whether Love Island derivatives need apply.
Ireland tánaiste and minister for finance Simon Harris says the incentive will cement Ireland’s reputation as a “centre of excellence” for audiovisual production. His colleague, minister for culture, communications and sport Patrick O’Donovan, insists Ireland has “the talent, creativity and production expertise to lead” in unscripted television. Bold claims for a nation that has spent decades exporting scripted drama.
The timing is canny. Unscripted production costs have soared globally, making Ireland’s existing infrastructure—and now its tax breaks—increasingly attractive. Fox Entertainment Studios already churns out shows like Beat Shazam and The Floor from Irish studios. Whether these American productions will pass the cultural test remains to be seen.
Producers must secure an interim cultural certificate before filming begins, allowing them to claim credits during production rather than waiting until wrap. A final certificate follows completion. The European Commission has blessed the scheme through December 2028.
Minimum thresholds apply: productions must cost at least €250,000, with eligible expenditure above €125,000. Only one season per project can claim relief in any 12-month period, though producers can juggle multiple projects.
Britain, take note. The UK industry has clamoured for similar support for 18 months, but Westminster has dithered. India’s ministry of information and broadcasting pay heed. Its incentive scheme for co-productions excludes unscripted television. To what end, no one knows! Ireland, meanwhile, is already rolling out the red carpet—or should that be green?
The message from Dublin is clear: when it comes to backing reality TV, Ireland isn’t messing about. Lights, camera, tax action.
