Latest news with #BBCStudios
The Independent
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Bluey to be made into a ‘lifestyle brand' by BBC
The BBC has announced plans to transform its popular children 's TV show, Bluey, into an all-encompassing 'lifestyle brand' targeting all age groups. The Emmy -winning Australian cartoon has already generated significant retail success, contributing to BBC Studios ' record £2.16bn in commercial sales last year. Suzy Raia, head of global consumer products at BBC Studios, stated the aim is to make Bluey a 'generation-defining brand' and expand into the 'adult space'. Bluey's global popularity is evident, being the most-watched show across all genres in the US in 2024, with over 1 billion music streams and 21 million social media subscribers. There is already a immersive theatre production, Bluey's World, and a feature film, Bluey the Movie, set for release in 2027.
The Guardian
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
BBC targets adults in the latest adventure for its top dog Bluey
Each episode may only last seven minutes, but the bite-size length of Bluey's adventures has not held back the world's most popular blue dog from creating endless money-spinning opportunities for the BBC. Grateful executives are open about Bluey's status as the golden goose driving a record £2.16bn in sales from commercial operations last year, spawning branding deals for everything from headphones to baked beans. They are now clear on the next target: turning Bluey from one of the world's top preschool favourites to an all-encompassing 'lifestyle brand' for all ages. 'Bluey's role is quite enormous,' said Suzy Raia, who heads global consumer products at BBC Studios, the corporation's commercial arm. 'We're just at the beginning of something that I hope will be a generation-defining brand for children and then families today. From a retail sales standpoint, we are generating about $3.6bn (£2.7bn) in global retail sales across our entire portfolio and Bluey is a really, really big chunk of that.' The popularity of the cartoon heeler – an Australian dog bred to herd cattle – is a phenomenon. Bluey was the most watched show in the US across all genres in 2024 and kept that spot in the first half of this year. Its music is also a hit and has been streamed 1bn times, as of last week. The show has spawned a dizzying array of product deals. Fans can buy Bluey-inspired paddling pools, bumper cars, tents, hot-water bottles, board games and nappies – on top of the usual merchandise staples of lunch boxes, pyjamas, books and toys. There is already a Bluey theatre production and Bluey's World – a 'one-of-a-kind guided immersive experience' – has opened in Queensland. Meanwhile, Bluey has an unprecedented deal with Lego covering regular Lego sets and Duplo, which is designed for preschool children. Despite the BBC's background in traditional broadcasting, it has been the ability of BBC Studios to exploit digital channels such as YouTube and TikTok that has led executives to conclude Bluey can appeal to parents and young adults. Bluey's official channels now have more than 21 million subscribers, amassing 13bn lifetime views. The show has almost 5 million TikTok followers. Evan Shapiro, a Hollywood producer turned media analyst, said BBC Studios was leading the way in its understanding that digital platforms were now the drivers of brands and popular culture. 'The case study is Bluey,' he said. 'It isn't just a hit on TV. It is the size of [YouTube's biggest creator] MrBeast. Fandom is the engine of economics and growth. You follow the audience wherever they are.' Raia said Bluey was on the way to becoming 'a true lifestyle brand' across the generations. 'Within seven months, we had a million TikTok subscribers,' said Raia. 'That was a moment where we were really able to find the fans that are not purely preschool – young adult audiences and teens really started to get this exposure. 'We want to be No 1 in preschool, which we're well on our way to achieving. We have so much more to do in terms of growing in the adult space and thinking about what those adult purchasers are open to.' Bluey, produced by Ludo Studio in Australia, was originally co-commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the BBC. However, BBC Studios owns Bluey's global distribution and merchandising rights. The BBC's annual report revealed its record commercial revenues were driven by 'the licensing of the Bluey brand in particular'. Bluey's rise is to continue with the arrival of a movie in 2027. Disney has already announced it will be the first non-Disney children's brand to feature in its parks. Hardened fans may worry about overexposure. However, Raia said her team remained cautious in its acceptance of product tie-ups. 'We say no, quite honestly, a lot more than we say yes,' she said. Kathryn VanArendonk, a critic who is writing a book about the Bluey phenomenon, said its success as a brand came down to the evocative nature of the storytelling. 'Almost no children's television in the history of that genre has managed to do the thing that Bluey does,' she said. 'It is just as entertaining, accessible and emotionally meaningful for adults as it is for kids. 'Multiple audiences see their own desires, interests, concerns and challenges reflected back at them. That's just so hard to do and it's so incredibly appealing when something can pull it off.'
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Science
- Scotsman
Human review: The BBC's touchy-feely new series reminds us how our ancestors put the human in humanity
At times during the BBC's new landmark documentary series Human (BBC2, Mon, 9pm), the evolution of our species sounds like a particularly uncomfortable family wedding. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi describes some of the human species that our own homo sapiens shared the earth with hundreds of thousands of years ago. There was homo erectus – the first to leave Africa; Neanderthals, adapted for cold weather and expert hunters; and homo floresiensis, were about three-and-a-half feet tall and have been tagged as The Hobbit in anthropological circles. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Al-Shamahi evokes the Lord of the Rings, but it is that wedding that comes more readily to mind, one of those dos when you meet distant cousins and great aunts for the first time in decades and wonder how on earth you can be related to them. Ella Al-Shamahi takes us on a fascinating journey into the past to meet our ancestors in the BBC's new series Human (Picture: BBC/BBC Studios) But this illuminating series also has resonances with the present day, as Al-Shamahi draws a picture of homo sapiens as a 'connected and co-operative species', one which talked with other groups and learned from them. Looking at the headlines today, you'd be hard-pressed to divine where that interconnectedness has gone. But this is more than a parable for how we should all get along or swap shell bracelets. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It's one of those series – like most of Prof Brian Cox's TV lectures – which is full of sweeping shots across deserts and broiling sulphur pits and red-hued mountains. There's lots of Al-Shamahi walking across a barren landscape into the sunset. And there are living, moving dioramas of people posing as our ancestors as they herd goats through the dust. Ella Al-Shamahi holds a cast of one of the early homo sapiens skulls found at Jebel Irhoud, in Morocco, in the BBC's new series Human (Picture: BBC/BBC Studios) Human is never far away from trying to forge an emotional connection with those early humans too, as Al-Shamahi imagines encounters with these distant ancestors. 'If we were to look into their eyes, into those quite delicate features,' she gushes, 'would we see ourselves within them?' All of this touch-feelyness, however, can't obscure the general jaw-dropping nature of the whole thing – not least the massive twists of fate and fortune that led to you, and me, and them, being here, together. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There are new breakthroughs to suggest that East Africa was not the cradle of civilisation it was thought to be, but that homo sapiens developed across Africa, spreading and intermingling and co-operating in such a way as to ensure our survival above the other human species. A Herto 1 skull cast alongside other skull fossils in the BBC's new series Human (Picture: BBC/BBC Studios) Similarly, there is evidence that on a mountain in what is now Israel, homo sapiens and Neanderthals lived in neighbouring caves. 'We don't know if they interacted,' says Al-Shamahi, but it sounds like a pitch for a good sitcom. Meanwhile, we see how the ability to think in the abstract, to see snakes caught in the rocks, to offer gifts and to make art showed the development of the human brain to see beyond the concrete and come up with new advances. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Much of it is mind-boggling, not only because of the sheer amount of knowledge being dropped on, but the whole sweeping vastness of time thing. But it looks fantastic, keeps a light touch with its learning, and Al-Shamahi is an engaging, passionate presenter who looks like she could do for skulls and beads what Cox did for moon rocks and sunspots. And, more importantly, it brings our ancestors into sharper focus – their way of being 'connected and co-operative' - and makes you think that maybe they had the right idea in the first place. If we can get along at that wedding, why not try it in the wider world?
Metro
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Controversial BBC series viewers called 'abysmal' confirms return is weeks away
Mrs Brown's Boys is back for another run (Picture: BBC Studios / Kirsty Anderson) One of the BBC's most controversial shows is set to return in just a couple of weeks. For years now, Mrs Brown's Boys has split the nation down the middle, with some viewers branding the show 'abysmal'. Since 2011, the sitcom – which follows the life of the interfering Agnes Brown (played by Brendan O'Carroll) – and has aired five series and 12 Christmas Day specials. In an update that will have some people rejoicing and others wanting to bang their head against the wall, new episodes are on the way. The latest run was filmed at the beginning of May, and Mrs Brown's Boys will officially return on August 1 at 9:30pm. If you're really keen, you'll be able to binge all five episodes that same day, with the full series available on iPlayer – but it's safe to say not everyone is happy about the news. Viewers have branded the show 'abysmal' (Picture: BBC) The latest Christmas special was slated by viewers (Picture: BBC / BocPIX / Greame Hunter) 'Literally no one asked for this, the BBC becoming even more irrelevant and out of touch,' ranted one user on X. Others called the programme 'abysmal' when the fifth series was announced, and another quipped: 'Actually, I'm starting to think this is an elaborate prank on behalf of the BBC.' Someone else ranted: '[It] keeps coming back like a rotten smell! Give the investment to more new comedy, not keep old ones past best limping on @BBC.' Sorry, the video was not found The crass, provocative humour has had millions tuning in over the years, with the first December 25 special in 2013 pulling in a whopping 11.52 million nationwide viewers. However, after that the show averaged around nine million viewers as it slowly declined in popularity, with the 2024 Christmas Special Ding Dong Mammy pulling in just 2.2 million, while fans weren't kind. 'Baffles me how it's got so bad after the great start it had,' wrote @paulc1884, as @ads900 added: 'This was exceptionally bad this year…more than usual.' The show does have some supporters excited for the return (Picture: BBC / BocPIX / Greame Hunter) Not everyone agrees though, and comedy legend Ben Elton – best known for his work as a writer on The Young Ones and Blackadder – threw his support behind O'Carroll's sitcom. 'It's insane this show is so abused. It's so inoffensive,' he told The Sun. 'You can say it's unfunny or old-fashioned, but you cannot say it's stupid and lacks skill. 'These are brilliant comedians with perfect timing. They're doing a type of comedy you may not find appealing because maybe you're embarrassed about the fact you have no understanding of why it's funny, so you can't give yourself over to it.' Mrs Brown's Boys is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. Arrow MORE: Doctor Who legend takes swipe at 'grumpy old fans' of BBC series Arrow MORE: MasterChef's John Torode reportedly used 'worst racial slur there is' before sacking Arrow MORE: BBC confirms Two Doors Down is returning 2 years after show was cancelled
Metro
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Doctor Who legend takes swipe at 'grumpy old fans' of BBC series
Doctor Who's Mark Gatiss has told disgruntled viewers of the long-running BBC sci-fi series that 'it's not for you anymore'. The 58-year-old Sherlock co-creator has contributed to the show in more ways than one, penning nine episodes and guest-starring as various characters across Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat's eras of the show. As well as being the mastermind behind episodes such as The Unquiet Dead, Victory of the Daleks and Robot of Sherwood, he also played Richard Lazarus in season three's The Lazarus Experiment and the Captain in 2017 Christmas special Twice Upon a Time. In a new interview, the acclaimed screenwriter has defended the show from backlash in recent years from certain fans who have claimed it has declined in quality since Jodie Whittaker and Ncuti Gatwa's tenures as the titular Time Lord. 'As much as I love old stuff, the job of the show constantly is to regenerate itself,' Gatiss told the Radio Times. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. He continued: 'And sometimes when I meet grumpy old Doctor Who fans, you think, 'You've just fallen into the same space time trap, that it's not as good as it used to be, because it's not for you anymore.' If you still like it, that's great. It's great, but it's not for you.' The creative believes that the show's primary audience will always be younger, explaining that his 2014 Peter Capaldi episode (Robot of Sherwood episode) featured a scene where the Doctor and Robin Hood fight with spoons. When he attended a friend's wedding shortly after, he saw two children fighting with spoons and thought 'that's job done'. He warned about the pitfalls of nostalgia: 'It's a strange thing, because I've revived so many things, but I think nostalgia is a great enemy, and we have to all be careful of it. 'It's part of the reason we're in the mess we are, I think – weaponised nostalgia,' calling it a 'dangerous' path to go down. ''Nothing's as good as it used to be,' and yet people can't see that people have always thought that, even when it used to be better. It's a dangerous thing,' he concluded. Some fans have accused the show of relying too much on nostalgia in recent years, from bringing David Tennant and Catherine Tate back for the 60th anniversary to Billie Piper's shock return in the latest season finale. More Trending Former Doctor Peter Davison (and David Tennant's father-in-law) called it a 'completely mad idea' that he couldn't quite wrap his head around. Meanwhile, the future of the show since Ncuti Gatwa's exit as the 15th Doctor remains up in the air as we wait to see if Disney Plus will renew its deal for more seasons. In a recent chat with Deadline, BBC Studios CEO Tom Fussell remained optimistic about the show returning, saying: '[BBC Studios is] really committed to Doctor Who and is continuing to look at ways in which we can bring the show to fans.' View More » Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: MasterChef's John Torode reportedly used 'worst racial slur there is' before sacking MORE: BBC confirms Two Doors Down is returning 2 years after show was cancelled MORE: Why is EastEnders not on tonight? Latest news on today's episode
