Peacock and Sky are officially developing their first co-produced comedy.
Peacock scripted chief Lisa Katz confirmed the news at Content London. While she didn’t give any more detail, Tina Fey recently revealed at the Edinburgh TV Festival that she was working on a comedy titled The Cliffhanger, which was then reported by UK TV trade Broadcast to be for Peacock and Sky. Fey created hit comedy 30 Rock for Peacock and Sky’s Comcast stablemate NBC.
Peacock and Sky have so far co-produced heavy-hitting drama like The Day of the Jackal and Lockerbie: A Search for Truth, but Katz said there is no reason why a comedy can’t work on both sides of the pond as long as it has an “American access point.”
“There are sometimes different sensibilities, some things that might be funny in one culture but not the other one, but the thing that works for us is having an American access point,” she added. “If you have that way in then that is helpful. With streaming, people watch all kinds of different shows, from Sweden to England to Israel. People gravitate to great storytelling.”
Beatrice Springborn, who runs Comcast’s Universal International Studios and Universal Content Production, said buyers have to have a “flexible mindset” in this tricky market, as she pointed out that another Peacock series, All Her Fault, was relocated from Ireland to Chicago to suit the American audience. That one has been pulling in big ratings and was acquired by Sky in the UK.
Springborn, Katz and Sky scripted exec Meghan Lyvers concurred that the market for co-productions is challenged but they can still find ways to get shows on screen.
Lyvers cited Sky’s Nick Cave adaptation The Death of Bunny Munro, which made it to screen without a U.S. buyer. “Bunny Munro has been incredibly well received over here yet we screened it in the States in May and it hasn’t landed,” she added. “I think it will land but it is taking more time. The U.S. is going through a cycle, and yes it’s a cycle. I’m feeling a return to health.”