Comedian tackles challenge of bringing audiences to original ideas
Mo Gilligan has praised the BBC’s appetite for risk-taking after handing That’s My Jam a plum slot after the final of Strictly Come Dancing.
TV presenter and comedian Gilligan told Broadcast that he is heartened by the backing he has received from the broadcaster after signing up to it for the first time to helm the adaption of NBC’s musical entertainment gameshow, hosted in the US by Jimmy Fallon.
“The BBC could have put it on a Sunday on BBC2 – but that’s playing it safe,” he said. “If you’re going to launch a fresh and exciting show, then put it in the best place possible for it to succeed. It feels like a risk has been taken.”
Last year’s Strictly final reeled in 12m (55%).
Gilligan was earmarked by Fallon as the host for Monkey’s UK version and was advised by his US counterpart to “do it your way”.
He said that his ambition is to try to get audiences to embrace an original idea that has not previously aired domestically. “We as a society are always a bit fearful of change but once audiences connect then shows can break through.”
He likened bringing audiences to new shows to getting people to experiment at a food buffet.
“It’s just a different offering on the plate. You can get the same old quiche, but I’m there to say: go and try the jerk chicken.”
Gilligan added that the show does not feel like a US gameshow, despite the scale it has as a result of being shot on the US set in NBCUniversal’s lot in Los Angeles.
“When people watch, they’re not going to feel alienated or that it is ‘too American’,” he said, “But I can’t lie - there is a nice little bit of gloss on it. It’s like a Christmas cake with a nice decoration.”
Original spin
Ed Havard, senior vice-president, creative for unscripted programming at Universal International Studios, said Gilligan’s “original spin” on the format is “completely bespoke to this market” after the UK and US production teams exchanged ideas about how to improve the format. At least one of the games featured is bespoke to the BBC version.
“We always look to learn from how different cultures have adapted the format so that we can elevate every other version,” he said, adding that the BBC’s lack of adverts means the show can be “looser” than its US counterpart.
Havard added that exploratory conversations with Gilligan are underway about other potential shows.
“Mo is priority talent, for us. He’s part of the NBCUniversal family, which includes The Rock, Seth MacFarlane and Jennifer Lopez.”
Gilligan added that “no-one ever vetoed” the acts or ideas he presented, and he gained new insight into format development that he hadn’t appreciated before throughout the process.
“To go full circle from talking about ideas for the show and then making the actual thing, that’s a journey that not a lot of [talent] get to have,” he said. “Sometimes you’re told: ‘You’ll be good for this’ and that’s it.
“But I’ve been able to share my thoughts on what could be good and what we could change. That is very rare.”
Unscripted partnerships
Havard refuted the suggestion that the BBC is overly focused on rebooting old formats, claiming that it is “unfair to harp constantly on about” and referencing the “prestigious slots” handed to That’s My Jam and fellow NBCU tie-up The Traitors.
He said the shows represent the ambition the BBC and NBCU have for their landmark unscripted tie-up, with discussions underway about a number of potential pilots. He predicted that pooling of resources will become increasingly commonplace in unscripted as budgets approach scripted levels.
“There is a really strong cross-pollination of content, and it’s not just the US influencing the UK,” he said.
“The scripted market has for a long time had to think in this way, because the budgets are so high. Unscripted is facing the same challenges, we’ve just got to work in a slightly different way and think about innovative ways of making stuff. Co-productions and co-developments are just going to be part of the future.”
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