Andy Fry
The world without… the BBC
NEWSIs it possible that, without a £2 billion-a-year tax on the UK public, the best of British filmmakers would still bring us iconic brands like ‘Timewatch,’ ‘Horizons,’ ‘Arena,’ ‘Panorama’ and – perhaps most notably – a commercial equivalent of the BBC Natural History Unit? Or would the landmark commissions and coproductions that the bbc is renowned for never grace our screens again?
Maverick: Channel 4 (UK)
NEWSThere are plenty of critics who can’t abide the direction C4 has gone under current ceo Andy Duncan. But there’s no question that it airs some of the most talked-about tv in the uk. And the impetus comes from a number of quarters, not just the channel’s shrewd and provocative head of content Kevin Lygo.
Maverick: ITV (UK)
NEWSOne of itv’s undoubted treasures is Nick Elliott, the broadcaster’s long-serving drama chief. But what, you may ask, is a drama chief doing in realscreen? Well it’s the fact that he has consistently delivered provocative, compelling docudramas. April 2007, for example, saw the broadcast of Murder in the Outback (a look at the murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio in Australia) while 2006 was notable for See No Evil: The Moors Murders, a critically acclaimed look at one of the uk’s most infamous murder cases. Go back far enough and you find that Paul Greengrass (United 93) cut his teeth on Elliott-commissioned itv docudramas such as Bloody Sunday and The Murder of Stephen Lawrence.
Maverick: Multi-channels (UK)
NEWSThe uk multi-channel sector is packed with mavericks – though few of them make anything worth watching. Best of the bunch include Living head of programs Claudia Rosencrantz and her head of commissioning, Clare Hollywood, though in truth, they have not tampered too much with the template laid down by predecessor Richard Woolfe (last seen ripping up the schedule at Sky One). Big commissions for this autumn include variations on hit franchise Most Haunted and Pete’s PA, a pseudo-Apprentice in which Dead or Alive’s freaky frontman Pete Burns searches for a personal assistant. Not exactly maverick, but ambitious, is UKTV History’s first multi-platform commission, Britain’s Best. Overseen by channel head Adrian Wills, UKTV History viewers are voting online for their favorite historical sites, which will form the basis of a tv series to run later in 2007. Various innovative digital applications have been created for Wills by Red Bee Media. af
Filmmakers and the environment: David Attenborough
NEWSHe probably wouldn’t thank you for saying it, but Sir David Attenborough is the pin-up of the wildlife world. And, despite the fact that he turned 80 this year, Attenborough’s enthusiasm for nature still captivates audiences around the world. Currently, Sir David is trekking the globe in search of reptiles and amphibians for his next great epic, Life in Cold Blood, due for delivery in 2008. But he has been a household name since 1979, when his breakthrough series Life on Earth attracted audiences of around 500 million.
Things you might not know about Attenborough
NEWSAttenborough’s broadcast career began in 1952 when he joined BBC’s Talks Department at Alexandra Palace. Prior to joining the BBC, he was in the Royal Navy.
The BBC (UK): producing mavericks, past and present
NEWSEver since bbc reporter Andrew Gilligan’s infamous comments about the uk government ‘sexing up’ the case for invading Iraq led to the departure of director general Greg Dyke, the bbc has had to be careful about the editorial judgments it makes. But that, says recently departed head of documentaries, Alan Hayling, did not stop his department from being bold.
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Factual Entertainment Forum 2011 - Sophie Tweed-Simmons at the Realscreen Factual Entertainment Forum in Santa Monica.