Sequels: TING RA O B U E R L E Live Long and C Prosper
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September 2017 Sequels: TING RA O B U E R L E Live long and C prosper Journal of The Royal Television Society September 2017 l Volume 54/8 From the CEO Our flagship RTS series. Don’t miss this hugely percep- O’Donnell, who is based in that other Cambridge Convention tive piece. great East Anglian hub city, Norwich. is fast approaching. The RTS celebrates its 90th anni- I am delighted that, in addition to With the help of our versary this month. How time flies! Cambridge, the RTS is preparing a Principal Patron Sky, Steve Clarke looks back at what the packed autumn events calendar. Peter and our esteemed Society has achieved since the pio- Kosminsky will be in conversation Cambridge Advisory neering days of John Logie Baird to with Channel 4 News presenter Fatima Committee, we have assembled the present, digital era. Manji on 30 August. He will be dis- a stellar line-up of speakers and It’s been a challenging time for cussing his new Channel 4 drama, contributors. Londoners and Mancunians. The The State. The emphasis will be on how the fallout from the tragedy of Grenfell Other treats in store are the inaugu- UK can forge new, wider relationships Tower and the terrorist attacks earlier ral Steve Hewlett Memorial Lecture, in the post-Brexit world, both at home this year are still with us. Stewart given by Nick Robinson, an evening and overseas. Global television leaders Purvis examines how broadcasters with Lord Puttnam and our latest Joint will also consider the ways in which have responded to these events. He Public Lecture with the IET. Thrillingly, policy-makers can help create the asks if television news hasn’t some- our speaker is astronaut Tim Peake. best policy environment to facilitate times been too ready to put emotion the kind of creative endeavour for before objective journalism. which we are world renowned. It’s fitting that, as we get ready Talking of which, this month’s cover for the Cambridge Convention, this story sees Mark Lawson analysing the month’s Our Friend column is by ingredients for a successful sequel the editor of BBC Look East, Nikki Theresa Wise Contents Daisy Goodwin’s TV Diary The return of the native Christmas comes early for Daisy Goodwin as she discovers Deborah Turness is back in London after her 5 that writing TV drama is anything but straightforward 22 achieve ments running NBC News in New York. She tells Tara Conlan what’s next First among sequels As the producers of Game of Thrones develop spin-off Soap’s power to fight prejudice 6 shows, Mark Lawson assesses what makes a hit sequel Matthew Bell hears how shows such as Coronation 24 Street and EastEnders are leading the way in depicting Standing start for Sky’s action man LGBTQ characters Andrew Billen discovers that Sky COO Andrew Griffith 9 boosts his energy levels at work by avoiding sitting down Our Friend in the East Norwich may look idyllic, but it must work harder to A hug too far? 27 retain its young media talent, says Nikki O’Donnell Is TV’s emotional reporting of events such as the Grenfell 12 Tower fire undermining journalistic detachment, asks Out of step with public opinion Stewart Purvis Stewart Purvis combs through an ambitious attempt 28 to work out why the media keeps getting it wrong The rise and rise of the RTS Steve Clarke salutes the Royal Television Society on the All eyes on the next breakthrough 15 eve of its 90th birthday As IBC celebrates its 50th anniversary, Raymond Snoddy 30 asks what is likely to be TV’s next big disruptor From the Pennines to PyeongChang Owen Gibson interviews Peter Hutton, the head 19 of Eurosport, whose Olympic-style ambitions are disrupting sports television Cover: Gordon Jamieson Editor Production, design, advertising Royal Television Society Subscription rates Printing Legal notice Steve Clarke Gordon Jamieson 3 Dorset Rise UK £115 ISSN 0308-454X © Royal Television Society 2017. [email protected] [email protected] London EC4Y 8EN Overseas (surface) £146.11 Printer: FE Burman The views expressed in Television Writer Sub-editor T: 020 7822 2810 Overseas (airmail) £172.22 20 Crimscott Street are not necessarily those of the RTS. Matthew Bell Sarah Bancroft E: [email protected] Enquiries: [email protected] London SE1 5TP Registered Charity 313 728 [email protected] [email protected] W: www.rts.org.uk Television www.rts.org.uk September 2017 3 Your guide to upcoming events. Book online at RTS NEWS www.rts.org.uk RTS EARLY EVENING EVENT and the University of the West of NORTHERN IRELAND National events Tuesday 10 October England to celebrate 60 years of Thursday 16 November The great history debate news in the West of England Programme Awards 2017 RTS EARLY EVENING EVENT Speakers: Leanne Klein, CEO, Venue: TBC 6:00pm Wednesday 30 August Wall to Wall; Suzannah Lipscomb, Thursday 9 November Venue: The MAC, 10 Exchange In conversation with Peter historian and presenter; Tom Bristol RTS Futures Festival Street West, Belfast BT1 2NJ Kosminsky McDonald, head of specialist Advice about production in the ■ John Mitchell Director Peter Kosminsky will be factual commissioning, BBC TV; region and entering the industry ■ mitch.mvbroadcast@ in conversation with Channel 4 and David Olusoga, historian and Venue: Watershed, 1 Canon’s btinternet.com News presenter Fatima Manji, presenter. Chair: Tony Robinson Road, Bristol BS1 5TX talking about his new drama, Venue: Central London, TBC ■ Belinda Biggam REPUBLIC OF IRELAND The State. 6:30pm for 6:45pm ■ [email protected] ■ Charles Byrne (353) 87251 3092 Venue: Vue West End, 3 Cran- RTS/IET JOINT PUBLIC LECTURE ■ [email protected] bourn Street, Leicester Square, Wednesday 25 October DEVON & CORNWALL London WC2H 7AL Tim Peake, ESA astronaut ■ Jane Hudson SCOTLAND Venue: IET London, 2 Savoy ■ RTSDevonandCornwall@rts. ■ Jane Muirhead RTS CONFERENCE Place, London WC2R 0BL org.uk ■ [email protected] 13-15 September RTS Cambridge Convention RTS MASTERCLASSES EAST SOUTHERN 2017: ‘A world of opportunity’ Tuesday 14 November ■ Nikki O’Donnell Wednesday 4 October Please see the back page RTS Student Programme ■ [email protected] IBC review for the full list of confirmed Masterclasses Panel discussion. Joint Thames speakers. The convention is Venue: IET London, 2 Savoy LONDON Valley and Southern centres co-chaired by Andrew Griffith, Place, London WC2R 0BL ■ Daniel Cherowbrier event. 7:00pm for 7:30pm Group Chief Operating Officer, Wednesday 15 November ■ [email protected] Venue: Central Studio, Queen Sky, and Gary Davey, Managing RTS Student Craft Skills Mary’s College, Cliddesden Road, Director, Content, Sky Masterclasses MIDLANDS Basingstoke RG21 3HF Venue: West Road Concert Hall, Venue: IET London, 2 Savoy Thursday 30 November ■ Stephanie Farmer Cambridge CB3 9DP and King’s Place, London WC2R 0BL Gala Dinner and Awards 2017 ■ [email protected] College, Cambridge CB2 1ST Venue: National Motorcycle RTS AWARDS Museum, Solihull B92 0EJ THAMES VALLEY RTS FUTURES Monday 27 November ■ Jayne Greene 07792 776585 Wednesday 4 October Tuesday 26 September RTS Craft & Design Awards 2017 ■ [email protected] IBC review Breaking into broadcasting Venue: London Hilton on Park Venue: Central Studio, Queen 6:45pm for 7:00pm start Lane, London W1K 1BE NORTH EAST & THE BORDER Marys College, Cliddesden Road, Venue: Channel 4, 124 Horseferry Friday 8 September Basingstoke RG21 3HF Road, London SW1P 2TX Awards launch and social Friday 17 November Local events Venue: TBC Annual Dinner Dance JOINT EVENT Thursday 12 October 7:00pm Thursday 28 September BRISTOL An audience with Fiona Venue: De Vere Wokefield Estate, First annual Steve Hewlett Monday 11 September Armstrong Mortimer RG7 3AE Memorial Lecture given by The making of Three Girls Venue: Cumbria, TBC ■ Tony Orme Nick Robinson With director Philippa Lowthorpe, ■ Jill Graham ■ [email protected] Jointly organised by the RTS and writer Nicole Taylor, executive ■ [email protected] the Media Society. Free to full RTS producer Susan Hogg, editor WALES members with advance booking. Úna Ní Dhonghaíle, and director NORTH WEST ■ Hywel Wiliam 07980 007841 6:30pm for 7:00pm of photography Matt Gray Thursday 28 September ■ [email protected] Venue: University of Westminster, Venue: Cinema 3, Watershed, Awards launch party 4-12 Little Titchfield Street, 1 Canon’s Rd, Bristol BS1 5TX 6:30pm launch event; 8:30pm YORKSHIRE London W1W 7BY Tuesday 26 September party at the Alchemist, MediaCity ■ Lisa Holdsworth 07790 145280 Meet the controller: Ben Frow, Venue: Compass Room, The ■ lisa@allonewordproductions. RTS EARLY EVENING EVENT Channel 5 Lowry, Salford Quays M50 3AZ co.uk Wednesday 4 October Venue: TBC Saturday 11 November Lord Puttnam in conversation Wednesday 25 October RTS North West Awards with Ed Vaizey MP ‘Have we got news for you?’ Venue: Hilton Deansgate, 303 6:30pm for 6:45pm BBC Points West debate on the Deansgate, Manchester M3 4LQ Venue: Channel 4, 124 Horseferry future of local news and com- ■ Rachel Pinkney 07966 230639 Road, London SW1P 2TX munity. Supported by RTS Bristol ■ [email protected] 4 TV diary Christmas comes early for Daisy Goodwin as she discovers that writing TV drama is anything but straightforward he country is bask- This call is about the production disappointed that I haven’t brought ing in a heatwave, implications of the Christmas Spe- a tiara. and I am at the lap- cial. Can we really achieve a frozen I pontificate for hours about my top trying to write lake in August? I am attempting, inspiration for Victoria (a mixture of the Victoria Christ- unsuccessfully, to hold a crow pose, her diaries, my teenage daughter and mas special.