Festival programme sponsored by: 26-28 August 2011 Programme of Events of Programme 98 x 60 min · (12 seasons) Investigating the unthinkable. Produced in association with National Geographic Channel (International) and Channel 5. Discovery Channel (Canada), and Canal D (Canada). 12 x 60 min · (2 seasons) True stories of cold-blooded contract killings. Produced in association with Crime & Investigation (UK) and Discovery ID (US & Canada). 10 x 60 min · A salvage dealer conquers Britain’s past. Produced in association with Discovery (UK) and 6 x 30 min · Historia (Canada). The ultimate healthy-eating cook off. Produced in association with Channel 5 and Mindshare. cinefl ixproductions.com CONTENTS WELCOME TO EDINBURGH 2–5 THE FESTIVAL SPONSORS 6-8 PROGRAMME 2011 FESTIVAL INFORMATION 9 WHAt’S ON FRIDAY? 20-27 Highlights include: Family Fortunes – Edinburgh Special/ FESTIVAL EXTRAS 10-11 Deconstructing Downton Abbey: A Masterclass/The Richard Dunn Memorial Lecture: Jon Thoday/Ricky WORKSHOPS 12 Gervais – In Conversation with Richard Bacon/The James MacTaggart Memorial SOCIAL EVENTS 14-15 Lecture: Eric Schmidt EICC ORIENTATION GUIDE 16 VENUES 17 SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE 18-19 WHAt’S ON SATURDAY? 28-41 THE FESTIVAL Highlights include: PROGRAMME 2011 20-43 Miranda: A Masterclass/The Worldview Address: Alex Crawford/The Alt See right for details MacTaggart: Brian Cox/The Killing: A Masterclass/The Futureview Address: THE NETWORK 44–45 Glenn Brown/The Only Way Is Essex: A Masterclass FAST TRACK 46-52 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 54 ADVISORY COMMITTEE 55 FESTIVAL TEAM 56 WHAt’S ON SUNDAY 42-43 Highlights include: TV’s Question Time/Olympics Sneak Peak/That Was The Fest That Was 1 WELCOME TO EDINBURGH, 2011 Elaine Bedell is Executive on how social networking is enhancing and Chair of the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International extending television viewing habits and there Television Festival and will be a lively Twitter session to follow, with Director of Entertainment contributions from some of the world’s most and Comedy, ITV. prolific twitterers. Elaine heads a committee Edinburgh is the only television festival that meets five times a created by people who work in the industry – year and takes care of the writers, producers, researchers. And George’s overall governance of the Festival and its educational committee have made sure that some of initiatives. this year’s most potent issues, which affect everyone working in television, are going to Welcome to Edinburgh, 2011. George Entwistle get centre stage attention. There will be a and his advisory team have put together a session on bullying in the television workplace, brilliant programme for the weekend, which a session on ageism with Miriam O’Reilly, and promises fun and provocation in equal a session on risk-taking in the making and measure – the perfect ingredients for an commissioning of programmes. excellent Television Festival (the other perfect ingredients being those served in large this year’s committee have made measures at the George bar…or this year, being “ served in the Pentland on Saturday for the sure that some of this year’s most Arqiva Channel of the Year awards. It may be potent issues, which affect everyone my first year as Executive Chair of the Festival, working in television, are going to get but I have at least made one big change: this centre stage attention year, the drinks are on us.) ” We have much to celebrate in television. And finally – there’s the networking. Edinburgh More people than ever are watching more is the one media festival where young hours of television a week. And so this year ambitious people working in the industry (or, in Edinburgh, we have a series of television in the case of our excellent talent training masterclasses, presented by some of the scheme The Network, people trying to get into world’s most accomplished tv producers and the industry) can mix with all the key television performers: roll up, roll up for a ride on the executives, whether inside a session, at the TOWIE juggernaut, steered by members of the Channel of the Year awards, or staggering vajazzled Essex cast, alongside their producers. home along George St. Do come and make Miranda will also be revealing the tricks of her the most of it. comedy trade, together with the cast and crew of Downton Abbey and Danish hit The Killing, Many thanks to George, and his advisory as well as the makers of The Cube. committee for putting together such a great programme of events and thanks also to my Television viewing is on the up – but the Executive committee for all their support business of consuming television is spreading this year. Thanks to Louise Benson, our new to many other platforms and technologies, Festival director, everyone at the festival HQ, and for the first time this year, the prestigious and of course to all our sponsors. Have a MacTaggart lecture will be given by someone great weekend. not directly involved in television and film – but an undisputed giant in the world of online, the Executive Chairman of Google, Eric Schmidt. He will also take part in a question and Elaine Bedell answer session on Saturday lunchtime. Glenn Director of Entertainment & Comedy Brown from Twitter will be offering his view ITV 2 INSPIRATION GUARANTEED George Entwistle is big broadcasters. But despite the delightful Advisory Chair of the 2011 MediaGuardian Edinburgh durability of linear television, a quiet media International Television Festival revolution continues. The disruption caused and Director of BBC Vision. by new platforms and devices may have been less overwhelming than some predicted, Over the past 12 months but there’s no denying that social networks, George has been leading universal mobile ownership and broadband the Advisory Committee in ubiquity are changing the way we find, producing the sessions for consume and share content – including this weekend’s event. that which is conceived, commissioned and created for the traditional television. Dear Delegate, So for this year’s Festival we’ve tried to build Welcome to this year’s MediaGuardian a programme that rejects the pendulum Edinburgh International Television Festival. swing from “TV’s dead” to “On-demand When Elaine asked me if I’d take on the didn’t happen”. We’re living through an age Festival’s advisory chairmanship, the year in which shows new platforms and old can co- prospect seemed certain to be dominated by exist. Indeed the explosion of engagement a lengthy set-piece wrangle between the BBC via Twitter – this year’s most pervasive and the government over a new licence fee. In new media phenomenon – appears to find fact, all that got sorted out over a momentous a particular symbiosis with the mass live few days in October last year. Hundreds of experience that broadcasting delivers best. disappointed consultants put away their Accordingly, the festival plans to have its cake spreadsheets – and since then very little has and eat it… behaved as predicted. Only a month ago, I’d have wagered a tidy sum on the likelihood This year’s keynotes reflect the many ways Sky would be safely under Newscorp’s wing that key individuals and organisations are by the Festival weekend. Will that ever happen reaching and engaging with audiences. The now? And what newspaper will you take along MacTaggart lecture, delivered by Google with your hangover on Sunday 28 August? Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, promises to be a fascinating insight into the future It’s been a pretty extraordinary year for television strategy of the search giant, as well television too. Not least because telly is the as demonstrating ways that traditional TV one bit of the media that’s stubbornly refusing businesses can work with Google to mutual to change as fast as it was supposed to. We’ve benefit. The Alternative MacTaggart, on the seen enormously resilient audience figures other hand, comes courtesy of one of 2011’s for traditionally scheduled TV experiences of biggest linear TV success stories, Professor every flavour – from the Royal Wedding and Brian Cox, whose Wonders of the Universe Saturday night blockbuster entertainment to series were a fantastic example of public a resurgence in high quality drama from the service broadcasting at its most compelling, 4 “We’ve got the stars and creators of TOWIE, Miranda Hart and friends, the creators and commercial execs behind BAFTA-winner The Cube, Downton Abbey’s phenomenally successful team and the fabulous SofieG råbøl, star of The Killing” relevant and enjoyable. We also have Twitter’s And that’s not all … The Arqiva Channel of the Glenn Brown giving the Futureview address; Year awards on Saturday evening have had a comedy impresario Jon Thoday’s remarkable revamp. We’ve got more awards, guest celebrity career the subject of this year’s Richard Dunn presenters, the 2010 Comedy Festival winner Memorial Interview; and three times RTS Russell Kane compering and a glamorous winner Alex Crawford of Sky News offering drinks reception to get you in the mood. We’re the Worldview, fresh from reporting unfolding also transforming the Strathblane reception events in the Middle East. We hope this year’s area into the Television Festival Village Fete, keynote crop will inform and inspire in equal complete with vajazzles, Downton Abbey measure. cakes, The Killing’s famous jumpers and much more. Look out for star guests browsing the Our masterclass strand is bigger and better stalls at certain times over the weekend too. than ever, with all of 2011’s biggest on-air success stories covered. We’ve got the stars So for this year’s Festival and creators of TOWIE, Miranda Hart and “ friends, the creators and commercial execs we’ve tried to build a programme behind BAFTA-winner The Cube, Downton that rejects the pendulum swing Abbey’s phenomenally successful team and the fabulous Sofie Gråbøl, star of The Killing, from ‘TV’s dead’ to ‘On-demand all in Edinburgh to tell us about the ways didn’t happen’ they’ve achieved success in 2011, and what ” they plan for the future.