Few recent TV dramas have brightened up our screens as much as The Night Manager. One critic described the six-part adaptation of John le Carré’s 1993 novel as “the BBC’s glossiest, smartest, most indecently entertaining Sunday-night drama in ages”. Who could possibly disagree?
Held at the Institute of Engineering and Technology, the annual RTS Patrons' Dinner drew figures from across the television world to celebrate the work of the RTS.
The event followed a successful day of student masterclasses in programme-making, attended by students from across the country.
The BBC officially launched the service from Alexandra Palace on 2 November 1936, although, as Green revealed, it had first broadcast from its new base – to the annual radio show in London, RadiOlympia – at the end of August.
One of the programmes broadcast was Television Comes to London, a behind-the-scenes look at how Alexandra Palace – “a playground of North East London [and] relic of Victorian England,” according to the film – was rebuilt and fitted out as a broadcasting centre.
As election fever reaches its peak in the US, American comedian Rich Hall looks back at the dirty tricks that have been played in presidential races past. The nasty campaigns and unsavory moves covered proves it wasn't just Trump and Clinton who dished out low blows.
An RTS North West event at the Lowry Theatre, Salford at the end of October – “Children’s drama: from concept to screen” – looked at how the best shows are put together.
On the panel assembled for the event were the executive producer of The Worst Witch, Marcus Wilson; senior drama producer, CBBC Independents, Amy Buscombe; Lime Pictures drama chief Rebecca Hodgson; and Hank Zipzer producer Jim Poyser. The panel was chaired by head of CBBC production Helen Bullough.
The service initially used two different, incompatible systems which were alternated weekly. These were the 405-lines interlaced scan from Marconi-EMI, and the 240-lines progressive scan from Baird Television Ltd.
Initially the press favoured the Logie Baird system because there was a delay of 60 seconds before the image would appear on screens. At a press demo of the technology this meant that the journalists could dash around the camera and see themselves still on the screen. However, the Logie Baird system was deemed inferior and was dropped after only three months.
Rather than replacing Winkleman, who presented the show for six years, the BBC has chosen a guest presenter to front each episode in the upcoming seven-part series.
Zoe Ball will host the first episode, followed by rapper and comedian Ben Bailey Smith, Mariella Frostrup, The Times columnist Camilla Long, Paul Merton, Edith Bowman and radio presenter and journalist Antonia Quirke.
Danny Leigh will remain as the programme's resident critic and guest critics include Grace Dent, Peter Bradshaw, Kate Muir and Ellen E Jones.
Among the subjects they covered were the UK’s inadequate digital infrastructure, Netflix, Brexit and, inevitably, The Great British Bake Off.
Matt Hancock’s speech in the previous session found favour with the panel. BBC chief Tony Hall welcomed the emphasis the Minister of State for Digital and Culture had put on “social and regional” diversity in television.
James Purnell: ‘From a PSB perspective, we now see a real chasm between the way we are going to be regulated.
‘The Charter agreement is a set of incredibly detailed guidance to Ofcom – children’s programmes, history, religion, current affairs, 100-plus quotas.
‘We wouldn’t wish that on Channel 4, but, looking at what has happened with Bake Off, there is a huge difference between the way we are regulated, and… now there is a question about whether that is right.
‘Channel 4’s lighter touch should be looked at.’
Speaking to the RTS All Party Parliamentary Group in the House of Commons the veteran natural history broadcaster said that today’s BBC commissioners were reluctant to back lengthy documentaries dealing with serious topics.
“One of the things which BBC Two did very well was to make serious programmes on serious subjects – 13 part series. That requires three years. There’s a great reluctance elsewhere to do those sorts of programmes…
“Today there is a tendency to do shorter series” He added to audience laughter: “’Today we present a new two-part series.’”
