In a London TV studio situated by the Thames, a group of comedians are struggling (and largely unsuccessful) to elicit laughter from the gameshow spectators.
Initially, there’s an uneasy sensation as studio audiences aren’t typically known for their keen comedic sense. However, this show is designed differently. Every chuckle or sneeze from an audience member reduces the £250,000 ($330,000) prize pool by a certain amount, with each sound potentially costing them as much as £10,000 ($13,000). The audience members are under constant scrutiny, being filmed and equipped with microphones. A team of serious-looking supervisors is also present, ready to respond swiftly if they detect any increase in noise levels by pressing a buzzer.
The saying “Silence is Golden” will debut on UKTV on May 5th. Unusually, the format has already been purchased by four different countries in Europe and Latin America, even before an episode has been broadcast.
This show is the debut project for Yes Yes Media, an independent production company founded in 2023. Despite having no prior televised content, it has successfully attracted a diverse and notable group of investors. Some of these include Elisabeth Murdoch’s creative powerhouse Sister (responsible for shows like “Black Doves” and “Chernobyl”), French unscripted TV leader Satisfaction, former “Friends” star Courtney Cox, Snow Patrol musician Johnny McDaid, and Savan Kotecha, a pop genius who frequently collaborates with Ariana Grande and was an Oscar nominee for the song “Husavik” from “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga”.
The phrase ‘Silence is Golden’ was also conceived by Richard Bacon, founder of Yes Yes, who has just come back to London to lead his firm again, following nine years of working in Los Angeles.
In the trendy district of Primrose Hill, a long-time British TV and radio personality, recognized by many in the U.K., shared excitedly from his Yes Yes offices how an idea for the show suddenly struck him one morning.
I found myself with an idea in my mind this morning, picturing Jimmy Carr on stage before a silent audience. If they broke the silence, they’d lose money, he explains, glancing at a basket of croissants. This concept struck me as unique, and I ended up spending three hours putting it into words.
Bacon openly acknowledges that he immerses himself in thoughts and concepts. “They bring me joy,” the 49-year-old expresses, flashing a broad grin, pointing out how his diagnosed strong strain of ADHD enables him to delve deeply into each one. “I’ll find myself pondering and perfecting ideas at 9pm on Saturday night or even on Christmas Day, and I’ll wake up at 4am to jot down notes on my phone.
Bacon’s knack for unique ideas, including those that might bring about an unusually quiet studio setting, is what has persuaded most of his initial backers – who happened to be friends prior to their business partnership – to invest in him.
Richard is praised as a “distinctively talented innovator” who possesses an “exceptional knack for creating unique, expansive concepts that strike a chord worldwide,” according to Murdoch. Murdoch, the founder of “Masterchef” producer Shine and Sister with Jane Featherstone, makes this statement. Arthur Essebeg, the founder of Satisfaction who, like Bacon, began his career on local radio, merely remarks that “Richard truly thinks in a different way.
Bacon’s thoughts serve as the core inspiration for Yes Yes, a vibrant creative studio that evolved from an initial concept. He boasts with pride that it has become quite active and dynamic, filled with numerous projects happening all at once.
Certainly, he’s standing before a wall adorned with an organized arrangement of A4 papers, each containing brief summaries for nearly 30 topics across categories like talent contests, quizzes, reality shows, dating programs, and cooking segments, as well as live events. Many of these are marked with colorful Post-It notes where updates have been jotted down.
Some ideas are brief and might require extensive expansion, while others are fully developed projects progressing swiftly. Three of these will debut this summer – a quiz show, a U.S. network’s major talent show, and an adventure reality series featuring Survivor-like challenges but with an element of absurdity for streaming platforms. According to Bacon, two more talent shows and another reality show have recently entered funded development stages with streamers.
A considerable amount of A4 documents feature well-known personalities in the realm of television and music (many of whom have, or now share a friendship with Bacon’s circle). One upcoming program, currently in its final development stages, promises to be the small screen debut for a prominent Hollywood actor, who is expected to star in an innovative game show that blends television and video gaming.
Many of the concepts strike Bacon as quite amusing. “We must ensure everything is humorous,” he chuckles. “There should always be a narrative involved, an engaging one at that. Ultimately, it needs to be amusing at its core.
Despite Bacon’s vivid portrayals of each program, whether it’s a blend of Big Brother and The X-Factor, a show labeled “The Easiest Quiz Show in the World,” or another titled “One Woman, One Problem: Too Many Men,” along with some captivating previews, nothing concrete can currently be disclosed to the public.
However, we can certainly talk about Yes Yes’s exclusive technology, the WOMI, which is currently undergoing tests and is yet a few months away from its grand debut.
At the core of Bacon’s concept for Yes Yes as a “company bridging TV and technology,” the WOMI has an aesthetic reminiscent of an iPhone enclosed within a sturdy, military-style casing. However, it could potentially revolutionize and streamline unscripted programming by essentially transforming “a reality TV crew” into something you can carry in your pocket.
In essence, when you lift a WOMI phone, a high-definition camera at the front swiftly begins recording a detailed shot of the user’s face in landscape mode, while another camera at the back captures whatever the phone is aimed at simultaneously. Any on-screen actions like texting or video calling are also recorded. When you place the phone down, these separate recordings are converted into files and sent to the cloud for immediate remote editing.
According to Bacon, this isn’t a typical consumer item. Instead, he explains that it’s a business-to-business solution, designed by producers for producers. It’s intended for use in television broadcasting, brand promotion, and creating content for YouTube. Moreover, it will be featured in several of our upcoming shows.
During another moment of inspiration, Bacon found himself in conversation with three-time Oscar nominee Stephen Daldry. As they watched a film by Christopher Nolan, Daldry shared his secret to captivating screen drama: the close-up. This sparked an idea in Bacon’s mind about how we absorb the most significant news in our lives – through our smartphones, essentially putting ourselves in a ‘close-up’ for these life-altering moments. Inspired by this observation, Bacon approached his software engineer friends in LA, who are now part of Yes Yes, and asked them to develop something that could capitalize on this concept.
To demonstrate WOMI’s proficiency in reality filmmaking, Yes Yes has created an initial trial of a “self-filmed” series. In this experiment, a group of college students were equipped with WOMI phones and asked to carry on with their daily activities. The captured footage presents “genuine, unpolished content,” as described by Bacon. A snippet from the promotional material showcases one girl typing messages to a boy she’s been courting on her phone, while her enthusiastic friends look on. The animated dots suggest he is responding, and the gasps from the group can be heard when they read his replies on screen.
Bacon commented, ‘Looking at their responses, it seems everything with WOMI is a spectacle.’ He likens it to how ‘Planet Earth’ showcases bats soaring at night, and this portrays teenagers living naturally.
Currently, “Yes Yes” intends to independently fund a 10-15 minute long series titled “The College Girls of Liverpool”. They plan to upload this directly on YouTube, securing sponsorship in the process. Afterward, they will develop a U.S. version called “The College Girls of Miami.
Moving forward, there’s a multitude of strategies for the WOMI beyond what we’ve seen so far. These include adapting it not only for Yes Yes productions but also integrating it into existing shows from other sources and making it available to brands. The WOMI made its debut in our company’s initial foray into live events, the Red Bull Culture Clash, a high-energy music competition held at London’s Drumsheds. With the ability to live-stream, the WOMI empowers audience members and backstage personnel to actively participate as part of the production team.
What’s surprising, as Bacon highlights, is that he has just obtained a patent for this technology – an outcome he hadn’t anticipated. “We now hold exclusive rights, under U.S. patent law,” he says, “to construct a device capable of simultaneously recording the screen and your responses to it.
However, the WOMI, which Bacon describes as “our most significant project, albeit the slowest,” is not merely a high-tech device enhancing the intimacy of unscripted TV. It could potentially bolster Yes Yes’s position amidst the unpredictable landscape of the entertainment industry as well.
According to Bacon, relying solely on earning 10% of a production fee isn’t satisfactory because this market is shrinking and those fees have maximum limits. By utilizing technology, the company could expand its revenue options in several ways: either by leasing it to TV producers or partnering with brands through a revenue-sharing system. Additionally, the company can generate income from sponsorships for its own YouTube shows, as demonstrated by their self-produced content.
According to Bacon, it’s important to be aware that our industry is in an unusual situation. Essentially, what we’re striving for is a fresh perspective on things.
Despite a lack of visible accomplishments at this moment, his ideas sound genuinely impressive, even as he swiftly and charismatically jumps from one idea to another. However, it might not have been the expected career path for Brits of a certain age to become a highly creative, tech-centric innovator in the unscripted TV industry, given Bacon’s background.
At 17 years old, Bacon began his career on BBC radio in the early ’90s. At age 21, he secured a groundbreaking opportunity as a host on the legendary kids’ show “Blue Peter” in 1997. However, this promising start came to an unfortunate end after only 18 months, when he was dismissed following media reports of drug use. The now-defunct News of the World (interestingly enough, owned by Murdoch senior) headlined the story as “12-hour drugs romp shame of kids’ TV idol.” Due to the gravity of the situation, the then-head of the BBC’s children’s department was compelled to address the dismissal on air, in an awkward explanation aimed at the young viewers.
After a brief hiatus, Bacon quickly returned to the spotlight, joining the vibrant group of young talents on the revolutionary and rebellious 90s morning program “The Big Breakfast.” This role, as he recalls, was instrumental in sparking his creative ideas. Subsequently, numerous TV and radio opportunities came his way, culminating in a lengthy stint as the host of a BBC talk radio show. However, in 2014, he decided to take a drastic step and relocated with his family to Los Angeles.
When a television travel show idea for the U.S. didn’t work out (this was before Bacon had even departed from the UK), he faced nearly an entire year without work. This situation changed when he got hired as a presenter for the National Geographic Channel’s “Explorer.” His first appearance: trekking through Yosemite with Barack Obama during his final days in office. “And that was my very first day of work in America!” he exclaimed. Later, he took on various jobs, mostly in U.S. daytime television. Then, during the summer of 2018, Bacon encountered one of those significant, life-changing moments.
I found myself slipping into a coma, a situation that had the medical professionals predicting my demise,” I casually recount. A troublesome lung infection, first sensed during my flight from LA to London, necessitated the doctors to induce me into a coma. Amazingly, I regained consciousness nine days later.
Following this transformative event, he decided: It’s time to fulfill my plans, and that was to create innovative formats. Inspired by this close brush with death, he took action, leaving his job behind and dedicating an entire year to crafting three such formats. These ideas were developed into pilots and eventually series. NBC recognized his potential and offered him a multi-year contract. With this newfound freedom, he embarked on his journey to shape the unscripted television landscape with Yes Yes Media.
It’s worth noting that by this point in his career spanning nearly three decades, both in the U.K. and the U.S., Bacon had cultivated a wide network of powerful industry contacts due to his sociable nature and charm. One of these influential figures was Elisabeth Murdoch, who saw potential in Yes Yes when it was still an idea and invested through Sister. As Bacon put it, “They’re adept at supporting creative minds.
He formed friendships with Snow Patrol’s McDaid, which led him to know his partner Cox (who he found extremely kind) and Kotecha (with whom he communicates daily). Moreover, they all became investors, as did Satisfaction’s Essebeg.
He befriended Snow Patrol’s McDaid, which allowed him to meet his partner Cox (a really great person) and Kotecha (someone he talks to every day). They all invested together, along with Essebeg from Satisfaction.
He confirms that he is acquainted with all these individuals, as they’re all gifted and intriguing. However, it’s more about finding investors who I can relate to on a personal level, feel comfortable with socially, yet are also beneficial strategically for the company. He mentions that he has been collaborating on various projects with both McDaid and Kotecha.
Apart from his creative team named Yes Yes, Bacon mentions that he personally originates all ideas. He humbly admits this without boastfulness, stating, “Every concept germinates within me.” This isn’t due to arrogance or an inflated sense of self, but rather a characteristic of Bacon’s ADHD. He explains, “It’s challenging for me to grasp others’ ideas, even when they are exceptional. For me to become genuinely invested in an idea, it needs to stem from my own thoughts; otherwise, I find myself struggling to know how to proceed with it.
Although it may seem unusual for a production company, Yes Yes boasts an exceptional team that transforms their innovative ideas into reality. This team includes two high-profile hires made towards the end of 2023. Mark Sidaway, often called “Sid,” is a five-time BAFTA award-winning executive producer and served as the showrunner for “The X Factor” for a decade. He is spearheading Yes Yes’s efforts to expand into live events. On the other hand, Lydia Arding, who was recruited from Hilary and Chelsea Clinton’s label Hidden Light, serves as the director of production at Yes Yes. Previously, she held the position of head of factual production at the giant production-agency company “Avalon.
This team is responsible for refining the numerous ideas that Bacon generates, even when they arrive unexpectedly late on Saturdays as “aha” moments via email. They do this to narrow down his ideas into a practical set of workable formats because, as he cautions, it can be quite challenging for someone with ADHD to execute all the ideas without completing them.
Bacon indicates a room at the opposite end of the office where they assemble to enhance ideas and continually refine their work, repeating the process of drafting and revising until satisfied. At one stage, there were as many as forty-nine individuals in there, but now there are only twelve being worked on, he explains. Twelve may seem like a large number when spoken aloud, but it’s significantly less than forty-nine!
Yes Yes Media, boasting its unique, patented technology and backing from prominent investors, has launched a format that’s now gracing screens worldwide and continues to gain traction. This dynamic startup appears to be a high-concept venture that swiftly took off and hasn’t slowed down since – and rightfully so.
As a devoted cinephile, I can’t help but feel the electrifying, chaotic, and unpredictable vibe that this company exudes. It seems as though they could effortlessly stumble upon the next groundbreaking global entertainment trend, one that will captivate audiences worldwide. Perhaps it’s already in their grasp – a simple idea scribbled on an A4 page, waiting to be polished and perfected.
As a film enthusiast, I can’t help but imagine that the next groundbreaking, worldwide phenomenon in entertainment was born out of a brilliant flash of inspiration. This idea, no doubt, struck the creative mastermind behind Yes Yes at an ungodly hour in the morning, perhaps during those quiet moments when the world seems still and the mind is most fertile. With a rush of adrenaline, he must have grabbed his phone, jotting down the ideas that danced through his mind like fleeting shadows.
As Bacon excitedly explains, “I want to put chaos in everything, really.”
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2025-05-02 16:18