EXCLUSIVE: BBC Studios is hiring a European IP scout as the team led by one of the architects behind the Lionsgate co-pro deal seeks to discover the next big scripted format.

Matt Forde, BBC Studios’ president of Global Production, told us he wants the new exec to be installed early next year to immediately get started on “sourcing original IP in the European market, rather than the UK or U.S.” These shows could then be remade in America in the vein of CBS’ hit sleeper comedy Ghosts.

“Because of our network of teams it doesn’t matter whether that IP comes from one [European] country or another,” said Forde. “We have this scripted exchange where we share ideas and work out how to co-produce across different markets.”

Forde, whose team produces and sells Dancing with the Stars and The Great British Bake Off, was one of the architects behind the BBC Studios-Lionsgate deal that saw Ghosts made for CBS, and versions of hit BBC comedies This Country and Miranda produced for Fox. Ghosts is into it sixth season on CBS and versions continue to land around the world, with Ghosts: Australia launching earlier this month.

The Lionsgate deal ran down last year but that has not dimmed Forde’s ambition. He says his IP scout, who could be based in the UK or Europe, will seek out original European scripted shows that could be remade in the U.S. The team has “at least two really interesting” potentials incoming that will be examined early next year. “I think we will have some news,” teased Forde.

The idea for the IP scout came from conversations Forde had with his boss, BBC Studios Productions chief Zai Bennett, over the summer. Forde has been one of the big winners of the Bennett era, having been promoted to run a newly-merged division combining scripted formats with unscripted, international productions and some production outfits owned by BBC Studios. Forde wants scripted formats to rise from representing 15% to 25% of his business and will work closely with new BBC Studios scripted MD Jamie Hall, who is about to join from Vice Studios, and Mark Linsey, who runs scripted out of L.A.

Forde flagged the example of Liam Williams’ semi-autobiographical BBC comedy Ladhood as a quietly successful show that has just been remade for Germany’s ZDF titled Chabos, relocating the setting from the 1990s to the 2006 soccer world cup.

“Scripted has been really successful for us and we are a significant player in most markets,” he added. “I love the version of Ladhood we produced with a different twist. You take original IP from the UK and think about it in a different way.”

Forde is highly ambitious. He said his team has “unquenchable ambition” to build a “multi-genre studio in areas where we think we can really deliver value and growth around the BBC brand.” In terms of revenue, he claimed the formats division is in “double digit growth across the piece,” which he described as “way above the market.”

“You can’t be overconfident in this market,” he countered. “It is challenging. Ad revenues are declining and the writers’ strike had a big impact on the scripted market, more than any of us thought likely. However, we have bucked the trend.”

Expanding to Italy and Benelux

With this in mind, Forde revealed he has his eyes on geographic expansion, with Italy and the Benelux squarely in his sights.

This would likely come in the form of buying an Italian production company or two, while in Benelux the team will look to start making shows from the local hub. “It’s difficult to learn [markets like Italy] really quickly so we are looking at some companies there,” he said. “There is an appetite at Studios to continue to grow this network.”

Expanding to Italy and Benelux would increase BBC Studios’ number of international production bases to 12. Recent expansion has included the acquisition of Brutal Media in Spain and Werner Media in Australia, the latter of which makes hit drama series The Newsreader. In Australia, where Forde says BBC Studios is the second biggest scripted producer, BBC Studios and Werner are now making ABC’s Goolagong, a three-part event mini-series based on the true life story of the titular world champion tennis star. With the introduction of landmark streaming quotas and a healthy tax credit, Forde says he sees major opportunities in Australia and could even envisage BBC Studios “being co-pro partners on UK projects in Australia.”

While scripted is a big part of his plan, Forde pointed to the recent success of unscriped evergreens from the BBC Studios catalog like Dancing with the Stars (Strictly Come Dancing in the UK), The 1% Club, The Great British Bake Off and The Weakest Link, all of which are currently on in the States, along with Outlast, the Netflix survival series BBC Studios makes with Jason Bateman’s Aggregate Films that has aired for three seasons.

On Dancing with the Stars, Forde firmly rejected the notion that the Strictly upheaval, which has seen two professional dancers exit the show over misconduct allegations and two former stars arrested on suspicion of rape, has had an impact on BBC Studios’ ability to sell the show around the world.

“It really hasn’t,” he added. “It’s been around for a while and we recently celebrated 20 years in the U.S. It’s a known and respected quantity.”

Strictly is in fact a cornerstone of BBC Studios’ strategy to appeal to new demographics and monetize its content in other ways. This season of Dancing with the Stars has attracted younger viewers from the TikTok generation, breaking fan voting records and amassing 300,000 new TikTok followers, BBC Studios said. Forde added that the team is continuing to explore areas like podcasting and events.

Upcoming BBC Studios breakouts, in Forde’s mind, could include Nation’s Dumbest, a version of which is currently in development at Fox, along with Wisdom of the Crowd. Nation’s Dumbest, which sees people or celebrities fight it out to be eliminated as quickly as possible to avoid being crowned the winner, has now sold to six territories, while Wisdom of the Crowd from the producer behind The 1% Club sees a bold contestant take on the crowd’s collective knowledge. Highlighting the speed of BBC Studios’ dealmaking, Forde noted that the Spanish version of Wisdom of the Crowd will launc earlier than the John Bishop-hosted BBC original in the UK. “We are midsized and want to move content around at speed,” said Forde.

Forde noted “commissioning cycles have slowed down,” especially in the U.S., but he spots potential in the new era of collaboration between streamers and the traditional networks, which is leading to the potential for “bold windowing” of content. “The market is hard and it’s true that one decision can tip your day upside down, but there is real opportunity.”

And the BBC, the public broadcaster which BBC Studios ultimately serves, will always be a big draw, according to Forde.

“The BBC stands for slightly different things internationally,” he added. “The heritage gives us permission to be in all genres. It allows us to be something different but fundamentally powered by these huge global brands and formats.”