Designing a Food Show Bible: What Streaming Executives Look For

Stop guessing what streamers want — build a food show bible that passes modern commissioning filters

Pitching a food show feels like trying to thread a needle while a dozen platforms change the rules. You have a brilliant host, an unbeatable location, and recipes that sing, but executives keep asking for: “What’s the tone? Who’s the audience? How will this travel?” The good news: you don’t have to guess. Recent moves at Disney+ — especially leadership shifts across EMEA and an emphasis on versatile, locally rooted formats — show what global streamers reward in 2026. This article translates those signals into a practical worksheet you can use to build a lean, streamer-ready show bible for a food show pitch.

Why Disney+’s recent strategy matters to your food show pitch

In late 2024 through early 2026, Disney+ restructured parts of its international commissioning teams and elevated execs focused on both scripted and unscripted content across EMEA. Those moves aren’t about job titles — they’re a signal: streamers want formats that can scale regionally, respect local sensibilities, and move quickly from idea to production. For creators, that translates into a checklist of expectations you can address inside one compact bible.

“Commissioners are hiring for speed, adaptability and clear hooks — provide them the map.”

Use this as your north star: a modern show bible must be simultaneously creative and operational. It needs irresistible storytelling (the creative hook), demonstrable audience thinking (who will watch and why), and a practical production plan (how it shoots, localizes, and travels).

The worksheet: what to include in your food show bible (streamer-ready)

Below is a step-by-step worksheet you can copy into your bible. Each section includes what execs look for in 2026 — with Disney+-style commissioning in mind — and an example you can adapt.

1) One-line logline (the elevator pitch)

What executives read first. Keep it under 20 words. It must include the format, the hook, and the global appeal.

• Format: (e.g., host-led travel series, competition, docu-foodie)
• Hook: What makes it distinctive? (e.g., “picks forgotten restaurant recipes”)
• Global promise: How this translates for international audiences

Example: A 6-episode host-led series where a celebrated chef restores lost regional recipes, testing modern palates across three continents.

2) Tone & style (non-negotiable)

Streamers want a clear, defensible tone because it determines marketing, promos, and where the show sits on a platform. Pick two adjectives and justify them with creative choices.

• Examples of tone descriptors: warm, playful, investigative, cinematic, intimate, brisk
• Show visual references: list 2–3 existing shows or music/photo references — add a single-sentence rationale for each
• Run time & pace: typical episode length (22/30/45/60 minutes) and segment timing

Why this matters: Recent Disney+ commissioning favors shows that fit clearly into brand portfolios: family-forward light travel vs. gritty culinary anthropology. Declare yours.

3) Format guide (clear, repeatable structure)

Executives want formats that can be produced reliably and exported. Provide a clear, repeatable episode structure that can be localized.

1. Cold open (30–90 seconds): hook with food drama
2. Act 1 (3–7 mins): setup — host and local context
3. Act 2 (10–20 mins): conflict/quest — cooking challenge, investigation, or maze of restaurateurs
4. Act 3 (5–10 mins): reveal/taste test and takeaway recipes
5. Tag (30–60s): teaser for next episode + social content idea

Include: segment lengths, camera coverage notes (one-shot intimate, multi-cam), and elements that create modular clips for social distribution.

4) Episode outlines (the spine of the season)

Give a clear map for a 6–8 episode season. Disney+ and many streamers have favored shorter, higher-quality seasons for unscripted in 2025–2026 — so show a lean season with room for international spins.

Sample 6-episode outline (format: host-led restoration series)

1. Episode 1 — “The Forgotten Starter”: Host revives a nearly-lost appetizer; meets the last practitioner.
2. Episode 2 — “Street to Table”: Tracing a street food staple’s journey into a formal dining menu.
3. Episode 3 — “Sea Change”: Coastal community adapts fish cookery for climate shifts.
4. Episode 4 — “Trade Routes”: A spice blend’s story and its modern reinterpretation.
5. Episode 5 — “Plant-Forward Future”: Reimagining a traditional meat dish to fit plant-forward trends.
6. Episode 6 — “The Menu”: A communal pop-up where the host and locals serve a recovered menu; reflections and future.

For each episode include: a short synopsis (2–3 sentences), visual approach (e.g., handheld vs. cinematic), 2 key scenes, and one social asset idea.

5) Audience targeting & data-informed positioning

Don’t say “everyone.” Be specific: age brackets, interests, viewing habits, and why they’ll choose your show. Tie this to how the show will live on the platform.

• Primary audience: demographics + psychographics (e.g., 25–45, urban foodies, travel-curious, sustainability-minded)
• Secondary audience: who will bring additional viewership? (e.g., families, diaspora communities, culinary students)
• Retention hooks: what keeps viewers watching across a season? (e.g., evolving challenges, serialized storyline, collectible recipes)

Pro tip: Add a short paragraph with platform fit: “This sits on Disney+’s [Star/National Geographic] brand because…” — tie your pitch to brand pillars and the likely commissioning slate.

6) Internationalization & market hooks (what Disney+ EMEA promotions highlight)

Streamers are commissioning local hits that can travel. Disney+’s EMEA leadership growth shows an appetite for formats that can be co-produced, localized, and adapted. Address this directly.

• Local anchor points: name two countries/regions where this format could be shot natively
• Adaptability: explain how episodes or a season could be repackaged for local windows (host swap, dubbing, episode re-ordering)
• Cultural vetting: list sensitive elements and how you’ll mitigate them (e.g., religious food rules, licensing for local recipes)
• Co-pro and commission pathway: name potential local production partners or festivals that validate market fit

Example international hook: The show’s spice-trade episode can be localized into a separate 2-episode arc for South Asia — ideal for a co-pro with a regional producer, enabling Disney+ to market a “local-first” version.

7) Talent & casting (host, recurring characters, local experts)

Executives evaluate whether the host can carry a series globally or if local faces are needed. Provide a talent strategy:

• Primary host profile and three alternate host types for different markets
• Recurring local cast: chefs, storytellers, suppliers
• Diversity & representation plan: how casting reflects audience and platform values

8) Production & budget overview

Don’t give a full line-by-line budget in the first pass, but include realistic ranges and a production timeline. Streamers want evidence you can deliver on time and budget.

• Estimated episode budget (low/medium/high) and what each tier includes
• Top-line schedule: pre-pro (8 weeks), shoot (6–10 weeks), post (10–14 weeks)
• Key crew: showrunner/EP, director, lead DoP, post supervisor
• Local shoots: where savings or incentives exist (tax rebates, production facilities)

2026 note: Many streamers now expect sustainability plans and carbon budgets for shoots. Include a short paragraph about your green production strategy (reduced flights, local hires, plant-based catering, carbon offsets).

9) Marketing & audience growth hooks

Show how the series will live beyond linear episodes: social-first clips, recipe cards, shorts, live cook-along events, and merchandising. Disney+ values IP that can extend to podcasts or short-form vertical content.

• Three ready-made social assets per episode
• Partnership ideas (restaurant pop-ups, cookbook mini-collections, supermarket tie-ins)
• Premiere strategy: staggered regional releases, festival launches, or built-in live elements

10) Rights & distribution clarity

Clarify what you’re offering: global exclusive rights, first-window, or territory-by-territory. Streamers dislike murky rights situations because they complicate commissioning.

• Proposed rights: exclusive worldwide SVOD for 3 years, linear non-exclusive, etc.
• Pre-cleared music and recipe usage — note any unavoidable third-party clearances
• Merchandising & ancillary rights: who owns and who can license

Practical tips to fold Disney+-style commissioning signals into your narrative

Use these tactical moves to make your bible feel like a safe bet for a commissioning exec who’s juggling global strategy.

• Be modular: Break your season into arcs that can be repackaged into local editions. Provide an example with episode IDs for a UK, India, and Brazil window.
• Show local partner readiness: Name at least one credible local production company per market you claim strong fit with — it reduces friction.
• Clip-first thinking: Provide a list of 10 scenes perfect for 30–60s social clips. Platforms love content that drives discovery outside the app.
• Risk mitigation: Include contingency plans for travel restrictions, ingredient shortages, or key talent changes — modern commissioners expect this.
• Data hooks: Reference broader 2025–2026 trends (short seasons, plant-forward interest, hybrid travel-cooking formats) and explain how your show maps to them.

Sample one-page executive summary (copy into your pitch packet)

Keep it clean. This is what execs read between meetings.

Title: The Menu Resurrected — a 6×45’ host-led culinary series

Logline: A celebrated chef travels to reclaim and modernize forgotten regional recipes, building a pop-up menu in each city that blends old and new.

Tone: intimate, cinematic, hopeful

Format & structure: 6 episodes, each 45 minutes. Repeatable structure with a local expert focus, a community conflict, and a communal pop-up finale.

Audience: 25–45 urban foodies, diaspora audiences, and sustainability-focused viewers. Strong social/shorts potential.

International hooks: Local 2-episode arcs available for co-pro in South Asia, Latin America, and North Africa. Format is adaptable and modular.

Budget & timeline: Estimated $300–450k per episode; 7–10 month timeline from greenlight to delivery.

Common mistakes creators make — and how to avoid them

• Too much backstory, not enough format: Fill your bible with stories but make the episode structure front and center.
• Ignoring localization: If your series is “global,” show how it localizes. Pointing to one international episode isn’t enough.
• Vague audience claims: Say who will watch and why — back it with behavioral hooks (e.g., collectability, recipes to try at home).
• Underestimating legal clearances: Pre-clear music and recipe ownership where possible; note known risks.

Looking ahead: how streaming trends in 2026 shape food shows

As of early 2026, some clear trends influence commissioning decisions:

• Local-first commissioning: Platforms invest in regional hits that can be rolled out globally as format exports.
• Short, high-impact seasons: 6–8 episodes allow higher production values and better retention.
• Interactive and shoppable content: More series include live cook-alongs, recipe e-commerce, and shoppable ingredient links.
• Sustainability as a production requirement: Carbon-conscious shoots and plant-forward storytelling are favored.
• AI-assisted localization: Expect faster subtitling/dubbing and recipe conversions for local ingredient availability, but be ready to explain quality controls.

Final checklist before you send the bible

1. One-line logline — under 20 words
2. Tone & visual references — 2 adjectives + 2 reference titles
3. Clear repeatable episode structure
4. 6-episode season outline with two marketable social assets per ep
5. Audience personas and platform fit paragraph
6. Internationalization plan & one named local partner per market
7. Top-line budget & schedule + sustainability plan
8. Rights clarity and merchandising intentions

Call to action

Make your bible act like a bridge — creative on one side, production-ready on the other. If you want a copyable worksheet, a fillable episode outline, or feedback tailored to your concept, click to download our editable show-bible template and one-page executive summary (ready for commissioners). Turn the instincts behind your cooking into a format a streamer can place in their slate in 2026.

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