All You Need To Know About Netflix & BBC Partnering Up

Netflix and BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) have come together and formed a partnership to develop and fund new, ambitious dramas featuring disabled creatives both in front of and behind the camera.  Here’s all that you need to know about Netflix and BBC’s partnership.

BBC and Netflix have partnered for five years. The partnership is designed in a way to increase representation of disabled talent both on and off screen. It is also meant to widen the range of stories that are produced and give disabled writers more choice when it comes to sorting the stories they wish to tell.

The BBC and Netflix will be considering projects from UK producers that have been created or co-created by writers who identify as deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent. The intention of this collaborative effort is to position the shows alongside their most talked and original dramas currently being developed.

Piers Wenger, BBC Director of Drama, says: “Jack’s powerful, memorable MacTaggart has shone a revealing light onto the extent of the challenges faced by disabled creatives. We recognise the need for change and we hope that in coming together the BBC and Netflix have created a funding model which will help level the playing field for deaf, disabled and neurodivergent creators in the UK. We would like to thank Anne and her team for the readiness and vision they have shown in coming on board to develop this initiative with us.”

Anne Mensah, Netflix Vice President, Series, UK, said: “Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent creators are some of the least well represented groups on television in the UK.  Put simply, we want to change that fact.  Together with the BBC, we hope to help these creators to tell the biggest and boldest stories and speak to the broadest possible British and Global audience.  It’s been hugely exciting to develop this project with Piers Wenger and the BBC Drama team and we are incredibly passionate about the creative possibilities of this partnership.”

The BBC and Netflix will also be issuing a creative brief and outline of the process which will be made available to all producers, along with a webinar.