Tesco takes consult with market

Actor Leslie Phillips gabs with music artist Robin Gibb in 'Living the Existence,' part of U.K. supermarket giant Tesco's push into entertainment.LONDON -- Innovative business models in TV are rare, but a fledgling U.K. demonstrate that claims use a twist round the celebrity interview signifies marketing options including VOD and also the area of retail."Living the Existence," which bowed November. 6 on satcaster funnel Sky Arts, pairs stars to speak to each other regarding private lives -- the idea since two stars eating your body body fat with each other will most likely produce a more honest and uninhibited exchange when in comparison to some chatshow interview."They're frank discussions between two equals," states Rosemary oil oil Reed Wells, creative director for Mystery Prods., who produced the series. "Most interview-based Tv shows occur because the celebrity features a book to plug or possibly a movie to market. Piers Morgan is great at making people cry however, if he interviews a hollywood, he is not their equal, which inhibits what his interviewees make sure he understands.InchMuch better recognized for making features, Mystery fully funded the ten hourlong segs -- its first foray into TV -- selling DVD and digital rights to British supermarket giant Tesco, one of the greatest retailers in the world. Within The month of the month of january 2010, Tesco's have to move beyond like a mere store of entertainment introduced to have an alliance with U.S. media firm Amber Entertainment to produce straight-to-DVD movies to promote exclusively within the supermarkets.Taken, Tesco revealed the extent of the digital ambitions by buying a large part stake inside the U.K. VOD website, Blinkbox, with an undisclosed sum -- echoing Walmart's purchase of Vudu.While using DVD market in steep decline, the synergies involving the supermarket's home theatre activities and having a digital platform are apparent, as clients migrate from dvd disks to downloads and streaming.When "Living the Existence" finishes its pay TV work on Sky Arts in the finish from the month of the month of january, Blinkbox clients could have a 2-week window to download the show before a box set, that consists of the ten-part series plus four exclusive episodes, emerges only in British Tesco stores. The sunday paper in the series will probably be available exclusively at Tesco."Normally I believe that no to everything," states Make the most of Salter, Tesco's category director, entertainment and media. "However, if I saw the pilot for 'Living the Life' (an encounter between Brit actor Stephen Fry and ex-Moving Stone Bill Wyman) I used to be struck with what an amazing idea it absolutely was. Frequently a high profile is asked on tv having a journalist. This show creates a really different dynamic (that's) a little voyeuristic, but very revealing."How revealing remains to look, nevertheless the Fry and Wyman discussion, while somewhat narcissistic, provided some entertaining experience of to those two different artists whilst it covered well-trod ground.For casting the very best stars, Reed Wells, who co-produces the show with Caroline p Wolfe in the Felix p Wolfe agency, states Tesco "preferred to make sure the participants were appropriate for the kind of people who shop at Tesco." Others featured inside the series include British broadcaster-author Melvyn Bragg with actress Joanna Lumley Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and Jeremy Clarkson, host in the BBC's "Top Gear" and artist Peter Black and helmer Ken Russell.Talks they're under approach to adapt the format for your U.S. and Australia, and Mystery is seeking a distributor to promote the finished show worldwide.Another U.K. season remains greenlit, with stars apparently organizing to register. Meanwhile, once the digital and DVD home home windows work, Salter will most likely consider buying and selling in other Tv shows to operate a vehicle Blinkbox and boost Tesco's home theatre biz. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com