The class of 2018 - January 2018 - Royal Television Society
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January 2018 The class of 2018
TV
CAREERS
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
5 Kirsty Wark’s TV Diary
Kirsty Wark salutes the power of documentary story
telling and has a close encounter with organised crime 20 A balancing act for turbulent times
Stewart Purvis argues that Fran Unsworth’s experience
will be vital in her new role as the BBC’s head of news
6
Cupcakes for Armageddon
Kenton Allen fast-forwards through 2017. He is terrified
by Trump and thrilled by Bake Off, but looming over
everything is Netflix
22 RTS Student Programme Masterclasses
The road to the top is rarely a straight one, as
Matthew Bell and Steve Clarke report
9 The ultimate TV reality stars
Stefan Stern takes a sideways look at some of the key
players who keep Planet TV spinning
24 RTS Craft Skills Masterclasses
The first priority is hands-on experience, hear
Matthew Bell and Steve Clarke
25
Our Friend in the West
12 ITV’s first lady
Steve Clarke profiles ITV’s new CEO, Carolyn McCall, and
examines some of the challenges facing her
Julian Hector, head of BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit,
remembers a very special premiere in Bristol
14 Google hails a world of opportunity
The search engine giant’s European head, Matt Brittin,
tells the RTS why online and TV need to work together
26 A panel show like no other
Matthew Bell learns how Taskmaster made the journey
from the Edinburgh fringe to UKTV’s Dave
17 Cool for Katz
Channel 4’s new director of programmes, Ian Katz, is 28 RTS Futures Christmas quiz
Test your televisual knowledge with our festive quiz
29 RTS Craft & Design Awards 2017
well equipped to bring a new vitality to the broadcaster,
says Maggie Brown 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.
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 January 2018 3
RTS NEWS Your guide to
upcoming events.
Book online at
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 ■ nikki.odonnell@bbc.co.uk
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 ■ daniel@cherowbrier.co.uk 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: ■ jayne@ijmmedia.co.uk ■ Jane Muirhead
RTS AWARDS Steve Daly, head of technol- ■ scotlandchair@rts.org.uk
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 ■ SFarmer@bournemouth.ac.uk
Tuesday 18 September Chair: Sue Malden, Chair of ■ Jill Graham
RTS London Conference 2018 Focal International. 6:30pm for ■ jill.graham@blueyonder.co.uk THAMES VALLEY
Sponsored by Viacom 7:00pm ■ Tony Orme
Venue: Kings Place, 90 York Way, Venue: ITV London Studios, NORTH WEST ■ RTSThamesValley@rts.org.uk
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 ■ RPinkney@rts.org.uk Venue: TBC
BRISTOL Venue: ITV London Studios, ■ Hywel Wiliam 07980 007841
Tuesday 6 February Upper Ground, London SE1 9LT NORTHERN IRELAND ■ hywel@aim.uk.com
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
■ belindabiggam@hotmail.com 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.
■ byrnecd@iol.ie co.uk
4
TV diary
Kirsty Wark salutes the power
of documentary storytelling
and has a close encounter
with organised crime
I
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 20th-century 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
I 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. truly thrilling, violent but emotionally
best and most modern-looking part But I hope that our BBC documen engaging and moving story of inter-
of the BBC’s general-election night. tary may spark (sorry) fresh interest national crime, connecting London,
At the bash, Steve Morrison, the new in her mordant, ruthless, whip- Russia, India and Israel and more.
BBC board member for Scotland – or cracking, word-snapping books, The performances are terrific. I
is that BBC Scotland’s member on the from The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie to can’t think of a better thing to do on
unitary board? – took us through his my favourites, The Girls of Slender New Year’s Day than to make a date
early career at BBC Radio Scotland…. Means and A Far Cry from Kensington. with McMafia. Oh and the title is a nod
a path that, rather spookily, I followed I can hardly believe that, when I to McDonald’s – it’s everywhere.
six years later. studied Scottish literature at Edin
Donalda MacKinnon, the director of burgh University in 1973, she was not ■ It’s Bafta screener season and
BBC Scotland, set out her huge ambi- on the reading list! She was simply a at the weekend my husband, Alan
tion to transform the corporation’s brilliant, economic wordsmith who Clements, and I watched the grip
services in Scotland and to the world, happily killed her characters at will, ping, horrifying LA 92, an entirely
partly via the BBC’s new TV channel and enjoyed the moniker “the gen archival, observational documen
in Scotland. teel assassin”. tary, with a lot of unseen footage,
She then introduced the new man She was also incredibly stylish and which goes a long way to explaining
who’s going to deliver it… all the way adored expensive clothes and fine why America has such a bad recent
from BBC Northern Ireland, ladies jewellery. Fishing through her ward history in race relations.
and gentlemen, please welcome Steve robes at the house where she lived in It also reinforces my view that doc
Carson. He has the vision, the drive, Italy for many years before her death umentary often beats fictionalised
and, hopefully, he has a few Bitcoins in 2006, I came upon a perfect brown storytelling. Think Senna, Blackfish and
to make the figures work. velvet hat, complete with a net veil. even the controversial Trophy. They
I remembered that she wrote a just make a more lasting impact.
■ I’ve been working on a BBC docu poem about hats, and that it was by
mentary (which will go out on BBC the tilt of their hats that the five girls Kirsty Wark is a television journalist and
Two Scotland early in the New Year) of the Brodie Set were identified. She presents BBC Two’s Newsnight.
Television www.rts.org.uk January 2018 5
Cupcakes for
Armageddon
J
anuary our chums at Netflix were promising
I can barely remember what I had Review of the year to launch a new drama series on the
for breakfast, so thinking back to hour, every hour, for the next 12 months,
January 2017 is a little challenging.
From memory, I think we were all
Kenton Allen fast- until we all started to bleed from the
eyeballs. It’s going to be a fun year!
discussing whether Jay Hunt was going forwards through 2017. Unless Trump does something stupid…
to host The Great British Bake Off. like provokes the North Koreans into
Certainly, we were all discussing He is terrified by Trump testing out their nukes or retweets
those Jay Hunt rumours, which must
have been about the vacant position
and thrilled by Bake some random British fascist fake news.
But he wouldn’t do that – we all pray.
of Bake Off chair. Off, but looming over
In other news, we were all braced for February
the Great British Drama Boom and everything is Netflix One of my favourite actors, Kevin
hoping that Left Bank Pictures wouldn’t Spacey, is back for House of Cards season
get any more commissions from SVoD a very different kind when Apple Tree five. I love Kevin Spacey. He is the best.
services that hadn’t yet been invented. Yard made its Sunday night debut on In other news, Big Talk starts shoot-
In programming, Tom Hardy grunted BBC One. ing season seven of Cold Feet. This
about in the mud for Taboo, lots of Across the Pond, and presumably to involves plenty of trips to Manchester.
famous faces grunted about in the snow deflect us all from the horror show that I can’t help wondering why Channel 4
for Fortitude 2 and there was grunting of was the inauguration of the Donald, doesn’t move to this fabulous city.
6
Note to self, someone should suggest it moment for the creative – and many claptrap injury, ITV announces that
but I mentally note, like a teenager, other – industries, Bill O’Reilly, the Carolyn McCall will be its new CEO.
#itwillneverhappen. hugely successful and commercially Back to the programmes: Love Island
Broadchurch season three launches valuable Fox News commentator, is becomes a break-out hit for ITV2, with
on ITV. Critics say the show is back to forced to resign over allegations of a show that young people actually
its best. The Nightly Show also launches sexual misconduct. In unrelated news, watch, shock! The Handmaid’s Tale wows
on ITV. Critics slay the show. But I Amazon announces a new drama audiences with its overall brilliance
suspect Kevin Lygo knows what he’s series, I Love Dick. and general lack of Netflix involvement.
doing. I love Kevin Lygo. He is the best. Hulu goes up in everyone’s estima-
May tion, until Netflix announces that it has
March Those Jay Hunt rumours are back: 100 million subscribers and is worth
Bloody hell! It’s all kicked off at Chan- a) Jay is going to be the new CEO of almost nine times ITV, at $60bn.
nel 4. First up, 50% of The Mighty Boosh Channel 4; b) Jay is going to run Apple/ Everyone not working for Netflix
and a brilliantly witty Danish lesbian Facebook/Amazon/Uber/Deliveroo; straps on nappies for the rest of 2017.
are hosting GBBO. Those Jay Hunt c) Jay is going to replace Bill O’Reilly
rumours have now gone bonkers. Not on Fox News. I place a bet. August
least because, in the world’s worst-kept No one at any UK broadcaster returns
secret, David Abraham has announced a call or email, so I resort to catching
he is standing down as CEO to start a EVERYONE NOT up on House of Cards and Baby Driver,
GBBO-themed cupcake shop, I think.
Tipped candidates include Jay Hunt, WORKING FOR Edgar Wright’s latest Big Talk Pictures
film, also starring Kevin Spacey.
J Hunt and Jacqueline Hunt, alongside
the likes of Julian Barratt of The Mighty
NETFLIX STRAPS It’s released to critical and huge
commercial success. I love Kevin
Boosh, Mel and Sue (job-share box tick) ON NAPPIES Spacey. He is the best. GBBO launches
and Kevin Lygo. I love Kevin Lygo. He on Channel 4 and is an instant hit.
is still the best. Shops sell out of cake-making gubbins.
Across the Pond, as we annoyingly Then, sadly, it emerges that Adam Prue Leith adds thousands of Twitter
call the nearly 9,000km gap between Crozier is going to step down from ITV followers. Everyone is thrilled.
the UK and West Coast US, the spring after seven years. I place another bet.
season kicks in: 13 Reasons Why and Iron We are genuinely gutted at Big Talk September
Fist premiere on Netflix, followed soon Towers. Adam has been a brilliant and Big Talk launches an awful lot of shows
by Girlboss and Dear White People. transformational leader of ITV. He’s also all at once, which is terrifying: Diana
Everyone in US network TV has a a thoroughly nice bloke and has always and I, Back, Cold Feet season seven, Time-
collective aneurysm and all that any- taken the time to keep across what wasters. I start drinking even more
one can talk about in the UK is Prue we’re doing and buy us breakfast once heavily than normal. Meanwhile, Peak
Leith. Despite what people say about or twice a year. He will be sorely missed. TV reaches a new frenzy.
Prue, she’s the best. I follow her on While all this is going on, Theresa No one does any work other than
Twitter because she’s “hilarious”. May, having called another bloody discussing what they’ve been watching
election, has then declined to take part or listing the shows they have yet to
April in any leaders’ election debates. That’s watch. Narcos series three, Deuce, Ameri-
It’s MIPTV. Yay! We don’t go: we prefer democracy, folks! can Vandal, Big Mouth, Tin Star, Liar – and
the October event, as, it seems, do most that is just up to 3 September.
of our colleagues. Channel 4 relocation June In response to the SVoD threat, The
bingo kicks off. Those Jay Hunt rumours were all bol- One Show dedicates a whole show to
Speculation about Channel 4’s new locks. It’s announced that Alex Mahon knitting. It’s a golden age, says
CEO steps up a gear and Charlotte is the new CEO of Channel 4. Jay leaves everyone.
Moore is talked of as a front runner Channel 4. Those “who is going to
– although it seems that no one has replace Jay Hunt?” rumours start in October
actually talked to her about it. earnest. I place a bet on Prue Leith. Mipcom. Those Ian Katz rumours start.
Fox’s takeover of Sky is approved by And a side bet on Julian Assange. Otherwise, it’s biz as usual, with the
Eurocrats. Ofcom takes over regulating FAANGs announcing even more ambi-
the BBC. All of this is “fascinating” but July tious programming slates and an arms
“it’s the programmes, stupid”, as the Just before everyone buggers off for race of expenditure on drama. At this
nation is gripped by Line of Duty on August, all kinds of fun and games rate, it won’t be long before one of them
BBC One and Jeff Pope’s Little Boy Blue begin. First up, the BBC make a total strikes a deal to remake Lord of the Rings,
on ITV. Meanwhile, Better Call Saul sea- Horlicks of announcing its top stars’ I remark over a bucket of rosé.
son three debuts on Netflix. pay, which erupts into a massive gen- There doesn’t seem to be a more
In an act of defiance designed to stop der pay-gap issue. Tony Hall actually appropriate place to read the New
the flood of 16- to 24-year-olds migrat- considers gender reassignment in a bid Yorker and New York Times revelations
ing to SVoD services, the BBC retaliates: to appease his top female stars. about Harvey Weinstein than where
The One Show runs a 15-minute story on Next, the BBC announces Jodie I’m staying – the Majestic Hotel –
the resurgence of caravanning. Take Whittaker as the first female Doctor apparently, the scene of some of his
that, you Yankee SVoD bastards! Who and Paul Dacre’s head explodes. execrable behaviour.
In what will become a defining Then, to add insult to Daily Mail sexist Back in London, a domino effect �
Television www.rts.org.uk January 2018 7
The Handmaid’s Tale:
some male TV executives
confused their ‘rights’
Channel 4
with those exercised
by the rulers of Gilead
� kicks in and it feels like society is to Lord of the Rings. These tech guys December
shifting on its axis and moving are crazy, I think, while perusing the Expensive bits of California are on fire.
towards a far better place. But it is overnights. Three terrestrial shows get And the news of the landmark acqui-
going to be a very painful process. more than 10 million viewers on sition of Fox by Disney creates an
As a diversion from the daily tsu- Sunday night – I’m a Celebrity…, Blue earthquake. Everyone says this is
nami of horrific revelations, I check Planet and Strictly. Those linear-TV Murdoch getting out of the entertain-
in on Prue Leith’s Twitter feed. She’s guys have still got some moves, I ment business, until it’s revealed that
in Bhutan and… Jesus Christ, Prue! muse, as I scan the web, expecting to the Murdochs will be the largest
Not now! I stop following Prue as I discover that Netflix has signed David shareholders in Disney. The Canny
hear she’s a big fan of Stranger Things Attenborough and a shoal of yellow Old Fox has entered the Mouse House.
and I don’t want any more spoilers fin tuna on exclusive deals to join We’re now at Peak Sexual Harass-
after Bhutangate. Shonda Rhimes. ment Scandal. Every time I get an
Meanwhile, those Ian Katz rumours email alert, I expect it to be a revela-
are true! Channel 4 News is strangely tion that another “star” has been
quiet on the subject. Goodness knows
why. Those other Jay Hunt rumours
I PONDER exposed for inappropriate behaviour.
It can’t be long before Homer
are eventually proved to be true, as it EMAILING JAY Simpson’s time is up. In a parallel
is revealed that she is to be Apple’s
new European content head. ABOUT GETTING universe, the BBC wakes up and
announces exciting plans to launch
I ponder emailing Jay about getting A NEW IPHONE X an SVoD service. Only 10 years and
a new iPhone X before anyone else,
but decide against this. I write to Zack BEFORE ANYONE 100 million Netflix subscribers too
late. But, hey ho.
Van Amburg, instead.
Andy Harries manages to piss off
ELSE I doubt the BBC could have com-
missioned The Crown, watching the
the entire industry in the US and UK storylines in season two, which has
by getting the first major UK drama just “dropped”, as young people say.
commission from YouTube Red. Origin But, sadly, this is not true. What is Also “dropped” are Mindhunter, The
is a sci-fi series that will cost $20m an true is that the sexual harassment Grand Tour season two and, for the love
episode – just for Left Bank’s fees and scandal has gained further traction, of DHL, an avalanche of Bafta DVDs.
Andy’s hairdresser. God knows what with almost daily stories of unforgiv- I’ve worked out that, if I don’t sleep
the actual show will cost but, next able behaviour from those that should at all over Christmas, I’ve just about
time I see Andy Harries, he’s buying know better from all walks of life. time to catch up on all my 2017 view-
me a small country. Netflix is not immune. Those Kevin ing before 3 January. See you on the
Spacey rumours surface and Netflix other side. n
November subsequently halts production on
Monday morning. Amazon announces House of Cards and removes him from Kenton Allen is Chief Executive of Big
that it is spending $250m on the rights the show. I don’t like Kevin Spacey. Talk Productions.
8
The ultimate TV
reality stars
Television tribes
Stefan Stern takes a
sideways look at some
of the key players who
keep Planet TV spinning
S
ome things change,
some stay the same.
As the industry gets
back to work this new
year, there will be talk
of new commissions,
new hires, new ventures and, possi-
bly, even a few new scandals.
But look around the office or your
professional networks and a few
familiar characters will be looking
back at you. They are still there. Here
is a small selection of them. Remind
you of anyone?
The runner
It’s not an easy life being Philip, you
Russel Herneman
know. Sometimes misunderstood.
Often overworked. And occasionally
looked down on by colleagues who
have forgotten what it’s like to start at sound of the
the bottom, and who can be impatient diggers. These
with that “know-nothing” youngster arty types,
who has never heard of Michael honestly.
Grade or Joan Bakewell. Philip is not getting Philip, the runner
At the end of a long day’s filming, paid a great deal for these
when more senior figures are free to long hours of effort and stress
go home, Philip will still be there till (and, not so long ago, he wasn’t
quite late at night, putting in the calls, being paid at all). But does he get
getting some knock-backs, and wor- much gratitude? No, he does not. The writer
rying about how he will explain his Still, he means well, and rarely The spark of life. That’s what Louise
failure to sort out a full cast list of causes so much of a disaster that he delivers. Straight-talking, sassy banter
interviewees when the execs stroll can’t be bailed out by one of his more and laugh-out-loud laughs. Since her
in the next day. experienced colleagues. And, for all breakthrough 30 years ago, with a
And, really, was it Philip’s fault that the mishaps, it might be wise not to semi-autobiographical drama about
the location he’d picked for the street get on the wrong side of him: he’s a her childhood in Hull, Louise has
scene turned out to be next on the list fast learner is Philip. He’s determined been the person to turn to for dia-
for the council’s programme of road- and, one day, it might be him who is logue that resonates with viewers and
works? If the actors knew how to calling the shots and hiring some makes people laugh.
project properly they could have veteran producers – who will be There’s just a bit of a problem. Lou-
made their voices heard over the grateful to get the gig. ise does not always see eye to eye �
Television www.rts.org.uk January 2018 9
� with some of her executive produc-
ers. They miss the flair and verve of
some of her earlier work. She thinks
she’s writing better than ever, and it’s
the producers who struggle to take a
decision or make up their minds about
what they really want.
But what the series producers never
see, in their smart, central-London
offices, is that picture of Louise ham-
mering away at her MacBook in the
early hours of the morning, working on
draft after draft, chuckling occasionally
as she finally gets a joke to work, all in
the quest to find the magic form of
words that will bring the drama to life.
Louise has worked long and hard in
the service of the great British viewing
public. She has made the country
laugh, and cry, over and over again, Louise, the writer
and the audiences still love her even
if the execs don’t always get the joke
quite as quickly as the viewers do.
The head of sales
For Anil, the dealmaker, there is no skipping ads, where’s the
language too colourful and no bikini future for him?
too small. The lesson of Love Island, Creative product
Anil says, is that there is a huge market placement, native
for bronzed, buff nonsense. Bums on and targeted ads
screens will deliver bums on seats, may offer a life-
mega ratings, and massive ad revenue. line. Anil has never
When he hears the word culture, ducked a challenge and he is
Anil frowns. How much money do the confident that he will find a way
beautiful creative people pull in? to keep selling. If he can keep the
Who do they think pays their quota of arty crap down, and keep
wages and gets their arty pro- the flow of surprise hits coming, all
grammes made, anyway? will be well. There will still be water-
The lack of respect – and cooler telly moments that advertisers
suspicion – between Anil and find irresistible, even if everyone on
the creatives is mutual. every single programme has to appear
Anil likes data. He wants ratings. on screen in their swimming costume.
Eyeballs equal ads. “What do points
make? Prizes!” he can often be heard The presenter
All illustrations: Russel Herneman
saying, like Brucie. “Now, he under- He likes to see the whites of his inter-
stood show business and what people viewees’ eyes, does Robin – but, magi-
want,” says Anil. cally, his hair remains a deep chestnut
But, while others embrace the online brown, even after all these years. His
digital future, and marvel at the power hair is very important to him. The hair
of the new channels such as Netflix or Anil, the is crucial.
Amazon – or YouTube – Anil is not so salesman It takes a steely nerve and a quick
sure. He liked his old world of control. brain to front-up, live, night after night.
How can you sell ads in the box-set It’s not just about reading an Autocue.
era? If people are bingeing and Oh, no. An encyclopedic knowledge of
10world events and current affairs is
needed to handle breaking news stories
and slippery or evasive guests.
How Robin maintains these energy
levels and this sort of commitment,
even now, is a matter of some specula-
tion. The spa visits, the personal train-
ers, the “refuelling” – it’s a mystery.
Maybe the story will come out one day.
And, if presenting all this output were
not enough, once the show is over, Robin, the
Robin leaps on to Twitter to do battle presenter
with ignorant critics and flirt with his
many admirers, male and female. For
the right fee (a big one), he will
host your industry awards or
make a travel programme
– if the location world that Marjory grew up in and in
and the size which she learned her trade. But there
could only be one channel controller
back then, one head of drama – and
of the Marjory, the Marjory’s face did not fit.
cheque pass super indie But now look. Amazon, Netflix,
muster. Apple… there are just so many new
Of course, there are customers out there. Viewing habits
some younger rivals snap- are transformed. Box sets and
ping at his heels, some bril- binge-viewing sessions
liant female presenters who rule. And there is no
are overdue a promotion. end of talent heading in
Change is coming, and the mod- Marjory’s direction,
ern world cannot be kept out because a super indie
much longer. He won’t cling on such as hers can open
for ever. But, while he’s still in some crucial doors.
possession of the prime slots, Robin So what else has she got
is going nowhere. They’ll have to up her designer sleeve?
drag him out of there. By the hair, She’s not telling. But sagas,
probably. gritty thrillers, period dramas
and comedies all form part
The super indie of her repertoire. There
Marjory may have left the BBC under are great roles for
a bit of a cloud, but look at her now. established
Everyone wants a piece of her – or at movie stars who
least some of her “content”. Wielding like the idea of
her two smartphones, and navigating committing to
All illustrations: Russel Herneman
an immensely crowded schedule, lavishly funded
Marje weaves her way from meeting to series. There are
meeting, to LA, New York and back to breakthrough roles
London, selling, selling, selling. It’s a for beautiful, aspiring
new world out there and Marjory’s stars who are not put off by shooting
shows are smashing it. scenes packed with sex and violence.
Once upon a time, spectrum scarcity And, at the apex of it all, there is
kept things under control. The sched- Marjory: closing deals, producing
ule mattered, and there were huge great “content” and making an awful
audiences to be won. This was the lot of money. n
Television www.rts.org.uk January 2018 11ITV’s
first
lady
F
or many people working While advertising today accounts for
in TV, the only opportu- ITV 47% of ITV’s turnover, it still delivers
nity they have had to 75% of the firm’s profits
observe Carolyn McCall
has been at the Guardian’s
Steve Clarke profiles Dame Carolyn (she was made a
dame in 2016 for services to the aviation
annual post-MacTaggart ITV’s new CEO, industry) joins the broadcaster at a
lecture dinners, held at the Edinburgh time when ad-funded TV businesses
TV festival. Carolyn McCall, and across the world are under pressure
As the newspaper’s Chief Executive,
she co-hosted the events alongside the
examines some of the from the likes of Facebook and Google.
Many media buyers are now biased
then-editor, Alan Rusbridger. This lack challenges facing her in favour of digital, rather than tradi-
of visibility in TV circles is about to tional advertising media. So, one of the
change as she prepares to take over as TV chief, highly experienced at run- new CEO’s first jobs will be to persuade
the first female head of ITV. ning a FTSE 100 company. Equally these people of ITV’s effectiveness as a
“There have been some quite senior important, she is deeply knowledgeable marketing tool against a backdrop of
women running distribution compa- about the advertising market and its Brexit jitters.
nies in British TV, but I think I’m right complexities. “Carolyn understands conventional
in saying we’ve never before had any- It is this latter skill that will be tested and digital advertising and the strengths
one quite like Carolyn working in our in the years ahead. Despite Crozier’s and weaknesses of both,” points out a
business at such a senior level,” says successful rebalancing of ITV’s busi- media insider. Exactly how much of
one veteran TV executive. ness to the point where it operates as ITV’s advertising challenges are down
In common with her predecessor at a global producer of scale, securing to structural or cyclical factors is a
ITV, Adam Crozier, she is completely advertising revenue remains pivotal moot point. But, following a difficult
new to TV. She is, unusually for a new to ITV’s success. 2017, during which British broadcasters
12when the broadcaster was searching education job ads aggregated in spe-
for the best person to succeed Crozier. cial, weekly sections and a hefty media
At the Guardian, where she worked section (previously unknown in Fleet
from 1986 to 2010, she successfully Street).
helped the newspaper move to the In 2006, she succeeded Bob Phillis
digital space. as CEO of the Guardian Media Group,
“Carolyn enabled the Guardian to having been appointed Managing
become a major online brand,” says Director of Guardian Newspapers six
someone who has taken a keen inter- years earlier.
est in the upward trajectory of her Married with three children, Dame
career over the Carolyn, 56, is
years. “She under- famous for being
stands what it SHE LOVES hyper-organised
means to be digi-
tally challenged BUILDINGTEAMS and for her relent-
less dedication to
and to make the AND LEADING the job at hand.
transition to the
digital era.” FROM THE She is also
known for her
Others point out FRONT. SHE HAS inclusive
that the Guardian’s
web presence, A REALLY OPEN, approach to run-
ning companies.
however brilliant, TRANSPARENT “She loves build-
has not been a
cash cow. “What
STYLE OF ing teams and
leading from the
people forget MANAGEMENT front,” notes an
when they talk admirer. “She has
about Carolyn is a really open,
that, while the Guardian’s free online transparent style of management.”
model has brought it millions of new In 2016, she was approached to run
readers across the world, it has never Marks & Spencer. It is understood that
been a financial success,” observes one of the reasons she turned the job
media journalist Torin Douglas. down was because she was interested
He accompanied her and other in working again in media, rather than
Guardian executives on a wine-tasting in retail.
trip to the Loire for its big advertisers At EasyJet, she maintained her con-
Rex Features
back in 1986. At the time, the newspa- tacts in advertising and is perhaps
per wanted to persuade the marketing better connected with the world of
community to remain with the Guard- advertising than anyone who has ever
ian, rather than move their business to run ITV.
the newly launched Independent. So, how will Carolyn McCall out-
have battled an advertising downturn, McCall, who’d spent a brief spell as a manoeuvre the online tech giants,
ITV’s ad revenues appear to have teacher at Holland Park School, was which are moving into the business of
ended strongly. then working as a planner in the commissioning long-form content for
McCall’s seven-year tenure as CEO advertising team at the Guardian. “She platforms such as YouTube Red?
of EasyJet was crucial to her landing was brilliant at her job, very persona- Expect to see a greater emphasis on
the ITV job. After joining the company ble, and built an excellent young team,” individually targeted advertising and
in 2010, she turned it into one of Douglas recalls. greater use of data – and more collab-
Europe’s best-performing airlines, Brought up as an only child in India oration between ITV, Channel 4 and
almost quadrupling its share price. by British parents, ITV’s new CEO was Sky as they find common cause
That she did it without ever having educated there and in Singapore, fol- against the Silicon Valley behemoths.
worked in aviation before was a point lowed by a spell in her teens at a “We need to keep the value of our
not lost on ITV. Catholic boarding school in the UK. mass audience, which is a real asset,
Michael O’Leary, head of rival Ryan At the University of Kent she read but we need to ensure that TV adver-
air, once famously labelled her a “media history and politics, subsequently tak- tising is data-rich and targeted,” says
luvvie” but he ended up eating his ing a masters in politics at the Univer- one ITV insider.
words. “I clearly underestimated her sity of London. That she comes to ITV unburdened
and I was proved wrong,” he told the FT. At the Guardian’s sales department by any baggage of having worked in
“She forced us to up our game on cus- she was guided by her mentor, Caro- television before could prove be a big
tomer service. EasyJet and the industry line Marland, Fleet Street’s first female advantage. One experienced TV head
are better as a result of her tenure.” advertising director. Together, the two suggests this may result in a close
It is sometimes overlooked that women succeeded in turning the working relationship with Channel 4’s
EasyJet and ITV are both regulated, paper into a formidable advertising new CEO, Alex Mahon. “That would be
international companies – something medium, thanks in large part to the a very formidable alliance,” he forecasts.
that clearly weighed in her favour hundreds of public-sector and Few would disagree. n
Television www.rts.org.uk January 2018 13Online video
Google hails
a world of
opportunity
B
roadcasters fear that the
global tech giants are
The search engine giant’s European head, hungry for their audi-
ences and advertising.
Matt Brittin, tells the RTS why online They are probably right
and TV need to work together to be fearful, but Goog-
le’s Matt Brittin had some soothing
words for Britain’s TV community,
mixed in with criticism, when he
spoke at a sold-out RTS event in late
November.
“It’s a wonderful industry, but it’s
incredibly inward-looking in the UK,”
he said. “Don’t take this as me being
rude, but – as a Brit who’s proud of,
and has grown up with, our amazing
content – [I urge you to experiment]
with different platforms and technolo-
gies. I really believe that there’s an
enormous opportunity for original
British content.
“We need some positive opportuni-
ties for export right now and the [online]
audience is there, it’s growing and it’s
going to double in the next five years.”
He continued: “People are watching
more video than ever before. If you’re
making great video content, there’s
never been a better time to build an
audience – 3.5 billion people online
today; 5 billion online by 2020.”
As Google’s head of business and
operations in Europe, the Middle East
and Africa, he was in conversation
with journalist Kate Bulkley at the RTS
early-evening event.
She wanted to know whether he
accepted that YouTube (snapped up by
Google in 2006 for what now seems
the ridiculously small sum of £883m)
Paul Hampartsoumian
should face greater regulation in the
UK. “YouTube is a significant video
consumption platform,” she argued.
“You’re looking more and more like a
broadcaster. Why shouldn’t [you] be
Matt Brittin
regulated like a broadcaster?”
14[COMMERCIAL
BROADCASTERS] Exploit your data to boost revenue
NEED TO SHOW
UP, WISE UP Google’s Matt Brittin mounted a stout like the rest of the industry does,’ he
AND SPEED UP defence against charges that his
company is hoovering up both adver-
responded.
But the Google chief claimed that
tising data and television’s advertising YouTube was generous with the adver-
revenues. tising revenue it pulled in, returning
‘Data is the new oil – everybody much of it to the people making its
wants data,’ suggested event chair Kate videos and programmes.
Bulkley. The Google executive strongly ‘On YouTube, when we put advertis-
refuted this assertion: ‘Oil is a scarce ing around content, the majority of the
resource, the control of which has, his- revenue goes to the content creator,’
The Google executive agreed that torically, led to tremendous wealth. he said, adding that ‘the split is around
YouTube was now a huge platform: ‘Data is an infinite resource – we’re the 50:50 mark’.
“About 1 billion hours [of video] are creating data at an astonishing rate. Moreover, he argued, YouTube
watched every day, of which about With oil, either you’ve got it or we’ve attracted a different type of advertiser
100 million hours are on television got it – we can’t both have it. to those buying spots on linear-TV:
screens – that’s actually the fastest ‘With data, you and I and everyone in ‘People often say that Facebook and
growing of the screens.” this room can all have the same data Google are taking all the money out of
But he did not accept that YouTube and all use it at the same time, and we the market… but search advertising is a
was a broadcaster – which he defined can combine it with our own data. whole new category of advertising.
as an organisation that commissions ‘It’s not [about] having data – it’s ‘When you look at a TV company or
programmes from “professional con- what you do with it.’ a newspaper, they typically have 100 to
tent creators” to fill airtime. “On You- The chair tried a new line of attack. 200 advertisers that represent 80+%
Tube, anybody with a smartphone can ‘TV companies think that you are after of the total revenue.
upload video content to a YouTube their advertising money,’ she said. ‘Your ‘Google has millions of advertisers –
platform and it can be accessed any- business model is advertising.’ the vast majority are small companies
where. That feels slightly different to ‘Absolutely right, and we will com- that have never advertised on televi-
a broadcaster.” pete violently for advertising just sion or in the newspapers.’
He was adamant that YouTube was
already sufficiently regulated: “We
QUESTION
have to comply with all the rules in there’s an opportunity for every
all the countries in which we operate. sport and every hobby to be online
We’re not a broadcaster, but we do and share its passion.
have responsibilities and regulations
that we need to comply with.”
Lord Puttnam, the film producer,
& ANSWER Q Do you have three pieces
of advice for a commercial
is prominent among those who have broadcaster?
argued for greater regulation of the
tech giants. Indeed, he used an RTS
lecture in October to advance the case Q What can online platforms
offer sport?
A Matt Brittin: Show up, wise up
and speed up.…
Show up: be where the digital
that legislation – together with robust
journalism – was required to protect
democracy.
A Matt Brittin: There are huge
opportunities for sports – some
do it well, some are just starting,
stuff is happening… you’ve got to
be where people are.…
Wise up: data is abundant and
“I’m a big fan of Lord Puttnam – he’s some haven’t figured it out, yet. can be used by everyone, but it’s
a fantastic industry figure but also a Will we bid for big sports rights? totally useless unless it leads to an
thinker on issues,” said the Google We have done – for cricket in India insight that can allow you to take
chief. “I don’t think any business per- in the past as an experiment – [but] action.… [In] the digital world, every
son is going to put their hand up and I don’t think, right now, that the interaction can make you smarter.…
say, ‘We need loads more regulation.’ advertising model is enough to fund Speed up – literally. If a mobile
But we are regulated. We don’t have that kind of bid; a subscription page takes more than three seconds
the same set of rules as a newspaper or model might be. to load, 50% of people leave. Speed
a television station – and I think that’s I don’t think that we’re going to is now the killer app online and on
appropriate.” be at the front of the queue on sub- mobile [and there is] also speed of
With the launch of its new subscrip- scription models for a while, but organisational change.… 5 billion
tion service, YouTube Red, in the US who knows? It depends on the people [will be online] by 2020 on
two years ago, Google has started to consumer.… But I do think that 25 billion connected devices.
commission original, professional �
Television www.rts.org.uk January 2018 15YouTube Red drama
commission The Thinning
YouTube
� content. Just like, some would argue, remove the economic incentive to the rise of the online platforms: “At
a broadcaster. produce fake news. Google, we love the TV industry and
“Ideally, you want a combination “Why was a Macedonian village we want to be partners in the trans-
of advertising, subscription and pay- publishing 100 websites about the US formation. Some bits of it are bumpy,
per-view services in the digital elections, purporting to be from US but, genuinely, it’s a huge opportunity.
world,” explained Google’s European newspapers?” he asked. “Because “I hope we can be partners in mak-
business head. “You want people to they could make money. We don’t ing amazing content that comes from
have lots of different ways to monet- want them to make money from our here and thrives across the world.” n
ise their content over time.” programmes, so we have tried to
With YouTube Red already available introduce much better screening for The RTS early-evening event ‘In con-
in Australia, Mexico, New Zealand and misrepresentation – you have to be versation with Matt Brittin’ was held at
South Korea, it would come to the UK who you say you are.” The Hospital Club in central London on
“at some point”, he added. “It’s been At the end of the evening, he sought 29 November. The producer was Paul
relatively popular so far. It gives you a to reassure broadcasters worried by Naha-Biswas.
whole bunch of benefits, including
exclusive content [and] some music
capability.”
But he denied that the company
Making the web safe for brands
had “any ambition to follow” the
model of SVoD companies such as Over the past year, brands have we use a combination of people and
Netflix. “YouTube will remain over- withdrawn business from YouTube machines.
whelmingly this enormous platform in response to their ads inadvert- ‘People look at and classify videos
where people can share and find ently being placed next to extremist against these policies, including work-
content of all sorts.” material and inappropriate videos of ing with expert non-governmental
Later on at the RTS event, he tackled children. organisations and language experts,
the eruption of fake news online, and At the RTS event, Google’s Matt and then [use] what they’ve done to
Google’s response to it. The company Brittin explained how YouTube had train machines.’
wanted “good content to thrive and been addressing this problem. ‘We’ve The Google executive claimed
have a sustainable business model,” he put in place a combination of policies that ‘more than 83% of the content
said, “and we want to stop bad actors [and] enforcement processes, and we remove for violent extremism is
and bad content.” [worked] closely with real experts in removed before it meets any human
Google News, which launched some of these types of content – “flagger”’.
15 years ago and now aggregates news we’ve made real progress,’ he said. Since June, when YouTube introduced
from 80,000 accredited sources, pro- ‘One of our challenges has been: how a new child protection policy, he said,
vides some of that “good content”, he do you identify these things at speed 2 million videos no longer supported
argued. and address them before they get advertising and 165,000 videos had
Google’s approach to the “bad con- any audience at all – this is where been removed altogether.
tent” was to “follow the money” and
16Cool for Katz
Adam Lawrence
I
an Katz starts his career at engenders respect and fuels the hope
Channel 4 on 8 January buoyed Channel 4 that there will be new favourites.
up with the confidence that “I’m really excited about the Chan-
comes from defeating far more Channel 4’s nel 4 opportunities opening up for
experienced TV rivals for a plum us,” says Jamie Isaacs, who heads
job. He convinced the new Chief new director of Avalon Television’s factual division.
Executive, Alex Mahon, that he pos-
sesses the ideas, drive and maverick
programmes, Ian Katz, A clue to Katz’s remarkable elevation
from his previous role editing Newsnight
light touch to sustain the broadcaster’s is well equipped to can be found in his track record as a
creative crackle. former editor of the Guardian’s tabloid
As an outsider, the new director of bring a new vitality to supplement, G2. From 1998 to 2006, he
programmes, who is 50 in February,
argued that Channel 4 must, above
the broadcaster, says ran a mischievous publication and
delighted in the juxtaposition of high
all else, be distinctive. He wants more Maggie Brown and low culture.
edgy disruption brought into the G2 embraced short, quick-fire regu-
schedules, which, arguably, were pol- announced on 31 October has been lars such as Pass Notes, serious long
ished to something of a monotone by replaced by detached pragmatism. reads and introduced a range of
the powerful influence of his prede- “That’s a matter for Alex Mahon,” snaps prominent new columnists, including
cessor, Jay Hunt. one senior Channel 4 commissioner, the great Charlie Brooker. At that
This is not so different from Mark when approached for comment. time, Katz was viewed by the paper’s
Thompson’s mantra of “Do it first; But there is still concern that pow- old guard as too tabloid.
make trouble; inspire change”, which erful independent producers may Stephen Lambert, CEO of Studio
he promulgated when he took over opportunistically see him as a blank Lambert and a friend who encour-
Channel 4 in 2002. The challenge is, sheet of paper to inscribe their inter- aged him in his candidacy, says he
of course, how to do it. ests upon. The size of his annual will bring that G2 “fizz and energy”
The shock over Katz’s lack of broad- budget for original programmes – to Channel 4. But adds that his friend
casting experience that engulfed the even in an ad recession – of some will also need to pay attention to
company when his appointment was £450m to £500m inevitably 9:00pm returning series, which �
Television www.rts.org.uk January 2018 17� would include Lambert’s own pro-
duction Gogglebox.
Daily newspapers tend to hone buzzy
characters; Katz, after 23 years of Guard-
ian deadlines, is a fast worker. Within
two weeks of his appointment, he had
held introductory meetings with Chan-
nel 4 commissioning chiefs and depart-
ment heads, and placed obligatory calls
to key talent, including Jon Snow, who
is emphatically back in favour.
Fresh from one such conversation,
Kelly Webb-Lamb, Channel 4’s head of
factual entertainment, told the Tele-
visual Factual Festival on 14 Novem-
ber: “I feel really upbeat and positive
about it. Having someone coming in
who doesn’t have the received wisdom
of what works for factual entertainment
will be a creative challenge.
“Already, [he has] some questions.
That’s where brilliant creativity comes
from. I feel that it is genuinely an
opportunity to rethink the way we
make things, what we make things
about and who we make them for.”
This suggests a dialling down of
celebrity factual entertainment, or, at
least, a more careful use of such shows.
Expect, too, a return to shorter series,
more single documentaries and fewer likely that he can avoid the wholesale rose to deputy editor of the Guardian –
formatted shows. Nick Mirsky, Chan- changes of the 2010-13 period. Then, is an essential part of his skillset.
nel 4’s head of documentaries, who almost every department head outside Prash Naik, the outgoing head of
was speaking at the same conference of news and current affairs changed. legal affairs at Channel 4, emphasises
as Lamb, talked up a quirky, three-part Hunt had the experience to know that, in a crisis, the director of pro-
comedy-documentary, Inside the EU. when to strip a series across successive grammes must serve as a shield to
Another shift will flow from Katz’s days (as with The State) because she had protect the chief executive (ultimately,
stated intention to run Channel 4 done this at BBC One. She also knew the editor-in-chief) and the broadcast-
commissioning in a more devolved how to analyse a pilot and adjust it for er’s reputation.
way. During his predecessor’s reign, success. Remember, Googlebox was not As a current affairs expert, the pro-
some referred to Hunt as “the Mon- an overnight sensation. gramme chief knows the station needs
arch” and feared her piercing intelli- It was Hunt who alighted on Noel more raw, live debate, partly to reflect
gence. Her “diktats” included a recent Fielding for The Great British Bake Off. Brexit and the Government’s predica-
ban on more dating shows. Her successor will have to rule as primus ment. He admires Channel 4 News, despite
The new director of programmes inter pares. He promises more space for its recent gaffes. One swift way to make
knows that he has gaps in his knowl- differences of tone and taste. an impact at the broadcaster (given that
edge. Even the fastest of learners would On his two-month gardening leave it will take two years for his first com-
struggle to master the computerised from Newsnight, Katz has been on his missions to come through), would be
programme schedule and the detail best behaviour, avoiding blunders such to run more live debate and satire.
of fulfilling remit quota targets. He will as his tweet after joining Newsnight in The channel-defining cult comedy-
need a strong and experienced team 2013 – when he lambasted stock polit- drama Black Mirror was lost to Netflix in
around him until he grasps all the arts ical interviews and called Labour MP 2015. Another cancelled favourite of
of television. Rachel Reeves “boring, snoring”. Katz’s is the East End gang drama Top
His main job is to have and select An unsuccessful bid to land the Boy, which is being revived by Netflix.
ideas. He is open to the prospect that Guardian editorship in 2014 made him Humans, soon returning for its third
Channel 4’s existing commissioners look slippery. But his lengthy experi- series, is another show that gets a big
may already be ideas mines. So it is ence of news and current affairs – he tick from him. The broadcaster has
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