Factual Entertainment

The Factual Entertainment commissioners are responsible for commissioning returnable entertaining formats for weekdays and Saturdays at 9pm - 10pm and for one-off events on Saturday nights. We already have a world class roster of talent featuring Heston Blumenthal, Gordon Ramsay, Kevin McCloud, Mary Portas, Jamie Oliver, Jo Frost and Mark Dolan and we are always open to new ideas for existing on-screen talent.

New programmes pitched must be accessible, entertaining and purposeful. These will often be factual formats such as Undercover Boss or My Big Fat Gyspy Wedding. We want new original ideas for returnable factual formats. Access to either individuals or public institutions is crucially important especially when matched with a brilliant idea. Subject areas that are traditionally at 8pm, the heartlands of Channel 4 Features, could potentially be be done differently at 9pm.

Key areas are health, beauty & body image, parenting, good business, shopping & retail, fashion and sex. We focus on broad issues that are popular, carry public service values and are able to deal with subversive and counterintuitive ideas.

Features

The way we live now is at the heart of many successful Channel 4 shows. Our programmes address a wide range of subject matter: food, relationships, property, money, health, design and families. The objective is not simply to reflect those subjects but to encourage personal transformation.

The Features commissioners are responsible for commissioning returnable feature formats for C4 weekdays and Sundays at 8pm-9pm and features series and events for 9pm across the week. Also we commission into E4 primetime too.

Current and recent features-format shows include at 8pm Kirstie's Homemade Home, Supersize vs Superskinny, Gok's Fashion Fix, River Cottage and Help! My House is Falling Down. At 9pm and 10pm the output is more commonly series and major events - The Sex Education Show, Embarrassing Bodies, Lily Allen: From Riches to Rags and Grand Designs. On E4 at 10pm, events and series have so far included shows such as Great British Hairdresser

If you are working on new programmes try to focus on a fresh selling-point: a new subject area, a compelling new format, amazing access or great new talent who can own and define a show. Always remember that successful Channel 4 faces are real experts with on-screen charisma, they are not simply just 'presenters'.