RTS events

Light at the End of the Tunnel - Life Beyond Lockdown | RTS West of England

Hear the inside story of production in lockdown in Bristol and how our Indies see the months ahead.

Lynn Barlow, chair, RTS WoE, is joined by Wendy Darke, CEO True to Nature Productions, Grant Mansfield, CEO Plimsoll Productions, Mike Jenkins, Founder, Blak Wave Productions, and Sacha Mirzoeff, Channel 4 Commissioner, Bristol Creative Hub.

Why reality TV needs to pass the four-second test

“Twenty years ago everyone thought reality TV was a flash in the pan, but it’s become a fixed item on traditional TV channels and on-demand services like Netflix who’ve recently had huge success with Too Hot To Handle,” said Rick Murray, managing director, Manchester-based Workerbee, which makes new Channel 4’s reality show, The Bridge, based on a Spanish format.   

Richard Curtis fronts panel about how to tackle environmental issues on screen at the RTS and Global Action Plan event

Television cannot be accused of ignoring the environment. Our destruction of the planet has long been a staple of serious TV documentaries. And in drama, zombies, pandemics and nuclear catastrophe offer stark visions of our future if humanity fails to mend its ways.

According to Richard Curtis, however, environmental programming doesn’t have to be “boring, didactic or terrifying”. The UK’s king of comedy reckoned it can also be “funny, interesting, educational and personal”.