France Télévisions is France’s multi-channel public broadcaster, buying 1,900 hours of documentaries / year.
For a Sunny Side Meet the Executive presentation, Catherine Alvaresse shared France Télévisions’ vision.
Watch my informative and exclusive conversation with Catherine Alvaresse:
FRANCE TÉLÉVISIONS: CATHERINE ALVARESSE
Recorded June 15, 2020
Overview
What is the big picture for France Télévisions? Describe overall remit for docs across your platforms:
- Documentaries for all FT: France 2, France 3, France 5, and France.TV
- France 2 is the main channel, NOT a documentary channel. It’s a news channel, structured by news and sports, big events, primetime, History, Science, international events, or national events. They also broadcast epic documentaries
- France 3 is the regional channel, it broadcasts region by region, specific documentaries for difference territories, caters to an older audience
- France 5 is the youngest channel of the three, documentary channels, factual channel, and all genres: human interest, Science, Discovery, Social issues. For example, the Science doc on Pompeii, which was broadcasted during the confinement, and had the best rating ever (1.5 millions viewers!)
- France.tv platform launched in 2019 caters to a younger audience
Catherine Alvaresse
Editorial
Volume of docs per year across all platforms: 1,900 hours
- International partners only on France 5
- France 2 and France 3 have very little international coproductions
- 400 hours of international partnerships overall
Structure
What is the buying structure? Does each channel have its own documentary acquisition team?
- Completely reorganized in 2019
- Organized by genres under Catherine: all teams operate across all platforms
- About 40 buyers in Catherine’s team
- 6 buyers in Caroline Behar’s team
Genres
- History: 500+/- hours
- History genre airs on all three main channels, but varies in subgenres
- France 2 leans toward National History
- France 3 highlights famous people
- France 5 is more niche
History
What kinds of projects are in the classical History genre, that rely more on archives?
- France 5- Black Book of USSR. Interviews, archives
- France 3- project on the French Exodus of 1940
- Archives are very important to FTV- audiences respond very well to it
Science
- Science- for France 5
- Primetime every Thursday, 90 minutes
- Big picture Science
- Scientists in the field
- Climate Change specials go in Sunday night event slot to get more viewers (Green Wires)
True Crime?
- FTV doesn’t believe it’s their role to cover Crime as a public service, UNLESS it brings in some kind of social issue
Travel / Lifestyle
- Only on France 5
- New series about French travelers
- All travel series are during the summer
Recent Hits & Notables:
Catherine selected several documentaries to highlight FTV’s strategy. Clips are included in the video.
Notre Dame
- Successful project: Epic documentary about seven centuries of building Notre Dame
- Animation
- For France 2
- 7 million views
- Led to the Joan of Arc project
Joan of Arc
- 100% animation
- No expert interviews
- Very accurate script- 15th century France was very well documented
- Appeals to viewers who normally consume fiction because it is dramatized
- Appeals to families watching television together
What’s next?
- Just completed production of French Revolution– same format as Joan of Arc and Notre Dame
- How revolution changed France and gave them the rights they have today
- Hybrid of documentary and fiction- actors playing historical figures
- Animated sketches from that period of time
How to Pitch France Télévisions?
- Best way to reach Catherine and her team:
- France Télévisions website — documentary section
- Email addresses are organized by unit/team
- Can send projects- they read everything!
(Notes by Becca Wallance)
Coming Soon:
Watch my Sunny Side interviews with:
- Fatima Salaria – Channel 4 UK
- Chris Hoelzl – Smithsonian Networks
- Jorge Franzini – CuriosityStream (Next!)
