Culture 4 min read By Mason Emerson
BBC Studios Launches Scripted Fund, Taps Ben Donald to Find Europe's Next Big IP
BBC Studios has created a central scripted fund and enlisted Mallorca Files executive producer Ben Donald to help identify the next generation of European hits based on intellectual property, alongside his work running Cosmopolitan Pictures.
BBC Studios is making a direct play for the next wave of European scripted hits, launching a central fund dedicated to projects built on intellectual property and bringing in an experienced producer to help find them. Ben Donald, an executive producer on The Mallorca Files, will take on a support role with the BBC's commercial production and distribution arm while continuing to run his own independent outfit, Cosmopolitan Pictures.
Donald's mandate is to help identify and develop scripted projects rooted in existing IP, a strategy that has become increasingly central to how major producers and distributors seek to stand out in a crowded international market. The fund is designed to give those projects a clearer path from development to screen, with BBC Studios positioning itself as a hub for European stories that can travel beyond their home territories.
The appointment reflects a broader shift in the industry, where recognizable books, podcasts, articles, and other source material are often seen as safer bets than wholly original concepts. By creating a dedicated pool of money for IP-based scripted work, BBC Studios is signaling that it wants to be involved earlier in the creative process, rather than simply acquiring finished shows for distribution.
Donald brings a track record in international television through The Mallorca Files, a sun-soaked crime drama that has found audiences across multiple markets. His dual role, splitting time between BBC Studios and Cosmopolitan Pictures, suggests the broadcaster wants his independent perspective as well as his production experience. The arrangement is unusual in that it keeps Donald embedded in the indie sector while giving him a formal seat at the table for a major fund.
For European creators, the initiative could open new avenues for getting projects off the ground at a time when commissioning budgets are under pressure and competition for attention is fierce. BBC Studios has long been a major exporter of British programming, and a fund focused on European IP extends that reach into a wider pool of talent and stories.
The move also underscores how much value the industry now places on intellectual property as a foundation for franchises. Successful scripted series increasingly spawn spin-offs, local adaptations, and long-term licensing deals, making the initial source material a strategic asset rather than just a starting point. By investing at the development stage, BBC Studios can potentially secure rights and shape projects before they become bidding wars.
Details about the size of the fund, the number of projects it will support, and the timeline for its first investments have not been disclosed. What is clear is that BBC Studios sees European IP as a growth area and is willing to put money and manpower behind that belief. Donald's role will involve scouting and supporting projects, working alongside the company's existing scripted teams.
The announcement comes as streamers and traditional broadcasters alike look to local-language productions to drive subscriptions and engagement in individual markets. European series have broken out globally in recent years, proving that stories rooted in a specific place can resonate far beyond it. BBC Studios appears to be betting that the next such breakout is already sitting in a book, a format, or an idea that has yet to be fully developed.
For now, the fund represents a concrete step rather than a finished slate. Its success will depend on the projects Donald and his colleagues identify and how quickly they can be brought to market. But the creation of the fund itself sends a message to European writers, producers, and rights holders that BBC Studios is open for business and looking for material with international potential.
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