OUR STORY
Executive Producer, Bob Clarke
What’s Up TV is an award nominated UK television show that is breaking down the negative image and stereotyping of youth culture in the UK.
Through a unique process of production, the team changes every season which helps keep the show current and fresh. The majority of the production team are between the ages of 18 and 25 and are all personally involved in youth culture including social issues. We produce six 30 minute broadcast episodes over a 13 week period from a blank sheet of paper. This, to most TV professionals would seem an impossible task, especially with the limited resources and budget, but we always deliver on time to the high standards and quality dictated by the DPP and Ofcom. Whats Up TV started as a street DVD in 2005 distributed free to the public. The brain child of Bob Clarke, What’s Up TV aims to highlight the talent in the UK that are receiving great adulate in print and New Media but as not receiving recognition on mainstream television.
“I wanted to give this talent in music, fashion, comedy & the arts the mainstream broadcast experience, even if the end result is DVD. I also thought it is great kudos for this talent to appear on the same show as established talent I those fields. Although I have been in broadcasting for over 20 years, I felt the experts for such a show would be those who are living youth culture. Lastly, I felt the show should cover social issues that concern young people as well.”
Bob did not go immediately to the broadcasters because he knew they would see it as niche and want to re-direct himself to the internet or a specialist channel such as MTV. This is exactly what Bob was being told a few years later. However, Bob resisted because he felt that young people, especially people of colour are part of mainstream society and therefore a show like What’s Up TV needs to be on a mainstream channel. Sophie Turner-Laing, then Managing Director of Sky entertainment, saw a DVD in 2010 and felt it was of quality and should be on a mainstream channel. Consequently, What’s Up TV became a Sky 3/Pick TV acquisition. The show has gone from strength to strength without conforming, and still maintains the original ethos. Sky promoted What’s Up TV to Sky One in 2014 and we were recently nominated in the prestigious CDN Broadcast Television Awards in the category of Groundbreaking Programme. We were the only BskyB show in the whole awards up against BBC, ITV & Channel 4. What’s Up TV is now arguably the most diverse show on UK television.
If you like what we are doing, let us know. If you're on the same vibe as us, get in touch and e-mail us on info@whatsuptv.co.uk
