Developing and Producing Unscripted Formats

COURSE OVERVIEW

The UK leads the world in unscripted TV formats - this MA puts you at the centre.

This one-year MA is designed to prepare graduates for the convergence now taking place between traditional broadcast television and the world of the online creator. Across six practical modules, you’ll learn how to devise, develop, and produce original unscripted formats for broadcast, streaming, and platforms including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.

If you want to shape the future of unscripted entertainment - on television or online - this is where it starts.

In partnership with BBC Studios and BBC Children's

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Programme Specification Full Course Outline

The UK is the world’s leading exporter of unscripted TV formats. Hit shows like Britain’s Got Talent, Strictly Come Dancing (adapted internationally as Dancing with the Stars), The X Factor, MasterChef, The Great British Bake Off, Love Island, Gogglebox, Come Dine With Me, Race Across the World, Undercover Boss, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and The 1% Club - all developed and produced in the UK - have helped establish Britain as the global powerhouse of unscripted television.

At the same time, a new generation of trailblazing UK content creators are creating fresh, digital-first formats and unlocking younger audiences for unscripted entertainment online - whether it’s Amelia Dimoldenberg’s Chicken Shop Date, which demonstrates how low-cost, high-concept formats can achieve significant international reach, or The Sidemen’s Inside, a digital reimagining of Big Brother.

This course will equip you to develop and produce original unscripted formats. You won’t just develop ideas - you’ll make them.

You’ll explore every stage of the process, from idea generation and development to casting, shooting, editing, and publishing your work. You’ll work both in a 4K TV studio and on location. You will be introduced to the latest AI tools shaping modern development and production workflows.

Along the way, you’ll get to discover how some of the world’s most successful unscripted formats are made and meet the creatives responsible for them.

By the end of the course, you’ll have built a strong portfolio demonstrating your ability to create original, returnable, and scalable formats for television and online platforms. You’ll have developed invaluable Industry connections through dedicated networking opportunities with producers, production companies and influential creators. You will graduate with a deep understanding of the unscripted landscape and how formats are produced and sold at the highest levels.

COURSE FACILITIES

You will have unparalleled access to Industry-standard facilities throughout the course. The 4K Television Studio is fully equipped with state-of-the-art UHD TV galleries with HDR monitoring and multi-purpose LED lighting, which provides space for large-scale multi-camera, television productions.

The MA is delivered across three terms:

Term 1 (January – April) includes:

Fundamentals 1: What is a Format?: What exactly is a format? How does it make a show both recognisable and adaptable across different markets and cultures?

Fundamentals 2: Single Camera, Sound & Lighting: Introducing students to the core technical skills essential for self-shooting in television production.

Module 1: Fact Ent Production - Location: An immersive location-based production experience, where you’ll apply the practical skills learnt in Fundamentals 2. Can you create a storyline and capture the tone of a hit Factual Entertainment show like Clarkson’s Farm?

Fundamentals 3: Editing with Adobe Premiere Pro: An introduction to editing with this popular and flexible software.

Term 2 (April – July) includes:

Module 2: YouTube Channel Challenge: In this longitudinal module students will create a YouTube channel from the ground up, creating multiple episodes across the year, tracking their audience, and evolving their content.

Fundamentals 4: Research: Focusing on building essential research skills required for working in television and online content production through a series of real-world, time-limited research challenges.

Module 3: Format Development - Studio: This module focuses on the creative and practical skills required to develop entertainment formats from concept to pitch where you will learn how to brainstorm ideas, create decks and sizzles, and pitch ideas to a panel.

Fundamentals 5: Casting: You will be introduced to the core principles and practices of casting for unscripted formats.

Module 4: Format Production - Studio: Students work in teams (1 x Director, 2 x Producers) to create a 25-minute pilot episode of their show.

Term 3 (September – December) includes:

Module 5: Digital-First Format Development: This graduation project tasks you with developing a digital-first format with potential for future broadcast development.

Fundamentals 6: Multi Camera (Location): Learning how to plan and execute a multi-camera setup on location before participating in a hands-on multi-camera field exercise.

Module 6: Digital-First Format Production: A graduation project to produce your digital-first format. Each student must work on at least one other graduation production.

Module 7: Master’s Portfolio

Throughout the course, you'll have the opportunity to network with production companies and Industry members working in unscripted.

You must be able to demonstrate your passion, commitment and talent for creating and developing unscripted formats.

Applicants will normally have an undergraduate degree or equivalent work experience.

While many applicants will have a degree from a British or overseas university, we will consider applicants who do not have a degree if they have an impressive portfolio, a creative track record (for instance, in theatre or other arts) or an alternative qualification.

International students Visa and English language requirements

If you have any questions, please email info@nfts.co.uk

Home Tuition Fees: £13,950 (full course fee)

Includes UK/Irish Nationals and EU/EEA Nationals with EU Settlement Status, subject to meeting residency requirements. For more information, please see our FAQs.

International Tuition Fees: £21,950 (full course fee)

Includes non-EU/EEA Nationals and EU/EEA Nationals without EU Settlement Status

These are the fees for our January 2026 intake, and are updated yearly toward the end of June.

All production costs are included in the course fee, including the use of School facilities and equipment.

Please note, the following fee applies:

Deposit on confirmation of place: £500
This fee is non-refundable

The NFTS is committed to ensuring it is open to students of genuine ability, no matter what their background or financial circumstances, which is why we award more scholarships and bursaries to British students, relative to the size of our student body, than almost any other educational institution in the UK.

The following items should accompany your online application:

Describe an original unscripted TV concept you would love to develop. It could be for a linear TV channel, a streamer, or a social channel. Why would it appeal to audiences? (no more than one A4 typed page)
Please submit Vimeo links with samples of any work you feel is relevant to your application specifying your role in each.

Applications will close at 23:59 on the day of the deadline, shown at the top of this page.

Funding Available

The NFTS offers more scholarships and bursaries to British students, relative to its size, than almost any UK educational institution. If you successfully gain a place on a course, you’ll receive details on how to apply. Funding is available to UK citizens and British passport holders that meet residency requirements ; we recommend international, EU, and EEA students to take a look at our funding guide for helpful advice and resources.

Visit our Funding Guide

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