June 2018 Lennie James Keeping it real 22 June VENUE: BFI Southbank, London BOOK YOUR PLACE: www.rts.org.uk #RTSawards Journal of The Royal Television Society June 2018 l Volume 55/6 From the CEO I am so pleased to “Anatomy of a hit” strand. As we all Staying outside London, don’t miss have the incompa- top up our fake tans and reserve a our coverage of RTS Northern Ireland’s rable Lennie James, place on the sofa for the widely an- amazing evening with Deborah Riley, interviewed by An- ticipated new series of Love Island, our production designer of the global phe- drew Billen, as our second report of an “Anatomy of a hit” nomenon that is Game of Thrones. cover story. Anyone is, yes, devoted to Love Island. I was touched that Tessa Jowell’s who has seen Lennie I am indebted to Caroline Flack, former special advisor, Bill Bush, was in Save Me, which he also wrote, The Angela Jain and their fellow panellists able to write a piece for Television high- Walking Dead or Line of Duty will know for making this such a brilliant event. lighting Tessa’s huge achievements. what an amazing and very special They say that all good things come In common with so many people in talent he is. in threes. For our third “Anatomy of a our industry, I was very sad to hear of Talking of Line of Duty, I was thrilled hit” report, we shift gear from one of her recent death. Tessa’s legacy in to attend the RTS’s recent “Anatomy the honest reality shows to one of the several different policy areas, not least of a hit” event, which gave the inside very best comedies of recent times, broadcasting and content production, track on a truly great show. This Country. RTS Bristol put on an will be cherished for years to come. My thanks to panellists Jed Mercu- exceptional evening. rio, Adrian Dunbar, Simon Heath and The audience at the city’s Watershed Priscilla Parish, and to the evening’s were treated to a hilarious encounter chair, Anne Robinson. We have a great with Charlie Cooper, one half of the report of the event in this issue. two siblings who created and star in It’s been a prolific period for the this triple RTS-award-winning show. Theresa Wise Contents Huw Jones’s TV Diary An Olympic-class media minister Huw Jones contemplates a big birthday as he considers Bill Bush celebrates the many achievements of Tessa 5 the impact of the recent review of S4C 20 Jowell, Britain’s longest-serving culture secretary Universal stories from unique situations Box-set Britain Lennie James’s Save Me is one of the year’s most fêted Kate Bulkley examines how broadcasters are adapting 6 dramas. He tells Andrew Billen why, as a black man, it’s 23 to binge viewing – no longer the preserve of streaming become easier to write successfully for TV services Top of the cops ITV’s summer sensation Tara Conlan joins an RTS audience to learn how Love Island was the surprise hit of summer 2017. 9 Jed Mercurio’s Line of Duty set a new benchmark 26 Matthew Bell dons the sun cream to hear an RTS panel for the police procedural dissect the show’s appeal A look to die for Our Friend in the North West Game of Thrones production designer Deborah Riley Channel 4’s move is only a start. Cat Lewis says Ofcom 12 tells the RTS where she found inspiration for the 29 must do more to strengthen regional production blockbuster’s visual style. Steve Clarke reports Thirsty for talent The East is ready Visual effects is both a technical and a team craft, Asia’s virtual-reality market offers rich pickings for UK 30 discovers Matthew Bell. And the sector is desperate for 16 producers, says Marcus Ryder new creatives This Country: Anatomy of a hit Sarah Bancroft hears how the award-winning show 18 evolved on its long road to the screen Cover: Filip Van Roe/Eyevine 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 June 2018 3 Your guide to upcoming events. Book online at RTS NEWS www.rts.org.uk National events Local events STEVE HEWLETT RTS AWARDS BRISTOL Friday 22 June ■ Belinda Biggam MEMORIAL LECTURE 2018 RTS Student Television ■ [email protected] Awards 2018 Venue: BFI Southbank, Belvedere DEVON AND CORNWALL Road, London SE1 8XT ■ Jane Hudson ■ RTSDevonandCornwall@rts. RTS CONFERENCE org.uk Tuesday 18 September RTS London Conference 2018 EAST Sponsored by Viacom. Co- Thursday 20 September chaired by David Lynn, President TV quiz night Viacom International Media Quizmaster: BBC Inside Out’s Networks (VIMN) and James David Whiteley. Please email Currell, President, VIMN, UK, [email protected] for an entry Northern and Eastern Europe. form. Tickets: £10 per team of Confirmed speakers include: Bob four or five. Bakish, CEO of Viacom Inc; Tony Venue: The Lamb Inn, Lamb Yard, Hall, Director-General of the BBC; Orford Place, Norwich NR1 3RU Carolyn McCall, CEO of ITV; Alex ■ Nikki O’Donnell Mahon, CEO of Channel 4; and ■ [email protected] Sharon White, CEO of Ofcom 11 October Venue: Kings Place, 90 York Way, LONDON London N1 9AG ■ Daniel Cherowbrier ■ [email protected] STEVE HEWLETT MEMORIAL Charlotte Moore LECTURE 2018 MIDLANDS Thursday 11 October Wednesday 20 June Director of Content, BBC Charlotte Moore, Director of Summer networking event Content, BBC. Please book your place in Joint RTS and Media Society advance at RTSMidlands@rts. University of Westminster 6:30pm event. Tickets £10. All net profits org.uk. 7:00pm-9:00pm A joint RTS and Media Society event will go to the Steve Hewlett Bur- Venue: The Colmore Club, 85-89 Tickets: www.rts.org.uk sary Fund. 6:30pm for 7:00pm Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 2BB Venue: The University of Tuesday 20 November Westminster, 4-12 Little Titchfield RTS Midlands Awards 2018 NORTHERN IRELAND THAMES VALLEY Street, London W1W 7BY Venue: Town Hall, Victoria Thursday 15 November Friday 23 November Square, Birmingham B3 3DQ RTS NI Programme Awards 2018 Winter Ball RTS MASTERCLASSES ■ Jayne Greene 07792 776585 Venue: TBC 7:00pm till late Tuesday 13 Novermber ■ [email protected] ■ John Mitchell Venue: De Vere Wokefield Estate, RTS Student Programme ■ mitch.mvbroadcast@ Goodboys Lane Reading RG7 3AE Masterclasses NORTH EAST AND THE BORDER btinternet.com ■ Tony Orme Venue: IET London, 2 Savoy ■ Jill Graham ■ [email protected] Place, London WC2R 0BL ■ [email protected] REPUBLIC OF IRELAND ■ Charles Byrne (353) 87251 3092 WALES Wednesday 14 Novermber NORTH WEST ■ [email protected] ■ Hywel Wiliam 07980 007841 RTS Craft Skills Masterclasses Saturday 10 November ■ [email protected] Venue: IET London, 2 Savoy RTS North West Awards 2018 SCOTLAND Place, London WC2R 0BL Entries open on 25 June, and ■ Jane Muirhead YORKSHIRE close on 20 July ■ [email protected] Friday 6 July RTS AWARDS Venue: Hilton Deansgate, 303 Annual Awards Monday 26 November Deansgate, Manchester M3 4LQ SOUTHERN Venue: TBC RTS Craft & Design Awards 2018 ■ Rachel Pinkney 07966 230639 ■ Stephanie Farmer ■ Lisa Holdsworth 07790 145280 London Hilton on Park Lane ■ [email protected] ■ [email protected] ■ lisa@allonewordproductions. 22 Park Lane, London W1K 1BE co.uk 4 TV diary Huw Jones contemplates a big birthday as he considers the impact of the recent review of S4C t’s 7:00pm and RTS Wales is The review’s solution is that, from ■ Tomorrow, we will start discuss- hosting an open session to 2022, the whole of S4C’s funding ing our annual report. Reach on discuss the recently pub- should come from the licence fee. television, both in Wales and across lished review of S4C. It’s my The Government has made a firm the UK for 2017-18 looks to be up, job to present S4C’s response commitment to S4C’s independence, with digital audiences continuing to and, alongside our CEO, but this plan is likely to form an grow. We’ve had a great run of grip- Owen Evans, and the author important part of discussions regard- ping drama series, including Y Gwyll/ of the review, Euryn Ogwen Williams, ing the overall level of licence-fee Hinterland, Un Bore Mercher/Keeping Ito take part in Q&As. funding from 2022 onwards. Faith and Craith /Hidden (all co-pro- We’re coming to the end of what ductions with BBC Wales). has been a long road in terms of ■ The review recommends creating These have truly opened the door reviewing S4C’s remit and funding a unitary board for S4C on the BBC for UK and international viewers to needs since our fixed funding for- model, with a majority of non-execs. Welsh drama, and we’ve just heard mula was ended in 2012. Too often, in the past, there has been that Byw Celwydd – a Borgen-style a perception that S4C and the S4C take on politics in the National ■ The review has recommended Authority are separate bodies.