RTÉ Factual is looking for ideas for one-off documentaries and short series for the autumn of 2015. We are commissioning into a number of slots from September to December 2015 to add to an already exciting slate for next year. All of our slots are Mondays at 9:30pm on RTÉ One, so we need ideas that are big enough to attract an audience at this most competitive time. We want ideas for documentaries with:
1. Access: Stories that have captured the nation’s imagination that would make for powerful documentaries with the right access and an intelligent, journalistic approach. This year, Michaella, Peru and the Drugs Run gave our audience a unique insight into Michaella McCollum-Connolly, her family and the reasons she ended up in Peru. This doc got over 40% share when it was first broadcast. Similarly Tony O’Reilly: The Real Deal performed extremely well. We are looking for other ideas that will bring our audience up close to the personalities who are in the headlines.
2. Timing: Stories that dominate public debate and where our audience wants more than to merely watch the story unfold in the news. This summer we green-lit a reactive half-hour documentary on the Garth Brooks concerts debacle as the story started to grow. Garth Brooks: Tomorrow Never Came was turned around in two weeks and given a Monday 9:30 slot. On the night, it attracted over 30% of the audience. We are going to reserve a number of slots for strong reactive docs on the stories that we must do. Think Irish Water earlier this year.
3. Strong Characters: Stories that have compelling subjects and a passion at their hearts, but touch on a wider issue. Rough Rider really connected with our audience when it was broadcast earlier this year. Are there other people like Paul Kimmage whose stories, when told in a crafted documentary, would have the same strong audience appeal?
4. Impact: Stories that shape the agenda, rather than follow it. Last year The Disappeared made headlines when it was broadcast. We’re looking for ideas that would marry journalism and documentary-making to bring an audience to the stories that should be told.
5. Develop popular factual formats: A factual format like Secret Millionaire can make an impact with strong story, depth and insight. What are your ideas for new returnable Irish factual formats that can bring a structured narrative to bear on important human stories? We would like develop a number of proposals in this area for potential TX in 2015.
Ideas should be submitted via e-commissioning. We have a maximum cost-per-hour of €120k, although we expect all ideas to be competitively priced. There is no cut-off date for applications, as we will continue to commission into Autumn 2015 until all slots are filled. However we would like to be in a position to commission slots that will require a longer production period this side of Christmas, so please do get your ideas in soon.
We ask, in the first instance, that producers submit ideas into the eCommissioning system:https://e-commissioning.rte.ie under the programme category "Factual - Autumn 2015"