The content aimed at 13-16 year-olds will be shared across E4’s social platforms.
“Engaging young people and allowing for the stories that impact their lives be heard is at the heart of our work and of this strand. The companies we are working with are already developing exciting propositions that we hope will resonate with teens in the UK.” – Navi Lamba, Digital Commissioner
Channel 4 put a call out for ‘new, compelling and diverse digital content’ ideas for its teens strand last year and has now chosen four production companies – The Corner Shop, True North, The Connected Set and VICE Studios – to deliver on the brief.
At least 50% of the content will be produced by BAME and nations and regions led companies.
The Corner Shop has come up with a scripted comedy anthology series that hopes to tackle the trials and tribulations of adolescence and aim to give real teens their first co-writing credit with a collection of diary-style confessional short films. The project is being led by Sindha Agha, an Emmy-nominated director and writer with a reputation for creating viral digital pieces.
True North‘s focus is on a new generation of factual entertainment formats, where digital and traditional content collide. From competitive challenges, confessionals and celebrity interviews, to transformation and talent. The themes aim to strike a chord with the target audience, but will also have universal appeal, lending themselves to shared viewing and sharing on social media
The Connected Set has a vision for the Teens strand that will see it producing a mixture of high volume short form and mid form fact-ent formats. These will dig into topics like how to unwind, how to navigate the world of work, and consumer affairs, through to outright silly comedic formats and animations.
Finally VICE Studios will produce an eclectic mix of short form series that will explore topics that are particularly pertinent to young people today in an entertaining and engaging way. The original productions will speak to subjects young people care about – from crashing University parties to job hunting, starting a new business, sex, relationships, money and health.
The Teens content is expected to land across 2021.
