Directors Digest — Friday 25 July 2025

In the news this week, the BBC and NBCUniversal are looking for new format ideas for the next stage of their unscripted development partnership, Ofcom recommends public service broadcasters should work urgently with YouTube to ensure that PSM content is prominent and easy to find for audiences, and The 2025 Grierson Awards longlist has been announced.

Read about it in this week’s Digest.

News

•  Urgent steps must be taken to ensure that public service media content is easy to find and discover on third-party platforms, under new Ofcom recommendations. As a priority, public service broadcasters should work urgently with YouTube, to ensure that PSM content is prominent and easy to find on the platforms, and on fair commercial terms. (Televisual)

•  The BBC has published its Commissioning Report 2024/25. Amongst other findings the report shows that BBC iPlayer has become the fastest-growing streaming platform in the UK. (Televisual)

•  Paramount UK’s deputy chief content officer Sebastian Cardwell says lowering the threshold for the high-end TV tax credit would enable 5 to bring drama productions back to the UK. (Broadcast)

•  The BBC and NBCUniversal are looking for new format ideas for the next stage of their unscripted development partnership. Independent UK production companies are invited to pitch “original ideas designed to captivate audiences on both sides of the Atlantic,” across a wide range of genres, including arced reality competitions, dating and relationships and talent or performance shows. (Televisual)

•  Total ITV Studios revenue grew 3% in the first six months of this year, at the same time as Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, and Amortization (EBITA) fell by 21%. (Televisual)

Director Interviews

•  Polly Steele on Four Letters Of Love, an adaptation of Irish author Niall Williams’ novel of the same name. (Screen)

•  Athina Rachel Tsangari on her subtly apocalyptic new work, Harvest. (Little White Lies)

Awards

•  The 2025 Grierson Awards longlist was announced this week. Congratulations to all the directors who made it onto the longlist, the nominees will be announced on Monday 22 September. You can find the longlist here. (The Grierson Trust)