Unscripted Gold: Turning Real Life into Global Hits

{
  "id": "PP1162368",
  "track": "Film & TV",
  "focus_area": null,
  "category": "Panel",
  "event_id": "PP1162368",
  "event_type": "panel",
  "format": "Panel",
  "genre": null,
  "subgenre": null,
  "name": "Unscripted Gold: Turning Real Life into Global Hits",
  "presented_by": null,
  "publish_at": "2025-11-03T16:30:00.000-06:00",
  "reservable": true,
  "reservable_id": "PP1162368",
  "reserved": false,
  "date": "2026-03-14",
  "end_time": "2026-03-14T12:30:00.000-05:00",
  "start_time": "2026-03-14T11:30:00.000-05:00",
  "message": null,
  "image": {
    "alt_text": "Unscripted Gold: Turning Real Life into Global Hits",
    "credit": "BBC Studios",
    "url": "https://images.sxsw.com/6T9aRomaQIS3Tlb1AuqfJ9gN8ug=/950x633/images.sxsw.com/187/fc9a006d-99b2-24ee-30b9-6bf2beffecf8/pp1162368"
  },
  "credentials": [
    {
      "name": "Platinum Badge",
      "type": "platinum"
    },
    {
      "name": "Film & TV Badge",
      "type": "filmtv"
    }
  ],
  "contributors": [
    {
      "id": 82245,
      "company": "ABC & Hulu",
      "credential_types": [
        "filmtv"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2243925,
      "name": "Jillian Levin",
      "speaker_types": [],
      "title": "Senior Vice President",
      "image": {
        "alt_text": "Jilly Pearce",
        "credit": "ABC",
        "url": "https://images.sxsw.com/6xQRiYB523pDRDw-kcSfDVHZiwg=/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/64f484ff-f25e-b8c5-fcbd-99f142edaf94/pcid-1632391"
      },
      "speaker_type": "Speaker",
      "details": "Jilly Pearce is senior vice president, Unscripted Programming, ABC Entertainment & Hulu Originals. In her role, she is responsible for cross-platform unscripted development and current series programming for ABC Entertainment and Hulu Originals. Her purview spans across hit and legacy series including “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” “The Bachelor” franchise, “The Kardashians,” “Love Thy Nader,” “Dancing with the Stars” and more.\r \rPearce previously served as president, Objective Media Group America, where she built up their domestic programming portfolio and oversaw projects from development through delivery. There, she served as executive producer on “12 Dates of Christmas” for Max, “The Cube with Dwyane Wade” for TBS, “Lingo with RuPaul” for CBS, “The Great American Recipe” for PBS, and “Flirty Dancing” for FOX, among others. Prior, Pearce was a buyer at Channel 4 in London and also worked across reality, music, entertainment and live events at MTV. She has held senior roles in the UK’s leading production companies, creating and producing entertainment, formats, documentaries and reality programs. \r",
      "links": {},
      "type": "person"
    },
    {
      "id": 82244,
      "company": "Variety",
      "credential_types": [
        "filmtv"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2243924,
      "name": "Emily Longeretta",
      "speaker_types": [],
      "title": "Director of Features",
      "image": {
        "alt_text": "Emily Longeretta",
        "credit": "Variety",
        "url": "https://images.sxsw.com/NHznBR_qaXekpEadjd43pj26Wwo=/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/45b554f0-8305-3a69-8a92-d6cafbc98ba4/pcid-1600367"
      },
      "speaker_type": "Speaker",
      "details": "Emily Longeretta is an award-winning journalist based in Los Angeles. She currently serves as the Senior TV Features Editor at Variety, overseeing television-related content with a focus on awards season coverage. She co-hosts Variety's \"Awards Circuit\" podcast and has a weekly segment on CBS LA. Her cover stories include a powerful sit-down with Carol Burnett, an intimate career reflection with Mariska Hargitay and an exclusive discussion with Jennifer Aniston, her first following the death of Matthew Perry. Emily has co-hosted Variety's live \"Power of Women\" event and can be seen regularly on “Good Morning America,” \"Today,\" “Access Hollywood,” “Entertainment Tonight\" and \"Extra.\" ",
      "links": {},
      "type": "person"
    },
    {
      "id": 78192,
      "company": "NBC",
      "credential_types": [
        "filmtv"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2239159,
      "name": "Sharon Vuong",
      "speaker_types": [],
      "title": "Executive Vice President, Unscripted Programming",
      "image": {
        "alt_text": "Sharon Vuong",
        "credit": "NBC",
        "url": "https://images.sxsw.com/Cm2v2koSPhEo1u1lrTwB47795V8=/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/5c51c2df-23a9-7e0b-8072-f98153fec5d0/pcid-1623323"
      },
      "speaker_type": "Speaker",
      "details": "Sharon Vuong currently serves as Executive Vice President, Unscripted Programming, NBC. In this capacity, she oversees development and current production across NBC’s unscripted slate, spanning reality and talent competition, game shows, documentary series, and innovative hybrid formats that cross a variety of genres. \r\r \r\rHer purview includes content development and oversight of current programming for NBC’s beloved unscripted series including “The Voice,” “America’s Got Talent,” “Destination X” “American Ninja Warrior,” “The Americas,” “The Wall,” and “Password.” She will also oversee the highly anticipated forthcoming civilian version of “The Traitors” on NBC. \r\r \r\rVuong played a key role in orchestrating the ongoing development partnership between NBCUniversal and BBC to find the next global unscripted hit format. Thus far, the partnership has produced several successful series including “The Traitors,” “The Americas” and “Destination X.”  \r\r  \r\rShe is responsible for commissioning and launching Peacock’s Emmy Award-winning breakout series “The Traitors” in the US, \"Love Island USA,” and “Love Island Games.” She first joined NBCU in 2020 as Senior Vice President, Unscripted Development and was promoted to Executive Vice President, Alternative Programming and Development in 2022.  \r\r  \r\rPrior to her arrival at NBCU, Vuong served as Senior Vice President, Alternative Programming at CBS Entertainment where she oversaw the unscripted division and ran the development and current programming slate for all alternative prime time series including major franchises “Survivor,” “The Amazing Race,” “Big Brother,” “Undercover Boss,” and “The Price is Right at Night.”",
      "links": {},
      "type": "person"
    },
    {
      "id": 78191,
      "company": "BBC Studios",
      "credential_types": [
        "filmtv"
      ],
      "entity_id": 2239158,
      "name": "Ryan O’Dowd",
      "speaker_types": [],
      "title": "President, Unscripted",
      "image": {
        "alt_text": "Ryan O’Dowd",
        "credit": "BBC Studios",
        "url": "https://images.sxsw.com/Oc_VSA8GpjhUP-Csq5IRbVaHb30=/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/fcd5822e-5e5e-361d-d50b-6bdd1f5f094a/pcid-1623322"
      },
      "speaker_type": "Speaker",
      "details": "Ryan O’Dowd serves as President of Unscripted at BBC Studios Los Angeles, where he has played a pivotal role in accelerating the studio’s U.S. unscripted business and expanding its presence across broadcast, streaming, and premium documentary formats. He oversees development and production for a slate spanning competition, game, lifestyle, and true-crime series, securing high-profile commissions with ABC, NBC, FOX, Netflix, Amazon and Peacock, and collaborating closely with top talent including Helen Mirren, Jane Lynch, Andy Cohen, Patton Oswalt and Joel McHale.\rO’Dowd is the Executive Producer of the iconic, multi-Emmy-winning Dancing with the Stars, which delivered a record-breaking Season 34. Under his creative leadership, the series reached new season highs, reignited its cultural momentum, and became the first fall series in measurement history to grow its audience for five consecutive weeks following its premiere, reinforcing its position as one of television’s most enduring and beloved live entertainment brands. The show also achieved franchise-best viewer engagement and social interaction, reflecting powerful fan connection across broadcast and streaming platforms.\rHis slate also includes the U.S. launch of global hit The 1% Club on FOX; the returning survival series Outlast on Netflix, produced with Jason Bateman’s Aggregate Films; Celebrity Weakest Link for FOX; the upcoming Ladies of London for Bravo; and NBC’s Emmy-nominated reboot of Weakest Link, which earned a Writers Guild Award and helped re-ignite international demand for the format. Additional producing credits include the breakout Netflix true-crime documentary Murder Among the Mormons, the acclaimed Netflix docuseries Wrestlers, and Breaking Bobby Bones for National Geographic.\rPrior to BBC Studios, O’Dowd was Vice President of Development at Ryan Seacrest Productions, overseeing new series development across broadcast and cable. He began his career on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno before going on to write and produce major live television events including The Emmys, CMA Awards, Billboard Music Awards, and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. In addition to his entertainment work, O’Dowd has served as a political writer and consultant, crafting communications for a United States President, multiple Vice Presidents- and Vice-Presidential candidates, and senior Congressional leaders.",
      "links": {},
      "type": "person"
    }
  ],
  "venue": {
    "accessible": false,
    "age_policy": null,
    "floor": null,
    "id": "V2400",
    "indoor_outdoor": null,
    "name": "Pennybacker",
    "parent_id": "V0466",
    "parent_venue_name": "Omni Downtown",
    "venue_entry_info": null,
    "formats": null,
    "location": {
      "address": "700 San Jacinto Blvd.",
      "lat_lon": [
        30.2689471,
        -97.7403971
      ],
      "city": "Austin",
      "postal_code": "78701",
      "state": "TX",
      "name": "Omni Downtown"
    },
    "root": {
      "accessible": null,
      "age_policy": null,
      "floor": null,
      "id": "V0466",
      "indoor_outdoor": null,
      "name": "Omni Downtown",
      "parent_id": null,
      "parent_venue_name": null,
      "venue_entry_info": null,
      "formats": null
    },
    "events": "[omitted 5 venue events]"
  },
  "description": "What does it take to turn raw, real-life moments into a binge-worthy, culture-shifting unscripted hit? From the rise of reality competition shows to docuseries that dominate streaming charts, the unscripted genre is having a serious moment. But while the content may be “real,” the strategy behind it is anything but improvised.\n \nJoin Ryan O’Dowd, President of Unscripted at BBC Studios, Sharon Vuong, EVP of Unscripted Programming at NBC, Jilly Pearce, SVP of Unscripted for ABC & Hulu and Emily Longeretta, Sr. TV Features Editor at Variety,  as they dive into the magic of making unscripted content that travels globally. We’ll explore how formats are born, why authenticity matters more than ever, and how producers are adapting to shorter attention spans, TikTok culture, and the binge-all-in-one-weekend model.\n \nWhether it’s turning everyday people into breakout stars or local stories into international sensations, this panel pulls back the curtain on what works, what flops, and what’s next in unscripted.",
  "experience_level": "Advanced",
  "accessibility": [],
  "accessible_venue": false,
  "add_bcl_url": false,
  "add_slido": false,
  "age_policy": null,
  "american_sign_language": false,
  "apple_url": null,
  "audio_description": false,
  "caption_url": null,
  "closed_captioned": false,
  "cpe_credit": false,
  "has_subtitles": false,
  "hash_tags": [],
  "high_sensory_experience": false,
  "live": false,
  "long_description": "What does it take to turn raw, real-life moments into a binge-worthy, culture-shifting unscripted hit? From the rise of reality competition shows to docuseries that dominate streaming charts, the unscripted genre is having a serious moment. But while the content may be “real,” the strategy behind it is anything but improvised.\n \nJoin Ryan O’Dowd, President of Unscripted at BBC Studios, Sharon Vuong, EVP of Unscripted Programming at NBC, Jilly Pearce, SVP of Unscripted for ABC & Hulu and Emily Longeretta, Sr. TV Features Editor at Variety,  as they dive into the magic of making unscripted content that travels globally. We’ll explore how formats are born, why authenticity matters more than ever, and how producers are adapting to shorter attention spans, TikTok culture, and the binge-all-in-one-weekend model.\n \nWhether it’s turning everyday people into breakout stars or local stories into international sensations, this panel pulls back the curtain on what works, what flops, and what’s next in unscripted.",
  "meeting_url": null,
  "meeting_url_live": false,
  "mentorly_url": null,
  "mobile_audio_url": null,
  "open_captioned": false,
  "playlist_tag": null,
  "rebroadcast": false,
  "recommended_ids": [],
  "search_conversions": null,
  "short_program": false,
  "slido_url": null,
  "sort": "UNSCRIPTED GOLD: TURNING REAL LIFE INTO GLOBAL HITS",
  "source": "Official",
  "squad_up_url": null,
  "stream_embed": null,
  "stream_id": null,
  "stream_url": null,
  "strobe_warning": false,
  "subdiscipline": null,
  "summit": null,
  "summit_display_name": null,
  "tags": [
    {
      "id": 2315,
      "name": "Social Media",
      "created_at": "2022-01-28T15:30:51.945-06:00",
      "updated_at": "2022-02-14T12:08:15.998-06:00",
      "sort": "SOCIAL MEDIA",
      "alpha": "S"
    },
    {
      "id": 2422,
      "name": "Trends",
      "created_at": "2023-03-05T18:53:22.637-06:00",
      "updated_at": "2023-03-05T18:53:22.637-06:00",
      "sort": "TRENDS",
      "alpha": "T"
    }
  ],
  "talent_attending": null,
  "title_only": false,
  "track_display_name": "Film & TV track sponsored by Crunchyroll",
  "trailer_id": null,
  "trailer_url": null,
  "video_on_demand": null,
  "vimeo_id": null,
  "vod": false,
  "xr_project_type": null,
  "youtube_id": null,
  "related_sales_client": null
}