Work With Me
Format consulting from a former BBC Head of International Formats. Pre-mortem reports, format health checks and bible writing for developers and producers.
Work With Me
I've spent 40 years making television formats, including as BBC Head of International Formats, with Broadcast and RTS Team Awards along the way. I've created, produced and sold formats across the UK, Asia and Europe, and I've read hundreds of format documents on both sides of the commissioning table.
Format Forward is where I publish the analysis. This page is how you get that analysis on your own format.
Pre-Mortem Report — £350
Your format has failed. Now let's find out why, while it's still cheap to fix.
Send me your treatment, deck or bible. Within 5 working days, you get a written Projected Failure Report: the ranked failure modes in your format, mapped against structural data from my library of 750+ formats, and a prioritised fix list. No call, no meeting, just the analysis.
One producer's reaction to his report: "Brutal, but really insightful." Brutal is the point. Buyers will find these problems eventually. Better you find them first.
Format Health Check — £595
A 90-minute working session on one format, plus a written appraisal within 48 hours.
You send your materials in advance. We break down the engine, the stakes, the repeatability and the sellability together, the same way a commissioner or distributor will. You leave with a clear read on what's working, what's broken, and what to fix before you pitch. Includes one follow-up email exchange.
Already have a Pre-Mortem Report? Upgrade to a Health Check for the difference, £245.
[Book a Health Check] Schedule a Zoom
Format Bible Writing — from £3,500
The document that sells your format, written by someone who's read hundreds and written the ones that travelled.
Pitch bibles from £3,500. Full production bibles, with episode breakdowns, budget frameworks and rollout guidance, from £6,500. First draft in 3 weeks, two revision rounds included. Every bible starts with a scoping call.
Ongoing development support
For indies building a slate: two working sessions a month plus on-call feedback on treatments, decks and pitches. £1,800/month, three-month minimum.
Not sure which fits?
Book a free 20-minute call and I'll tell you honestly, including if you don't need me.
This page, like everything on Format Forward, comes with a disclosure: I'm dyslexic, so AI helps me make my writing readable. The thoughts and opinions are my own. There are no auto-generated articles, I read and research with rigour.