May 2018

Comedy on a wide canvas RTS / ATOS YOUNG TECHNOLOGIST OF THE YEAR 2018

Nominations now open

Applicants for RTS / Atos Young Technologist of the Year 2018 can be from any sector of the TV and related industries

The judges will be looking for an application that demonstrates how: l The applicant has already made an impact in this field l The receipt of the award would enhance the applicant’s understanding of the ever-changing role of technology in television and related fields l The applicant proposes to share this enhanced understanding with others, both within the RTS and beyond

The prize is a full conference place at IBC, together with costs of travel to IBC and accommodation for the duration of the conference

Application forms and judging criteria are at: rts.org.uk/YoungTechnologist2018

Deadline: Completed forms must be returned to Jo Sampson ([email protected]) by 5pm on 25 May 2018

Finalists will be interviewed on the afternoon of 4 July 2018 Journal of The Royal Television Society May 2018 l Volume 55/5

From the CEO I am thrilled to report pleased that so many women gave up comedy, Shane Allen. His Midas touch on the success of two their Monday evenings to attend what has given us such great shows as the recent early-evening was a passionate debate. RTS triple award-winner This Country. events in London: The Blue Planet II event brought fresh Also, don’t miss a rare interview with “Mind the gap: Closing insights to one of the best factual Lynn Novick, co-director of that stu- the gender pay gap in programmes of recent times. The clips pendous documentary The Vietman War. television” and the were amazing! You can read all about Next month, Esme Wren takes over latest in our “Anatomy of a hit” strand, the bravery of the Natural History as the new editor of Newsnight. She has “Diving beneath the waves: The mak- Unit’s team in this issue of Television. done great work at Sky News and I ing of Blue Planet II”. From Blue Planet II to Sky Ocean have no doubt that she will make a big Huge thanks to the chair, and all the Rescue, our broadcasters have been success of her new job. Tara Conlan’s panellists who gave up their time to doing great work in highlighting the profile of Esme is a fascinating read. make both these events so memorable. impact of single-use plastic products. Finally, this month’s diary is written And a special thanks to one of our Talking of single-use plastic, you by one of my favourite BBC present- speakers, Rt Hon Harriet Harman MP, may have noticed an important change ers, Anita Rani. I can’t wait to see her who started the whole process for in how Television is delivered. I am new programme on Bollywood and more transparency on gender pay. delighted to say that, from this month what it tells us about modern India. Despite being delayed at the House onwards, the magazine will be coming of Commons, where MPs were debat- to you in a paper envelope instead of ing military action in Syria, Harriet a polythene wrapper. made such a vital and heartfelt contri- Our cover story is Mark Lawson’s bution to the pay discussion. I was so interview with the BBC’s head of Theresa Wise Contents Anita Rani’s TV Diary Television as catharsis Anita Rani, flush from her triumph at the RTS Lynn Novick, co-director of The Vietnam War, convinces 5 Programme Awards, makes her Bollywood debut 19 Steve Clarke that documentary can be more dynamic than drama King of comedy Social media brings a new source of pressures to the An editor steeped in politics 6 job of being the BBC’s comedy chief, Shane Allen tells Can Newsnight’s new chief, Esme Wren, bring in Mark Lawson 22 Westminster’s big beasts to the BBC Two flagship? Tara Conlan reports Our Friend in the North West Jimmy McGovern recalls how writing TV drama set in his Trust trumps all 9 native Liverpool inflamed local sensitivities Tim Dams asks when it is legitimate for makers of 24 unscripted shows to stage scenes in order to heighten Seduced by algorithms a narrative Richard Sambrook argues that broadcasters need 10 to reset their relationship with social media UKTV ups the stakes in drama The multichannel broadcaster is raising its game by How to close TV’s gender gap 26 commissioning new dramas. Ed Gove investigates Matthew Bell hears new strategies to tackle unfair pay 12 levels in television at an RTS event RTS news Reports of Society and RTS Futures events from around Dangers in the deep 28 the nations and regions Steve Clarke reveals the ordeals of the human heroes 16 who captured the awe-inspiring images of Blue Planet II Cover: BBC/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 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 May 2018 3 Your guide to upcoming events. Book online at RTS NEWS www.rts.org.uk

RTS EARLY EVENING EVENT National events Tuesday 5 June Making shows great again Anatomy of a hit: RTS FUTURES It is one of the greatest Monday 21 May dilemmas in popular TV – U & VFX when to persist with a popular Love Island Hear from a panel of leading franchise, now long in the Angela Jain VFX and motion graphic artists tooth, and when to mothball Managing Director, ITV Studios Entertainment and producers on how to get it, only to drag it out of the Caroline Flack a first foot in the door of the store cupboard, to enchant a Presenter, Love Island and Love Island: After Sun visual-effects industry. 6:45pm whole new generation of TV Kenny England for 7:00pm viewers. Speakers: Sean Doyle, Senior digital producer, Love Island Venue: Channel 4, 124 Horseferry commissioning editor, Channel 5, Ella Umansky Head of format support, ITV Studios Road, London SW1P 2TX Blind Date; Richard McKerrow, Tom Gould executive producer, Love Executive producer, Love Island RTS EARLY EVENING EVENT Productions, The Great British Ria Hebden Wednesday 23 May Bake Off; Clare Pizey, executive (Chair) Anatomy of a hit: Love Island producer, BBC, Top Gear; and Speakers include: Angela Jain, Ed Sayer, commissioning 23 May 6:30pm for 6:45pm Managing Director, ITV Studios editor, Discovery, Wheeler The Auditorium at Foyles, London WC2H 0DT Entertainment; Caroline Flack, Dealers. Chair: Caroline Frost, presenter, Love Island and Love entertainment journalist. 6:30pm Island: After Sun; Kenny England, for 6:45pm REPUBLIC OF IRELAND senior digital producer, Love Venue: Cavendish Conference Local events ■ Charles Byrne (353) 87251 3092 Island; Ella Umansky, head of Centre, 22 Duchess Mews, ■ [email protected] format support, ITV Studios; London W1G 9DT BRISTOL Tom Gould, executive producer, ■ Belinda Biggam SCOTLAND Love Island. Hosted by TV pre- RTS AWARDS ■ [email protected] ■ Jane Muirhead senter Ria Hebden. Friday 22 June ■ [email protected] This event will dissect the RTS Student Television DEVON AND CORNWALL different elements of the show Awards 2018 ■ Jane Hudson SOUTHERN that delivered ‘must-watch’ TV. Venue: BFI Southbank, Belvedere ■ RTSDevonandCornwall@rts. ■ Stephanie Farmer The session will also look at the Road, London SE1 8XT org.uk ■ [email protected] importance of casting, promo- tion, product placement and RTS CONFERENCE EAST THAMES VALLEY global distribution, as well as Tuesday 18 September ■ Nikki O’Donnell Friday 23 November the extensive digital and online RTS London Conference 2018 ■ nikki.odonnell@bbc.co.uk 2018 Winter Ball presence, which contributed to Sponsored by Viacom 7:00pm its high profile and record view- Venue: Kings Place, 90 York Way, LONDON Venue: De Vere Wokefield Estate, ing figures. London N1 9AG ■ Daniel Cherowbrier Goodboys Lane Reading RG7 Love Island is an ITV Studios ■ [email protected] 3AE and Motion Content Group RTS MASTERCLASSES ■ Tony Orme co-production for ITV2. 6:30pm Tuesday 13 Novermber MIDLANDS ■ [email protected] for 6:45pm start RTS Student Programme ■ Jayne Greene 07792 776585 Venue: The Auditorium at Foyles Masterclasses ■ [email protected] WALES Level 6, 107 Charing Cross Road, Venue: IET London, 2 Savoy ■ Hywel Wiliam 07980 007841 London WC2H 0DT Place, London WC2R 0BL NORTH EAST AND THE BORDER ■ [email protected] ■ Jill Graham Tuesday 29 May Wednesday 14 Novermber ■ [email protected] YORKSHIRE RTS AGM RTS Craft Skills Masterclasses Friday 6 July All RTS members are invited to Venue: IET London, 2 Savoy NORTH WEST Annual Awards attend this important meeting Place, London WC2R 0BL ■ Rachel Pinkney 07966 230639 Venue: TBC which will help shape the year ■ [email protected] ■ Lisa Holdsworth 07790 145280 ahead at the Society. 6pm RTS AWARDS ■ lisa@allonewordproductions. Venue: RTS, 7th floor, Dorset Rise, Monday 26 November NORTHERN IRELAND co.uk London EC4Y 8EN RTS Craft & Design Awards 2018 ■ John Mitchell London Hilton on Park Lane ■ mitch.mvbroadcast@ 22 Park Lane, London W1K 1BE btinternet.com

4 TV diary

Anita Rani, flush from her triumph at the RTS Programme Awards, makes her Bollywood debut

ell, I only to move to London to pursue men, ern Indians, who want their stories went and money and a career in TV – though told, and old, conservative India. won an not in that order. I get to make my acting debut in an RTS! What I remember discussing moving Indian film. There was no audition, a wonder- south with other students on my they just stuck me in it, along with a ful, unex- course. For quite a few, London just few other British extras who were pected wasn’t an option. They had no sup- sitting in a backpackers’ café earlier bonus after making the most impor- port network there and had no idea that day. Wtant piece of TV I’ve ever made. My how they could afford to live while Family, Partition and Me told the story of working as runners. ■ In and around my life for the past the Partition of India, the brutal end Luckily for me, my life back then two weeks I’ve been catching up of the Raj. was simple. I sublet a flat for £50 a with all things Poldark. I’m hosting a Not only my story, the story of week and survived on the cheapest panel following the screening of the millions. My motivation for making instant noodles, chilli sauce and a pint. first episode of series 4 at the BFI. it was realising, based on the reaction I watched it in a packed NFT1 with to my Who Do You Think You Are?, how ■ We want to hear authentic voices, around 200 (mostly female) Poldark little people know about this and we need more diversity in our fans. It was just like going to the mov- momentous period in history. industry. We want to generate wealth ies in India. There was cheering, sigh- We talk about empire and railways, in parts of Britain that aren’t the ing, applause, muttering, tutting and but what happened at the end is not South East. We want to bridge the gasping. discussed. Terrifyingly few British so-called North-South divide but, A totally satisfying hour of TV, per- Asians are aware of what their own most importantly, we need to reflect fect for a Sunday night after an epi- grandparents lived through. the entire country. sode of Countryfile. On the panel were The public reaction to the show has So, it stands to reason that TV needs the exec producer Karen Thrussell, been immense. So many people have to spread the love. Plus, we live on a the brilliant writer Debbie Horsfield told me that they’ve now spoken with tiny island and Leeds is only two and and Aidan Turner. their families for the first time about a half hours away by train. I’m fascinated by the historical what happened. backdrop. We talk about the class People want to share their own ■ I am in a voice-over booth. It’s a struggle of the time, but the late 18th stories with me. Grown white men comforting little soundproof box and early 19th centuries were also a have cried in mid-conversation, where the outside world doesn’t exist. time of slavery and colonialism. Brit- thinking about it. On a personal and I am putting the final touches to Bolly­ ain was a major player in both. Deb- professional level, I’m so proud that wood: The World’s Biggest Film Industry. bie said that, in adapting the original this programme was made. So, thank Fortuitously, no one has made a pro- books, she was going a bit rogue with you again to the RTS jury who gramme about Bollywood for a while. parts of the story. Maybe there’s room thought me worthy. We think we know what it’s all for a visiting Indian dignitary? It about - singing, yes, dancing, yes, could be a maharaja or, possibly even, ■ I’m in Leeds to attend the Crea- melodrama, ramped up to 11. a Rani… Well, I have just got back tive Cities Convention. I grew up in There are also wonderfully surpris- from Bollywood! Bradford and went to Leeds Uni- ing elements that reflect India’s rap- versity, so this is very much my old idly growing economy and the battle Anita Rani presents Countryfile and manor. After uni, I made the decision between a young generation of mod- other BBC programmes.

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2018 5 Interview Social media brings a new source of pressures to the job of being the BBC’s comedy chief, Shane Allen tells Mark Lawson

oth Monty Python’s Flying Circus and W1A – shows produced by the BBC Comedy department five decades apart – featured a gag in which the BBC head of comedy is revealed to be a dour,B humourless figure on the brink of clinical depression. “Yes. And Episodes did a bit of that, as well,” laughs Shane Allen, when the long-running gag about his job is men- tioned, thereby establishing that it could not apply to him. The tape of our con- versation is fittingly – though, given some of his predecessors, not inevitably – punctuated with his deep laugh. The exact title on Allen’s business cards is, in line with current BBC corpo- rate structures: controller, comedy commissioning. Six years after he arrived from the equivalent post at Channel 4, the burly Northern Irishman can smile at 14 nominations in the 2018 Virgin TV British Academy Television King of and Television Craft Awards, for shows including This Country, Detectorists, Famalam, Motherland, Inside No 9, Peter Kay’s Car Share, and Pls Like. This Country was also the stand-out success at comedy March’s RTS Programme Awards, win- ning in three categories. “I’m a nerdy fan of comedy,” says Allen, “so this is the perfect job for me. The only downside is when you tell people what you do for a living. and, at the start, Father Ted “wasn’t fully of bawdy populism: Brendan O’Carroll’s Because comedy excites such strong formed”, while Only Fools and Horses Mrs Brown’s Boys. passions. Every week, my mother- ­ “really caught fire on the third series”. He stresses that the latter enthusiasm in-law has a conversation about Mrs You wouldn’t get that time now? “I is not a case of being forced to support Brown’s Boys and why it shouldn’t be on think the learning curve is truncated. a hit he inherited at the BBC: “It started TV. And I threaten that I’ll put her in a Maybe 10 years ago, you got a chance when I was at Channel 4, and I looked home where she will have to watch it at a second series. Which is why I’m a on jealously.” until she likes it.” big fan of pilots – iron out the kinks, O’Carroll has said that he targeted In common with those in other areas come to air fully formed.” “the audience that television forgot”. of programming, he worries that multi- Allen is helped in serving a range Allen agrees: “I think it was – as it channel competition and social media audiences by having notably broad often is – a case of the secret public opinion-leading create a need to suc- tastes. He worked on Chris Morris’s committee who apparently decide ceed immediately. But the history of darkly subversive series, Brass Eye, but what’s funny and what isn’t. And, post- comedy demonstrates that the first is also, defying his wife’s mother, a fan The Office, they decided that the studio series of Blackadder “wasn’t quite right”, of a show from an antithetical tradition sitcom was dead, not realising that

6 there is a huge number of sub-genres examples, but Allen, when asked, dominant genre of docu-com (This and schools.” immediately replies: “White Gold, first Country, Detectorists, People Just Do Nothing), Growing up, the first TV comedy he series. I got them to tone it down a bit. Allen has increasingly come to the view loved was The Two Ronnies: “I remem- Later, the programme-makers told me that, for successful comedy, heart is as ber all the generations watching they thought I was right.” important as smart one-liners. together. And loving hearing my gran- Another consequence of social “That moment in Mum where the dad laugh. There’s a physical reaction media is personal abuse of writers and guy suddenly says his mum’s died. It’s with comedy that you don’t get with performers. Allen thinks that “there’s like the death of Nan in The Royle Fam- other forms.” a duty of care with talent, especially ily, or when Cassandra has the miscar- Much work from the 1960s to the younger talent”. Before transmission of riage in Only Fools and Horses. I’m trying 1980s has proved astonishingly durable. This Country, his team contacted its to find pieces with that kind of truth. The Two Ronnies and Morecambe & Wise creators, Daisy May Cooper and Charlie “The shows that have done quite still feature in the Christmas schedules, Cooper: “We said, ‘You will be tempted well for us recently – Mum, This Country, and repeats of Dad’s Army and Fawlty to look at social media for affirmation. People Just Do Nothing, The Young Offenders Towers can still top the BBC Two ratings. – they come from a real place. Stefan “A lot of the stuff from that period is Golaszewski, in Mum, is writing about timeless because it’s character com- AS LONG all sorts of people he has known in his edy,” says Allen. “They last for ever, life. This Country is so autobiographical, and new generations discover them. AS YOU ARE it’s unbelievable. I’m more nervous of Of more recent work, I think Alan high-concept things that can burn Partridge is getting there.” FORENSIC IN themselves out quite quickly.” The obverse of such longevity is that YOUR PROCESSES Fleabag and The Young Offenders some pieces from that period are now also clearly feel very personal. So, considered unfit for broadcast because ABOUT WHY is “sit-memoir” the prevailing BBC of racist or sexist language and attitudes. YOU ARE DOING trend? “Yes. It’s very prevalent, writing One of Allen’s first decisions at the BBC about your own world. You can sniff involved making cuts to the racist rhet- SOMETHING – the truth.” oric of the major in Fawlty Towers. He With the BBC publicly committed to makes clear that, ultimately, “it was John THEN I DON’T increasing diversity of race, gender, Cleese’s decision to take it out”. THINK ANYTHING class and age, the comedy department In a time when offence is so easily has less to worry about than some taken – and then rapidly inflamed on IS OFF LIMITS parts of the corporation. social media – does comedy become “When Victoria Wood and Caroline harder to make? “Yeah. I think there Aherne died in the same year [2016],” are more organised lobby groups these Don’t do it! If you do it, it’s your own Allen remembers, “there was a panic days because of social media. But, in a fault if you get upset. Because it’s not a about where the next funny women perverse way, it makes you more reso- happy place.’” were coming from. But now, if you lute. I see a lot of [the objections] as Do comedy makers even get death draw up a list of the talent you’d really white noise. threats? “Yeah. It’s horrific. ‘Whoever want to work with – Phoebe Waller- “Social media can be a playground for commissioned this should be shot in Bridge, Holly Walsh, Sharon Horgan arseholes and cowards and bullies. I the face’.” So does Allen follow social – they’re all women. And I think that’s think – as long as you are forensic in media? “No. It gets digested and the result of a deliberate shift in � your processes about why you are reported to me. But, hand on heart, I’d � commissioning and having more doing something – then I don’t think never follow the reaction live. Because women commissioning editors.” anything is off limits. So we do Frankie it’s a self-appointed elite and cabal. At Nor does there seem to be a retire- Boyle, and Inside No 9 goes into some the BBC, we’re often trying to find ment age for comedy writers. Eighty- quite dark and challenging places: a populist pieces and, the more populist year-old Dick Clement and Ian La

BBC snuff movie at Christmas, for instance. I a piece is, the bigger the backlash Frenais, 82, revived Porridge last year, think, in the past, where things have seems to be, paradoxically. and Roy Clarke is writing a series of come unstuck, it’s been a lack of scru- “When I was at Channel 4, the big Still Open All Hours for screening in his tiny and lack of referral. With Frankie shows – The IT Crowd, Black Books – were 90th year: “It’s astonishing. Roy has Boyle, we work through the script, test- the studio shows. And that [genre] is written more half-hour comedy than ing the editorial justification.” shrinking now, and writers are often anyone in the history of television.” So there has to be a right to offend frightened of BBC One because of the British comedy was also often seen people? “God, yes. There has to be. seemingly inevitable backlash. But we in the past as an exclusive club for Different people will get offended by are doggedly persisting in looking for those of certain backgrounds. In the different things. You can’t legislate for populist, studio-based shows.” days of Monty Python and Beyond the potential offence, or you end up with Allen’s only regret about studio com- Fringe, a search for new comedy talent the most homogenously bland comedy.” edy is its historical effect on budgets: often consisted of a BBC producer He admits to having read one sitcom “Comedy was one tariff because it was going to see that year’s Oxbridge where the language was so relentlessly studio-based, and drama was a higher revues, perhaps even staying over on strong that he felt it might put people tariff because it was shot on location. his own old college staircase. off. Traditionally, BBC executives are And that equation persists to this day.” But, says Allen, “When we started nervous about specifying negative Whether in a studio or the currently Famalam, the question we asked was: �

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2018 7 Motherland BBC

� how would you now do a ‘gang- Channel 4 – Peter Kay, Charlie overnight and then a million more on show’, such as Monty Python or Not the Brooker – seemed to trust me enough iPlayer. I think iPlayer’s a pretty Nine O’Clock News? And we decided to want to come across.” potent force for making sure that that it would be young black people Now that talent has so many other people can connect with a range of talking about their experience of life.” places to go, isn’t there a risk that the stuff. Comedy is the genre that per- The 20-minute Famalam is a good BBC could become a showcase for forms best on catch-up and box sets. example of how newer distribution Netflix and Amazon to choose who So, we can give talent eyeballs and methods (it originated on the online- they want to recruit? “I think that is relevance.” only BBC Three) allow the creation of already happening, with Charlie What have been his first mistakes unconventional formats, impossible Brooker and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. as controller, comedy commission- in a standard, clock-watching sched- And that’s why we double down on ing? “Oh, fucking hell. Where do you ule. “Yes, it’s quite liberating that you new talent. Netflix tends to want the want to start? Tons. Mainly where can just say that a show will be as famous talent and proven thing. But, in we’ve rushed things to air, before long as it’s funny for.” This Country, we took a punt on they were fully formed – I think The most common private gripe unknown people who had never been we’ve failed them.” from TV comedy writers and per- on TV before. And that has to be our Will he give examples? “Nah. It formers is being told by executives thing: pipelining the next generation.” would be mean on the talent.” what is and isn’t funny. Allen recog- The BBC’s best selling point, Allen On his production slate for 2018-19 nises this problem: “That creative believes, is large and verifiable audi- are second series of Motherland, Flea- freedom element is crucial. I think, ences or, as he puts it: “It’s about bag and Hold the Sunset (with the long- with people at the start of their eyeballs. Netflix doesn’t publish audi- run-averse John Cleese committed to careers, you want to give advice and ence figures. And there was a gold return), third runs of Mum and This warn against some mistakes, without rush towards Sky a while ago. But, Country, and a fifth season of Inside being dictatorial. then, people realise that no one’s No 9. People Just Do Nothing will be pro- “But, in a TV world where there are really watching the show and say: can moted from BBC Three to BBC Two. so many more places to sell your stuff we come back? Steve Coogan got “It’s a good patch at the minute,” and have a career, why is anyone annoyed that people didn’t know says Allen. “But it’s like being a mid- going to come back to the BBC if you what he was doing. wife – you’re just worried about are heavy-handed and restrictive? I “Things such as This Country and whether the next one will come out was pleased that a lot of talent from Cunk on Britain, they get a million the right way round.” n

8 OUR FRIEND IN THE NORTH WEST

Jimmy McGovern recalls how writing

hen we TV drama set in his is poverty here, and the way to beat were poverty and crime is to put money making native Liverpool into people’s pockets. Accused, inflamed local “And the way to put money into Danny people’s pockets is to give them well- Brockle- sensitivities paid jobs, the sort of jobs that come hurst with television production.” wanted to include a story about a I’d like to say that letters poured in Wtaxi driver who takes a woman to the in response and that they were over- airport and then goes back and bur- whelmingly supportive but, sadly, gles her house. It was the stuff of that wasn’t the case. Nothing hap- urban nightmare. pened. Nothing changed. We knew Jodie Whittaker (the new To this day, if you set a drama in Doctor Who) should play the woman, Liverpool, there’s a very good chance and the driver’s part, we all agreed, you’ll be criticised in the letters page was perfect for the Liverpudlian Ste- of the Liverpool Echo, a paper that phen Graham. But there was no way claims to be the voice of the city but we could offer it to him, not with all which gets printed in Oldham, Greater those Scouser jokes ringing in our Manchester. ears: “What do you call a Scouser in a So what do I do? How do I recog- suit? The accused.” “What do you call nise my city’s sensitivity and yet still a Scouser in a big house? A burglar.” produce television drama from here?

We offered it instead to Andy Serkis, Richard Kendal Well, right now, I’m doing it by work- and he played him to perfection. ing with LA Productions in Kirkdale, This negative stereotyping of Liver- the abuse poured down: “So, we’re all north Liverpool, one of the poorest pool – and Liverpool’s sensitivity to smack heads now, are we, Jimmy?” communities in western Europe. it – have haunted me ever since I In 1993, I wrote Cracker. It was full of We base our production there (thus started writing. lunatics and psychopaths and I didn’t ensuring we get those well-paid jobs) It was there in Brookside in the 1980s dare set it in Liverpool. Instead, I set it but we set our stories in a vague and, when one of its most popular in Manchester and not one Mancunian North West, somewhere between characters (Billy Corkhill) turned to voice was heard in protest. Why? Liverpool and Lancaster. crime out of sheer desperation, that Because they didn’t have to overcome It’s not an ideal solution, of course, abuse poured down upon us: the negative stereotype, that’s why. and it leaves us wide open to another “So we’re all robbers, then, are we?” They were able to see television accusation: that of denying Liver- It was even stronger in the 1990s, drama production as the source of pool-born actors the chance to act in when I wrote a drama about the nee- highly paid jobs and as a welcome Liverpool-set dramas, but it’s a com- dle exchange scheme, an initiative boost to the local economy. promise of sorts and it will have to do that had saved thousands of lives by I went back to Liverpool to argue me for now. n giving heroin users clean needles, my case in a free Liverpool newspa- something that was being universally per. “There is crime in Liverpool,” I Jimmy McGovern is a screenwriter and praised at the time. said. “Less than in Manchester, yes, recently received the Lifetime Achieve- Unfortunately, I’d set this film in but there is crime here and that’s ment award at the RTS Programme my native Liverpool and, once again, largely down to the fact that there Awards 2018.

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2018 9 y name is Richard and I used to be a social media evangelist. Yes, I know, it’s shame- ful and hard to believe.M But, back in the 2000s, the infant social media held such promise for broadcasters and audiences alike. In those sun-dappled days, we used to talk about the promise of interactiv- ity, empowering the audience, real connection and insight into their thoughts and ideas. All this and free distribution! Such innocence. As Noah Kulwin recently wrote in New York magazine, we failed to foresee “how the Silicon Valley dream of building a networked utopia would turn into a globalised, strip-mall casino overrun by pop-up ads and cyberbullies and Vladimir Putin”. It’s an age-old story. It started simply enough with a few likes and shares, which provided a harmless buzz of connection to the audience. But, soon, that wasn’t enough. We started to crave more complex analytics and greater reach; we heard people talk of “engagement” – a state of deep, mean- ingful connection with our viewers – and, before we knew it, we were strung out, sweating in fear of an unan- nounced overnight tweak in the news- feed algorithm. Those who cared about us started to worry about the company we kept, saying that they could no longer tell the difference between us and the clickbait and lies we hung around with… And, all this time, while we spent more and more money to provide free content to the platforms, they, in return, seemed to play fast and loose Seduced by with data and metrics. As one leading TV commissioner recently told yet another fake-news seminar: “I feel like a woman who has been mugged for her handbag by a algorithms man in a Rolls-Royce.” OK, perhaps that’s taking it a bit far, Online but we do need a serious conversation about broadcasting and social media. With the benefit of hindsight, it’s clear Richard Sambrook argues that broadcasters that the promise of reach, access to the elusive younger demographic and need to reset their relationship with social media granular feedback through user data seduced broadcasters into allowing

intermediaries to come between them iStockPhoto.com

10 ‘I FEEL LIKE A WOMAN WHO and the audience. We can’t even say it HAS BEEN control of data, seem more fruitful was a strategic mistake. Where was the areas to consider for intervention, but alternative? The platforms grew so MUGGED FOR is anyone really going to break up the rapidly on the back of extraordinary HER HANDBAG likes of Google or Facebook? technology, and offered services that, The Germans are regulating against inevitably, had broader, customised BY A MAN IN A hate speech, the French against “fake appeal than anything a single broad- ROLLS-ROYCE’ news” during election campaigns (but caster could offer. The elusive under- who decides?). The European Com- 30s audience was hanging out online, mission is looking at what can be done not in front of TVs. metric online. His and other sites are short of regulation. There have been three core strategies designed to encourage and enable Meanwhile, the UK has proposed a for broadcasters on social media: sharing as much as possible. sensible if, so far, broad-brush digital n Direct – based on the hope that users Sharing may be a good indicator of charter to encourage best practice, will click through to a broadcasters’ own consumer interest, but it is no indica- with codes of conduct and more. But site, thus providing direct user value; tion of citizen value (a crucial respon- politicians have a weak understanding n Distributed – based on the reach sibility for regulated media). of the issues (as anyone watching the value of those who serendipitously Social media encourages opinion recent congressional committees can encounter the broadcasters’ content over fact, and it is increasingly fed by testify) and motivations that may not in their news feed; outrage and emotion. Consequently, always be pure. n Pure marketing – in effect, a variant this feeds division. Emotional triggers The social-media companies can be of the distributed approach. encourage greater use, more data, encouraged to self-regulate or reform, An executive at one major UK and bigger profits. and are doing so. Where once Face- broadcaster tells me that they see no Broadcasting, on the other hand, is book believed artificial intelligence direct increase in TV viewing when committed to bringing audiences could manage all content, it is now they invest more in social media. Hard together for common experiences, a committed to employing 20,000 mod- figures, of course, are closely guarded constructive public debate and build- erators to do what an algorithm can’t. and difficult to find. ing, rather than dividing communities. AI will develop and help further. It We took comfort from the big tech- Social media has been driven by has largely removed pornography from nology platforms saying that they brilliant technology and engineers, the major platforms and can, doubtless, ­weren’t publishers – just distributors with little experience or interest in address hate speech and violence, too. – before realising that the algorithms social or political policy, or anything Some argue that Facebook and determining who saw what were not qualitative that can’t be measured and Google should be paying more money neutral or transparent. coded. A mix of naivety and hubris has to content providers. But beware the Someone was making decisions about meant that, until recently, the software handout trap. A couple of hundred mil- who saw our content without much engineers have been dismissive of lion in a fund may feel good but it does discussion, agreement or openness. But social science or editorial judgement. little to address structural problems. A those potentially huge reach numbers As a consequence, a series of scandals better solution might be proper pay- still seemed to justify us being there. and misjudgements has left them in ment for the content the platforms offer The problem has been that the plat- what Noah Kulwin describes as their their users, or perhaps licensing of some forms sacrificed quality for scale and current “profitable crisis state”. form, as we have for music use or under sales – and broadcasters have not Because, for all the inquiries, com- the Newspaper Licensing Agency. gained sufficiently from either. mittee hearings, campaigning and The digital environment means that, Research from the Reuters Institute debate, they remain hugely profitable, whatever our reservations, social at Oxford University shows that many with ever-expanding user bases, while media will be a key part of the future users fail to recognise media brands in traditional media audiences continue for broadcasters. But now is the their social feeds. Broadcasters face a to decline. moment to reset the relationship. huge challenge in trying to differenti- None of this is to deny the many Broadcasters may not have the ate their content online or on mobile. benefits and extraordinary achieve- global scale or resources of Facebook A square video, played silently for ments of social media. But we can no or Google, but they have strong brands perhaps 10 seconds, may register as a longer pretend that there is a healthy and are loved by audiences. They also metric, but it does not provide a qual- relationship between traditional media benefit trust, accountability, experi- ity experience and, all too rarely, and the newer tech behemoths. So, ence, judgement and, above all, great attracts loyalty back to the provider. how might things be reset? content. The Faangs may need us more At heart, there is a conflict between There is currently much talk of regu- than they realise. n the purposes of a regulated public lation but less clarity about what form broadcaster in the UK and the pur- this should take. Content regulation Richard Sambrook is a professor of poses and methods of social media. online would be hugely complex and journalism and director of the Centre for Jonah Peretti, founder of BuzzFeed, has likely to have damaging collateral con- Journalism at Cardiff School of Journalism,

iStockPhoto.com explained how “sharing” is the key sequences. Questions of scale, and Media and Cultural Studies.

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2018 11 How to close TV’s gender pay gap

he huge disparity at the BBC. Radio 4’s Today provided between the salaries of Pay one of the more egregious examples: male and female on-air John Humphrys’ salary was quoted as talent at the BBC has being between £600,000 and £650,000, attracted widespread and Matthew Bell hears compared with the £200,000-250,000 much-deserved criti- new strategies to tackle paid to fellow presenter Mishal Husain. cism.T But recently released figures on Another Today presenter, Sarah Mon- the gender pay gap reveal that discrimi- unfair pay levels in tague, failed to make the list of nation exists across television, from the £150,000-plus earners, despite serving top to the bottom of the industry. television at an 16 years on the programme. Montague, Channel 4 recorded the worst (mean) RTS event who left Today at the end of March to average pay gap – of 28.6% – of the host Radio 4’s World at One, recently major UK broadcasters, followed by: Last month, an RTS early-evening revealed that she was “incandescent UKTV at 17.9%; ITV, 16.4%; the BBC, event in central London – boasting a with rage” when she discovered the 10.7%; Sky: 5.2%; and Channel 5, where panel that included the architect of the pay of her co-hosts. women are, in fact, paid 2.9% more gender pay-gap legislation, Rt Hon “These are big sums; we are talking than men. Harriet Harman MP, – asked television about very well-paid women and men, Employers with more than 250 staff some tough questions about its treat- and that needs saying, especially when were legally required to report for the ment of women. you’re talking to a wider public outside first time their gender pay gaps by The panel also included BBC current the media. These are stupendous sums 4 April (30 March for public bodies) affairs journalist Jane Corbin, who is of money, but, still, there is an equal- this year. one of the 170 members of the BBC pay principle here,” argued Corbin. Television is doing no worse than Women group, which campaigns for The pay list revealed “a huge differ- other UK businesses, but also no bet- an “equal, fair and transparent pay ence at the BBC between the top male ter. Analysis of the figures provided by structure” at the corporation. on-air earners and the top women, 15 broadcasters and producers by BBC Women, which includes much and that was genuinely shocking”, she industry magazine Broadcast revealed of the BBC’s big-name female talent added. a mean pay gap of 14.8%. such as Jane Garvey, Clare Balding and The BBC’s median gender pay gap of This almost mirrors the 14.5% national Sarah Montague, was set up in the 9.3%, she suggested, “presented a mean across more than 10,000 organi- wake of the publication last July of the much better picture for the BBC, a sations that published pay-gap reports. list of presenters and journalists paid lower-than-national-average­ gender However, the mean bonus gap of 43.7% more than £150,000 by the BBC. pay gap”. Despite this, she said, the in the TV industry is three times the The list caused a furore, revealing corporation “still had not addressed national mean gap, according to the massive discrepancies in pay between those shocking discrepancies in pay”. magazine. men and women doing the same jobs Turning away from the BBC, Corbin

12 Rt Hon Harriet Harman MP Paul Hampartsoumian Paul The time for discussion is over said she was also “shocked to see the Harriet Harman was a latecomer at the new] figures and see who’s had a Channel 4 pay gap of nearly 30% – RTS early-evening event, having been wake-up call and really changed things, that from an organisation that is fond detained at the House of Commons and who’s just coasted along.’ of telling us about its credentials on for the retrospective debate on the UK The MP raised the 89% bonus gap equality and diversity”. Government’s decision to participate in between men and women reported by TV’s gender pay gap came as no sur- Syrian air strikes. When she did arrive, the bank JP Morgan in one of its units prise to Sian Kevill, the founder of fac- the Labour MP brought knowledge and as an example of the extreme discrim- tual indie Make Productions, as well as energy to the discussion. ination that exists in UK business. ‘You a former director of BBC World News The former Minister for Women and shouldn’t dignify that with a discussion,’ and editor of BBC Two’s Newsnight. Equalities was the key architect of the she said. “Having been in the industry for many Equality Act 2010, which introduced the ‘It can’t be that the men at JP Mor- years, I’ve seen a number of reasons requirement to report gender pay gaps. gan are so crackingly better than the why you can end up with that kind of ‘The point about the gender pay-gap women; it’s just pay discrimination.’ disparity,” she said, but admitted that information is to keep it really simple, so She explained that the focus of the seeing it “revealed in black and white that everyone in their own place of work gender pay-gap legislation on hourly was a real jolt to the system”. – management, men and women – can earnings of men and women was sig- And the evidence of systemic pay see what the picture is,’ she explained. nificant: ‘We don’t believe that an hour discrimination continues to grow. ‘It [establishes] a baseline that reveals, of a woman’s work is worth less than Jane Corbin’s report for BBC One’s for the first time, what is actually going an hour of a man’s work because she Panorama in March revealed that Mar- on. Year on year, we need to see progress works fewer hours or part-time. tina Navratilova­ was paid 10 times less and we need to have stretching targets. ‘When I first started out in the House by the BBC than another ex-player, ‘These gaps are not there for us to of Commons, it was 97% men and only John McEnroe, to commentate at be gnashing our teeth at, or for admir- 3% women. The men used to say that Wimbledon. ing those [organisations] that have the no women want to be MPs – there’s a Equality adviser Charlotte Sweeney, lower gaps. They are there for us to supply-side problem. We changed the who completed the RTS panel, pointed make progress towards equal pay. rules, so that 50% of [winnable] seats out that television’s pay gaps were “not ‘We’re beyond discussing why there had to be women and, of course, the as bad as I’ve seen in many sectors”. might be a pay gap. We are no longer supply was there. What surprised her “was the level of interested in the reasons or the justifi- All the things that are put up as surprise. You only have to walk around cation – it’s just wrong. We should be obstacles will be rubbish One guy said offices to see what’s going on.” setting targets to close it. to me: “You metropolitan, London, She argued that employers had a ‘The point is not for us to fume about middle-class women don’t understand. responsibility to put fair job and pay it, but to use it as a spur for action. In Northern women, they don’t want to structures in place, but added that it a year’s time, we should look at [the be MPs.’’’ was also up to women to push for pay �

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2018 13 From left: Jane Corbin, Charlotte Sweeney and Sian Kevill Paul Hampartsoumian Paul

was on a fixed-term contract.… [Subsequently,] getting part-time QUESTION work on a production [proved] nigh-on impossible. & ANSWER How can [the industry] support women who want to take a little bit of time out, then work part- Sunjay Kakar: Is there a time in broadcast media and still… Qdanger that, by focusing go on to provide for their family? on inequality of pay for women, Sian Kevill: If you come back other forms of pay inequality A in and are applying for jobs, might get forgotten? whoever is on that [recruitment] Harriet Harman: “What about board needs to understand about Aother inequalities?” is not a your background. good question, because it implies It’s not about [appointing] on a that, somehow, we’ve got to justify superficial [level] people who’ve having a session about gender. just come out of a job. They need to � rises and fight their corner. “Both We don’t have to justify it – it’s a understand, support and take a risk organisations and individuals need to good thing to be arguing against to bring somebody back who’s challenge [unfairness],” she said. inequality in relation to gender. been out for a while and who’s got The increasing casualisation of the The thing we have to avoid all the skills.… The industry needs TV industry “fragments the landscape like the plague is a hierarchy of to understand that there are lots of and makes it hard for women to know inequalities; the idea that some people like you out there. if they’re being paid [fairly]”, argued inequalities are more important Corbin. “We need more women on than others – that’s a real divide- Lucie Ridout, freelance series interview boards and at management and-rule mechanism.… All struggle Qproducer: How can we close level,” she continued. “At the BBC, against inequality is really an appeal the gender pay gap that exists [in there are a huge number of women at to modernity; once one thing the freelance sector]? the lower journalist levels and they moves, the others move as well. Sian Kevill: It’s incredibly need to be given a chance to progress A difficult.… Budgets have been to the next level. They will start to earn Louise Ellard-Turnbull: In pared back so much that there’s more and this is how you will reduce Q2004, I was made redundant absolutely no fat.… It really is the gender pay gap.” from the BBC’s entertainment down to how corporations pay The panel were in agreement that department [she had been working indies.… I’m genuinely really increased transparency – in other as edit producer on the quiz show worried about the casualisation of words, publishing pay rates and salaries Weakest Link] on the last day of our industry and what it will mean – was crucial to closing the gender gap. my maternity leave, citing that I for women. But a Channel 4 HR spokeswoman in the audience said, “We’re not going to

14 WE’RE BEYOND UK broadcasters’ DISCUSSING gender pay gap WHY THERE MIGHT BE A BBC PAY GAP… IT’S 10.7% mean; 9.3%, median JUST WRONG. BBC Worldwide WE SHOULD 18.9% mean; 16.9% median BE SETTING Channel 4 TARGETS TO 28.6% mean; 24.2% median Channel 5 CLOSE IT -2.9% mean; 2.1%, median

Endemol Shine 0.1% mean; -4.3% median

FremantleMedia 32% mean; -9% median

ITN 19.6% mean; 18.2% median

ITV 16.4% mean; 11.9% median

Sky (corporate and broadcasting) 5.2% mean; 8% median

STV 22.8% mean; 17.3% median Shutterstock UKTV [reveal] someone’s individual pay, – you said you were going to do this, 17.9% mean; 12.4% median because that’s confidential; however, I so, what has actually changed?” can assure you that we are very Sian Kevill called for TV companies The percentages explained: The focused on [the issue].” to carry out “transparent pay audits”. pay gap is the difference between She described the requirement on She added: “There shouldn’t be a let- the average hourly earnings of men employers to publish their gender pay out for any company – let us say that, and women, reported as both a gap as “the most impactful piece of in five years’ time, there just shouldn’t mean and a median figure. A nega- legislation I’ve ever seen. It’s certainly be a gap.” tive figure shows a gender pay gap ensuring that people start paying Corbin warned that, in TV, “where in favour of women. attention, and putting in systems and there isn’t any money, it will cost to The mean male salary has been structures to ensure that we don’t have ensure that these [pay] imbalances don’t found by adding up all the men’s an unequal-pay issue, which would happen. Not all the men are going to salaries in a company and dividing clearly be illegal.” take pay cuts: it’s not going to happen. by the number of male employees, “I’ll be interested to see what changes So, the money will have to be found and then doing the same exercise for over the next two or three years,” said that will be very difficult,­ particularly women. Charlotte Sweeney. “We’re focused very for the BBC and Channel 4.” n The median male salary is the heavily on data, which gives us a view one in the “middle” when all the about what’s going on in an organisa- The RTS early-evening event “Mind the gap: salaries of men in a company are tion, but I’m more interested in the closing the gender pay-gap in TV”, was held listed in numerical order. narrative – what have organisations at The Hospital Club in London on 16 April. Bonus payments are also cov- said that they are committed to doing? It was chaired by Jane Martinson and pro- ered by the pay-gap legislation. “It’s about holding leaders [to account] duced by Martin Stott and Vicky Fairclough.

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2018 15 Blue Planet II

Dangers in the deep

rofessional skill, time, a lot of research, so we know what money and the latest Natural history to expect. camera technologies are “We were given 50 pages of risk all vital to making land- assessment, which tell us about mark natural-history Steve Clarke reveals everything that could happen and how shows. Less well known, the ordeals of the to mitigate any risk. We are totally when it comes to seeking unique foot- prepared. When you are down there ageP of life deep in the world’s oceans, human heroes you are in work mode. You have a job is how programme-makers put their to do. It’s an amazing job, but it is still health on the line. who captured the us going there to deliver the product The lengths that these men and awe-inspiring images based on our experience and research.” women go to in the cause of producing Part of the job involved kneeling on iconic TV was explained in detail dur- of Blue Planet II the ocean floor for several eight-hour ing an RTS event, “Diving beneath the shifts, in sub-zero temperatures and waves – the making of Blue Planet II”. local fixers and divers to make utter darkness, using rebreathers, to One of the most successful series of jaw-dropping TV. direct cameraman Hugh Miller. recent times (see box on page 18), the The collateral damage included Her extraordinary patience, not to seven-parter presented by Sir David several bleeding ears. Sarah Conner, mention stamina, was deployed to get Attenborough was the result of an assistant producer and “hardcore pictures of a Bobbit worm. These fierce 125 separate filming expeditions diver” on the team, suffered from a creatures eat fish and can grow up to a undertaken over four years. middle-ear infection and acute nausea. metre long. In common with a lot of Around 1,000 people across the “I don’t know if what I did was other animals, they often play hard to globe were involved as the BBC’s Nat- brave,” she told the RTS audience. “We get. Their natural reticence was exac- ural History Unit corralled oceanogra- all came to Blue Planet II with a lot of erbated in waters chilled by an El Niño phers, scientists, conservationists and experience. We take to the seas after weather system, rendering them less

16 Sarah Conner: Life underwater WE ALL CAME BACK WITH OUR LIMBS INTACT. THERE WERE A FEW BLEEDING EARS

active than usual. It wasn’t until vari- with the hardships to do it. Ice diving ous lighting configurations had been is uncomfortable but you do it because, tried that the deep-sea monster finally if you want to show that world.… It’s emerged from the seabed off the coast the professionalism of the crews that of Indonesia and filming could enables you to work in such a hostile A Bobbit worm pounces

commence. environment as the ocean.” BBC “I was kneeling there in complete Honeyborne, who commissioned darkness. It was a bit chilly,” Conner Blue Planet II, told the session’s chair, Sarah Conner: ‘My job is to direct recalled. “Your imagination [plays tricks Torin Douglas, that, in conceptualising the underwater sequences. I’ve on you] and I did end up with an ear Blue Planet II, the aim had been to bring done a lot of technical rebreather and sinus infection, and nausea. When new stories to screen that viewers diving.… Different diving skills are I got back to the boat I threw up.” could connect with emotionally. required for each type of shoot.’ It was Conner’s efforts that made it To find these stories, connections had Torin Douglas: ‘What does directing possible for viewers to see the Bobbit to be made with the scientific commu- involve? You don’t say to a fish, “Do worm stalk and capture its prey in nity. He explained: “That relationship that again, please.”’ episode 3. The scene is widely regarded with oceanographic institutes, with Sarah Conner: ‘A lot of it is to do as one of Blue Planet II’s most terrifying individual scientists and also with dive with team management and the sequences. communities around the world who are safety of the diving. Often, I would The audience at the RTS event was out there seeing stuff …That was going be in the water with the camera- shown a number of clips revealing to be the source of our new stories.” man. We could be on communi- how the programme was filmed. In He added: “The ocean is an alien, cation devices, so we could talk one, crew members were seen filming dark world, cold and full of slimy fish, about the shots we wanted to get. from inside a small submarine as it which is sometimes terrifying. How ‘Sometimes, you can plan shots,

BBC was attacked by sharks. would people sit at home on a Sunday such as moving through the kelp. If The predators were distracted by the evening and feel a connection to this it’s whales moving past, you have presence of the sub from feasting on world? to decide if you are going in with the decomposing body of a whale, “We realised that would be our big- a lens to get close-ups or a lens which was lying 700m below the sur- gest challenge. Ultimately, we wanted to get wide shots. This is based on face, a gruesome sight never filmed at people to care about this world.” what footage you’ve already got. that depth. After a few minutes, they Putting together the epic series You are directing the cameraman lost interest and returned to tearing required extensive planning. The first rather than the fish.’ lumps of meat from the whale carcass. task was to divide the programme into Torin Douglas: ‘What are your “We work with only the best under- separate episodes and ensure that each qualifications for the job?’ water teams, people who’ve been at it a one felt distinctive.“Different habitats Sarah Conner: ‘I’ve directed a lot of long time and really know what they’re allow you to do that,” said Honeyborne. natural history underwater seg- doing,” said series producer Mark “One on the green seas, one on the big ments for the BBC and for inde- Brownlow. “It is their professionalism blue, one on coral reefs.… The series pendent companies. that enables us to do what looks dan- starts to carve itself up.” ‘James approached me for gerous and risky. Health and safety is At the beginning of the process, much the development stage [of Blue fundamental to what we do. There is so of the content was sketchy, to say the Planet II], but I was already work- much risk analysis and so much vetting. least. “A lot of those stories come to you ing on something else. I did end “We all came back with our limbs in the second or third year of produc- up applying to work on the series. intact. There were a few bleeding ears.” tion, when you’ve won people’s trust Mark and James gave me the job.… Executive producer James Honey- and confidence,” said Honeyborne. For me, it was literally a dream job. borne added: “Everyone involved has Serendipity played a big part. The story ‘I was a contributor on Blue a passion for the ocean, that’s what of giant trevally fish, which leap out of Peter and I realised TV was how I unites the team. For all of us, the health the ocean to grab terns, arose when a could share my passion and expe- of the oceans is really important. There contact told the production team that riences, climbing and diving and is a driving passion and a dedication. he’d seen it happen. other things that I’ve done.’ “People put in the hours and put up “We looked into it. There were no �

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2018 17 � records, but we thought, ‘Let’s give it a shot,’” said the executive producer. “We had a very finite budget and tight deadlines but, ultimately, you are gambling on nature.” Brownlow, who managed a core team of 25 people, explained how a total of five producers were assigned to individual episodes. Meanwhile, researchers scoured the world, look- ing for material. “Finding a story can take up to a year,” he noted. Narrative arcs would then be pitched to Honey- borne and story boards drawn up. Inevitably, technology was critical in getting the shots necessary to engage audiences. Helicopter-mounted cam- eras, specialist pole-mounted tracking cameras and drones were all used. Blue Planet II highlighted The audience saw a clip showing the serious impact that plastic waste is having how bespoke suction-cup cameras on marine wildlife

were attached to the backs of a family domain Public of sperm whales. For the first time, these gave film-makers the ability to record the A spur to action on plastic pollution whales’ complete dive cycle. “We invested a huge amount of time, effort James Honeyborne: ‘We always set the oceans. The insidious nature of and money building groundbreaking out to provide a contemporary por- the spread of plastic… we had that camera equipment,” said Brownlow. trait of the world’s oceans. Had we incident of the baby sperm whale that WhatsApp enabled the rushes to provided a timeless classic of these had a plastic bucket in its mouth.’ be sent back via the internet for feed- amazing animals, all happily getting on Torin Douglas: ‘But the programme’s back. “It’s a [case of] constant refine- with their lives, it wouldn’t have been impact has forced politicians to take ment while you’re on location,” said true to the oceans as we know it.’ this issue seriously. Did this surprise the series producer. “Do we stay Mark Brownlow: ‘I was very pleased you?’ longer or do we pull the plug?… What that the audience figures didn’t drop Mark Brownlow: ‘You never know can we do to improve it? Do we go off during the course of the series. how the audience will react. There are back next year?” ‘People were equally compelled by always environmental groups doing A year was spent assembling the the closing environmental episode as great work on these issues, so what material into something that looked they were by prior episodes.’ we were saying wasn’t new. like TV. A single episode involved James Honeyborne: ‘I think my under- ‘We were just providing a platform 15 weeks of editing. “We’re always standing of plastic pollution in the that got the broader message out.’ trying to raise the bar and ensure the marine environment has changed James Honeyborne: ‘TV has the ability stories are compelling,” said Brownlow. completely in the past four years. to turn a spotlight on a subject.… As Writing the script and adding the ‘Not that we hadn’t seen it before on documentary-makers, it is the most soundtrack were, of course, critical. our beaches… Weirdly, you often find rewarding thing to feel that a subject This meant “working with David the biggest deposits of plastic in the we’ve played a part in highlighting has [Attenborough] to make sure the most remote places… become such a big conversation. words seamlessly matched the ‘I think we are only still learning ‘Everywhere we look, people are images. And working with our com- about the scale of plastic pollution in talking about it.’ poser, Hans Zimmer, and his team in LA, to ensure that the music was evocative and helped tell the story. “The secret of natural-history Blue Planet II by numbers film-making is to have minimal com- mentary. Let the visuals and the music The series involved 125 expeditions, watched TV programme in 2017. Epi- tell the story and set the emotional 6,000 hours of filming underwater and sode 1 was seen by 14.1 million people tone. And just a little bit of guidance 1,000 hours filming in submersibles. in the week it was broadcast. This was and poetry from Sir David.” n One trip, taking a submersible to the third most popular programme unprecedented depths in Antarctica, of the past five years, beaten only by ‘Diving beneath the waves: The making took a year and a half to organise. Out 2014’s football World Cup final and the of Blue Planet II’ was an RTS ‘Anatomy of the 125 expeditions, the team only 2016 Great British Bake Off finale. of a hit’ event, held on 24 April at Kings came back empty-handed from three. The series was pre-sold to more Place, London. It was chaired by Torin The show was the UK’s most than 30 countries. Douglas and produced by Sue Robertson.

18 Television as catharsis Florentine Films/Stephanie Berger Florentine Films/Stephanie

an something as understand, there’s a sense that you apparently ephemeral Documentary have to be immersed in the experi- as a TV programme ence and feel these feelings authenti- be genuinely cathartic cally to have a true catharsis. and help to bring a Lynn Novick, co-director “There’s something very cleansing measure of healing, of The Vietnam War, about that if it’s done properly. The perhapsC even closure, to a national Greeks figured that out.… I don’t think tragedy? That was the hope behind convinces Steve Clarke we were consciously looking for that, the making of The Vietnam War, the but, if you create a work of art that acclaimed documentary made by that documentary can allows people that opportunity, it’s Ken Burns and his long-time collabo- be more dynamic powerful and profound. Ultimately, rator Lynn Novick. we were hoping that is what would Last month, PBS America began than drama happen.” showing the 18-hour directors’ cut in The film is not the first and, almost the UK. This followed the British War made its debut in the US last certainly, won’t be the last, to trace premiere of the 10-hour version by autumn, almost 12 million people the grim trajectory of the Vietnam BBC Four last autumn and its repeat watched. The aggregated US figure for war. But it does feel definitive by over Christmas. the full 10 episodes was 40 million. virtue of its painstaking authority. This epic production, using the The DVD version has topped Amazon What is unusual about this retelling film-makers’ trademark vocabulary best-seller lists in the US, the UK and of the history is that it includes Viet- of still photographs, archive clips and Europe. namese perspectives – from both carefully juxtaposed interviews, was But catharsis? Who knows? It’s a North and South Vietnam – as well as included on several TV critics’ lists of big ask, as Lynn Novick is only too the more conventional testimonies 2017’s best programmes. The Daily well aware. “We’re in the realm of drawn from American combatants, Telegraph described the series as “a tragedy and, I hope, catharsis. We use their relatives, politicians and civil massive triumph”. A Bafta nomination the word catharsis a lot,” she says. “I servants. And, at a time when fake was announced in April. am not sure I can give the proper news is rife and the media seemingly When the first episode of The Vietnam definition but, from what I becoming more subjective, The �

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2018 19 � Vietnam War brings a cool-headed “He’s gotten bigger and bigger over objectivity to the full sweep of the time as more work has come out,” she disastrous story of US involvement in suggests. “I think it’s difficult for the an Asian war. media to see us as an equal partner- Stepped up by John F Kennedy and ship.… We’ll never be fully equal in further escalated by Lyndon Johnson, terms of stature, and that’s appropriate, American entanglement in Vietnam but I think gender does play a role. became a byword by the late 1960s for “I don’t think I was aware of this until what liberals identified as Western all this stuff came out,” Novick adds, imperialist folly. referring to the #metoo campaign “Our hope was that, in laying out the prompted by the allegations of sexual facts as best we could determine them, misconduct by Harvey Weinstein and people could draw their own conclu- other male show-business executives. sions,” says Novick. “I, personally, She continues: “Do I think it would entered the process thinking that I be different if I were a man? I don’t knew a lot about the Vietnam war and think I would have articulated that found out how little I knew.” until about a year ago… I’ve never After working on the film off and on experienced sexual harassment or any for more than a decade (production of the horrible things that we’ve seen, finally started in 2011 after the decision but I definitely have.… Looking back, I was taken to make the show in 2007), do think there is a marginalisation she became overwhelmed by the trag- partly because of my gender.” edy of Vietnam: the loss of life on all Does she think this has impacted on sides, the country’s devastation and her career? “Well, I think it’s affected the lies and obfuscations of America’s the lack of recognition. My career in political leaders. terms of working with Ken has been “I don’t want to be pigeonholed as fantastic. We have chosen to make pro-war or anti-war,” she insists. “It’s a films together and it’s been amazing.” deeper question than that. But I do She makes the point that, in the US think that we, as human beings, are documentary-making sphere, there Temporary US airfield in 1966 obligated to understand what war are many women working in influen- really is and what it does to people.” tial positions. PBS – for which she and We are sitting in a smart London Burns have made all their films – is where no one is afraid to say anything, hotel. The documentary-maker is here run by Paula Kerger, CEO for more certainly no one shoots down an idea for a round of promotional interviews. than a decade. because it’s not theirs. Sometimes, our Despite it being midday, she wears a However, at the recent Directors best ideas come from our interns.” black cocktail dress. She fiddles rest- Guild of America Awards (where The Significantly, for the first time, one of lessly with her necklace, talks like Vietnam War failed to win) all the other her new projects gives her lead billing she’s drunk too many espressos and documentary-makers were male. “It’s over Burns. On the series, provisionally fizzes with intellectual energy. a fact that men get more recognition,” entitled College Behind Bars, she is the Novick has worked alongside the Novick says. sole director, while Burns is an execu- celebrated Ken Burns since 1989, first as She explains that, in her own career, tive producer. The film aims to tell the an associate producer, then producer, “I have generally kept my head down story of how some inmates of the and, for 20 years, as his co-director­ on and done work that I consider impor- overburdened and troubled US prison such series as Frank Lloyd Wright, The War tant”, rather than worry about any system use the experience of being (chronicling America’s experience in kudos that might come her way. “I’ll incarcerated to gain an education. the Second World War) and Prohibition. keep doing that. It’s what gets me out In common with all her films, College So, given the new focus on gender of bed in the morning.” Winning rec- Behind Bars will feature exacting and issues and that it is Burns who receives ognition is not a motivating factor. Her meticulous interviews conducted with most of the credit for these stylish work is, in itself, fulfilling, challenging the protagonists. documentaries, does she feel some- and all-consuming. “It’s what I love to Her ability to empathise with her what marginalised? “I think it’s fair to do,” she states. subjects, and to develop relationships say that, during the many years we’ve There is a caveat. In future, she with them before their formal inter- worked together, the spotlight has thinks she will be more aware of the views with the camera rolling, has been mostly on him. It’s partly due to need to “advocate for one’s self than I been remarked upon. What are the gender and partly due to his success was before”. traits of a good interviewer? “Trust and before I came to work for him.” In any case, despite Burns’s celebrity, be present. Listening without judge- She joined Burns’s company, Floren- film-making is an inherently collabo- ment. Whatever you might be feeling tine Films, in 1989, a year before The Civil rative process. Novick’s description about what someone is telling you, try War (about America’s civil war) made its of the culture at Florentine makes it not to reveal that. debut. The success of that seven-part sound democratic: “It’s a very open “Really, really listen and create a series brought Burns celebrity status in process, where a lot of people chime space where people can reveal them- the US, where he subsequently became in. What we try and do is create a selves. Doing your homework is also a prominent public intellectual. space, particularly in the edit room, important. You have to reveal a little of

20 AP yourself, too. Who am I? What right do rights movement. I recall thinking that documentary will last. The film-maker I have to ask these questions? Tell this is reaching me in a way that the reasons that the likes of Netflix and people who you are.” books I’d read didn’t. There is some- Amazon want to establish global Her own journey towards the part- thing about a story told on TV or film brands, rather than show one-off films. nership with Burns began in the 1980s, that is so immediate.” “Once they’ve established these when she was considering whether As is usual for her work, the funding brands, they will retrench and stop she wanted to work in TV journalism for The Vietnam War came from individ- funding documentaries. I hope not, but or as a documentarian. She graduated ual and corporate sponsors. Since the I think it’s very possible.” Her own from Yale in 1983 with a major in 2007-08 financial crisis, obtaining viewing habits include British costume American Studies. backing has become tougher. “So, over drama, such as Downton Abbey and Novick’s family mainly worked on the past 10 years, Ken and I have been Victoria, and The Daily Show. the science side of things – as doctors, finding individuals,” she explains. In an era when so much attention psychologists, “all the other side of the “With our income-inequality problem, and money is devoted to TV drama, it brain”. They were, therefore, perplexed a lot of wealth has been sucked up into is perhaps salutary to note that the at her wanting to find employment in the 0.1%. There are a lot of people from entire budget for The Vietnam War was the media. In fact, she recounts, “I did a variety of political stripes who are $29m, including the educational out- start on a pre-medical track, but then interested in what we do. We’ve been reach initiatives attached to the pro- decided I wanted to do humanities. To able to find many of them and that has ject. Imagine what 18 hours of drama be honest, I didn’t have a plan, so I been very helpful – but it is difficult.” might cost in today’s climate of bal- floundered around for a bit.” Once the money is handed over, the looning drama budgets. The breakthrough came when she donors have zero influence on the But will audiences watch the direc- realised that storytelling and making content of her shows. “It’s a good tors’ cut in its entirety? “A lot of people history more accessible through film investment. Our funders are pretty say to us: ‘People’s attention spans are appealed to her. She recalls being happy, to be honest.” shorter than ever nowadays. Who’s moved by two TV series that engaged A film of the weight and authority of going to watch 18 hours?’ with the history of the US: “In the early The Vietnam War could not be further “We feel there is an appetite for 1980s, I saw a PBS film, Vietnam: A Tele- removed from the instant gratification immersion in a long-form story, vision History, and remember thinking, of click-bait culture. This, she argues, is whether it’s scripted or non-fiction. It’s ‘Wow, that’s really powerful – this is a one reason why serious documentaries something you spend time on, be it Mad history I don’t know and it’s jumping are back in vogue. Men, The Sopranos, Victoria or The Vietnam off the screen’. Also, there was Eyes on Novick is sceptical that the stream- War. The work that we do has added the Prize, about the history of the civil ing services’ investment in high-end appeal, because it really happened.” n

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2018 21 Profile

peculation that BBC Two’s Can Newsnight’s new chief, Esme Wren, bring Newsnight might be axed in Westminster’s big beasts to the BBC Two was firmly squashed in February, when Sky News flagship?Tara Conlan reports head of politics, business and specialist journalism, EsmeS Wren, was appointed editor of the flagship show. Doubts about its future had re-emerged last autumn with the introduction of Nick Ferrari and Emma Barnett’s ITV series, After the News, and the announcement that Newsnight editor Ian Katz was leaving for Channel 4 to become its director of programmes. Despite BBC News cutbacks, insid- ers say that the programme’s survival was never in doubt – and the appoint- ment of Wren (a former Newsnight staffer) indicates how robustly the corporation supports the show. She started her career in television journalism on Newsnight in 1999 as a producer, before moving to Sky News, in 2005, as deputy executive editor of The Sky Report, with Julie Etchingham. Her former boss ex-Newsnight editor Peter Barron says: “It seems to me to make perfect sense that she’s come back [to Newsnight] as editor and has collected the right kind of experience along the way. I remember her as an excellent producer, and a very good political producer, in particular. “Her move is a good appointment; she has done a great job at Sky. She understands the political land- scape and is a great operator.” During her time at Sky, points out presenter and editor-at-large Adam Boulton, she was pro- moted to run the whole political operation, and played a central role in the An editor televised election debates. “She arrived as a producer. I first worked with her, I think, during Boris John- son’s mayoral campaign,” Boulton recalls. “It was steeped in immediately apparent that she knew her way round this type of journalism.” He argues that, in a world where “politicians have become politics more inclined to play favourites in terms of access”, her experience will be key at Newsnight. “She has

22 SHE IS FULL fought those battles very successfully” OF IDEAS. SHE the lobby, to make sure we had a in situations such as the EU referendum. IS REALLY well-balanced team. That’s not to say During his Newsnight reign, Ian Katz she didn’t have some great blokes, too.” was lauded and criticised in equal COLLABORATIVE, Asthana adds: “Esme’s steeped in measure for garnering publicity by VERY SUPPORTIVE. politics [and] she’s full of ideas. She is introducing fun items. These included really collaborative, very supportive. the unlikely sight of Kirsty Wark danc- YOU ALWAYS You always knew she was out batting ing to Michael Jackson’s Thriller in 2013. KNEW SHE WAS for you and would look out for you and While Jeremy Paxman left on Katz’s wanted you to do well. watch, Emily Maitlis has become OUT BATTING “It was a very collaborative atmos- renowned for obtaining scoops and FOR YOU phere; the idea was to help each other her widely praised coverage of US and support each other. She did that politics. Recently, she landed the first not just with the reporters but also UK interview with former FBI director machines will stand Newsnight in good with the production team.” James Comey. stead. Inevitably, as a public service As a previous editor of Newsnight, Her interviewing style may differ broadcaster, the BBC comes in for more Barron is one of the select few who can from Paxman’s, but her grilling of The- scrutiny than its commercial rivals. know how Wren will be feeling and resa May over the Grenfell Fire (nomi- Another former colleague says that, what challenges await: “For me, the big nated for an RTS Television Journalism although she has great contacts, she thing about Newsnight is there are, liter- Award) showed her effectiveness. “keeps her distance from politicians”. ally, no rules. You’ve got 45 minutes With so much politics to cover (not Any spare time she has is spent on every night and can do with that what- least, Brexit), and social media and rival outdoor pursuits, such as cycling, run- ever you want, as long as it’s interesting. news sites competing for viewers’ ning and surfing with her family, and “You can do one item for 45 min- attention, Newsnight’s job has become walking her dog. She is a mother of utes or, theoretically, 45 one-minute much more complex. And, while Tom two daughters. items. You can do whatever you want Bradby’s ITV series The Agenda Wren’s skill as a producer was within that window every evening. is unlikely to return, After the News is much in evidence at last year’s RTS “It’s best when you go quite far away expected back on screens this year. Cambridge Convention. She master- from the perceived news agenda and Some commentators claim that minded the hypothetical scenario in worst when you just do four or five Newsnight finds it hard these days to which news chiefs had to react to items in depth that were in the main get interviews with the political heavy­ breaking news of a terrorist siege at bulletin. I would encourage [her] to weights. Wren’s dealings with No 10 a London restaurant. have fun and experiment like crazy.” and her extensive political contacts Among her achievements at Sky, Wren’s Newsnight is still being for- apparently put her ahead of other Wren is credited with enabling more mulated, but one source says the BBC outstanding candidates for the job. women to cover politics. Anushka is particularly keen about her big-­ Boulton comments: “Because Esme Asthana, now the Guardian’s joint polit- hitting political journalism background. has worked on Newsnight, she knows ical editor, was hired by Wren as a BBC executives want the show to fea- the programme very well. I think she’s political correspondent. ture the “must-watch” big interview well placed to innovate and reform, “I was a mum when I joined Sky of the day – something that it was but in a sensible way, and not just as News and then fell pregnant again. renowned for when Jeremy Paxman a new broom.” Esme was hugely supportive of mak- was a presenter. Her work ethic and drive were ing sure I could both succeed in the job What is undeniable is that Esme apparent from the outset, say former and maintain time for my family,” says Wren will want to put her stamp on a colleagues. She attended Portsmouth Asthana. “She really did a lot to sup- show that has been making headlines Grammar School and studied politics port myself and Sophy Ridge, hiring us since it began nearly 40 years ago. at Bristol University; and was a Ful- both, helping us to move up the system Winning two awards at the recent bright scholar, reading political science and be really well looked after. RTS Television Journalism Awards at the University of California. Her “She’s always on the look-out for – for Gabriel Gatehouse’s report on the entry to television in 1999 came after correspondents or reporters, generally; Rohingya crisis and its coverage of the she studied broadcast journalism at but also women who are doing well in Grenfell fire – suggests that the prog­ City University. ramme has finally emerged from Pax- Boulton notes that, when she joined man’s long shadow. Sky, she was selected for a fast-track BBC EXECUTIVES The new editor will require no talent scheme, adding: “What she has reminding of the need to generate developed at Sky News is the more WANT THE SHOW scoops and to have an effective social-­ managerial side of her career. In recent TO FEATURE THE media strategy. In the era of fake news, years, it is, increasingly, one of the ways well-resourced public service journal- journalism has been evolving. You have ‘MUST-WATCH’ ism that provides genuine analy­sis of to manage up as well as down.” BIG INTERVIEW complex issues has never more neces- That she is used to dealing with sary. In this context, Newsnight’s role is obstruction from the political parties’ OF THE DAY more important than ever. n

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2018 23 Hospital The Only Way Is Essex BBC/ITV Trust trumps all

here was a press furore several separate occasions. Widespread last month, when the Factual TV press coverage of such incidents appears BBC admitted that a to demonstrate the outrage that many scene showing tribal viewers feel when programme-makers people living in tree Tim Dams asks when it betray their trust. houses was faked by the is legitimate for makers That could be because, in an era of makersT of Human Planet. fake news and data harvesting by tech A few weeks later, the BBC withdrew of unscripted shows to giants, TV has emerged as one of the the series from distribution after find- most-trusted forms of media. ing a second editorial breach. A scene stage scenes in order to Ofcom CEO Sharon White said in a showing a hunter apparently harpooning heighten a narrative recent speech that eight in 10 viewers a whale was revealed to be inaccurate. believe public service broadcasters Meanwhile, Sundog Pictures was deliver high-quality shows. “Amid the suspended by the BBC for six months volatile seas of politics and technology, last year after its documentary Hidden our public service broadcasters remain Australia: Black in the Outback “knowingly a trusted port of call for people seeking and materially” misled viewers. A fairness, accuracy, insight and impar- sequence that purported to be from a tiality,” she said. single party was actually filmed over Nevertheless, there is a widespread

24 awareness in the TV industry – and camera about how they are feeling and of a more entertaining programme, among viewers themselves – that explore what they might want to do if this means cheating the viewer.” some factual programmes are more about it. Little wonder, then, that Label1’s truthful than others. Other traditional reality tools will Dickson sounds aghast when asked if The factual genre now encompasses also guarantee drama, such as putting there are any circumstances when it a huge variety of programmes – from contestants in a situation where they would be acceptable to script an obser- constructed reality such as The Only have to make a choice. All this is fine, vational documentary such as Hospital. Way Is Essex and Made in Chelsea at one because Love Island is a construct, the “You never recreate or, indeed, artifi- extreme, through the likes of Love producers set the rules, and the cast cially create or extend or expand actu- Island and The Apprentice and other know what they are stepping into. ality,” he says. “We don’t have to try factual entertainment shows to blue- “The grammar of television has particularly hard to make Hospital dra- chip documentary series, such as changed, but I think the viewer has matic. The challenge comes in making 24 Hours in Police Custody and Hospital. come along with it,” says Cowles. The sure it is complicated, subtle and In each case, different programme-­ young viewers who enjoy such shows sophisticated.” making rules apply. While it’s OK to The UK is considered pretty rigorous “construct” reality in The Only Way about factual accuracy in programmes, Is Essex, it’s a complete no-no for a THERE IS A certainly compared with the US, where serious documentary to do so. many high-profile reality shows are Audiences are sophisticated and WIDESPREAD considered works of fiction rather understand the difference between the AWARENESS… than fact. many varieties of factual shows, Still, there are concerns about the reckon programme-makers. “People THAT SOME trustworthiness of some factual pro- take constructed reality with a pinch of FACTUAL grammes in the UK. “Lots of things salt – they are wise to it,” says Leila have changed in terms of the stand- Monks, co-founder of Antidote Pro- PROGRAMMES ards and the way people behave. It’s all ductions, which has produced highly ARE MORE much looser and freer and wilder than regarded docs such as BBC One’s it used to be,” says Sue Bourne, the Addicted: Last Chance Mums and Professor TRUTHFUL THAN director of such acclaimed single doc- Green: Suicide and Me. “But there is no OTHERS umentaries as A Time To Live and The way we could, or would, twist things Age of Loneliness. for dramatic effect in our films.” Greater competition for viewers, “Most people watching TV are more are, after all, the Instagram generation: high broadcaster expectations and than aware when they are being served “They are a very wise audience, they falling budgets have all coalesced, up something called reality and, con- are aware of all the tricks.” putting pressure on factual pro- versely, when they are being served up Still, he believes that it is important gramme-makers. “Production compa- something real,” says Simon Dickson, not to mislead viewers. The pro- nies, and young people who are out on creative director of Label1, which gramme still has a duty to represent the road and who haven’t got much makes BBC Two’s acclaimed Hospital. people fairly. “We do lots of research experience, are probably being put He says some of Hospital’s most with audiences about the show,” says under quite a lot of pressure to make compelling scenes involve doctors the ITV executive. “The key thing that particular storylines deliver,” Bourne arguing in corridors about which always comes through is authenticity. suggests. “The one thing broadcasters patient will get the one remaining bed. They don’t want to feel it is fake. In know about me is that I am very pro- “It is not Love Island – it is not steroidal terms of their generation, the word tective of the people who are in my storytelling. It is very low-battery stuff. fake is probably the biggest insult they films. Out in the field, you get people But it is incredibly revealing.” can give one another.” to agree to take part in your films The executive in charge of Love Is there a danger, however, that these because they trust you, and you can’t Island, ITV Studios’ creative director for kinds of techniques are spilling over ever betray that trust.” entertainment, Richard Cowles, points into all areas of factual programming? Dickson accepts that “British factual out that there is a big distinction BBC guidelines are clear that factual television is among the best in the between the two kinds of shows. Love producers should not stage action or world”. But, he says, many pro- Island is a construct that creates an events that are significant to the devel- grammes are derivative and don’t “arena” specially for the show, while opment of the narrative. The BBC’s reflect the true complexity of life. He an observational documentary follows natural history guidance is a bit cites the simplistic “time’s running people in a real environment. broader. In certain cases, for example, out” narrative structure that is so prev- The Love Island production team the corporation accepts that there can alent in factual TV. “shapes stories”, says Cowles, but be an editorial justification for using He clearly speaks for many docu- doesn’t script them, because it is captive animals to portray what might mentary-makers when he adds that important for the participants’ rela- happen in the wild. But they insist: he’s never felt the need to artificially tionships to be wholly authentic. “We must never claim that such inflate the drama in his documen­ He uses the phrase “accelerated sequences were shot in the actual taries. Human life is already full of reality” to describe the show. Love location depicted in the film.” drama, he argues: “I am in the business Island controls the pace of the stories, Channel 4’s guidelines also take a of documentaries because every single accelerating or slowing them down. strong line on accuracy: “The truth day you come across things that, liter- Participants can talk to producers off must not be sacrificed for the sake ally, could not be made up.” n

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2018 25 UKTV ups the stakes in drama

or almost a decade, drama. The shift to commissioned UKTV, currently owned UKTV drama is not so much a policy shift as jointly by BBC Studios simply the next step in UKTV’s journey and Discovery, has been in ordering original shows. screening innovative and The multichannel The extension from comedy formats, successful original enter- broadcaster is such as Taskmaster, to comedy-dramas, tainmentF shows. Over the past five such as 2017’s Murder on the Blackpool years, the number of original shows raising its game by Express (Gold’s most popular programme has grown fivefold. Today, UKTV com- to date, with an audience of 1.8 million, missions in every genre, other than commissioning new according to Barb), has been careful and children’s, news and current affairs. dramas. Ed Gove deliberate. Chief Executive Darren Childs “I actually don’t see it as ‘we do unveiled this strategy of supplement- investigates comedy and we do drama’,” Watsham ing an archive-led schedule with reasons. “We’re doing scripted content… shows commissioned in-house in late building. I don’t see that dropping off.… We’re already playing in that space.” 2010. An early hit was Dynamo: Magician The opportunity to commission our However, being the new face on Impossible, a risky and relatively expen- own original content in that space felt the drama block does bring challenges. sive project for the 11-channel network. too good to miss.” Can UKTV compete with the sheer More recently, comedy panel show He dismisses any suggestion that the firepower and deep pockets of its com- Taskmaster became a breakout hit, drama market is saturated, and high- petitors? Even the BBC is still working earning award nominations on both lights the success of UKTV’s Drama out the best way to compete effectively sides of the Atlantic. channel, which grew its audience by with new streaming competitors such The network is now turning its 7% in 2017, making it, alongside Dave, as Netflix. attention to TV’s most expensive and the UK’s top non-PSB channel. “When we talk about making great competitive genre: drama series. The “This is an opportunity for us to drama, it is us working with the same aim is to further differentiate UKTV create some origination that absolutely producers that BBC One or ITV or from rival content providers. nails and defines the tone of voice of Channel 4 work with,” he explains. In March, the broadcaster appointed those channels,” Watsham emphasises. “Great storytelling isn’t about the size its first dedicated drama executive, The shows being green-lit are a mix of the budget. Philippa Collie Cousins, who joins the of “spikier” reputational pieces and “With the high-end tax credit in team this month. Developing new procedurals, an area which, he notes, place, and budgets north of £1m per writing talent is already part of Collie has been “lean of late”. He declines to hour, we should have enough money Cousins’ skill set – she was head of put a figure on UKTV’s investment in to support quality storytelling.” drama and comedy development at UKTV’s first drama series, Flack, is Hartswood Films, where she worked produced by Hat Trick, and stars on the award-winning Sherlock. Paquin as a London-based American UKTV’s new drama originals include THE PR, with RTS winner Sophie Okonedo four crime and thriller series, each OPPORTUNITY as her cutthroat boss. six-parters, for pay-channel Alibi. After Hat Trick Managing Director Jimmy premiering there, the crime shows will TO COMMISSION Mulville reckons that UKTV could have air for free on Drama. In addition, there OUR OWN a bright future in drama. “If it can make is a six-part PR story, Flack, starring a couple of shows that make a splash Anna Paquin, best known for her role ORIGINAL and turn a few heads, that’s good for in HBO’s True Blood, for female-focused CONTENT IN everybody,” he says. “The challenge for channel W. UKTV is getting an audience to watch Director of commissioning Richard [THE DRAMA] the show.” Watsham explains: “I think the appe- SPACE FELT TOO It’s a challenge that Watsham is tite of audiences [for drama] is abso- happy to accept: “The lucky thing is lutely enormous and has been GOOD TO MISS that we are somewhere that people go

26 not get elsewhere.” That will be funda- mental to the success of UKTV’s move into drama series, he believes, and which he hopes will lead to some long-running, returning shows. “Our opportunity doesn’t just come from co-production partnerships. It doesn’t just come from my budget going up. It comes from the number of brilliant ideas that come through the door.” Producers seem to appreciate UKTV’s more hands-off approach. “They’re not micromanagers,” says Mulville. “The thing about having relationships with your customers is that they need to be based on honesty, and the ability to have those awkward conversations when you need to have them… but UKTV is not on the phone every five minutes.” It is this reputation that will protect UKTV’s commissioning ambitions in the wake of any changes in the com- pany’s ownership, Watsham believes. When Discovery completed its Anna Paquin stars in Flack

UKTV acquisition of Scripps earlier this year, it also took over the 50% of UKTV to for drama. It’s a genre around which “that aren’t stepping on [our] ambitions owned by Scripps, and triggered a we have built two entire channels to broadcast in this territory”, says change-of-control clause. This grants [Alibi and Drama].” Watsham. BBC Studios the option to acquire the Flack is a co-production with US In a newly created role, Ronan Hand 50% of UKTV that it does not already entertainment channel Pop – a model joins this month from ITV Studios as own. As yet, there has been no news of that UKTV intends to replicate across director of programme funding. He will a definite bid, but reports suggest that all its dramas. “We have to have part- be working to support the policy across this could be as high as £500m. ners,” says Watsham. “We’re not going all genres, drawing together commer- Ownership by a single organisation to fully fund those shows and, frankly, cial partnerships, co-productions and could be expected to affect the broad- it wouldn’t make good financial sense programme distribution deals to fund caster’s commissioning ambitions. But for us to do so. upcoming UKTV commissions. Richard Watsham does not anticipate “Does that mean we can’t make really The broadcaster has long been major change: “If we keep providing risky projects? Yes, probably. Drama is underestimated by the public and by opportunity for… talent of all types to a risky area, anyway. In terms of doing programme-makers, Watsham believes. come and do their best work, and to riskier, more domestic, pieces, I think But the success of its original commis- do work they couldn’t do elsewhere, that will probably come later on.” sioning is changing that perception. No then we’re going to be in the best posi- Although international sales may be longer do they receive proposals “with tion, whatever comes up.” on the cards in the long term, for now, BBC Three crossed out and Dave writ- Regardless of what the future holds, securing UK rights is the main require- ten on top in crayon”, he laughs. “The he is confident that UKTV can deliver ment of each deal. quality, breadth and innovation of the calibre of drama that its audience The priority is to plough as much what we’re doing, and the risk in cer- demands: “There is no better time.… money as possible into commissioned tain areas, all provide an opportunity Now it is Alibi’s chance to step into dramas through production partners for producers and talent that they may the spotlight.” n

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2018 27 RTS NEWS C4 drama masters virtual reality

The creative team player in the development of behind Kiss Me First Kiss Me First. Co-founder and shared the story of its CEO Richard Scott explained

Scotland Centre development, and the how animation director Kan technological challenge of Muftic responded to the combining live action and challenge and created the virtual reality at an RTS virtual reality in which much Scotland event at Glasgow’s of the story unfolds. Film City in April. The panel discussed how The Channel 4/Netflix different the development co-production began its was from the normal drama six-episode run on the UK process. The actors worked channel in early April. together in a virtual-reality Executive producer Mela- studio and their movements nie Stokes explained why were mapped to the 3D she was so moved by Lottie world being created by the Moggach’s debut novel and Axis team. its depiction of the isolation Elsley described the pro- of teenage life. The joint MD cess: “One of the most Kiss Me First

of Kindle Entertainment felt Channel 4/Mark Hutton Johnson/Colin rewarding things about there was only one writer to motion capture is that it’s do the project justice. both shared an enthusiasm virtual reality. To achieve like working in the theatre. Balloon Entertainment for the assured tone of Mog- this, the production team You’re in a room and the co-founder Bryan Elsley is gach’s tale of a strong young had to create and then inte- cameras are nowhere and best known for his work on woman’s courage. grate a gaming experience everywhere. It’s immediate E4 teen drama Skins. Stokes It was Elsley’s idea to into the narrative of a TV in a way that we’re not used pitched the book to him at translate the book’s chat- series, which is when Axis to in film and television.” a TV festival in Galway, and room activity to avatars in a Animation became a key James Wilson Glasgow S4C looks to digital future media tips

Following the recent Government’s aim to free up opportunity to understand n RTS Scotland assem- review of S4C by the the broadcaster to commis- audience preferences through bled a panel of experts Department for Digital, sion digital non-broadcast analytics and the personalisa- to offer advice on getting

Wales Wales Centre Culture, Media and content. “The promise of a tion of its digital services. started in TV, at the Sport (DCMS), authored by new remit – with an empha- Williams explained why Creative Media Network Euryn Ogwen Williams, RTS sis on digital development the review recommended Scotland Student Festival Wales hosted an event in and a wide-ranging audience that S4C be funded entirely in Glasgow. Kevin McCrae Cardiff in mid-April to dis- – is fundamental,” he said. by the licence fee, absorbing from Playdead, Biança cuss the broadcaster’s future. The S4C Chair also the current DCMS grant, Barker of Steadipix Pro- Williams was one of the announced plans to spend which is currently around 8% ductions, Purple TV’s panel – chaired by Ruth £3m over the next three years of the channel’s income. Margot McCuaig and McElroy, professor of cre- to fund a new digital strategy, “In my view, it is a choice film-maker Conor Reilly ative industries at the Uni- adding: “Internally, new skills between receiving govern- discussed their career versity of South Wales – with will be needed, a new mind- ment funding, which could challenges. They encour- S4C CEO Owen Evans and set, driving new developments vary annually, and the stabil- aged students to keep S4C Chair Huw Jones. forward while maintaining ity offered by a fully funded knocking on doors until Jones set out S4C’s the linear channel.” licence-fee settlement for a one opened. response to the review, Evans said that new five-year period,” he said. Alice Aries welcoming the UK ­technology offers S4C the Hywel Wiliam

28 Matthew Bell

London Centre discovers how television benefits from becoming more sustainable

utting a programme’s carbon footprint can save producers thousands of pounds C– and at the same time help the environment. This was the “win-win” message that Aaron Matthews – project manager at Albert, television’s sustainability initiative Peaky Blinders

– brought to an RTS London BBC event, chaired by Muki Kul- han, at the end of March. Matthews explained that Albert certification – dem- Albert’s greener future onstrated by a logo displayed on a programme’s end cred- its – is proof that a “produc- terrible – we’re not the avia- “The worst thing we can do green, ironically, are the land- tion has implemented tion industry, we’re not put- is to encourage people to mark natural-history pro- sustainability best practice”. ting diesel in rivers or acid in watch it through the internet ductions, such as Blue Certification brings a fields,” said Matthews. and on [mobile] devices Planet II, which warn of the reduction of, on average, 10%- But TV has a few areas – that pretty much increases damage that man-made 15% in a show’s carbon foot- where it could focus its the carbon footprint fivefold.” climate change is wreaking. print, saving £6,000 in energy efforts. “We use a huge One hour of TV produces, Originally, Albert was a and other costs. “On bigger amount of data,” he added. on average, 12.9 tonnes of carbon calculator created by production budgets, such as carbon dioxide, a figure that the BBC, but the initiative in a drama, you might save includes gas generated by has grown. Now, it is man- £50,000 to £60,000,” he said. IN A DRAMA studio power, travel, hotels aged by Bafta’s Albert con- Albert’s certification YOU MIGHT and catering. “For every sortium, which is composed scheme promotes greener tonne of CO2 that we put into of 14 of the UK’s largest production by rewarding SAVE £50,000 the atmosphere, we lose broadcasters and producers. programmes for implement- three cubic metres of Arctic It provides TV and film with ing sustainable working TO £60,000 sea ice,” argued Matthews. the advice and tools to practices and cutting their At broadcasters, including become more sustainable. carbon footprint. the BBC, Channel 4, ITV and But broadcasters can also Last year’s Peaky Blinders, “We have large buildings that Sky, producers are required spread the green message which achieved a top-rated, are very energy-intensive; to calculate their carbon foot- on screen, argued Matthews. three-star Albert rating, was for drama and comedy pro- print. “The information is “EastEnders, Coronation Street the greenest to date. To ductions, we’re physically most important to the pro- and Emmerdale have inte- reduce its carbon footprint, building sets.” gramme-makers – the peo- grated sustainability storylines the BBC Two gangster series And, modern ways of ple who [decide] which into the programme editorial,” used LED lighting in the watching TV are less green. suppliers to use and who can he said. “The continuing studio and on location, “The best way you can get implement changes,” he said. dramas understand well the worked with local crew to your content to your audi- TV’s greenest programmes impact they have on society. reduce travel, and hired ence is beaming it from a are multi-day events such as Normalising [green behav- props and costumes. Crystal Palace-style antenna Wimbledon or Glastonbury, iour] on screen is probably the The TV industry is not one and getting everyone to which give many hours of most significant thing that of the worst environmental watch it at the same time,” viewing relative to the pro- they can do to reduce the offenders. “We’re not that suggested Matthews. duction process; the least overall carbon footprint.” n

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2018 29 RTS NEWS Online TV: how to build a channel

which she said has more wanted the same number of appeal to those watching on films, Elman and Fraser handheld devices. But she decided to launch Docsville. missed the feedback from “The hardest thing about the broadcast TV commis- doing an online channel is sion process: “It can be so cutting through the noise to helpful getting creative feed- find your audience. You do back from people who know need to keep coming up with what they’re talking about.” extraordinary content – and Making short-form content keep innovating. Four weeks to show on YouTube was after launching on Amazon, difficult to fund from the we’d doubled our subs,” platform’s ad-revenue system said Elman. alone – so she pursued the Tom Clifford’s partner in route of direct commissions History Hit is TV historian from broadcasters. Dan Snow. They began with Lawrence Elman gave an audio podcast, Dan Snow’s much of the credit for Docs- History Hit, in which Snow ville to co-founder Nick Fra- interviewed TV historians on ser, who set up and oversaw deeper aspects of their work the BBC’s feature documen- that didn’t make it into their Miss Holland

BBC tary strand, Storyville. “Many TV shows. smaller broadcasters around This proved so successful RTS London’s mid- Clifford, CEO of History Hit; the world don’t have the that they extended it to video April event examined and online comic Eline Van budgets to fund major docu- interviews about programmes how new channels can Der Velden, who has made mentaries,” he explained. that History Hit had licensed

London Centre make a splash in the the jump to terrestrial TV via “Nick’s idea was for a ‘coali- from the original broadcaster. online video space. Chaired BBC Three’s Miss Holland. tion of the willing’ to get Having built up a community by CNBC business presenter Van Der Velden discussed together behind a slate of of subscribers, from this, Nadine Dereza, “Online TV her experience making com- original, full-length feature History Hit can now invest in – not just Netflix” boasted a edy for YouTube and other docs, that no one broadcaster new programming, mining panel of: Lawrence Elman, online platforms. She set up could afford on their own.” history in more depth than co-founder of subscription a production company to When the BBC cut Story­ on mainstream channels. channel Docsville; Tom make short-form content, ville’s budget in half, but still Nick Radlo

The final workshop saw Brian Philip Davis (Bad Day Belfast season a ‘huge success’ for the Cut) discuss the art of editing and offer tips on using Avid Media Composer. RTS Futures Northern Ryan Kernaghan, director minimum,” added Mullan. “Our film and TV work- Ireland has completed of photography on revenge In “Shorts to features with shop season was a huge a successful season of thriller Bad Day for the Cut, Ryan Tohill”, the director success. It was fantastic to

Northern Ireland film and TV workshops offered a crash course in cam- – whose films, made with see such an influx of people run in conjunction with era and lighting techniques, his brother, Andy, include the keen to hear and learn about Queen’s University Belfast. explaining to the students in short Insulin and the full- the creative industry in Alleycats head of produc- the audience how they should length thriller The Dig – Northern Ireland,” said RTS tion Judy Wilson kicked off prepare for a shoot. talked about how he made Futures Northern Ireland the season with a session BBC Writers Room develop- the jump from shorts to Chair Georgia Parkinson. called “How to manage a ment producer Keith Martin feature films. “We wrote The workshops took place production”. Over nearly five and writer/director Stephen short films [about] what we from 17 April to 1 May at years at the indie, she has Mullan gave a workshop on thought NI Screen wanted to Queen’s University Belfast, worked on many projects, screenwriting. “Don’t over- see, which was a mistake,” he apart from Kernaghan’s ses- including the BBC NI/RTÉ complicate – simple can still said. “Make what you want sion, which was presented at documentary, How to Defuse a be original,” advised Martin. – it’s all about finding your Acorn TV. Bomb: The Project Children Story. “Keep description to a own voice.” Matthew Bell

30 Hollyoaks: made by Lime Pictures

Students hoping to

break into TV received top tips from two of the

RTS in RTS the North UK’s most successful production companies, in Leeds at the end of April. More than 150 students from 20 universities heard Lime Pictures’ Hollyoaks pro- duction team and a panel from Leeds-based factual indie True North give two masterclasses. Both panels stressed the importance of work experi- ence placements as a way Masterclasses into the industry. True North development producer Elea- nor Wight, editor Luke Roth- ery and Hollyoaks editor Jake are a hit in Leeds

Whiston were all snapped up Channel 4 as a result of successful placements. production Colette Chard well as their degree studies, Both panels felt that the True North boss Andrew added: “So many careers employers will expect them growing pressure to make Sheldon had a checklist: begin with work experience to have the initiative and programmes out of London “Make sure there are no mis- as a runner. If you get that passion to produce other would benefit graduates takes in your cover letter and opportunity, make sure you work. True North head of planning to work in the North. CV, be prepared to talk about never sit down. Stay off your production Carol McKenzie Graeme Thompson what you like on TV, do your mobile and be as helpful as said: “You need to stand out homework about what we do possible. People will remem- from the crowd. There’s an ‘How to get a job in TV” was and, when you come for ber you.” Jake Whiston said increasing amount of pro- produced by Helen Scott as part interview, look nice! You that, in his experience, it was duction in the North and my of the Creative Cities Conven- need to make a good impres- important to simply “turn up biggest challenge is finding tion, and hosted by the journal- sion at that first meeting.” and be nice”. the right people for the right ist and broadcaster Kirsty Lime Pictures’ head of Students learned that, as job at the right time.” Wark, at Leeds College of Music.

won the Short Feature award. “It was lit superbly,” Students share Plymouth prizes said the judges, “well cut and the sound cleverly done.” Students from Falmouth

The main awards at Dagenham, Last Tango in Hali­ believable,” said the judges. University won three of the April’s RTS Devon and fax) at Plymouth University. The “very moving” Factual four Craft Production awards Cornwall Student Tele- Students from the same winner from Falmouth Uni- (Editing, Production Design

Devon and Devon Cornwall vision Awards were university won the Anima- versity students, Boi, was set and Sound). Plymouth Mar- shared around the region’s tion award with Metamor­ in the trans community. This jon University students took universities and colleges. phose, which the judges said is What Depression Feels Like home the Camera prize. “We’ve had a terrific range was a “challenging and jar- (Plymouth Marjon University) Matthew Bell of entries from the region’s ring film that kept its edge”. further and higher education Thomas Kneebone’s Seen RTS Devon and Cornwall Spencer Ellis and Ollie Hutchings-Smith, Plymouth Marjon University institutions,” said Devon and and Not Seen won the Comedy student winners Craft Skills – Camera•Disorder•Joe Cornwall Chair Kingsley and Entertainment prize. The Animation•Metamorphose•Dmitri Domoskanov and Calum Ruaidhri Clark, Trickey and Izzie Larché, Plymouth Marshall. “The [judging] panel Cornwall College student’s Plymouth University Marjon University Seen and Craft Skills – Editing•Miss Malarkey’s highlighted the prowess of film featured “a terrific con- Comedy and Entertainment• Mattias Tamar Gill, Not Seen•Thomas Kneebone, Cornwall Lost Her Man• the storytelling across factual cept, with great typography College Megan Thompson, Alex Atkinson and Jude Lilley, Falmouth University and drama, and noted the and layouts”. Drama•Bird•Rauri Cantelo, Plymouth College of Art Craft Skills – Production Design• high levels in all of the work.” Plymouth College of Art Siffre•Henry Crisp, Corey Jacob Wood- Factual•Boi•Dionne Rayner, Laura Marr, ward, William Roberts and Line Vangen, The winners were student Rauri Cantelo took Wesley Trevena, Bethan Fairbarn and Falmouth University Tom Snelling, Falmouth University announced at a ceremony, the Drama award. “Bird has a Craft Skills – Sound Design•Our hosted by Cornwall-born strong story, with a restraint to Short Feature•This Is What Depression Daughter Is a Necromancer•Elitsa Feels Like•Charlie Mason, Matt Christey, Nedyalkova, Falmouth University director Nigel Cole (Made In the performances which felt

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2018 31 RTS NEWS

ONLINE Pitch at the RTS perfect n Presenter Chris Packham has built a career around his passion for wildlife on shows such as Developing an idea for Springwatch. Last year, he TV is far from straight- swapped the outdoors for a more forward, as the partici-

personal project, Asperger’s and RTS Futures pants at the sold-out Me, which received RTS and Bafta event “From pitch to screen” award nominations. He speaks discovered in late April. to the RTS about why it was “Development is anything important to make the documen- that takes your show on a tary and why celebrities should journey from a blank page of use their fame for good (www. terrifying nothingness to the rts.org.uk/ChrisPackham). end of filming,” explained From pitch to screen

Andy Cadman, executive Hampartsoumian Paul n Channel 4 comedy-drama The producer of ITV2’s Love Island. End of the F***ing World beat Cadman was joined on the Pitchers also needed to bringing on board experts The Crown and Ackley Bridge to panel by All 4 commissioning think beyond linear schedules, from GCHQ as consultants. win the RTS Programme Award editor Thom Gulseven and added Gulseven. Commis- Also joining the panel was for best Drama Series. Based on ITV2 scheduler Alex Wootten, sioners want to know how the Rosy Marshall-McCrae, from Charles Forsman’s graphic novel, who explained what they idea would work across You- Scottish broadcaster STV, the series was penned by actor look for in a pitch. “There’s Tube and social media, which who guided the audience and writer Charlie Covell. She no ‘one size fits all’,” said extend a show’s reach. through making a taster tape speaks to the RTS about how Gulseven, who recom- The panel was joined by (see box). It was important to writing for TV compares with act- mended getting to know a Shine TV head of develop- know what the channel and ing, as well as discussing whether potential commissioner to ment Jonathan Meenagh, the commissioner were after, we can expect a second series find out what they liked. A who demonstrated how the to establish the tone and feel (www.rts.org.uk/CharlieCovell). good pitch should give the company successfully of the tape, she said. commissioner an idea of the pitched Hunted to Channel 4. Confidence was key to programme, from its tone to It was tricky to sell, particu- selling an idea, she explained, the talent on it. larly as similar shows had so pitchers should know what It was important to think failed in the past, he said. The they were offering and why about what slot the show team pitched it as a factual they believed it to be unique. might appear in, said Woot- thriller, adding the idea of the A taster tape should get peo- ten. She suggested looking at surveillance state to avoid it ple hooked, so it needed to be the schedule to see how a being a simple cat and mouse distinctive and feature the new show could fit in. chase. The clincher was best characters. Armed with advice from the professionals, the audi- Rio Ferdinand

BBC ence was divided into teams, How to make a taster tape each guided by an industry n The RTS Programme Award expert, to develop a pitch for judges said that Single Documen- STV head of factual develop- have to dig too deep to find a new Channel 4 show. tary winner Rio Ferdinand: Being ment Rosy Marshall-McCrae your contributors Ideas ranged from a virtual- Mum and Dad was ‘a profoundly said that, before starting n Is it interesting? Don’t take reality dating show to a for- brave personal journey told with work on a taster tape, pro- your own word for it. Talk to mat about setting up a cult. incredible emotional honesty’. The gramme-makers should other people about it The winning pitch was for film followed the ex-footballer as answer these questions: n Is it different? Are you a series about troubled kids he helped himself and his children offering a new angle? If taking over a school run by rebuild their lives after his wife’s n Why do I want to make not, look at how you inject disillusioned teachers. death. Executive producer Grant this programme? something new, such as Pippa Shawley Best talks about how the project n Is it relevant? Will the angles, cameras or graphics came about and the effect it has audience engage with the n What’s your style? Is it a ‘From pitch to screen’ was held had on getting men to talk about subject matter? rig, observational documen- at Channel 4 on 25 April. It was grief (www.rts.org.uk/GrantBest). n Is it real? You shouldn’t tary or formatted show? chaired by Tom Read Wilson of Pippa Shawley Celebs Go Dating.

32 Gritty BBC One day- time drama Moving On – which won the Day-

North West North West Centre time prize at the RTS Programme Awards and celebrated its 50th epi- sode earlier this year – came under the microscope at an RTS North West event in Salford in late March. Created by Jimmy McGov- ern and made by Liverpool’s LA Productions, the anthol- ogy drama series made its TV debut in 2009. Unlike most episodes, which are largely given to first-time writers, the 50th episode, The Regis­ trar, was co-written by McGovern himself – with Moving On’s 50th episode, The Registrar

Megan Ellison, whose late LA Productions father, Arthur Ellison, had been set to write it with her before his untimely death. The landmark episode Moving on past 50 focuses on the collapsing marriage of a registrar, played by Samantha Bond, who dis- this concept to flourish. The and finding new audiences on in the afternoon, it would covers that her husband (Neil indie calls for script outlines has been achieved despite be completely different. We Morrissey), is having an affair. and reads every one to find the tight budgets of daytime were given the brief to work Line of Duty actor Adrian Dun- the freshest ideas. It’s clearly a programming. with afternoon drama, so we bar took on directing duties. successful policy: of 28 Moving “You have to be inventive serve our audience the best Reflecting on the show’s On writers, 15 were given their when there’s less money: it way that we can,” he said. formula, executive producer first commission by the series. comes down to less prepara- The show’s producer, Colin McKeown said: “We And these new writers find tion, shorter filming and Donna Molloy, added: “We’re [tell] writers to write about a themselves penning the shorter editing; that creates broadcasting in the after- character who reaches a crisis words of some of the coun- great value,” explained direc- noon, so writers have to point in his or her life and try’s best-known actors, such tor Noreen Kershaw. focus on telling a really good moves on. That is fundamen- as Jodhi May, Sinéad Cusack However, McKeown story – there’s no sex, no tally what Moving On is about.” and John Simm. argued that the programme’s violence, no being clever, just LA Productions’ openness The show’s success in daytime slot defined the pure story.” to new writing talent allows retaining long-time viewers drama. “If Moving On wasn’t Laura FitzPatrick

specification that will allow Standard hails TV revolution IP to work efficiently in TV by separating the underlying hardware from the video, “SMPTE’s ST2110 stan- event organised jointly by stations across the world audio and metadata of the dard is the most impor- the RTS centre and the Soci- – has been widely predicted programming. tant development to ety of Motion Picture and over the past 10 years. But “Flexibility and scalability

Thames Valley advance broadcast Television Engineers. While only recently, with the are the true reasons for mov- television since John Logie the standard is exciting for uptake of internet protocol ing to IP. Do not think you Baird went head to head with engineers, argued Orme, the (IP), is this now a reality. can go to a high-street com- EMI-Marconi at the 1936 BBC results of this work could IP is taking the broadcast puter shop or even a profes- trials in Alexandra Palace,” open up new ways of work- industry by storm, as infra- sional IT supplier and buy claimed Tony Orme. ing for programme-makers. structure manufacturers the type of infrastructure The research engineer and The death of synchronous plough money into R&D to required to make an IP sys- RTS Thames Valley Chair was digital interface (SDI) – the improve data speeds, reli- tem work in a broadcast talking to a packed audience method of distributing video ability and latency. SMPTE’s facility,” argued Orme. in Reading in March at an and audio in broadcast ST2110 is the formal Penny Westlake

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2018 33 OFF M E SSAGE

lsewhere in this The bus conductor’s son, who is His pioneering use of analytics at issue of Television you a fan of Star Trek, has boldly gone Channel 4 showed that he is an will have seen a where none of his Conservative or, industry leader who is often ahead report of the super- indeed, Labour predecessors have. of the curve. human efforts Westminster watchers are predict- involved in produc- ing that the erstwhile investment ■ It’s good to know that a former ing Blue Planet II. To banker might one day occupy No 10 RTS Student Television Award win- minimise potential dangers, 50-page Downing Street. Now that really ner is going places. Step forward, healthE and safety assessments are would be something – the UK’s first Nick Rowland. He is making his fea- de rigueur for programme-makers prime minister from an ethnic- ture directorial debut with Calm with filming in the oceans’ depths, the minority background. Horses, a movie backed by Film4 and RTS learnt. If an erstwhile television PR man the Irish Film Board. Not that everything always runs can become PM, what’s to prevent Nick is a former double RTS Stu- smoothly. In one clip shown at the Javid from getting there, too? dent Award winner. He won RTS event, “Diving beneath the in 2012 with his undergraduate film waves: The making of Blue Planet II”, ■ By setting up new venture Won- Dancing in the Ashes, and was a victor a three-person crew was seen derhood Studios, David Abraham again, in 2016, with Group B, his post- descending towards the seabed aims to draw on his experience in graduate film at the National Film in a submersible. advertising, as well as his years run- and Television School. The craft was somewhat cramped. ning broadcast companies. Calm with Horses stars Cosmo Jarvis, But, as lunchtime approached, that The new studio will develop TV Barry Keoghan and Niamh Algar and was the least of the trio’s worries. As programming and branded campaigns is based on a story by Irish writer they prepared to tuck in, they discov- under one roof. Colin Barrett. Filming started this ered that only two sandwich boxes He is well qualified for this ambi- month. had been packed for the journey. tious enterprise to succeed. As well as Not even Deliveroo does underwater leading Channel 4 for seven years, he ■ And, finally, Sky News must be deliveries. also ran UKTV and occupied senior congratulated for stealing a march Incidentally, Off Message was positions at Discovery in the UK and on rivals with its incisive coverage pleased to see that the panellists for the US. of Amber Rudd’s resignation. the Blue Planet II session were served And, more than 20 years ago, he While some better resourced com- water in glasses, rather than in plastic ­co-founded the creative agency petitors appeared caught in the head- containers. Michael Gove would St Luke’s, having started his career lights by the breaking story, Sky have approved. at Benton & Bowles back in 1984. News’s political editor, Faisal Islam, An early aim at Wonderhood is to gave viewers an assured analysis of ■ So, at last, a former culture sec- produce shows in factual and enter- the implications flowing from the retary is occupying one of the four tainment. No prize for guessing that Home Secretary’s decision to quit. great offices of state. Congratula- Wonderhood hopes to sell prog­ Also impressive was how Sky News tions to Sajid Javid, the new Home rammes to Channel 4. quickly began reporting the social- Secretary. Off Message wishes him luck. media reaction to Rudd’s exit.

34 May 2018 www.rts.org.uk Television RTS PATRONS RTS Principal BBC Channel 4 ITV Sky Patrons

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Who’s who Patron Gavin Patterson CENTRES COUNCIL RTS Futures at the RTS HRH The Prince of Wales Trevor Phillips OBE Lynn Barlow Alex Wootten Stewart Purvis CBE Charles Byrne Vice-Presidents Sir Howard Stringer Dan Cherowbrier IBC Conference Liaison David Abraham Caren Davies Terry Marsh Dawn Airey Chair of RTS Trustees Kieran Doherty Sir David Attenborough OM Tom Mockridge Stephanie Farmer RTS Technology Bursaries CH CVO CBE FRS Cat Lewis Simon Pitts Baroness Floella Honorary Secretary Kingsley Marshall Benjamin OBE David Lowen Jane Muirhead AWARDS COMMITTEE Dame Colette Bowe OBE Will Nicholson CHAIRS Lord Bragg of Wigton Honorary Treasurer Nikki O’Donnell Awards & Fellowship John Cresswell Mike Green Tony Orme Policy Adam Crozier Fiona Thompson David Lowen Mike Darcey BOARD OF TRUSTEES Judith Winnan Greg Dyke Lynn Barlow Craft & Design Awards Lord Hall of Birkenhead Tim Davie SPECIALIST GROUP Lee Connolly Lorraine Heggessey Mike Green CHAIRS Ashley Highfield David Lowen Archives Programme Awards Armando Iannucci OBE Graham McWilliam Dale Grayson Wayne Garvie Ian Jones Tom Mockridge Rt Hon Baroness Jowell Simon Pitts Diversity Student Television of Brixton DBE PC Jane Turton Angela Ferreira Awards Baroness Lawrence of Rob Woodward Phil Edgar-Jones Clarendon OBE Early Evening Events David Lynn EXECUTIVE Dan Brooke Television Journalism Sir Trevor McDonald OBE Chief Executive Awards Ken MacQuarrie Theresa Wise Education Sue Inglish Graeme Thompson

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2018 35 RTS LONDON CONFERENCE 18 SEPTEMBER 2018

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