June 2019 Heat and lust on ITV TIMELESS STORIES UNFORGETTABLE MUSIC OUR APPROACH TO THE CLASSICS IS UNIQUE We’ve arranged, recorded and mixed the key repertoire specifically for your editing needs, using the biggest and best orchestras, choirs and soloists, recorded at Abbey Road Studios. AVAILABLE FOR LICENSE AT AUDIONETWORK.COM/DISCOVER/CLASSICAL-COLLECTION FIND OUT MORE: Rebecca Hodges [email protected] (0)207 566 1441 1012-RTS ADVERTS-V1.indd 5 22/05/2019 16:24 Journal of The Royal Television Society June 2019 l Volume 56/6 From the CEO A sultry period drama Returning to the 21st century, Shilpa Recently, I was privileged to be the set in the shimmering Ganatra has written a timely feature guest of the RTS’s Isle of Man Centre. heat of 18th-century on how TV coverage of women’s sport Every year, the island welcomes India is our June cover is gaining a higher profile. I, for one, around 15,000 motor cycles and story. ITV’s new Sun- am enjoying BBC One’s coverage of 40,000 visitors for the annual TT day night treat, Bee- the Women’s World Cup and hope the Races, broadcast by ITV4. cham House, looks likely Lionesses can raise their game fol- I was told that it takes up to three to be the perfect antidote to our own lowing their hard-won victory over weeks to transport everyone and their – so far – less than scorching summer. Scotland. bikes to the Isle of Man. Two intrepid In Steve Clarke’s interview with the Elsewhere in this issue, I would like travellers made it all the way from series’s director and co-creator, to highlight a new regular column, Argentina. Gurinder Chadha, the film-maker Working Lives. I’m confident that Sadly, bad weather led to the racing looks back on her extraordinary this will become a popular feature being cancelled on the day I was career and explains why she was in Television. In this month’s edition, there. So I missed the spectacle this inspired to make a long-form, cos- Pippa Shawley interviews intimacy year. The legendary Isle of Man hospi- tume drama. director Ita O’Brien, who opens our tality more than made up for this. Previously, her films, such as Bhaji eyes to a job that many readers will What was that again about the Great on The Beach and Bend It like Beckham, not have heard of. British Summer? have focused on Indians living in We also carry reports from some England. By contrast, the central char- recent RTS events. These include a acter in Beecham House is an English celebration and screening of 63 Up, entrepreneur in India, the dashing and a timely and important discus- John Beecham, played by Tom Bate- sion about what we need to do to man, who recently starred in another promote wellbeing and mental health ITV period piece, Vanity Fair. in the TV industry. Theresa Wise Contents Sophie Lanfear’s TV Diary Seeing through the secrets and lies Natural history film-maker Sophie Lanfear leaves A panel of investigative journalists share their 5 her natural habitat for Hollywood and encounters 16 approaches to unearthing stories with Matthew Bell a television great Stop harming, start helping Bend it like Beecham The way we make TV can make people ill, behind and in Steve Clarke talks to Gurinder Chadha, who explains the 19 front of the camera, hears Matthew Bell 6 background to her Sunday-night ITV costume drama set in 18th-century India Our Friend in Wales Judith Winnan celebrates 60 years of RTS Cymru Wales The dramady comes of age 22 and applauds the help it gives to new TV talent Caroline Frost hails a style of show, typified by Mum and 9 Home, that is reinvigorating the comedy genre Private lives lived in public Carole Solazzo meets the team behind one of factual Working lives: the intimacy director 24 television’s most iconic experiments, 63 Up Pippa Shawley interviews Ita O’Brien, who does one 12 of those extraordinary TV jobs you’ve never heard of Food, glorious food Tara Conlan finds much to chew on at an RTS event on Game changers 26 TV food shows The profile of women’s sport on TV has never been 14 higher, discovers Shilpa Ganatra 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 2019. [email protected] [email protected] London EC4Y 8EN Overseas (surface) £146.11 Printer: FE Burman The views expressed in Television News editor and 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 June 2019 3 Your guide to upcoming events. Book online at RTS NEWS www.rts.org.uk RTS MASTERCLASSES National events Tuesday 5 November and Wednesday 6 November RTS Midlands RTS AGM RTS Student Masterclasses TV Careers Tuesday 25 June Venue: IET, 2 Savoy Place, All RTS members welcome. 6pm London WC2R 0BL Fair 2019 Venue: RTS, 7th floor, Dorset Rise, London EC4Y 8EN RTS AWARDS 7 October 10:00am-4:00pm Monday 25 November Edgbaston stadium, Birmingham RTS AWARDS RTS Craft & Design Awards Friday 28 June 2019 Book via Eventbrite.co.uk RTS Student Television Sponsored by Gravity Media Awards 2019 Group Sponsored by Motion London Hilton on Park Lane Friday 29 November SCOTLAND Content Group 22 Park Lane, London W1K 1BE RTS Midlands Awards ■ April Chamberlain Venue: BFI Southbank, Belvedere Venue: International Convention ■ [email protected] Road, London SE1 8XT Centre, Broad Street, Local events Birmingham B1 2EA SOUTHERN RTS EARLY EVENING EVENT ■ Jayne Greene 07792 776585 ■ Stephanie Farmer Thursday 29 August DEVON AND CORNWALL ■ [email protected] ■ [email protected] In conversation with Jeff Pope ■ Jane Hudson Jeff Pope is head of factual ■ RTSDevonandCornwall@rts. NORTH EAST AND THE BORDER THAMES VALLEY drama at ITV Studios org.uk ■ Jill Graham ■ Tony Orme Venue: TBC ■ [email protected] ■ [email protected] EAST RTS CAMBRIDGE CONVENTION ■ Nikki O’Donnell NORTH WEST WALES 2019 ■ [email protected] Wednesday 19 June 3-10 August 18-20 September An evening with Judge Rinder National Eisteddfod 2019 Content, consumers and ISLE OF MAN Hosted by Lucy Meacock, Gran- Eisteddfod events details TBC everything in between ■ Michael Wilson ada Reports. 6:30pm for 7:00pm Venue: Llanrwst, Wales Principal sponsor: ITV. Confirmed ■ [email protected] Venue: Compass Room, Lowry ■ Hywel Wiliam 07980 007841 speakers include: Jeremy Dar- Theatre, Salford Quays M50 3AZ ■ [email protected] roch, CEO, Sky; Howard Davine, LONDON executive vice-president, busi- Wednesday 4 December Thursday 26 September WEST OF ENGLAND ness operations, ABC Studios; Christmas Lecture: Awards launch party Tuesday 2 July Tony Hall, Director-General, BBC; David Abraham Details TBA AGM Alex Mahon, CEO, Channel 4; 6:30pm for 7:00pm Venue: Compass Room, Lowry Venue TBC Jane Turton, CEO, All3Media; Venue: Cavendish Conference Theatre, Salford Quays M50 3AZ ■ Belinda Biggam Sharon White, CEO, Ofcom; Centre, 22 Duchess Mews, ■ [email protected] Rt Hon Jeremy Wright MP, London W1G 9DT Saturday 23 November Secretary of State, DCMS; and ■ Daniel Cherowbrier RTS North West Awards YORKSHIRE David Zaslav, President and CEO, ■ [email protected] Venue: Hilton Deansgate, 303 Thursday 4 July Discovery. Chaired by Carolyn Deansgate, Manchester M3 4LQ Adjusting perspective: Getting McCall, CEO, ITV. MIDLANDS ■ Rachel Pinkney 07966 230639 more BAME crew on set Venue: King’s College CB2 1ST Monday 7 October ■ [email protected] Joint event organised by Creative RTS Midlands TV Careers Diversity Network and RTS STEVE HEWLETT MEMORIAL Fair 2019 NORTHERN IRELAND Yorkshire. To attend, please LECTURE 2019 Book via Eventbrite.co.uk. Thursday 7 November RSVP directly to: projects@ Tuesday 24 September Early bird tickets £5 until 1 July, RTS NI Programme Awards creativediversitynetwork.com. Speaker Mark Thompson thereafter £10. Tickets cannot be Venue: The MAC, 10 Exchange 4:30pm-6:30pm. Registration Mark Thompson is President purchased on the door. Minors Street West, Belfast BT1 2NJ 4:15pm; drinks and networking and CEO of the New York Times must be accompanied by a fee- ■ John Mitchell from 6:30pm. Company, and a former Direc- paying adult. 10:00am-4:00pm ■ mitch.mvbroadcast@ Venue: John Charles 2 Room, The tor-General of the BBC. Drinks Venue: Edgbaston stadium, btinternet.com Queens Hotel, City Square, Leeds reception sponsored by BBC Birmingham B5 7QU LS1 1PJ Studios. 6:00pm for 6:30pm REPUBLIC OF IRELAND ■ Lisa Holdsworth 07790 145280 Venue: University of Westminster, ■ Charles Byrne (353) 87251 3092 ■ lisa@allonewordproductions. London W1W 7BY ■ [email protected] co.uk 4 TV diary Natural history film-makerSophie Lanfear leaves her natural habitat for Hollywood and encounters a television great t’s a lot smaller than the telly without even realising it, a part of a cohesive structure for a film that makes it seem,” I think to your nature gets suppressed. a mass audience will understand. myself as I stare out at the I came away feeling relieved at My day is spent assimilating as infamous Hollywood sign. having acknowledged this and opti- much information as I can from a LA is the last place you’d mistic that women are gradually wide variety of sources to work out expect to find a wildlife film- reaching those higher places.