2027 Banijay BrightBulb Unscripted Development Intern Scheme

Banijay Brightbulb Unscripted Development Intern Scheme 2027

Got brilliant ideas? Want to work in Unscripted TV?

NO experience or qualifications necessary.

Are you addicted to TV, TikTok, YouTube, Insta and Netflix?
Love sharing the amazing thing you just watched?
Always thinking "This show would have been way better if they'd done this instead"?

Sounds like you? Then YOU are exactly who we are looking for. COME AND WORK WITH US!
We are looking for people who LOVE content to help us dream up new exciting Unscripted TV shows.

We're running BRIGHTBULB, a unique entry level opportunity that welcomes applications from diverse talent.

You don't need any experience or qualifications - just a genuine passion for content, plenty of enthusiasm and a brain fizzing with fresh ideas.

This is NOT a job in production or scripted TV. You won't be making the shows - instead your job in Development will be coming up with, shaping and pitching brilliant new Unscripted TV formats.

Unscripted shows include Reality shows, Quizzes, Makeover, Dating, Factual Entertainment, Factual, Gameshows, Lifestyle shows and lots more.

Our interns work in a fun, fast paced creative environment in our West London offices. With excellent, experienced support to guide them through their first role in the TV industry.

We believe team diversity = creative diversity

We are an inclusive and disability confident employer. We actively encourage applications from individuals from diverse and under-represented backgrounds and are committed to providing a creative and inspirational home for all people.

To make sure we are inclusive and accessible to all, please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments or assistance either to help you with your application or in communications or meetings with us by emailing brightbulb@banijayuk.com.

Brightbulb is a full-time 18 week paid contract (at London Living wage of £555 gross per week), with 6 successful applicants starting 23rd February 2027.

The 18 week long Brightbulb internship consists of 12 weeks of centralised unscripted development training and a 6 week individual placement within one of our Unscripted labels.

Who are we?
Banijay is the largest international content producer and distributor in the world. With over 120 production companies in 22 territories.

Banijay UK is a collective of leading independent producers from all around the UK.

All experts in their fields and united in an ambition to create incredible television for the UK and beyond. Banijay UK makes a diverse range of entertainment, reality, quiz, drama, comedy, documentary, factual entertainment and more for all major UK broadcasters, streamers and international platforms.

We have a huge catalogue of TV output including Last One Laughing, Big Brother, Hunted, The Island with Bear Grylls, Would I Lie To You? Sunday Brunch, Building The Band, Pointless, Travels With My Father, Legomasters, 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Tipping Point, Hunted and Soccer Aid to name a few!

Check out our showreel

Live outside London?
If you live outside the M25 and need to relocate for the job you can apply for a one-off relocation bursary of up to £1,000 to help you move.

So what are you waiting for?
If you are passionate about Unscripted TV, are bubbling with ideas and think you could help us come up with the next new Unscripted TV format, then we would love you to complete this application form.

Closing date for applications is Sunday 13th September 2026 at Midnight.

Very best of luck with your application, The Brightbulb Team.

* Please confirm that you have read our terms and conditions

* Please confirm you have read our Banijay UK Recruitment Privacy Notice

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First we just need a little information on who you are and how to contact you.

Please fill in all the mandatory fields (marked by *)

* First Name

* Last Name

* What are your prefered pronouns?

* Email

* Retype your Email

* Mobile Number

* Country

City

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Now we've got the basics we would like to hear a bit more about you, your creativity and what content you like to watch.

You can save a draft of your application from at any time, and come back to it to carry on, simply press the Save & Continue Later tab at the very bottom of the page. A link will be emailed to you so you can access the form and carry on working on it.

But, before you get started, a little word from us on AI

Brightbulb is about your own creative thinking.

Please do not use generative AI to create or develop programme ideas or any written responses (aside from spelling and grammar checks or accessibility support).

Ideas and answers generated by AI, in our experience, tend to be very generic and are highly unlikely to get your application to stand out and progress to the next stage of selection.

We value your originality, lived perspective and creativity over polish.

Please fill in all the mandatory fields (marked by *)

1. * QUESTION TIME

We are looking for total content addicts - please tell us what you love to watch.

Please tell us about your favourite UNSCRIPTED shows, format or content, from now or from the past. These can be from anywhere: ITV, Netflix, Channel 4, Youtube, or wherever you watch content. Please explain why you love these shows - what keeps you watching?

(*Please don't tell us about any scripted drama shows, documentaries or comedies as that's not what this scheme is about)

2. * We value diversity of thought and experience very highly.

Please give us an example of how you have overcome a challenge in your life.

3. Have you ever worked in TV before?

Yes No

4. * Please give details of any paid work, internships or work experience in TV here. Please include as much detail as possible. Which company you worked for, on which show, doing what.

5. * Please give details of any paid work, internships or work experience in any NON-TV industry here. Please include as much detail as possible. Which company you worked for, your job title and responsibilities.

6. * Education

Please tell us about your educational background. Did you leave school at 16 or attend further education? Do you have any qualifications? Or are there any other skills you have you'd like to tell us about? These can be skills from a training course or self taught skills.

7. * How did you find out about this job position?

8. * Are you currently working?

Yes No

9. * Who are you working for, how long have you been working there and what does the job entail?

10. * If you aren't working at the moment - how do you fill your days?

11. * What are the best things about where you currently work and why?

12. * What are the worst things about where you currently work and why?

13. * What's the last unscripted show you watched that made you think "I would love to change this" - what did it make you feel and what changes would you make?

14. * Tell us about a moment in a specific unscripted show that stopped you in your tracks - what was happening on screen and how did it make you feel?

YOUR IDEAS

In this job you'll spend your time coming up with, developing and pitching brand new Unscripted ideas for TV shows all day - every day.

We've set you three different challenges so you can show us how you think.

The ideas that we love are those that are creative and bold, don't be afraid to think differently, challenge or surprise us. Think about what YOU would like to watch.

A quick word on what we're NOT looking for We are NOT looking for documentaries, scripted drama shows, sitcoms or comedy sketches - so please don't send us ideas in these areas.

We are looking for original ideas. Please, if you have applied for the Brightbulb scheme before, try and send us new and orginal ideas.

What we ARE looking for All of the ideas we'd like to see you come up with are Unscripted FORMATS. "Unscripted" means there are no actors involved (although there can be presenters) and a "Format" is the recipe for a TV show. It tells you all the ingredients that you would expect to see in every episode of a series.

For example, you could describe the format of Come Dine With Me like this:

5 strangers each go for dinner at each other's homes.
The owner of the home cooks a 3 course meal
The 4 guests judge and secretly score the evening
They rotate around visiting each other's houses
Each taking a turn to host and cook
The host with the highest score after they have visited all 5 homes wins a cash prize.

To help you reply to each challenge please try and give us the following for each one:

A name for the show - this should be exciting and make you want to watch
A sentence or two that clearly sums up the idea
The channel or website or subscription service you'd expect to see it on
The format of the show - what happens in every episode

So when you are coming up with your ideas remember to think about whether they are FORMATS. Could they come back week after week like POINTLESS, or be made in lots of different countries like MASTERCHEF.

THE CHALLENGES
Time for your ideas. We'd like you to come up with one idea for each of these challenges.

IMPORTANT - please take your time on these challenges, they are the most important bit of the application form.

We ask that all the content submitted in this application is original to you and has not been created using AI tools or software.

Banijay UK will not consider any submitted content that has been created using AI tools or software.

You can save a draft of your application form by pressing the SAVE & CONTINUE LATER button at the bottom of the screen. We'll send you an email link so you can log back in, as many times as you like to edit and add your ideas, then you can submit them when you are ready.

15. * IDEA CHALLENGE 1: REAL WORLD INSPIRATION

Some of the best ideas are inspired by the real world.

For this brief please submit an idea for a Factual Entertainment / Gameshow / Quiz / Entertainment format based on something you've noticed in the real world and explain where your idea came from.

You could come up with a competition - like RuPaul's Drag Race. It could be an exciting social experiment like Big Brother, or a format in the cooking or Design world like Dinner Dates or Interior Design Masters, or a big high stakes Quiz show like The Wall.

Think about how the show will work and how it will be exciting enough to keep the viewers watching, if you are suggesting challenges, tasks or eliminations as part of your format - it's important to give us some examples of the challenges or tasks and tell us how people might be eliminated.

Where is the show set? Is it in a studio or out on location in a real place?

What's the motivation of the people taking part in the show - are they competing for pride / to learn something / a prize / or just for the joy of it.

Please NO scripted drama, sitcom, comedy or documentary ideas please.

We ask that all the content submitted in this application is original to you and has not been created using AI tools or software. Banijay UK will not consider any submitted content that has been created using AI tools or software.

Please keep your response under 1000 characters.

16. * Now please explain what inspired your idea.

You could send us link to an article or video and explain how that inspired you, or tell us about the event that happened to you that made you think of it.

What did you see, hear, read or experience that sparked this one? It doesn’t need to be a big dramatic moment — sometimes the best ideas come from the smallest observations. We’d love to hear yours.

17. * IDEA CHALLENGE 2 - A NEW UNSCRIPTED RELATIONSHIP SHOW WITH A TWIST
Come up with a new unscripted format which focuses on relationships.

It could be a social experiment, a formatted reality show, a dating show or any type of unscripted format that would reveal something about relationships.

It needs to feel new, and exciting, and something that you would tell your mates about that you haven't seen ever done before.

This idea should be something you think a 16-34 year old would want to watch online via a steaming service like Youtube, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple etc

Your idea does not have to be about dating or romance, you can focus your show on any type of relationship you like.

We need to know: Who's appearing on the show and what makes them different? How would your format work? What's new about this show we haven't seen before? And what's the clever twist? What's the catchy title which would get you to press play?

Please tell us which platform or service you would like to see this show play on?

Please NO scripted drama, sitcom, comedy or documentary ideas please.

We ask that all the content submitted in this application is original to you and has not been created using AI tools or software. Banijay UK will not consider any submitted content that has been created using AI tools or software.

Please keep your response under 1000 characters.

18. * IDEA CHALLENGE 3: WHO DO YOU THINK SHOULD BE ON TV?

Show us someone you've discovered online, that we might not have heard of, who you think would be brilliant on TV.

Maybe they stopped your scroll, built a following doing something unusual, or just have something special about them that you know would translate to the TV screen.

Share a link to their social media, YouTube, TikTok or wherever you found them. Paste the link in and give us the timecode of which bit to watch. And describe why, in your opinion, they'd be great to watch on TV.

19. * Now describe the unscripted TV format that you've created for them.

It can be in any area of Unscripted - Dating, Travel, Quiz, Gameshow, Cooking, Reality etc

Tell us how the format works, what it's called and which channel you see it on.

Please NO scripted drama, sitcom, comedy or documentary ideas please.

We ask that all the content submitted in this application is original to you and has not been created using AI tools or software. Banijay UK will not consider any submitted content that has been created using AI tools or software.

Please keep your response under 1000 characters.

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