ProSieben talks new doc slot

October 15, 2009 by Lindsay Gibb

German broadcasting company ProSiebenSat.1 and BBC Worldwide (BBCWW) have announced a joint venture under which the two will create a co-branded documentary slot on ProSieben. Realscreen spoke with ProSieben’s executive editor of Knowledge, Christoph Steinkamp, about the plans for the new slot.

The two companies have worked together extensively in the past on coproductions, and this relationship created the launching pad for the new joint venture. The doc slot, which is set to debut November 30, will strictly contain content from BBCWW’s catalog.

‘The plan is to take the opportunity to present [these] extraordinary BBC doc treasures to our audience,’ says Steinkamp, who adds the content of the slot will cover a variety of genres from BBCWW’s collection, including natural history, science, medicine, history and more. ‘I will be trying to make the selection as wide as I can.’

The deal will see the German broadcaster airing 30 docs in the slot over the next three years. What is still unsure is the title of the slot and where in the schedule it will air, though Steinkamp assumes it will most likely be found in late prime-time on a weekday.

‘What I’m looking for the most is the very unusual dramaturgic approach you find in many of these docs,’ he offers. ‘It will be very interesting to see that have its affect on the factual staff here at ProSieben, and, of course, on our audience.’

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