February 2020 UKTV scans new horizons CrewStartTM Struggling with start paperwork? Use CrewStart™ for the simplest way to contract your crew Hiring artists and crew? Designed to help your team automate the processing of contracts, start forms, daily rate vouchers and timesheets, CrewStart™ manages the onboarding process for you, from initial invitation, to ensuring that paperwork is completed correctly, signed and approved securely online. CrewStart™ benefits: Reduce administration All contracts stored securely in one place Ensure accuracy GDPR auditable reports Digital signatures Pact/Bectu Document certification Daily Hot Costing Timesheets Real-time Hours to Gross To find out how you can save time and go paperless on your next production whilst reducing administration and ensuring accuracy, visit the Digital Production Office® website www.digitalproductionoffice.com or contact us for more information: T: +44 (0)1753 630300 E: [email protected] www.sargent-disc.com www.digitalproductionoffice.com @SargentDisc @DigiProdOffice /SargentDisc /digitalproductionoffice Journal of The Royal Television Society February 2020 l Volume 57/2 From the CEO The RTS’s year is off his interviewer, Kate Bulkley, and to award winner Guz Khan, who has to a racing start, with a the producer, Martin Stott. enjoyed a meteoric rise, thanks to his full events calendar. At The second season of Sex Education BBC Three show Man Like Mobeen and our head office, juries is, if anything, even funnier than the his appearances on Live at the Apollo. have been busy debat- first. I, for one, am hooked. RTS Our cover story is an interview ing the nominees and Cymru Wales and Bafta Cymru col- with UKTV’s CEO, Marcus Arthur. He winners of both the laborated – in what I hope will be explains his strategy, now that BBC RTS Television Journalism Awards and the first of many similar partnerships Studios is the business’s sole owner. the RTS Programme Awards. – on a screening and Q&A with some Also, don’t miss Torin Douglas’s Our events in London and beyond of the show’s production team. Catch analysis of what looks certain to be a have been packed. Matthew Bell’s report inside. very busy year for Ofcom and whoever Channel 4’s director of programmes, In Salford, RTS North West hosted is appointed to succeed Sharon White Ian Katz, braved a bad cold and a a masterclass with the acclaimed US as the regulator’s Chief Executive. chilly January night to talk at length showrunner Frank Spotnitz, whose on a range of topics, and show clips credits include The X-Files. The audi- from the broadcaster’s exciting new ence lapped up his insights into the schedule. There is a full report in this US approach to TV storytelling. issue of Television. Huge thanks to Ian, Elsewhere, Roz Laws profiles RTS Theresa Wise Contents Deborah Williams’ TV Diary Katz shares his recipe Deborah Williams is reluctant to take off her PJs before Channel 4’s director of programmes, Ian Katz, tells the 5 she heads to Manchester for a surprising turn of events 16 RTS how he seeks to put clear blue water between the broadcaster and the SVoD giants Ear Candy: Love Island: The Morning After Can’t stop talking about the first winter Love Island? Sex for all ages 6 Neither can Kem Cetinay and Arielle Free, the hosts of An RTS panel reveals how the explicit scenes required the show’s podcast. Kate Holman clicks play 18 for Sex Education were filmed only once the cast was comfortable Working Lives: Studio manager Pinewood Studios’ senior TV studio manager Naomi Inside the writers room 7 Dulake is interviewed by Matthew Bell At an RTS masterclass, showrunner Frank Spotnitz, 20 whose credits include The X-Files, guides students UKTV looks beyond the UK through the craft of storytelling CEO Marcus Arthur aims to grow the company 8 internationally now that it is fully owned by BBC Are the kids alright? Studios. Steve Clarke reports An RTS London event debates the future of children’s 22 TV in the online age Ofcom: In the eye of the storm Torin Douglas outlines the challenges facing the Custom-made for uncertain times 10 regulator in the months ahead Jeff Shell, the new CEO of NBCUniversal, is known for his 24 innate smartness and willingness to work harder than Our Friend in Leeds his colleagues. Leo Barraclough reports Andrew Sheldon considers whether TV production in the 13 North of England is finally reaching powerhouse scale RTS news and events listings Reports of Society activities across the nations and The real deal role model 27 regions, and calendar of forthcoming public events Guz Khan, star and co-writer of Man Like Mobeen, is hot 14 property. Roz Laws describes his rapid rise from school teacher to multiple RTS award winner Cover: Traces (UKTV) 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 February 2020 3 Objectivity. LET’S HAVE AN INTERNET FOR ALL, NOT JUST SOME. Some media-buying platforms aren’t just media-buying platforms. They’re also social media platforms. Or content platforms. And that’s where they want you to direct your campaign budgets. At The Trade Desk, we don’t have that conflict of interest. We want you to spend your ad dollars where your data leads you. That objectivity allows for transparency in everything we do — from pricing and inventory to measurement and reporting. Which is why a majority of global brands trust us to take their advertising where it needs to go. Learn why objectivity matters at thetradedesk.com. TV diary Deborah Williams is reluctant to take off her PJs before she heads to Manchester for a surprising turn of events t is always a pleasure to start members will be using to help the ever-strengthening Manchester the working week in your PJs industry meet the target of doubling accent and love of the blues, not and know that you can stay disability commitment by the end of the reds. in them for most of the day, 2020. No pressure there, then. having meetings without ■ And, finally, to the Inclusive Com- anyone knowing or caring. ■ Meeting number two – still wear- panies Awards. My expectations It is one of the rare weeks ing PJs – is all about day-to-day CDN are low: the shortlist is massive when I will spend the majority of it business, lining up projects for the and intimidating. I hook up with Iout of London. I am going to Man- first quarter of 2020. That done, it’s my youngest sister (the nephew’s chester to attend an awards cere- off to Manchester. mother, in case you’ve not been tak- mony where I have been nominated ing notes). for an Inclusive Companies award. ■ Alongside the awards ceremony, I Everyone is busy drinking fizz and I am looking forward to it as the am booked into an academy school taking pictures – this introvert’s idea whole Brexit, leaving Europe thing in Trafford for one of my regular of hell. Anyway, turns out, it’s a good and general election result has been “speakers for schools” sessions. thing I made the journey: I win the getting on my nerves. Basically, the likes of me travel Lifetime Achiever Award 2019. To say across the country talking in schools that I am in shock really is an under- ■ Working for the Creative Diversity to year 9s who want to know what it’s statement. I can’t share with you the Network means that you end up like to work in TV. Telling the story of first words that come out of my trawling through the worst of peo- one’s life to future generations is mouth – much too dirty. ple’s thinking and understanding exhausting and exhilarating. Once I calm down and take it (or lack thereof) of what diversity is, Each time I walk away, I’m inspired. in on the way home the next day, I and how it’s a positive in an increas- It’s great that young people want to finally allow myself to feel OK about ingly negative world. work in television, that they do the winning. I manage to take some of My travels around the UK tell me research and ask difficult questions my own advice: do what you do, that there are real issues that need to – and that they laugh at my terrible always, because you never know who be discussed – but these are less to do jokes. is watching. with the colour of our passports, and Most of all, it’s great that, after my more with how we support diverse sessions, they are not deterred. ■ Friday: finance day, review- talent to finance the creation of qual- ing end-of-year accounts and the ity content. ■ I squeeze in a bit of personal time, monthly paying of invoices. and drop in on my nephew. He is I jump back into online conversa- ■ Anyway, the first PJ meeting is a a seven-year-old with the mind of tions, drawing up strategies and conference call with our research a scholar.