January 2018 The class of 2018 CAREERSTV Fair 6 February 10:00am-4:00pm Business Design Centre, London N1 0QH Journal of The Royal Television Society January 2018 l Volume 55/1 From the CEO Welcome to 2018. In With luck, some of these industry Hector, who recalls a very special this issue of Television leaders will be joining RTS events in evening in Bristol when a certain we have assembled the coming months, so we can hear 91-year-old natural history presenter a line-up of features from them directly. was, not for the first time, the centre that reflects the new Following the excesses – and per- of attention. Did anyone mention TV landscape and haps stresses – of Christmas, our Janu- Blue Planet II? its stellar class of 2018. ary edition contains what I hope read- Our industry map looks like it’s Pictured on this month’s cover are ers will agree is some much-needed being redrawn dramatically. Disney’s some of the sector’s leaders who are light relief. Don’t miss Kenton Allen’s historic $52.4bn bid for 21st Century certain to be making a big splash in pulsating review of 2017. I guarantee Fox is among a number of moves the year ahead – Tim Davie, Ian Katz, that it’s laugh-out-loud funny. responding to the need for scale. We Jay Hunt, Carolyn McCall, Alex Mahon, Also bringing a light touch to this will be looking at this trend in the Simon Pitts and Fran Unsworth. month’s Television is Stefan Stern’s coming months. Each one of these senior executives take on some familiar TV types. I’d I wish all our readers a prosperous has a new or bigger job. The spotlight also like to commend Russel Herne- and very happy New Year. will be on them and the decisions man’s stunning cartoons, which ac- they make during 2018. I personally company Stefan’s piece. wish them all well and look forward Other highlights include a diary to hearing about their plans as the from the super-energetic Kirsty Wark year progresses. and Our Friend in the West, Julian Theresa Wise Contents Kirsty Wark’s TV Diary A balancing act for turbulent times Kirsty Wark salutes the power of documentary story­ Stewart Purvis argues that Fran Unsworth’s experience 5 telling and has a close encounter with organised crime 20 will be vital in her new role as the BBC’s head of news Cupcakes for Armageddon RTS Student Programme Masterclasses Kenton Allen fast­forwards through 2017. He is terrified The road to the top is rarely a straight one, as 6 by Trump and thrilled by Bake Off, but looming over 22 Matthew Bell and Steve Clarke report everything is Netflix RTS Craft Skills Masterclasses The ultimate TV reality stars The first priority is hands­on experience, hear Stefan Stern takes a sideways look at some of the key 24 Matthew Bell and Steve Clarke 9 players who keep Planet TV spinning Our Friend in the West ITV’s first lady Julian Hector, head of BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit, Steve Clarke profiles ITV’s new CEO, Carolyn McCall, and 25 remembers a very special premiere in Bristol 12 examines some of the challenges facing her A panel show like no other Google hails a world of opportunity Matthew Bell learns how Taskmaster made the journey The search engine giant’s European head, Matt Brittin, 26 from the Edinburgh fringe to UKTV’s Dave 14 tells the RTS why online and TV need to work together RTS Futures Christmas quiz Cool for Katz Test your televisual knowledge with our festive quiz Channel 4’s new director of programmes, Ian Katz, is 28 17 well equipped to bring a new vitality to the broadcaster, RTS Craft & Design Awards 2017 says Maggie Brown 29 The winners and nominees over eight pages Cover: Apple/Gordon 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 January 2018 3 Your guide to upcoming events. Book online at RTS NEWS www.rts.org.uk DEVON & CORNWALL National events ■ Jane Hudson ■ RTSDevonandCornwall@rts. Gaming and TV: RTS FUTURES org.uk Tuesday 6 February What’s the score? RTS Futures TV Careers EAST Fair 2018 Thursday 15 March 10:00am-4:00pm Annual Awards Venue: Business Design Centre, Venue: Norwich University of the 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH Arts, Francis House, 3-7 Redwell Street, Norwich NR2 4SN RTS AWARDS ■ Nikki O’Donnell Wednesday 28 February ■ [email protected] RTS Television Journalism Awards 2018 LONDON Sponsored by GuestBooker Wednesday 24 January 2 May Venue: London Hilton on Park BBC World Service Lane, 22 Park Lane, London 6:30pm for 7:00pm ITV London Studios SE1 9LT W1K 1BE Venue: TBC Wednesday 7 February RTS AWARDS Student Television Awards author. 6:30pm for 7:00pm Tuesday 20 March 6:30pm for 7:00pm Venue: ITV London Studios, SCOTLAND RTS Programme Awards 2018 Venue: ITV London Studios, Upper Ground, London SE1 9LT Wednesday 31 January In Partnership with Audio Upper Ground, London SE1 9LT ■ Daniel Cherowbrier Student Television Awards Network Wednesday 21 February ■ [email protected] Venue: TBC Venue: Grosvenor House Hotel, Future past: Will archives Wednesday 9 May 86-90 Park Lane, London survive digitisation? MIDLANDS RTS Scotland Awards W1K 7TN Joint RTS London and Focal ■ Jayne Greene 07792 776585 Venue: TBC International event. Panellists: ■ [email protected] ■ Jane Muirhead RTS AWARDS Steve Daly, head of technol- ■ [email protected] Friday 22 June ogy, information and archives, NORTH EAST & THE BORDER RTS Student Television BBC; Dale Grayson, director Saturday 24 February SOUTHERN Awards 2018 of content management and Annual Awards Friday 23 February Venue: BFI Southbank, Belvedere information policy, ITV; Charles 6:00pm onwards Student Television Awards Road, London SE1 8XT Fairall, head of conservation, Venue: Hilton Newcastle Venue: TBC BFI National Archive; Tom Blake, Gateshead Hotel, Bottle Bank, ■ Stephanie Farmer RTS CONFERENCE commercial director, Imagen. Gateshead NE8 2AR ■ [email protected] Tuesday 18 September Chair: Sue Malden, Chair of ■ Jill Graham RTS London Conference 2018 Focal International. 6:30pm for ■ [email protected] THAMES VALLEY Sponsored by Viacom 7:00pm ■ Tony Orme Venue: Kings Place, 90 York Way, Venue: ITV London Studios, NORTH WEST ■ [email protected] London N1 9AG Upper Ground, London SE1 9LT Wednesday 28 February Wednesday 7 March Student Television Awards WALES Building a buzz: What makes Venue: TBC Wednesday 31 January Local events a good PR campaign? ■ Rachel Pinkney 07966 230639 Student Television Awards 6:30pm for 7:00pm ■ [email protected] Venue: TBC BRISTOL Venue: ITV London Studios, ■ Hywel Wiliam 07980 007841 Tuesday 6 February Upper Ground, London SE1 9LT NORTHERN IRELAND ■ [email protected] Student Television Awards Wednesday 2 May Tuesday 20 March Venue: TBC Gaming and TV: What’s the Student Television Awards YORKSHIRE Sunday 11 March score? Venue: The Black Box, 18-22 Hill Wednesday 28 February RTS West of England Awards Panellists: Steve McNeil, writer, Street, Belfast BT1 2LA Student Television Awards Venue: TBC comedian and streamer; Sam ■ John Mitchell Venue: TBC ■ Belinda Biggam Pamphilon, actor, writer and ■ mitch.mvbroadcast@ Friday 6 July ■ [email protected] comedian; Julia Hardy, presenter, btinternet.com Annual Awards journalist, YouTuber and broad- Venue: TBC caster. Chair: Ellie Gibson, jour- REPUBLIC OF IRELAND ■ Lisa Holdsworth 07790 145280 nalist, presenter, comedian and ■ Charles Byrne (353) 87251 3092 ■ lisa@allonewordproductions. ■ [email protected] co.uk 4 TV diary Kirsty Wark salutes the power of documentary storytelling and has a close encounter with organised crime t’s the party season but, on a writer who deserves to be in was never one to waste anything. rather than the usual dry the pantheon of great 20th­century How Scottish of her. sausage rolls and even drier novelists, but who has never had the quiche, BBC Scotland’s cater- wide recognition of, say, John Updike. ■ Earlier, I hosted a BBC event at Bafta ing team pulled out the stops He, incidentally, admired her, to herald the BBC’s big international for the celebration of 10 years describing her as “one of the few organised-crime drama series, McMa- at PQ – that’s Pacific Quay to writers on either side of the Atlantic fia, starring James Norton. Naturally, the uninitiated – on the River Clyde. with enough resources, daring and I thought they’d asked me because it II have a love-hate relationship with stamina to be altering as well as feed­ was Scottish and set in Scotland, home the building. I love the architect, David ing the fiction machine”. of quite a lot of organised crime. But I Chipperfield, but the vast liner on the Muriel Spark, whose centenary in was wrong on the first two counts. Clyde has often felt rather austere and February is already being celebrated It’s based on Misha Glenny’s non- underpopulated. with a wonderful exhibition at the fiction book of the same name and, We made The Review Show there and, National Library of Scotland, has loyal although anchored in London, it is a most memorably this year, it was the and devoted fans all over the world.