Factual
Electric Sky to bring factual content to Mipcom
MUMBAI: UK distributor Electric Sky returns to next month‘s television trade event Mipcom in Cannes, France with new factual titles.
‘Turtle Boy‘ by Sundog Pictures for Channel 4 and National Geographic traces the story of Didier, a six year old boy from Columbia with a rare condition – a huge 11-pound mole which covered his back. Resembling the shell of a turtle the mole was taking up 40 per cent of his body and its regular maintenance prevented him from going to school. This is a story of cutting-edge medicine, a mother‘s love, and a brave six-year-old‘s fight to be released from his burden.
From Australian prodco Unboxed Media, Electric Sky has acquired ‘Tipping Points‘, an international coproduction exploring the tipping points of changing climate. The series will follow pre-eminent scientists as they go off the grid to explore the dangerous new tipping points making our weather systems more extreme and unpredictable and how these changes impact weather systems around the world. Networks on board include US network The Weather Channel, NHK in Japan, the ARD Group in Germany, Canvas in Belgium, VPRO in Holland and The Australia Network.
Electric Sky has acquired ‘Hilary Lister – A Race Against Time‘ by Peter Williams Television Productions, which follows the remarkable journey of a record-breaking sailor with a difference. Despite suffering from a progressive condition which means she is paralyzed from the neck down, Hilary Lister embarks on an ambitious journey to sail around Britain. Relying on her own gumption and determination it‘s a story of courageous seamanship, a struggle for independence and purpose, and an astonishing achievement against all odds.
From Irish production company, Rival Media, Electric Sky has taken on ‘Big Wave Bootcamp‘, which takes 8 surf-mad teens and unleashes them on the world‘s most extreme surf school in Hawaii. In ‘Mission Beach USA‘ a Rival Media Production for RTE eight teens tackle sun, sea and survival in Florida. In at the deep end, on the toughest lifeguard course in the world, our teens live, sleep, eat, breathe, relax and take all that the beach and their lifeguard instructors can throw at them. Will our eight hopefuls make it, or sink without a trace?
Trouble in Paradise by 9 Films Production for Channel 9 Australia is a series that tells the stories of travellers and holidaymakers who have been subjected to terrifying experiences while on holidays in different parts of the world before escaping with their lives. These are ordinary people, simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, and what makes this series so enthralling is that their nightmares could happen to anyone.
Finally, Electric Sky has picked up cooking series ‘Cookucina‘by Stephen Phelps Productions. Presented by two vivacious 40-something (and a bit!) women, Cookucina is a simple bi-lingual celebration of regional Italian food and the all-natural ingredients grown in the lush countryside in the foothills of the Sibillini Mountains.
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.
