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November 2020 Steve McQueen’s Small Axe The world is made up of Innovators and Storytellers, Change-makers, Healers and Wanderers. Our artists create music that is as unique as they are, to soundtrack a world of stories and content. MAKE A MARK THROUGH MUSIC AND USE IT TO TELL YOUR STORY AUDIONETWORK.COM/DISCOVER/ART-OF-THE-ARTIST SEND US YOUR BRIEF [email protected] Journal of The Royal Television Society November 2020 l Volume 57/10 From the CEO The nights are drawing even the most inhospitable places We report on two excellent events in and opportunities look tempting and his empathy in the ongoing RTS Digital Convention for socialising are, to towards those he meets shines 2020. The first featured ITV’s CEO, put it mildly, limited. through the screen. Matthew Bell’s Carolyn McCall. The second saw two What better time to Comfort Classic celebrates his epic leading surgeons, Dr Alan Karthikesa watch some standout Pole to Pole trek, first shown in 1992. lingam and Professor Lord Darzi, dis shows? Few figures in lockdown have been cuss the potential impact of artificial This month’s cover story is Small as inspirational as Captain Tom Moore, intelligence in healthcare. Axe, Steve McQueen’s series of films now Captain Sir Tom Moore. We share Finally, I’m proud to announce looking at the experience of London’s how ITV News Anglia reporter Rebecca 40 new RTS bursary scholars. We aim West Indian community in the second Haworth broke the story of his heroic to widen participation in, and access half of the 20th century. The collabo charity walks (see page 35). to, the media industry by supporting ration between the BBC and Amazon At the RTS Student Masterclasses, talented students from lowerincome looks like being one of the year’s most we enjoyed two days of inspirational backgrounds who are pursuing careers compelling television dramas. creators discussing careers across a in television. TV travelogues have come into their range of disciplines and programme own during lockdown, arguably none genres, and offering advice on how to more so than those by the matchless succeed in TV. Catch the full master Michael Palin. He makes travelling in classes online: bit.ly/RTSmaster. Theresa Wise Contents Cover: Small Axe (BBC) Warwick Davis’s TV Diary Our Friend in Guadeloupe He may be locked down but Warwick Davis Paradise also has germs, foul weather and regulatory 5 is as busy as ever 16 barriers, reports Tim Key. But it has very nice people to make up for that Comfort Classic: Pole to Pole Michael Palin’s most ambitious trek is still a Flying the flag for PSB 6 benchmark for the TV travelogue. Matthew Bell ITV Chief Executive Carolyn McCall explains why UK public celebrates a master broadcaster 17 service broadcasters need prominence on all platforms Ear Candy: Taskmaster: The Podcast Data-driven diagnostics Kate Holman presses download for the low-down Two distinguished surgeons discuss technology’s 7 on the show’s best-kept secrets 20 role in unlocking the future of healthcare Working Lives: production designer Freeview comes of age Adult Material production designer Grenville Horner As the digital platform marks its 18th birthday, 8 talks to Matthew Bell about the tricks of his trade 22 Caroline Thomson dissects the crucial role it plays in fostering a common culture The real Black British experience Steve McQueen’s five films under the umbrella title of An accidental career 10 Small Axe are a television first. Shilpa Ganatra examines Jed Mercurio, acclaimed for creating Line of Duty, the project’s genesis 24 headlines the RTS Midlands careers fair Enter the disruptors Why we love… reality TV Two news services that aim to challenge traditional UK An RTS panel discovers the secret of the genre’s 12 news providers are waiting in the wings. Simon Bucks 26 continuing success investigates TV skills and thrills A pledge to transform inclusivity Television distils two days of expert advice from leading Ade Rawcliffe has been promoted to drive ITV’s new set 28 television and film practitioners at the RTS Student 14 of diversity initiatives. She speaks to Caroline Frost Masterclasses 2020 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 2020. [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 November 2020 3 RTS CRAFT & DESIGN AWARDS 2020 23 NOVEMBER STREAMED LIVE WITH SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES SUPPORTED BY #RTSawards TV diary Warwick Davis may be locked down but he’s as busy as ever ll my days have ■ My involvement with Master Moley Ufgood in the Disney+ sequel to Ron been starting the started back in 2017 with a very short Howard’s 1988 film Willow. I’ve been same way this year animation presented to investors. asked many times over the years if – like much of the I had no idea Moley would become Willow will return, and I’m thrilled country, I have a household name. Well, that’s the to tell people that he will indeed. spent most of hope, anyway. I have prep that I’m doing to get them at home. I Master Moley creator James Reatch- back into character, so I find a quiet usually get up early, as I like the quiet lous, producer Tony Nottage, director spot – which can be challenging in a Atranquillity of the early morning. Leon Joosen and I bounced ideas off house in lockdown with children. After breakfast, the peace dissipates each other and developed the charac- into the usual busyness of the day, ter. I get to see all the scripts and ■ My work with Little People, the when the phone starts ringing and animatics as they are developed. charity I co-founded that provides emails start pinging. A cue for me to support to people with dwarfism head to my home office. ■ Pre-Covid, most of the sessions and their families, is hugely impor- were recorded in a London studio. tant to me, and part of my afternoon ■ One of my current projects is the For the special, we were able to do is dedicated to it. I usually round off animation Master Moley, for which I some recording with fellow cast my working day with preparing any voice the title character and am an members. Gemma Arterton and I scripts for tomorrow. executive producer. recorded a lot of our lines together, I keep my working day to regular Master Moley is introduced to audi- which was a joy. hours. Once 6:00pm comes around, ences through a 30-minute special, Fortunately, I have my own record- I’ll usually cook dinner for the family Master Moley: By Royal Invitation, which ing studio, which enables me to to give us a proper chance to sit toured the world in short-film festi- record remotely from home. Today is down with each other without the vals before going to Boomerang this largely consumed by a voice record- distraction of work, phones and TV. month. ing session, so I connect directly to But afterwards, as we’re all big film The show also has a full series the studio and engineer in London. and TV fans, we take the evening to order, which is incredibly exciting. The audio recording is the same delve into a couple of episodes of Master Moley is a slightly naive but quality as if I were in the studio with our favourite series – Prison Break, big-hearted mole, who lives in the them. The whole set-up is seamless Stranger Things, Only Fools and Horses amazing world of MoleTown – it feels and has worked perfectly every time. and Columbo – before I head to bed a bit like The Simpsons or The Flint- for another early night. stones, but with moles. In the special, ■ I usually record for around three to my character has to save the town four hours. Once my recording ses- Warwick Davis is an actor, writer, from a wicked gardener, who is sion has completed, I turn my atten- director and producer. Master Moley: voiced by Richard E Grant – it’s a tion to some of my other projects. I By Royal Invitation is on Boomerang great, comedic adventure. am set to reprise my role of Willow from 28 November at 9:00am. Television www.rts.org.uk November 2020 5 COMFORT CLASSIC Michael Palin’s most ambitious trek is still a benchmark for the TV travelogue. Matthew Bell celebrates a master broadcaster een again, almost three decades on, with the world at a virtual standstill due to Covid-19, Pole to Pole can induce mixed reactions. Michael Palin’s most adventurousS trek is a delight. It overflows with the present- Pole er’s love of travel and discov- ery, which, frustratingly, is precisely what we are missing right now.… Our only option is to soak up the sights and to hope that, one day soon, we will be able to follow in Palin’s footsteps. In Pole to Pole, which was first broadcast on BBC One in 1992, Palin undertakes a “hare-brained Pole migration from north to south”.