Advanced Television

Frank Skinner exclusive iPlayer talk show

October 26, 2015

By Colin Mann

Frank Skinner On Demand With …, a new weekly talk show, is coming exclusively to BBC iPlayer from 13 November.

Host Frank Skinner will be joined each week by a different celebrity guest to hear about the weird and wonderful programmes they are enjoying on BBC iPlayer and why – from hidden gems to guilty pleasures.

Popular comedian Skinner will ‘hang out’ with his guest at a location where they regularly watch BBC iPlayer – whether that’s on a tour bus, in their make-up chair, in their garden on a sun lounger or in the car while waiting to pick the kids up from school.

In the first episode of the series, Skinner heads off to meet comedian Lee Mack. In episode two, Skinner chats to TV and radio presenter Zoe Ball and in episode three, he hangs out with comedian Josh Widdicombe.

The show will not only offer viewers the opportunity to get up close and personal with our celebrities, it will also help them find out more about BBC programmes they might not have come across via the BBC’s traditional broadcast channels.

Frank Skinner On Demand With … aims to showcase the breadth and variety of content available on BBC iPlayer in a given week across all genres, from documentaries and comedy, to film, food and music and arts, with a particular focus on titles beyond the ‘big hitters’.

With 40 per cent of BBC iPlayer users watching shows they have never heard of before, Frank Skinner On Demand With … hopes to encourage more people to discover something new to enjoy.

The show was ordered by Victoria Jaye, Head of TV Content, BBC iPlayer and the executive producer is Ed Sleeman, Commissioning Editor for BBC Entertainment. It is independently produced by Liberty Bell; the Producer is Daisy Knight and the Executive Producer is Robyn O’Brien.

Victoria Jaye, Head of TV Content, BBC iPlayer said that Frank Skinner On Demand With … was not just a cracking entertainment show in its own right, it was also a “fantastic” way of helping audiences find out more about the wealth of programmes available in BBC iPlayer. “We’re thrilled Frank is hosting this show – he’s a wonderful interviewer, a massive fan of BBC iPlayer and his passion and those of his guests for BBC content is certain to inspire our audience to explore new titles within the service. This show is reinventing ‘word of mouth’ for the on-demand audience.”

Skinner said that as a kid, he had a recurring dream that hI was alone in the local toy shop and could help himself to anything he fancied. “BBC iPlayer feels a bit like that dream. But now I’m allowed to take a playmate, to show me the things they love that I might have missed. And everything they reach for tells me more and more about them. Come and join us in the best toy shop ever.”

BBC iPlayer is available on over 10,000 devices in the UK for free, from computers and smartphones to tablets and Connected TVs. 2014 was a record-breaking year for BBC iPlayer and BBC iPlayer Radio, which saw 3.5 billion TV and radio programme requests across all devices and the catch-up window extend from seven to 30 days.

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