A class act Mark Lawson on - July/August 2018 - Royal Television Society
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July/August 2018 Mark Lawson on A class act
LAUNCHES 17 JULY 9PM
Journal of The Royal Television Society
July/August 2018 l Volume 55/7
From the CEO
The RTS Student Tele- transformation from floppy-haired Tony Hall, Alex Mahon and Sharon
vision Awards are one romcom star in Richard Curtis films White, among many others.
of the highlights of the to playing the Machiavellian Jeremy Mental health is a topic close to all
Society’s year. Last Thorpe in BBC One’s sensational of our hearts. Pippa Shawley’s piece
month’s ceremony, A Very English Scandal. looks at how TV is trying to make the
held once again at BFI I am delighted that Mathew Hors- workplace a better, more caring envi-
Southbank, was the man could give us his take on the ronment for its employees.
biggest ever, with 700 entries repre- rival bids from Comcast and Disney Did anyone mention the World
senting 90 colleges across the UK and for Rupert Murdoch’s entertainment Cup? It’s a great pleasure to have the
Ireland. Congratulations to all the empire. As you’d expect, Mathew brilliant Ashley John-Baptiste writing
winners and a big thank you to the provides a penetrating analysis of a from Moscow. Ashley, as you might
afternoon’s host, Jayde Adams, and to complex and intriguing situation with know, has been deployed as a BBC
Sky’s head of comedy, Jon Mountague, high stakes. roving reporter based in Russia for the
who was master of ceremonies at the The meaty topic of media consoli- duration of the competition.
awards. Thanks, too, for all the hard dation is one of the big themes of this I wish all our readers a great sum-
work put in by the juries. September’s RTS London Conference, mer, with good weather and a won-
It was thrilling to see such a variety “Is bigger better?” Do book to hear our derful season of TV sport.
of young, emerging talent across a industry’s major players ponder the
wide range of genres. This speaks cultural, economic, strategic and cre-
volumes about the future health of ative issues stemming from scale-
our creative industries. building deals. We are honoured to
In this edition of Television, Mark have some stellar speakers, including
Lawson examines Hugh Grant’s Viacom’s Bob Bakish, Carolyn McCall, Theresa Wise
Contents
5 Andrew Billen’s TV Diary
Andrew Billen is impressed when he meets the adaptor
of Poldark 14 A tale of two cities
Tim Dams talks to the high-profile founders of the
production company responsible for the acclaimed
drama Patrick Melrose
6 Hugh Grant’s class act
Mark Lawson considers the actor’s career-transforming
role as Jeremy Thorpe in A Very English Scandal
16 Ofcom’s dilemma
In the wake of the Skripal affair, Stewart Purvis analyses
Ofcom’s attitude to the Putin-backed broadcaster RT
8 Size unlocks the prize
As Comcast and Disney vie to buy the Murdoch
entertainment empire, Mathew Horsman assesses
the likely outcomes 18
Our Friend in Moscow
Reporting from Russia on the World Cup, Ashley John-
Baptiste finds that the vibe is surprisingly inclusive
10 TV’s mental health challenge
People who work in TV are particularly prone to
work-related anxiety. Pippa Shawley examines what
is being done to help
19 The fine art of the reboot
If you think it’s easy to relaunch a hit format, think again,
hears Matthew Bell
12 New visions for TV in Scotland
While the BBC expands in Scotland Simon Pitts,
appointed CEO of STV last August, is pursuing his own
22 RTS Student Television Awards 2018
Jayde Adams hosted an inspirational ceremony on
22 June at BFI Southbank – The winners and nominees
over five pages
growth strategy. Tara Conlan reports
Cover: AP
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.
smclarke_333@hotmail.com gordon.jamieson.01@gmail.com 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: info@rts.org.uk Enquiries: publication@rts.org.uk London SE1 5TP Registered Charity 313 728
bell127@btinternet.com smbancroft@me.com W: www.rts.org.uk
Television www.rts.org.uk July/August 2018 3
RTS NEWS Your guide to
upcoming events.
Book online at
www.rts.org.uk
RTS MASTERCLASSES
National events Tuesday 13 Novermber
RTS Student Programme
STEVE HEWLETT
RTS CONFERENCE
Tuesday 18 September
Masterclasses
Venue: IET London, 2 Savoy
MEMORIAL LECTURE 2018
RTS London Conference 2018: Place, London WC2R 0BL
Is bigger better? Will ‘the Wednesday 14 Novermber
consolidation game’ help tip the RTS Craft Skills Masterclasses
scales against the tech giants? Venue: IET London, 2 Savoy
Sponsored by Viacom. Co-chaired Place, London WC2R 0BL
by David Lynn, President, Viacom
International Media Networks RTS AWARDS 11 October
(VIMN) and James Currell, Monday 26 November
President, VIMN, UK, Northern RTS Craft & Design Awards 2018 University of Westminster
and Eastern Europe. Confirmed London Hilton on Park Lane, 6:30pm
speakers include: Bob Bakish, 22 Park Lane, London W1K 1BE
CEO of Viacom Inc; Zai Bennett,
A joint RTS and
Director of Programmes, Sky Media Society event
Entertainment UK and Ireland; Local events Tickets: www.rts.org.uk
Tony Hall, Director-General of
Charlotte Moore
the BBC; Ian Katz, Director of DEVON AND CORNWALL
Programmes, Channel 4; ■ Jane Hudson
Carolyn McCall, CEO of ITV; ■ RTSDevonandCornwall
Alex Mahon, CEO of Channel 4;
Stephen van Rooyen, CEO, Sky
@rts.org.uk
Director of Content, BBC
UK & RoI; and Sharon White, EAST
CEO of Ofcom Thursday 20 September
Venue: Kings Place, 90 York Way, TV quiz night Deansgate, Manchester M3 4LQ WALES
London N1 9AG Quizmaster: BBC Inside Out’s ■ Rachel Pinkney 07966 230639 Monday 6 August
David Whiteley. Please email ■ RPinkney@rts.org.uk Comedy on TV
STEVE HEWLETT MEMORIAL rtseast@rts.org.uk for an entry Panellists: Barry Jones (Cwmni
LECTURE 2018 form. Tickets: £10 per team of NORTHERN IRELAND Da), Elen Rhys (S4C) and Daniel
Thursday 11 October four or five. Thursday 15 November Glyn (Made in Cardiff). Chair:
Charlotte Moore, Director of Venue: The Lamb Inn, Lamb Yard, RTS NI Programme Awards Sioned Wiliam (BBC Radio 4). In
Content, BBC Orford Place, Norwich NR1 3RU Venue: TBC Welsh, with simultaneous English
Joint RTS and Media Society ■ Nikki O’Donnell ■ John Mitchell translation. 2:30pm-4:00pm
event. Tickets £10. All net profits ■ nikki.odonnell@bbc.co.uk ■ mitch.mvbroadcast@ Saturday 11 August
will go to the Steve Hewlett Bur- btinternet.com Dal: Yma/Nawr
sary Fund. 6:30pm for 7:00pm LONDON Screening and Q&A, chaired
Venue: The University of ■ Daniel Cherowbrier REPUBLIC OF IRELAND by Heledd Hardy, with director
Westminster, 4-12 Little Titchfield ■ daniel@cherowbrier.co.uk ■ Charles Byrne (353) 87251 3092 Marc Evans and producer Ynyr
Street, London W1W 7BY ■ byrnecd@iol.ie Williams. 2:30pm-4:30pm
MIDLANDS Venue: Sinemaes (Pop-Up
RTS EARLY EVENING EVENT Tuesday 20 November SCOTLAND Cinema), National Eisteddfod,
Wednesday 24 October RTS Midlands Awards 2018 ■ Jane Muirhead Cardiff Bay
Who’s watching? The challenge Venue: Town Hall, Victoria ■ scotlandchair@rts.org.uk ■ Hywel Wiliam 07980 007841
of digital TV measurement Square, Birmingham B3 3DQ ■ hywel@aim.uk.com
Speakers: Rich Astley, chief ■ Jayne Greene 07792 776585 SOUTHERN
product officer, Finecast; ■ RTSMidlands@rts.org.uk ■ Stephanie Farmer WEST OF ENGLAND
Matt Hill, research and planning ■ SFarmer@bournemouth.ac.uk ■ Belinda Biggam
director, Thinkbox; John Litster, NORTH EAST AND THE BORDER ■ belindabiggam@hotmail.com
MD, Sky Media; Sarah Rose, ■ Jill Graham THAMES VALLEY
director of consumer insight, ■ jill.graham@blueyonder.co.uk Friday 23 November YORKSHIRE
Channel 4; and Justin Sampson, 2018 Winter Ball ■ Lisa Holdsworth 07790 145280
CEO, Barb. Chair: Kate Bulkley, NORTH WEST Venue: De Vere Wokefield Estate, ■ lisa@allonewordproductions.
journalist. 6:30pm for 6:45pm Saturday 10 November Goodboys Lane, Reading RG7 3AE co.uk
Venue: The Hospital Club, 24 Endell RTS North West Awards 2018 ■ Tony Orme
Street, London WC2H 9HQ Venue: Hilton Deansgate, 303 ■ RTSThamesValley@rts.org.uk
4
TV diary
Andrew Billen is impressed when
he meets the adaptor of Poldark
A
s an interviewer, That he was not a remunerative screaming: “It’s a [expletive deleted]
you get used to correctness refusenik is a disap- outrage.” This was the crisis in a
– after 30 years, pointment, however. You would have dream in which I got worked up at
I have had to get to be deaf to think all PM presenters the injustice that, while Disney,
used to – being deserve to be considered equal. Hanna and Barbera, Matt Groening et
reminded that we al became millionaires, Firmin made
are an unequal ■ At the time of writing, we do not virtually nothing from his genius,
species. The ability gap between an know LBC’s plans for Mair. The even sending out knitting patterns so
interviewer and interviewee is a given. question for me is whether we will parents could make, rather than buy,
Recently, however, I keep confront- now learn his politics, as we do the toy Clangers.
ing multiply talented subjects. Lennie rest of the station’s argumentative Firmin was mystified when I said
James, whom I spoke to for this maga- presenter roster. this. He was comfortably off, had his
zine, is an actor and a screenwriter. His almost divine command of family and was happy. I am arguing
Melvyn Bragg, impudently grilled by irony suggested that Mair was above against myself now, but, for some
me in the Times, is not merely our top opinions, amused only by the weak- people, money really does not come
arts broadcaster, he is a prolific novelist. nesses in them all. The man he won’t, into it.
Graham Norton met me to discuss alas, be succeeding on Question Time is
his new novel. It’s his second, and equally inscrutable. Charles Moore in ■ One of the best surprises of late
both are very good. Most impressively the Spectator said he assumed, on fatherhood is having children who
of all, perhaps, Debbie Horsfield, the account of his wealth and lifelong enjoy ITV’s Thunderbirds Are Go at
Poldark adaptor, has not only also attachment to the BBC, that David more or less exactly the same age
written stage plays but successfully Dimbleby was of the left. that my brother and I did the origi-
brought up four children, whom she As a former (minor) newspaper nal Thunderbirds. The series has been
chose to home tutor. Would it have baron, who faced union problems in taken off, mid-run, for the summer –
been expecting too much for natural the 1980s, he might equally be the the World Cup, I assume.
selection to distribute outstanding precise opposite. Dimbleby ensured Joy awaits, however. In London this
talent on a one-per-person basis? his impartiality, of course, not with autumn, a show called Thunderbirds:
irony but with authority. Beyond the Horizon promises an
■ Opening my own paper today, immersive theatrical experience in
I find a letter saying that, far from ■ Peter Firmin has died, the visual which we can board Thunderbird 2
Eddie Mair’s pay needing to be cut half of the partnership behind Noggin and embark on an international res-
by the BBC, it should – on account the Nog, Ivor the Engine, The Clangers cue. Where to, however? The caves
of his talent – have been doubled. and Bagpuss. A few years ago, I inter- of Thailand? The Hawaii volcano? Or
Then I read his Radio Times column, viewed him. The night before, I read the BBC salary review committee?
in which Mair reveals that he was a book about his career, its pages
willing to lop his salary all along. beautifully illustrated with his art. Andrew Billen is a feature writer and
He is off to LBC for the heck of it. In the early hours, I woke up former TV critic on the Times.
Television www.rts.org.uk July/August 2018 5
H
alfway through 2018, Hugh Grant
it already seems clear as Jeremy
who some of the Thorpe in A
leading contenders Very English
will be in the actor Scandal
categories of next
year’s Bafta and RTS awards: Benedict
Cumberbatch and Anthony Hopkins
for their title roles in Patrick Melrose and
King Lear, and Ben Whishaw and Hugh
Grant as Norman Scott and Jeremy
Thorpe in A Very English Scandal.
Grant would be most tipsters’ pick
to take home the trophies. This is a
remarkable achievement. While Cum-
berbatch, Hopkins and Whishaw are
often the names inside the gilded
envelopes ripped open at TV award
ceremonies, Grant’s last big British TV
role, before taking on the role of the
allegedly homicidal Liberal Party
leader Jeremy Thorpe in A Very English
Scandal, was over 25 years ago. In 1993,
he appeared in a production of Thomas
Middleton’s The Changeling, in the BBC
theatre-on-TV series Performance.
The reason for Grant’s quarter-
century absence from the medium
was his movie-star career, especially
Hugh
as Richard Curtis’s preferred lead man
in Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting
Hill and Love Actually.
But, whereas some screen stars
who take a TV role – such as Frances
Grant’s
McDormand in Olive Kitteridge or Mat-
thew McConaughey in True Detective
– merely fancy the chance to do classy,
long-form material in between Holly-
wood projects, Grant was widely per-
class act
ceived to be in trouble cinematically.
His movie work in the past decade
had suggested someone now too old
and cynical to lead romcoms such as
Music and Lyrics (2007) and The Rewrite
(2014), but still too associated with stut-
tering lovers to be taken seriously when
playing five roles in the postmodern
sci-fi mega-flop Cloud Atlas (2012). So,
Talent
his performance as Thorpe is a total
reputational turnaround, one of the
finest ever achieved by an actor.
Mark Lawson considers the
The transformation was achieved actor’s career-transforming
through a combination of reanimated
talent and lookalike luck. In a screen
role as Jeremy Thorpe in
industry ever more dominated by bio- A Very English Scandal
dramas, an actor’s face and physique
can suddenly become their fortune.
6
‘GRANT
CONVINCINGLY
SUGGESTS
A MAN WHO
For example, Toby Jones is a great WOULD HAVE would have wrecked his high political
screen actor but would require unfea- BEEN CAPABLE ambitions.
sible cosmetic and camera trickery to
convince as Thorpe.
OF ALMOST Davies gives Thorpe a line about how
he will consummate his marriages
However, as soon as it was reported ANYTHING’ “through gritted teeth” and subse-
that Grant would play Thorpe, the quently plead tiredness at bedtime.
casting immediately made sense. They This is a reasonable reading, espe-
shared not only Oxford-educated Shakespearean actor, in Florence Foster cially from the writer of Queer as Folk,
voices and the same tall, thin build (the Jenkins, there was reason to fear that his but biographies and contemporary
men’s ectomorphic frames and long screen career may have been d windling reports of Thorpe’s life suggest the
faces brought even closer by dieting to knowing, self-parodic cameos. alternative possibility that he was an
and make-up), but psychology, too. But these usefully highlighted a enthusiastic bisexual, who enjoyed the
The events that led to Grant being different side of his style, which Ste- risk created by satisfying both sides of
charged with lewd behaviour with a sex phen Frears, the director of Florence his libido.
worker on Sunset Boulevard in 1995 are Foster Jenkins as well as A Very English And the suggestion in Bloch’s biog-
now far past the statute of limitations Scandal, utilised fully as Thorpe, another raphy that Thorpe may have ordered
for any effect they should have on the strange theatrical of sorts, though one the murder of another man who knew
actor’s profession and reputation. minus an Equity card. One of Thorpe’s too much – a former lover, Henry
However, I mention the incident former lovers described him, in Michael Upton, who mysteriously disappeared
because there must be a suspicion that Bloch’s 2014 biography, as a “ham at sea in 1957 – raises the possibility
having once jeopardised his career for actor”. This suggests that Grant’s redis- that he was psychotic. Grant convinc-
a sex act was a useful reference point covery as a good actor has now, para- ingly suggests a man who would have
for an actor playing Thorpe. doxically, featured a trio of bad ones. been capable of almost anything in
His covert encounters with men – The biggest tribute to Grant’s perfor- pursuit of his sexual desires and politi-
at a time when gay sex was first illegal mance in A Very English Scandal is that cal ambitions.
and then merely unpalatable to much the obligatory coda, in which news A late-career role that fits an actor
of the electorate – resulted in allega- footage of the real figure is shown, does exactly can sometimes be an opening
tions that, in order to protect his par- not have the usual deflationary effect. that closes off options: Nigel Hawthorne
liamentary career, he had conspired The actor perfectly reproduces every and F Murray Abraham were often hard
to have his former lover Norman Scott vocal and physical tic, down to the to cast after the perfection of their
murdered. It was an accusation that an wave – and what follows it. Both arms work as Sir Humphrey in Yes Minister
Old Bailey jury, firmly nudged in that are raised and then suddenly crossed. and Salieri in Amadeus.
direction by the judge, rejected in 1979 This was a gesture Thorpe curiously It seems different in Grant’s case,
– but which most viewers of A Very shared with another disgraced leader though, because this is a second break-
English Scandal are likely to have con- of the 1970s, President Richard Nixon. through and represents an escape from
cluded to be true. For an actor, that is just “living earlier typecasting. He surely couldn’t
The relevance of Grant’s own sexual Tussaud’s” stuff. The greatness of the go back to playing the posh love inter-
risk-taking is that it reveals a darker portrayal is the transmission of the est in Richard Curtis films, but most
streak in his personality, one that is calculations and contradictions hap- would see that as a good thing. If that
more interesting than he has generally pening inside Thorpe’s head. interesting quintet of performances in
been allowed to appear on screen. Russell T Davies’s scripts for A Very Cloud Atlas were premiered now, it
As is often the case, the persona that English Scandal often sought to position would, perhaps, be better received.
made the actor famous – the bumbling the protagonist as a victim of historical A well-known screen director, who
public school boy in Four Weddings and discrimination against homosexuals, declines to be named for making a
a Funeral and Notting Hill – turns out not forced into two “lavender marriages”. negative comparison with another actor,
to be the best use of his talent. Expression of his true sexuality says: “Watching Grant in A Very English
Grant is best when dark, and not Scandal, I kept imagining him in the part
even necessarily in films aimed at played by Hugh Laurie in The Night Man-
grown-ups. ‘ONE OF THE ager. I think he’d have been much more
The remarkable renaissance that A
Very English Scandal represents was, in MOST TOTAL convincing as that satanic figure.
“Grant wouldn’t have been thought
retrospect, signalled by his previous REPUTATIONAL of for that part two years ago, but now
role, an enjoyable turn in Paddington 2
as Phoenix Buchanan, a vain and vil-
TURNAROUNDS he would be. So, the big change will
be in the range of what he can do.”
lainous actor. EVER ACHIEVED Before that, he should ensure he
As Grant’s cinematic part before that
BY AN ACTOR’ has a clean tuxedo for the TV awards
BBC
was St Clair Bayfield, a failed season. n
Television www.rts.org.uk July/August 2018 7
Size unlocks the prize
Rupert Murdoch
H
owever it ends, the That agreed deal followed the latest
Consolidation battle royal for the (and separate) bid by Fox to buy the
right to own most of shares in Sky it doesn’t already own for
the assets of £10.75 a share (£19bn), which remained
As Comcast and Disney 21st Century Fox, mired in regulatory molasses for
vie to buy the Murdoch and all of Sky,
reflects deep and significant trends in
months thereafter.
The idea was for Fox to buy all of
entertainment empire, global media. The resolution (in favour Sky, and then sell those assets and the
of suitors Disney, Comcast or both) other Fox film, TV and channels opera-
Mathew Horsman may end up being less important than tions to Disney. The Murdochs would
assesses the likely what the outcome tells us about mar-
ket dynamics.
end up with a small but valuable stake
in the enlarged Disney.
outcomes This battle is about the response of Upsetting that narrative, US cable
legacy media to accelerating shifts in and broadband operator Comcast took
consumer behaviour and to the threats advantage of the long, drawn-out reg-
posed by the big digital disruptors. In a ulatory process around ownership of
market where content and distribution Sky. The concerns are around media
are increasingly intermingled and plurality in respect of Murdoch’s own-
global, size unlocks the prize. ership of UK newspapers and indirect
For those who haven’t been follow- ownership of Sky News.
ing, here is the recap: Fox, a range of Comcast’s bid valued Sky at £12.50
mostly traditional media assets, owned a share (£22bn), with the clear aim of
in part by the Murdoch Family Trust, wrong-footing Disney.
agreed to sell key components (film Not content with the spoiler move
and TV production, pay-TV channels, on Sky, Comcast followed up with a
Star India and 39% of pay-TV operator premium bid for Fox ($65bn in cash),
Sky) to content giant Disney in saying that it wanted the same assets
December last year for $52bn in Dis- that Disney had agreed to buy.
ney shares. Disney then raised its bid for Fox to
8
well above Comcast’s offer ($71bn). dipping their toes into content waters. Both Disney and Comcast will be
This time, it offered cash or shares and The old model – big bundles of pay-TV mindful of another prize – control of
again secured the support of the Fox offered at ever higher prices to con- the third-largest US SVoD service,
board; Murdoch, for tax reasons, pre- sumers and mass-market TV shows Hulu. Fox, Disney and Comcast each
fers shares to cash. In late June, Dis- funded by advertising – is in decline. In have 30% stakes in the service, while
ney’s bid was cleared by the US its place: lower-priced access to content Time Warner’s HBO has 10%. Proposi-
Department of Justice. where and when consumers want it. tions such as Netflix and Hulu are
On this side of the Atlantic, Fox’s bid The response of companies with growing, while pay-TV subscriptions
for Sky is in the process of winning legacy assets (studios, cable and satel- (Comcast’s core business) are not.
final approval, following an agreement lite networks, TV channels) is to sell It is an irony that a bidding war for a
with the Government that Fox will out (Murdoch) or to double down (Dis- range of assets thought by many to be
ensure Sky News is owned by Disney ney, Comcast). Being in between sim- in decline, or at the very least severely
directly in the event that Fox succeeds ply doesn’t work. That Rupert Murdoch challenged, has erupted just as Netflix,
in buying the rest of Sky. Comcast’s is a seller not a buyer of media assets the poster boy of new media models,
bid for Sky has already been waved speaks volumes about the extent of the saw its market capitalisation exceed
through by regulators. Now sharehold- challenges. His judgement is that it is that of Disney. Is the market not over-
ers have to decide. valuing yesterday’s winners at tomor-
At the time of writing, the markets row’s prices?
were awaiting Comcast’s comeback on ‘IN ALL It is a safe bet that, over the course
Fox and Disney’s latest response on Sky.
There are delightful personality SCENARIOS, of the summer, a victor for Fox will be
declared, perhaps as early as July. Nei-
clashes at work here that make the MURDOCH PÈRE ther Comcast nor Disney wants to lose.
story even better. Bob Iger, Disney’s
Chief Executive, has crossed swords CASHES IN ON But Comcast has the bigger challenge
of staying the course financially: its
several times with Comcast’s Brian A LIFETIME’S balance sheet carries more debt and its
Roberts and his senior TV executive
Steve Burke. Indeed, Comcast tried in
WORK share price is trading significantly
below the levels of early 2018. This is
AP
vain in 2004 to buy Disney, criticising one of the reasons that its bid for Fox is
the company’s TV network perfor- in cash. Moreover, given its head start,
mance. At the time, Disney-owned time to cash in his chips. Disney is ahead on the regulatory
ABC was chaired by Iger. Comcast For its part, Disney has already timetable in the US.
went on to buy NBCUniversal instead. placed multiple bets on content, buy- There are many potential sidetracks,
Comcast also approached Fox in ing Pixar (animation), Lucasfilm (Star deviations and wrong turns. But there
2017, eager to pre-empt any tie-up Wars) and Marvel (superheroes) to add are three likely outcomes.
between Disney and Fox. Its offer was to its already big studio operations. Disney wins both Fox and Sky.
deemed to be too difficult to achieve It now wants to fold in Fox’s studio Comcast does so. Or, perhaps less
from a regulatory perspective, even if assets (such as X-Men and Avatar), likely given the high stakes, there is a
it was willing to bid more than Disney. together with an array of pay-TV chan- split decision, with Disney taking the
The decision, a few weeks ago, by a nels. The local TV licences, regional Fox assets and Comcast winning the
US court to allow the acquisition of sports networks and local sports chan- battle for Sky.
Time Warner by AT&T signalled that nels stay with Fox shareholders. In all scenarios, Murdoch père cashes
vertical mergers might be acceptable Disney will then take the next, con- in on a lifetime’s work.
after all, and emboldened Comcast to frontational step toward no-holds- In any event, very little will change
re-enter the fray. barred combat with the new entrants: from a UK perspective. One big
Personalities aside, the main issue removing its content from Netflix and US-based shareholder will be replaced
here is global scale – for content and competing toe to toe in the direct-to- by another (with all the implications of
distribution. The business models for consumer market by offering its own, global content and distribution trends
network and pay-TV alike have been enhanced SVoD proposition. inescapably present). The only big
seriously disrupted by the emergence Comcast, owner of NBCU, also sub- difference: no Murdoch at Sky for the
and fast growth of challengers such as scribes to the notion that scale in con- first time in its history.
Netflix and Amazon. These services tent ownership is crucial. It wants Losing out on Fox will be a bitter
are now in tens of millions of house- those same Fox assets for itself. It also blow for one of the two parties. The
holds worldwide. They are spending appears to covet the international impact might be softened by the
freely on original and acquired content assets that come with Fox: Star India knowledge, perhaps, that the winner
in competition with broadcasters and and the 39% stake in Sky. The latter paid too much. n
pay-TV operators. operates in the UK, Ireland, Austria,
Google is building its long-form video Germany and Italy and owns the over- Mathew Horsman is director of the
presence and Facebook and Apple are the-top challenger brand Now TV. consultancy Mediatique.
Television www.rts.org.uk July/August 2018 9
TV’s mental
health challenge
W
orking in TV bullying, harassment and debt prob-
can mean Workforce wellbeing lems, among other issues.
realising a “I think the majority of people who
dream. From
meeting inter-
People who work in work in the industry absolutely love
[it] because it’s so creative and ener-
esting people TV are particularly getic,” says Rachel Hillman, the chari-
to attending glitzy award ceremonies, ty’s director of grants and programme
the television industry is, undoubtedly, prone to work-related development. “But, at the same time,
an exciting place to work. But, amid
shrinking budgets, long hours and a
anxiety. Pippa Shawley we very much get the message that it
can be very tough and very lonely.
largely freelance working culture, what examines what is being And I think this is exacerbated by an
once looked like a fulfilling career can increasing freelance culture, so that
turn out to involve an unbearable toll done to help there aren’t the kind of support sys-
on our mental health. tems that more often tend to be pres-
A recent report by Ulster University anxiety, a figure 10 times higher than ent in paid employment, especially in
and the wellbeing charity Inspire for the general population. The number larger organisations.”
found that people working in Northern of people experiencing depression was The line, which is run by trained
Ireland’s creative industries were three five times higher than the national staff, received around 150 calls in
times more likely to suffer from mental average. its first month. The majority of callers
ill-health than the general population. While the UK television industry has used it as a sounding board for a par-
Anxiety and depression were the most not been surveyed to the same extent, ticular problem. Where appropriate,
commonly diagnosed disorders. the findings of the Australian report callers may be offered therapy, finan-
A similar study conducted in Australia galvanised the Film & Television Char- cial aid or other forms of support.
in 2015 showed that 44% of people ity to launch a dedicated helpline ear- According to Ofcom estimates,
working in the country’s entertainment lier this year. It offers support for those 30,000 freelancers work across the
industry had moderate to severe experiencing depression, anxiety, UK’s television industry. For those not
10in permanent roles, this can mean the health costs the British economy up to Whether that helps the company
absence of benefits such as sick pay £99bn each year. The cost to employers produce better programmes is hard to
and pensions, as well as less job secu- was between £32bn and £42bn. Over quantify, but Stadlen says it has cer-
rity, minimal management and irregu- half of this cost comes from ‘presen- tainly had an impact on people want-
lar working hours. teeism’ – where individuals are less ing to work on the programmes.
In an already competitive industry, it productive due to mental ill-health “We’re probably doing as well as
can feel difficult to talk to an employer while in work. other people [making programmes],”
about a mental health issue or a nega- A further review by Deloitte found he suggests, “but the most important
tive experience. “You have a fear that that the return on investment of work- thing is that you wake up in the morn-
you’re going to be [seen as] this abso- place mental-health interventions was ing happy, not thinking, ‘Shit, I can’t go
lute problem child, and that no pro- “overwhelmingly positive”. The aver- to work.’ Then, we wouldn’t have any
ducer’s ever going to want to work age return on each £1 spent was £4.20. programmes at all.” n
with you again because you’re kicking For small production companies,
up a fuss all the time,” admits writer, the idea of creating a healthy working
comedian and presenter Jack Rooke.
“There’s nothing more depressing
environment might seem daunting,
given the external pressures. But for
Thriving at work
than being told ‘take it or leave it’,” adds Jonathan Stadlen, Managing Director of
Paul Evans, assistant national secretary indie Knickerbockerglory, the solution The ‘Thriving at Work’ report
of industry trade union Bectu. “A lot of was simple. “TV can be very pressured, recommends that employers
people in this industry spend all of their very bullying and there are not a lot of implement ‘mental health core
lives structuring them so that they options for talking about how you feel. standards’ to achieve a healthier
Shutterstock
never get put into a position where I’ve tried to do the opposite of that.” working environment:
someone says ‘take it or leave it’.” Before setting up the business, n Producing, implementing and
The union’s Eyes Half Shut campaign Stadlen was ready to quit TV. “I was communicating a ‘mental health
is currently lobbying the film and televi- having a pretty horrible time, and the at work’ plan
sion industries to end the culture of long working environment was challenging, n Developing mental health
working hours, which can be harmful to to say the least.” He toyed with the idea awareness among employees
both mental and physical health. of becoming a vicar – “to which my n Encouraging open conversations
Those experiencing mental ill-health wife said: ‘Absolutely no fucking way.’” about mental health and the sup-
should seek professional advice, but, His business plan to rent sailing boats port available to employees who
when it comes to wellbeing, there are had already been accepted when the are struggling
some simple steps that everyone can opportunity arose for him to start n Ensuring employees have a
follow. Mental health campaigner his own company. healthy work/life balance, opportu-
Natasha Devon admits that being a He used his negative experiences to nities to develop and good working
self-employed “chronic overworker” build a new working culture, where conditions
means she finds it hard to stop. “I people would look forward to coming n Encouraging good people
delegated my working hours to my to work. At Knickerbockerglory, which management
partner and if it was, say, 10:00pm and Broadcast last year crowned the best n Routinely monitoring the mental
he could see that I was still working, place to work in TV, staff benefit from health and wellbeing of employees.
he could say to me: ‘Enough now, an open-plan office where talking is
you’ve finished.’” encouraged, and parents are offered
She’s now campaigning for mental
health first aid training to become
flexible working hours. There are also
regular social activities, including bar-
Resources
mandatory in all workplaces to help
freelancers, as well as employees, enjoy
beques, a company choir, annual sail-
ing trips abroad and parties. A health
and support
a healthier working environment. insurance policy allows staff to access
For Jack Rooke, having regular con- therapy should they need it. n The Film & Television Charity’s
versations with commissioners and While it’s harder to offer the same free and confidential support line is
producers has helped iron out situa- opportunities to freelancers, Stadlen open 24/7: 0800 054 00 00
tions where the comedian has felt has developed a unique scheme where n Mental Health First Aid England
anxious. He’s also benefited from hav- end-of-year profits are split between provides training on how to spot
ing agents whose job it is to look out staff, freelancers and charities. Having the early signs of poor mental
for him. “If I ever have any issues on worked with almost 300 freelancers health, as well as how to speak to
a job, they are my first port of call last year, it isn’t possible to base colleagues and how to recommend
because that’s my HR manager, that’s bonuses on performance reviews. further support: mhfaengland.org.uk
my confidant,” he explains. Instead, every freelancer is rewarded n Mental health charity Mind has a
Looking after the mental health of based on the length of time they have range of advice for employers and
employees is good business practice. spent with the company, regardless employees on encouraging well
Last year, the Prime Minister commis- of their role. being in the workplace: mind.org.
sioned an independent review into “So, at the end of the financial year, uk/workplace/
how employers can better support the if you’re a runner or series producer, n If you are struggling you can call
mental health of all people currently in and you’d been with us for the whole Samaritans at any time for free on
employment. of last year, you’d have got £2,500, 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org
The report found that poor mental which I think is quite good.”
Television www.rts.org.uk July/August 2018 11Scottish media
While the BBC expands in Scotland, Simon Pitts, appointed CEO of STV
last August, is pursuing his own growth strategy. Tara Conlan reports
New visions for
TV in Scotland
S
TV’s new drama The Victim, “broaden the options available to “Like any business, we’re having to
a legal thriller set in Scot- viewers in Scotland, provide a greater make some tough choices to fund that
land and made for BBC Scottish focus in its news coverage and new investment, but I’m confident
One, is told through the deliver more content designed to we’ve got the right strategy,” says Pitts.
eyes of both plaintiff and reflect the lives of people in Scotland”. He was grilled by MSPs about those
accused. All stories have To add to the mix, Channel 4 and the “tough choices” – and about a one-off
two sides to them. The narrative con- BBC are increasing their spending, and payment to compensate him for hav-
cerning the changes going on in Scot- Glasgow is on the shortlist of sites for ing to give up his ITV shares. “Quite
tish broadcasting is no different. Channel 4’s new outside-London HQ. rightly, questions are asked when you
Glasgow-based STV has a new Chief Ofcom has specified that at least 8% of make changes leading to job cuts,
Executive, Simon Pitts, formerly ITV’s BBC network programming budget which is very hard. Those decisions
director of transformation and strategy. must now be spent in Scotland. Chan- aren’t taken lightly,” he insists.
His new strategy has gone down well nel 4 is upping the proportion of its Although “we’re very proud of STV’s
in the city and with some producers, content budget that it spends in the news, which performs fantastically
but less so with certain journalists and UK nations and regions from the cur- well on the main channel”, Pitts
politicians. rent quota of 35% to a new voluntary acknowledges that “news consump-
Meanwhile, the BBC is about to target of 50% by 2023. tion is changing fast” – many people
launch its long-awaited new Scottish The STV Chief Executive says that get their news on social media.
channel, having gained approval last the changes he is introducing will “put He wants STV to adapt by introducing
month from the regulator, Ofcom. Scottish TV production back on the more multimedia journalists and new
Pitts hit the headlines in May, when map” by “investing in new program- technology, but the station will remain
he unveiled his three-year plan to grow ming and in digital and simplifying the “as committed as ever to local Scottish
the company by closing STV2, its loss organisation to set us up for growth”. news”. He adds: “We’re also fully com-
making local-TV station, with the loss The company’s output include the mitted to being Scotland’s public service
of 59 jobs. Over the next three years, veteran BBC series Antiques Road Trip but broadcaster. We haven’t, in delivering
£15m from these savings will be rein- he wants STV and other Scotland-based this new strategy, sought to change a
vested in new content, partnerships and production companies to expand their single clause of our PSB licences across
the STV Player. At the time, he said that number of returning series. STV North or STV Central. We’re brief-
the closure of STV2 was the “result of He also wants to stop the brain drain ing Ofcom fully that we are not seeking
the challenging economics of local-TV of talent to London and the US caused to amend any of our obligations.”
and anticipated increased competition by insufficient local TV work. Critics have voiced fears that the
from BBC Scotland”. pursuit of returnable shows and for-
The new BBC channel should see mats could lead to less news and cur-
more of the licence fee raised in Scot-
land spent there. The corporation admits ‘THIS IS NOT rent affairs. Pitts disagrees: “We will still
be spending more than twice as much
that, in recent years, it has returned just IN ANY WAY money on news and current affairs
55% to the Scottish creative economy,
compared with 95% in Wales. Ofcom A STRATEGY than on any other genres put together.”
Closing STV2 “hasn’t been an easy
says the corporation should spend the TO PREPARE decision” but “the truth is that the
same ratio in each nation.
The new BBC Scottish station has an
STV FOR SALE audience isn’t there for this service at
the moment, despite our best efforts”.
annual budget of £32m and will offer a TO ITV OR TO He points out that the 5:00pm maga-
new 9:00pm news bulletin. The regu-
lator believes the channel will
ANYONE ELSE’ zine show was attracting 2,100 viewers,
while the 7:00pm bulletin got only 1,800:
12Simon Pitts
STV
“It’s just not right to ask our teams to deal with children’s video app Hopster. as competition: he should see it as an
make programmes that no one is watch- And the new partnerships include a opportunity that will drive more con-
ing. The economics of local TV are very tie-up with Elaine Collins, producer tent to people”.
tough and the expected launch of BBC of Vera and Shetland, who is developing Although she believes the new BBC
Scotland will make those economics her next drama with STV. “We have big channel’s budget is “reasonable”, the
even tougher. We have made a cumula- ambitions for STV Productions,” says MP has “concerns that it maybe
tive loss of more than £3m on local-TV Pitts. “We’re already developing ideas doesn’t have enough to do what some
since we started four years ago.” for the likes of Facebook, YouTube of us would like to see it do”.
Pitts says he has “no Scottish ances- Premium, Netflix and Amazon.” Ofcom, however, appears sanguine:
try [but] a love of the country”. He will These initiatives do not enjoy univer- “Some stakeholders have questioned
be moving to Glasgow later this year. sal support. SNP culture spokesperson whether the budget allocated to the
There is a perception that his arrival, Hannah Bardell MP, who once worked channel would be sufficient for the
along with another former ITV col- at STV, worries that the changes might BBC to deliver on its plans, and have
league, David Bergg, as a non-execu- lead to a “homogenous” company: called for additional investment or a
tive director, hints that STV is heading “STV’s been a significant part of our different focus for the channel. While
for a sale to ITV. This would, in turn, landscape and ecosystem. I hope that no full details on the channel’s sched-
make ITV more attractive to buyers. will not change. Its distinct nature… is ule are available yet, we are satisfied
Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Stur- important. I wrote to Simon to express that the proposal as it is will deliver
geon, said recently that this “is not a concern because I had spoken to peo- public value.”
move I would wish to see”. Pitts was ple at the company. There was a level of “There’s more opportunity than
quizzed by MSPs regarding STV share- concern that STV was being teed up to ever,” says Pact CEO John McVay of the
holder Crystal Amber, the activist fund be sold on to ITV.” changes occurring in Scotland. “If
whose investments have a history of She paid tribute to Pitts’s predecessor, Simon Pitts gets it right and generates
being sold. Rob Woodward, and ex-STV Produc- better-quality production coming out
So, can Pitts see why people are mak- tions Managing Director Alan Clements, of Scotland, that’s good for the Scottish
ing assumptions about a sale? “It’s the for “a huge amount of work to make community,” he said. McVay adds that
wrong assumption. This is not in any sure that STV kept its branding and its producers should “look for the creative
way a strategy to prepare STV for sale to identity”. She recognises “that there opportunities coming down the line”
ITV or to anyone else. That’s not what were challenges with STV2 [but] why as new money flows into Scotland
we are doing… my job is to put in place not turn that around and do something from both Channel 4 and the BBC.
a compelling growth strategy, not just different? It’s hugely disappointing.” Clements, who is setting up his own
for digital but for broadcast and produc- With Brexit looming, Bardell wants production company, says that
tion, and to deliver across the company.” STV and other broadcasters in Scotland increased spending represents a shift
One of his priorities is attracting more to ensure that “they have journalists all from “the wind in our face to the wind
young viewers by making shows for across the country”. She adds that it is being behind us, and suddenly doors
STV Player. The broadcaster also has a “a shame Simon sees the BBC channel are opening”. n
Television www.rts.org.uk July/August 2018 13Regulation
In the wake of the Skripal
affair, Stewart Purvis
analyses Ofcom’s attitude
to the Putin-backed
broadcaster RT
Ofcom’s dilemma
A
newly appointed boss Kremlin’s news agency and radio station unlawful use of force” by Russia. But,
is addressing journalists into a company called Rossiya Segod- a month later, the UK regulator had
in the newsroom. They nya, which translates as “Russia Today”. gone decidedly cool on linking a state’s
know him only as an Its sister news organisation is the other actions with its ownership of an
outspoken TV presenter Russia Today, the TV news channel Ofcom licence.
with strong links to now known as RT, and they share an “It would be inappropriate for Ofcom
their government. He tells them: “The editor-in-chief, Margarita Simonyan. always to place decisive weight” on any
time of detached, unbiased journalism So, what does a British regulator make act that a state committed, said the
is over. Objectivity is a myth forced of a TV channel that transmits across regulator. It was “not possible or appro-
upon us. Editorial policy will be based the UK being openly owned by the priate for us to seek to reach an inde-
on the love of our country.” same state that, according to the British pendent determination on the events in
When a journalist in the audience Prime Minister, poisoned Sergei Skripal Salisbury”. Instead, Ofcom preferred to
tries to differentiate between “country” and his daughter, Yulia, in Salisbury? consider RT’s “broadcasting conduct”
and “government”, his new boss tells And how does “objectivity is a myth” fit and was “intensively” monitoring RT’s
him, with more than a hint of menace: with the British requirement for “due output. And, as it happened, seven new
“Let me give you some advice. If you impartiality and due accuracy”? investigations into due impartiality
are planning any subversive activities, The answers, based on the past few were ready to begin.
I can tell you now that it goes right months, are that these are particularly “Since the events in Salisbury we
against my plan.” difficult areas for Ofcom to navigate. have observed a significant increase in
Such is the state of the world that On 13 March, when Theresa May gave the number of programmes on the RT
you can imagine this happening in Vladimir Putin until midnight to explain service that warrant investigation,” said
many countries, including, extraordi- how the former spy had been poisoned, Ofcom. Another three investigations
narily, the US. The least surprising Ofcom said that, “should the UK investi- commenced the following month.
explanation is that this scene unfolded gating authorities determine that there This made a total of 11 standards
in Moscow, shot by a journalist on his was an unlawful use of force by the cases, if you include one, started last
phone in 2013. It is now part of a docu- Russian state against the UK, we would year, regarding the use on air of alleg-
mentary, Our New President, which pre- consider this relevant to our ongoing edly fake tweets.
miered in the UK at the recent Sheffield duty to be satisfied that RT is fit and What Ofcom has done is to get out
Doc/Fest. proper” to hold its broadcasting licence. of the row about who did what to
Dmitry Kiselyov took up his new The UK Government did, subse- whom in Salisbury and focus instead
role when Vladimir Putin merged the quently, decide that there was “an on what RT broadcast about it.
14set up ITV. Section 3 (c) tasked the its redoubtable general counsel, Polly
then-regulator, the ITA, with ensuring Weitzman, who has been at Ofcom
that “any news given in the pro- since its creation.
grammes (in whatever form) is pre- If breaches are recorded against RT/
sented with due accuracy and TV-Novosti the Ofcom lawyers will
impartiality”. highlight the importance of precedent
When asked what due impartiality and past performance in determining
meant, the government of the day if a sanction is appropriate and what
replied that it was whatever the regu- that sanction should be.
lator deemed it to be. In 2012, Ofcom
The rule was later revoked the licence
extended to the BBC ‘THE TIME OF of the Iranian news
and Channel 4. Previ-
ously secret Downing DETACHED, channel Press TV,
which, as a result, has
Street papers released
in 2016 show that,
UNBIASED no longer been able to
broadcast in the UK.
back in 1990, the JOURNALISM The state-funded
Prime Minister’s polit-
ical secretary, John
IS OVER… broadcaster’s Eng-
lish-language service
Whittingdale, told EDITORIAL had breached several
Margaret Thatcher that
the BBC and Channel 4 POLICY WILL rules over editorial
control and had
had “consistently BE BASED ON refused to pay a fine.
abused” the impartial-
ity requirements. THE LOVE OF It seemed that Tehran
– which condemned
As it has turned out,
the broadcasters that
OUR COUNTRY’ “a clear example of
censorship” by “the
have found “due media arm of the
impartiality” a useful Royal Family” –
wedge are those from outside the UK, rather enjoyed the fight and has con-
Russian Federation President Vladimir
such as Fox News and RT, which bring tinued broadcasting online.
Putin interviewd on RT in June 2013
RT
a very particular point of view into the The broadcasting battles between
country. Britain and Iran continue to this day,
The Ofcom statement had one par- The limitations and qualifications with BBC World recently deploring
ticularly curious line about TV-Novosti, that Ofcom has to take into account in what it called Tehran’s “targeted
the Russian Federation-owned com- enforcing “due impartiality” were attack” on BBC Persian staff, in which
pany that holds RT’s licence: “Until listed by the Competition and Markets it froze their assets.
recently, TV Novosti’s overall compli- Authority in the context of its review Could it just be that, in 2018, it might
ance record had not been materially of the proposed acquisition of Sky by suit RT’s owners in Moscow to be able
out of line with other broadcasters.” 21st Century Fox. to accuse Britain of censorship and
My own examination of the available The CMA concluded that “broad- retaliate in some way against the BBC?
data on cases of due impartiality, due casters are, to some extent, able to Which brings us back to the sayings
accuracy and related offences shows adapt their own approach to the pres- of Kremlin news boss Dmitry Kiselyov.
that RT has had 10 breaches recorded entation of news and current affairs When, in 2016, the BBC’s Moscow
against it since 2010. In other words, more generally”. correspondent, Steve Rosenberg, asked
more than twice as many as any other The qualifications that create this Kiselyov if he was the Kremlin’s chief
broadcaster. situation include recognising the propagandist, he replied: “If I make
Quite why Ofcom would frame the importance of freedom of expression, propaganda, then you make it, too. But
comparison with other broadcasters on taking account of the context of the if you’re not doing propaganda, if
“overall compliance”, including adher- broadcast and “the expectation of the you’re just doing your job, that applies
ence to non-editorial regulations, such audience”. to me, too. We’re doing the same thing,
as advertising minutes, is unclear. As the Ofcom executive responsible we’re colleagues.”
Its own figures show that “the for enforcing impartiality for two and a So, if “tit-for-tat” or “colleague for
majority of the breaches, and both of half years, I was sometimes heard to colleague” would be the likely retalia-
the more serious breaches, were in mutter that “audience expectation” tion for any Ofcom sanction that
programming relating to Russia’s for- was another way of saying: “What else directly impacts on RT’s transmissions,
eign policy and related to the require- would viewers expect from a right- perhaps a large fine would be the
ment for due impartiality”. wing American TV station or one most appropriate outcome in all the
The breaches related to programmes owned by the Kremlin?” circumstances. n
about Libya (2011 and 2012), Syria Ofcom says that it will make the
(2012, 2013 and 2014), Ukraine (2014), outcome of its investigations public as Stewart Purvis was Ofcom’s partner for
Turkey (2016) and Nato (2016). soon as possible. The process that the content and standards (2007-10). He is a
The regulatory requirement goes RT cases are going through is carefully non-executive director at Channel 4 and
back to the Television Act 1954, which observed by Ofcom’s legal team, led by writes here in a personal capacity.
Television www.rts.org.uk July/August 2018 15Patrick Melrose
A tale
of two
cities
Sky
O
ne of the standout now lives in New York), and Wall to
drama launches of Production Wall founder and ex-CEO Alex Graham.
the year is unques- The pair have known one another
tionably Sky Atlan-
tic’s Patrick Melrose.
Tim Dams talks to the for a long time. Jackson hired Graham
in the late 1980s as a consultant on his
The five-parter high-profile founders seminal Channel 4 series The Media
memorably opens in London with a Show. They have been in regular con-
heroin-addled Melrose, played magis- of the production tact ever since.
terially by Benedict Cumberbatch,
receiving news of his abusive father’s
company responsible In 2014, Jackson approached Graham
about working together, soon after
death in New York. Melrose then travels for the acclaimed Graham had left his Who Do You Think
there to bring home his father’s ashes. You Are? and New Tricks indie following
While in Manhattan, he embarks on an drama Patrick Melrose its 2010 sale to Warner Bros.
epic drugs binge. Expect the erstwhile Jackson’s proposition was simple:
Sherlock star to win multiple awards for they should set up a drama-focused
this astonishing performance. production company. “Alex had been
Heroin aside, Patrick Melrose’s open- in drama quite successfully at Wall to
ing scenes neatly reflect the transat- Wall. These things are better with two
lantic nature of Two Cities, the heads rather than one,” he says.
production company behind the serial. Jackson wanted to concentrate on
Two Cities is run by two of the best- drama because it was something new
known executives in British TV – the to him as a producer, and also because
former BBC One and BBC Two control- “drama feels like the richest and most
ler, Channel 4 boss and Chair of Uni- interesting part of television at the
versal Television Michael Jackson (who moment”.
16‘THERE ARE MORE
OPPORTUNITIES
He cites the “explosion” of streaming TO DO packaging deals,” says Graham. “Fire
services, such as Netflix, Amazon and
Hulu, which has opened up new cate- INTERESTING and Fury is a good example of that.
Michael’s relationship with the other
gories of business for producers. WORK THAN AT Michael positioned us.
Shows can be successful with much
smaller audiences, which means that
ANY TIME I CAN “But we couldn’t afford to take that
book off the market. When Endeavor
companies like his can win a rich and REMEMBER’ turned up, and was willing to write a
diverse range of commissions. Mean- cheque, we had to go along with that.
while, increasingly sophisticated audi- But, because we built relationships and
ence measurement systems suggest reputation in the past for most inter- commitments, we were able to partner
that broadcasters understand how national co-productions. Graham says with Endeavor.”
valuable niche shows can be to them. the emergence of “niche-global” pro- Graham says that Two Cities proba-
Initially, Graham wavered. He’d just gramming – bold and innovative bly won’t end up with any ownership
come out of 25 years at Wall to Wall. shows possessing a real clarity of pur- of the project. “But we will be crea-
“My first reaction was: ‘I’m not sure. I pose – has swept away old preconcep- tively involved and will, hopefully, be
need a year to decompress.’” tions of co-produced drama. well paid for our involvement. You
But, 12 months later, the idea of work- He cites Patrick Melrose as an exam- have to be more flexible and fleet of
ing together still resonated. “Instinc- ple: “It is Brideshead Revisited meets foot now.”
tively, I agreed with Michael,” says Trainspotting. It is not an easy watch That said, Graham believes that the
Graham. “We are in a golden age of and is the antithesis of what we used industry offers a much better environ-
risk-taking. It is competitive, but there to talk about as mid-Atlantic fare.” ment for independent producers than
are more opportunities to do interesting One of Two Cities’ upcoming pro- when he launched Wall to Wall. He
work than at any time I can remember.” jects is certain to create huge waves on notes that, back then, there was just
Patrick Melrose is Two Cities’ first both sides of the Atlantic when it is one buyer for ideas – Channel 4.
production to air. It is very much Jack- shown. Jackson is executive producing Competition among a legion of new
son’s project and, clearly, the show has Fire and Fury, based on Michael Wolff’s drama indies may be tough, but so, too,
been a time-consuming job to assem- controversial book examining the first is it among broadcasters and streamers.
ble. Originally developed by Channel 4, year of Donald Trump’s presidency. Jackson says that top talent is “being
it was finally co-produced by Sky Jackson knows Wolff well. Nine sucked into the orbit of the streamers,”
Atlantic and Showtime. months ago, he helped to sell the pro- citing Netflix’s The Crown as an example.
Talking in Two Cities’ Somerset ject to Amazon Studios – only for it to But he doesn’t seem convinced by
House office in London, Jackson and be dropped following a management the argument, advanced by BBC Direc-
Graham make it clear that Patrick Mel- overhaul at the online giant. “The new tor-General Tony Hall, that the UK
rose is just the beginning of a journey management were very afraid of it. broadcasting industry is in danger of
for Two Cities. Backed by BBC World- Maybe not afraid, but they didn’t know being taken over by US tech firms.
wide, which has a 25% stake, the indie what to do with it,” says the one-time “There is always material [that the
last year hired BBC Northern Ireland Channel 4 CEO. streamers] will find hard to get, such as
drama head Stephen Wright (Line of Shortly afterwards, Endeavor Con- Happy Valley or Ackley Bridge or Line of
Duty, The Fall) as creative director to tent “wrote a cheque for $1m” for the Duty… I think that British buyers still
help build a slate along with develop- TV and film rights, with Two Cities have quite a lot of commissioning
ment executive Janet Tyler. attached as producer. In an inspired power. And they should do, as they are
Two Cities now has half a dozen appointment for a drama depicting closer to the ground. They will proba-
projects in script development with Donald Trump, Jay Roach (Game bly have to be faster, and will have to
traditional broadcasters and streamers, Change, Austin Powers) has been named take more risks with younger, less
and a similar number in unpaid devel- as director; a writer is still in the pro- established talent.”
opment. The projects range from “bou- cess of being hired. Given their background, one would
tique” dramas, such as Patrick Melrose, to The Endeavor deal neatly illustrates have thought that two well-connected
“good, popular and long-running tele- both the opportunities and the chal- and experienced executives such as
vision series and serials”. lenges facing smaller producers such Jackson and Graham would be among
Jackson stresses the transatlantic as Two Cities operating in an increas- the first in line to pick up commissions
nature of the company: “Because I am ingly global and consolidated industry. of this type.
in New York and Alex and the team are It is getting harder to hold on to IP. Their track record is helpful,
here, we very much want to work out “One of the things that we have acknowledges Jackson: “It might get
of both the UK and the US.” learned quite quickly is that we have you in the room or get your email
But that doesn’t mean producing to be smarter in the range of deals that answered. But you still have to have a
bland, mid-Atlantic drama – the we do. We have to be cleverer about good project.” n
Television www.rts.org.uk July/August 2018 17You can also read
