A Class Act LAUNCHES 17 JULY 9PM
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July/August 2018 Mark Lawson on A class act LAUNCHES 17 JULY 9PM RTS Knightfall Press Ad NEW FINAL GJ.indd 1 20/06/2018 11:06 Journal of The Royal Television Society July/August 2018 l Volume 55/7 From the CEO The RTS Student Tele- transformation from floppy-haired Tony Hall, Alex Mahon and Sharon vision Awards are one romcom star in Richard Curtis films White, among many others. of the highlights of the to playing the Machiavellian Jeremy Mental health is a topic close to all Society’s year. Last Thorpe in BBC One’s sensational of our hearts. Pippa Shawley’s piece month’s ceremony, A Very English Scandal. looks at how TV is trying to make the held once again at BFI I am delighted that Mathew Hors- workplace a better, more caring envi- Southbank, was the man could give us his take on the ronment for its employees. biggest ever, with 700 entries repre- rival bids from Comcast and Disney Did anyone mention the World senting 90 colleges across the UK and for Rupert Murdoch’s entertainment Cup? It’s a great pleasure to have the Ireland. Congratulations to all the empire. As you’d expect, Mathew brilliant Ashley John-Baptiste writing winners and a big thank you to the provides a penetrating analysis of a from Moscow. Ashley, as you might afternoon’s host, Jayde Adams, and to complex and intriguing situation with know, has been deployed as a BBC Sky’s head of comedy, Jon Mountague, high stakes. roving reporter based in Russia for the who was master of ceremonies at the The meaty topic of media consoli- duration of the competition. awards. Thanks, too, for all the hard dation is one of the big themes of this I wish all our readers a great sum- work put in by the juries. September’s RTS London Conference, mer, with good weather and a won- It was thrilling to see such a variety “Is bigger better?” Do book to hear our derful season of TV sport. of young, emerging talent across a industry’s major players ponder the wide range of genres. This speaks cultural, economic, strategic and cre- volumes about the future health of ative issues stemming from scale- our creative industries. building deals. We are honoured to In this edition of Television, Mark have some stellar speakers, including Lawson examines Hugh Grant’s Viacom’s Bob Bakish, Carolyn McCall, Theresa Wise Contents Andrew Billen’s TV Diary A tale of two cities Andrew Billen is impressed when he meets the adaptor Tim Dams talks to the high-profile founders of the 5 of Poldark 14 production company responsible for the acclaimed drama Patrick Melrose Hugh Grant’s class act Mark Lawson considers the actor’s career-transforming Ofcom’s dilemma 6 role as Jeremy Thorpe in A Very English Scandal In the wake of the Skripal affair, Stewart Purvis analyses 16 Ofcom’s attitude to the Putin-backed broadcaster RT Size unlocks the prize As Comcast and Disney vie to buy the Murdoch Our Friend in Moscow 8 entertainment empire, Mathew Horsman assesses Reporting from Russia on the World Cup, Ashley John- the likely outcomes 18 Baptiste finds that the vibe is surprisingly inclusive TV’s mental health challenge The fine art of the reboot People who work in TV are particularly prone to If you think it’s easy to relaunch a hit format, think again, 10 work-related anxiety. Pippa Shawley examines what 19 hears Matthew Bell is being done to help RTS Student Television Awards 2018 New visions for TV in Scotland Jayde Adams hosted an inspirational ceremony on While the BBC expands in Scotland Simon Pitts, 22 22 June at BFI Southbank – The winners and nominees 12 appointed CEO of STV last August, is pursuing his own over five pages growth strategy. Tara Conlan reports Cover: AP 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 2018. [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 July/August 2018 3 Your guide to upcoming events. Book online at RTS NEWS www.rts.org.uk RTS MASTERCLASSES National events Tuesday 13 Novermber RTS Student Programme STEVE HEWLETT RTS CONFERENCE Masterclasses Tuesday 18 September Venue: IET London, 2 Savoy MEMORIAL LECTURE 2018 RTS London Conference 2018: Place, London WC2R 0BL Is bigger better? Will ‘the Wednesday 14 Novermber consolidation game’ help tip the RTS Craft Skills Masterclasses scales against the tech giants? Venue: IET London, 2 Savoy Sponsored by Viacom. Co-chaired Place, London WC2R 0BL by David Lynn, President, Viacom International Media Networks RTS AWARDS 11 October (VIMN) and James Currell, Monday 26 November President, VIMN, UK, Northern RTS Craft & Design Awards 2018 University of Westminster and Eastern Europe. Confirmed London Hilton on Park Lane, 6:30pm speakers include: Bob Bakish, 22 Park Lane, London W1K 1BE CEO of Viacom Inc; Zai Bennett, A joint RTS and Director of Programmes, Sky Media Society event Entertainment UK and Ireland; Local events Tickets: www.rts.org.uk Tony Hall, Director-General of the BBC; Ian Katz, Director of DEVON AND CORNWALL Programmes, Channel 4; ■ Jane Hudson Carolyn McCall, CEO of ITV; ■ RTSDevonandCornwall Charlotte Moore Alex Mahon, CEO of Channel 4; @rts.org.uk Stephen van Rooyen, CEO, Sky Director of Content, BBC UK & RoI; and Sharon White, EAST CEO of Ofcom Thursday 20 September Venue: Kings Place, 90 York Way, TV quiz night Deansgate, Manchester M3 4LQ WALES London N1 9AG Quizmaster: BBC Inside Out’s ■ Rachel Pinkney 07966 230639 Monday 6 August David Whiteley. Please email ■ [email protected] Comedy on TV STEVE HEWLETT MEMORIAL [email protected] for an entry Panellists: Barry Jones (Cwmni LECTURE 2018 form. Tickets: £10 per team of NORTHERN IRELAND Da), Elen Rhys (S4C) and Daniel Thursday 11 October four or five. Thursday 15 November Glyn (Made in Cardiff). Chair: Charlotte Moore, Director of Venue: The Lamb Inn, Lamb Yard, RTS NI Programme Awards Sioned Wiliam (BBC Radio 4). In Content, BBC Orford Place, Norwich NR1 3RU Venue: TBC Welsh, with simultaneous English Joint RTS and Media Society ■ Nikki O’Donnell ■ John Mitchell translation. 2:30pm-4:00pm event. Tickets £10. All net profits ■ [email protected] ■ mitch.mvbroadcast@ Saturday 11 August will go to the Steve Hewlett Bur- btinternet.com Dal: Yma/Nawr sary Fund. 6:30pm for 7:00pm LONDON Screening and Q&A, chaired Venue: The University of ■ Daniel Cherowbrier REPUBLIC OF IRELAND by Heledd Hardy, with director Westminster, 4-12 Little Titchfield ■ [email protected] ■ Charles Byrne (353) 87251 3092 Marc Evans and producer Ynyr Street, London W1W 7BY ■ [email protected] Williams. 2:30pm-4:30pm MIDLANDS Venue: Sinemaes (Pop-Up RTS EARLY EVENING EVENT Tuesday 20 November SCOTLAND Cinema), National Eisteddfod, Wednesday 24 October RTS Midlands Awards 2018 ■ Jane Muirhead Cardiff Bay Who’s watching? The challenge Venue: Town Hall, Victoria ■ [email protected] ■ Hywel Wiliam 07980 007841 of digital TV measurement Square, Birmingham B3 3DQ ■ [email protected] Speakers: Rich Astley, chief ■ Jayne Greene 07792 776585 SOUTHERN product officer, Finecast; ■ [email protected] ■ Stephanie Farmer WEST OF ENGLAND Matt Hill, research and planning ■ [email protected] ■ Belinda Biggam director, Thinkbox; John Litster, NORTH EAST AND THE BORDER ■ [email protected] MD, Sky Media; Sarah Rose, ■ Jill Graham THAMES VALLEY director of consumer insight, ■ [email protected] Friday 23 November YORKSHIRE Channel 4; and Justin Sampson, 2018 Winter Ball ■ Lisa Holdsworth 07790 145280 CEO, Barb. Chair: Kate Bulkley, NORTH WEST Venue: De Vere Wokefield Estate, ■ lisa@allonewordproductions. journalist. 6:30pm for 6:45pm Saturday 10 November Goodboys Lane, Reading RG7 3AE co.uk Venue: The Hospital Club, 24 Endell RTS North West Awards 2018 ■ Tony Orme Street, London WC2H 9HQ Venue: Hilton Deansgate, 303 ■ [email protected] 4 TV diary Andrew Billen is impressed when he meets the adaptor of Poldark s an interviewer, That he was not a remunerative screaming: “It’s a [expletive deleted] you get used to correctness refusenik is a disap- outrage.” This was the crisis in a – after 30 years, pointment, however. You would have dream in which I got worked up at I have had to get to be deaf to think all PM presenters the injustice that, while Disney, used to – being deserve to be considered equal. Hanna and Barbera, Matt Groening et reminded that we al became millionaires, Firmin made are an unequal ■ At the time of writing, we do not virtually nothing from his genius, species. The ability gap between an know LBC’s plans for Mair. The even sending out knitting patterns so Ainterviewer and interviewee is a given. question for me is whether we will parents could make, rather than buy, Recently, however, I keep confront- now learn his politics, as we do the toy Clangers. ing multiply talented subjects. Lennie rest of the station’s argumentative Firmin was mystified when I said James, whom I spoke to for this maga- presenter roster. this. He was comfortably off, had his zine, is an actor and a screenwriter.