Production company behind "Secrets of the Undergound" and "The architecture the railways built" closes down

[BasildonBob]

From Televisual, a TV industry publication:
"Brown Bob Productions has closed, entering voluntary liquidation on the 27th September.

The London-based indie founded in 2013 by Jacqueline Hewer and Nicki Gottlieb, has produced shows from fixed-rig factual (Inside the Ambulance for W) to access projects (The Secrets of the London Underground for Yesterday) and to high volume returning crime for BBC.

It opened a Cardiff base, Brown Bob Cymru, just one year ago. In 2020, it opened a US office.

The closure follows shuttering of a number of indies, including Fremantle’s Label1 and Banijay’s RDF, and true indies Factory Transmedia and Wildflame.

In May of this year, Indielab’s new annual Indie Voice survey showed that that 72% of true indies feel they are at risk of closure if the current commissioning slowdown persists."

Brown Bob Productions closes - Televisual

Brown Bob Productions has closed, entering voluntary liquidation last week.

www.televisual.com

 

[Ashley Hill]

Shame,I enjoyed SOTLU. I wonder if @timmydunn could let us know anything? Perhaps another company could pick it up.

 

[BasildonBob]

Shame,I enjoyed SOTLU. I wonder if @timmydunn could let us know anything? Perhaps another company could pick it up.

I believe that UKTV is the "owner" of both programmes so presumably could commission another production company to produce future series.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Seems that Bob Brown Productions Ltd and a number of other Nicola Gottlieb companies had collectively racked up considerable unpaid debts to HMRC, prior to their having been put into liquidation in September.

 

[timmydunn]

Shame,I enjoyed SOTLU. I wonder if @timmydunn could let us know anything? Perhaps another company could pick it up.

It is rather sad news, especially for my former colleagues - many of whom came to those projects as railway enthusiasts, or indeed finished the projects finding themelves having become such. Those on the forum who have dealings with, or who work in, the media and marketing worlds will know the issues facing the sector: whilst I cannot speak for Brown Bob (and as a former contractor of that company it is not my place to) but more generally, independent production companies are finding the current environment very difficult indeed.

I would summarise the main factors currently against independent production companies, observed as a part-time marketer/writer and historian... to include (but not exclusively) :

- general audience shift from linear TV and trad channels to Youtube and a small number of streaming channels
- audience being happy to consume the proliferation of lower-production quality factual content on Youtube than TV providers are expected to produce
- a "squeezed middle" of appetite for the middle-range quality production
- ageing demographic of the remainder audience which (with notable exceptions) are chased by fewer advertisers
- globalisation of content/formats and the cheap purchase of content from elsewhere bringing less ad revenue
- grouping of independents into larger international ownership which reduces headcount

I cannot profess to be an expert in the above but I'm taking what I've read from industry publications and comment; in that it is another stage in the evolution of TV and content. I count myself extremely fortunate to have the privilege of working with so many hugely talented people within those worlds, and things will continue to evolve further and new trends will emerge. There are of course some brilliant Youtubers making very good quality content - but the repercussions of putting trust in stuff that's a product of a relatively unregulated free-for-all world, I think we're probably only just starting to see the start of. (Thanks for coming to my TED Talk, etc etc.)

 

[Ashley Hill]

Hi Tim,thanks for replying. It’s a shame your programs have ended. I think I can speak for many that SOTLU was a successful and interesting programme. Perhaps another company will offer a similar program,Secrets of British Railways or similar.

general audience shift from linear TV and trad channels to Youtube and a small number of streaming channels

Often YouTube channels can be a matter of the presenters opinion. Whilst there are some very good ones (Jago Hazard,Geoff Marshal) others may not be entirely accurate. Whilst I recognise that ours is a niche hobby the style of the shows you have presented have worked well, both for the enthusiast and the general public and have been factual too. Hopefully you will bring some more to our screens in the future.

 

[co-tr-paul]

I have to say as both lifelong enthusiast and some 24 years current employee , Architecture and Secrets have been the best documentaries I've seen about our subject of interest.
If anything can be done to keep them going , it should.

 

[SLC001]

It's a sad day when programme content is determined by target audience and their disposable income, i.e younger working people. Who will make the programmes for older people? In a sense it is age discrimination and a worrying trend.
I do appreciate this series though whatever it's "faults". Very enjoyable.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

Who will make the programmes for older people?

Good question. Find myself looking in on Talking Pictures (Freeview 82) more than most other channels these days for a dose of nostalgia. Don't do youtube or the like, other than perhaps looking at odd clips on here that people have posted in relation to some question or other. Real shame about SOTLU as despite using the system for most of my 40 plus years career, it was still surprising how much 'one' didn't know or appreciate.