C4, Love Nature & Maramedia share wildlife content demands

UK broadcaster Channel 4, Love Nature and Scottish prodco Maramedia have shared their wildlife and natural history programming plans and demands in a keynote panel at Sunnyside of the Doc in La Rochelle, France, this morning.

The talk, moderated remotely by Wildscreen CEO Laura Marshall, saw Alison Barrat, SVP of production and development for Love Nature, reveal that “the most important thing” in a wildlife show for the Blue Ant-owned brand is “storytelling.”

“The natural world provides us with literally life and death stories every day – it just doesn’t get any more dramatic than wildlife, so capturing that and conveying it to the audience in a wonderful narrative story is what I’m always looking for.”

Barrat, was joined on the panel by Channel 4 commissioning editor Jonah Weston, who shared that the broadcaster is looking to create more UK-based projects that provide inspiration to the viewers.

“I think it’s quite easy to get into a cycle of doom and gloom watching things from around the world,” said Weston. “So we’re trying to do some stuff where people in their own small way might be able to do something literally in their back yard or down the road and feel they’re making small contribution. If we could provide a bit of inspiration, that would be great.”

Also on the panel was Nigel Pope, MD of Glasgow-based Stormborn producer Maramedia, who meanwhile said that he is interested in seeing drama and natural history used together, explaining: “Not so that we shape things, but that we find a new way forward to dig into that natural drama in a clever seamless way.”