Submit Your Ideas

Got an Idea?

NHNZ makes great factual television for audiences around the globe. We're well connected with some of the industry's biggest and most widely respected broadcasters. We've got a team of people dedicated to developing and pitching ideas but we also welcome submissions from outside the company.

Anyone can have an idea for a television program, anytime, anywhere. The trick is in knowing if that idea is good enough to make it to air.

Before You Start

A few things you should know:

• We have several thousand ideas on our files already. Unless yours is really fresh or unique we've probably already seen it, developed it, pitched it or declined it.
  
  
• We respect the rights of people who come up with good ideas. If we receive several similar ideas, we honor the proposal we received first. The idea remains your property until we enter into a contract that says otherwise.
  
  
• After we receive an idea, we assess its feasibility and potential. If we can take it further, we'll let you know. And if we think it's workable, with your permission, we'll present it to the most appropriate network.
  
  
• Even if we really like your idea, we'll need to modify it. Nothing is ever perfect in TV and a fresh set of eyes can help make a good idea great. But don't worry - you won't be left out of the process.
  
  
• Good things take time. From the moment we first pitch an idea it can take from six months to two years for the show to go into production. Most ideas never go into production. Fewer than one in ten get any interest from a broadcaster.
  
  
• You can be pretty sure that if you have an idea, several other people just had the same idea. So it's a race to get the idea to market first. It also means that you may see something like your idea on TV any day now - with someone else getting the credit. That's TV production - it happens all the time.
  
  
• Very few people earn a lot of money from a successful idea. Most people do it for the love of it and a little bit of cash on the side.
  
  
• And finally, please don't waste our time. If you have a seriously good idea for a show that will take the world by storm, then write it up. But if you are planning to sling things at the wall until something sticks then you should find another wall.

What We Need

If you're still reading, then download our form, fill it out and send it in. The best TV engages communities - who will your show engage? Increasingly broadcasters are not interested in what a show is about, but in what it does. To stand out from the crowd, your proposal should be concise, creative and well thought out with a strong beginning and an even stronger ending.

Remember that TV exists to entertain people. Think fun, think amazement, think action, think raw, real and revelatory. Don't be meaningful. Don't be touching. Don't try to change the world with a show. People watch TV to get a break from everything. So give them a break. Give them something exciting and fun to watch.

As Seen On...

So who does NHNZ make programs for? Here are links to some of clients to give you an idea. The more you know about these channels the better your idea will be. Better yet, go to CableU for full channel briefings.

National Geographic Channel »
Discovery »
Animal Planet »
Travel Channel »
Discovery Health »
NHK »
A&E »