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TIGRESS BURNING
TIGRESS BURNING
T he idea of one of the coun- try’s leading producers of
comedy and drama helping to establish a natural histo- ry production company might seem rather incon- gruous at first. But when
Tiger Aspect Productions co-founded Tigress with award-winning wildlife producer Jeremy Bradshaw and pro- ducer Charles Brand in 1991, no-one could have envisioned the level of suc- cess the company would attain over the next decade. Yet much of it is due to this mould-breaking union of natur- al history specialists and experienced programme makers.
“Our philosophy is the same now as it was then”, says Bradshaw, Managing Director of Tigress. “That is, to make high quality programming that
we believe in, and that we believe will have a long life. And it’s great to work with a company that has contacts with a wider range of broadcasters than we would normally have as a wildlife, sci- ence and adventure specialist.
“It makes us think much more cre- atively in a way, because you’re always bumping into people who are doing comedy. For example, Nigel Cole who has directed two or three things for us, also went off and directed the feature Saving Grace. It’s a great way to come across fantastic talent.”
This approach to their work has made Tigress one of the leading inde- pendent producers of a genre they have pioneered, a kind of infotainment docu- mentary that regularly tops the ratings.
The best example of this, and the flag- ship of the company’s output for the past years, is the In The Wild series.
“It was an extremely innovative programme,” says Andrew Jackson, Director of Tigress’s Bristol base. “Putting a film star and an animal together was almost seen as tacky by some, but now of course everybody does it because it’s been so success- ful. One of the first I made was with Bob Hoskins and tigers, and I think we got a 50% audience share.
“Those are classic shows and beautifully shot. And all you do is take a fantastically glossy star who brings a certain audience with them, and take a very sexy animal which also brings in a different audience. Hopefully then you double your audi- ence, which is the idea.”
“We’re always looking for some- body who’s a great communicator but who started from the same point of knowledge as the audience,” contin- ues Bradshaw. “so they could identify
with that person not as an expert but as a punter.
“The celebrity always chooses the animal. It’s vital that interest comes from them rather than being plastered on top. And then the question is ‘Is this someone who wants to spend ten days in a tent?’. If the answer is yes then you know you’ve found someone who’s committed.”
The next In The Wild special will feature Ewan McGregor meeting polar bears in Canada. But there is more to
Photo above left: Jeremy Bradshaw, MD Tigress Productions
EXPOSURE • 16 & 17