When it arrived on our screens in 2002, Spooks was truly revolutionary. British telly had mastered the cerebral spy thriller – most notably with the BBC’s revered adaptation of John le Carré’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, starring Alec Guinness as master spy George Smiley – but Spooks was different.
Set in a parallel present, the show blurs the lines between human and machine, and focuses on the social impact of the creation of robot servants called Synths.
Filming begins in Autumn 2017 for the eight-part series, which is again being written by Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley (Humans S1, Spooks: The Greater Good) and sees the return of key cast members.
Series two aired in 2016 to critical acclaim, with the first episode becoming Channel 4’s highest rating returning drama launch since Homeland S2 in 2012.
Versailles is a new 10-part Franco-Canadian historical drama set in 17th century France.
Supposed to be writing an episode of season 2 of Humans at the moment, but worrying instead about writing a diary for Television. I feel I should be giving some sort of insight into my process – only I’m not sure that I have one.
Does just sitting down and having a go count?
Now worried about sounding glib.
But that’s really what it feels like most of the time. Think a lot, write a bit, worry a lot, think a bit, rewrite a lot, worry a bit more.
Top Gear was “an accident waiting to happen”, said Lorraine Heggessey, who told the audience enjoying her RTS London Christmas Lecture that she would have dealt with the programme’s presenter, Jeremy Clarkson, more quickly.
“Jeremy is a bit like a spoiled toddler,” she said. He had “crossed the line several times with quite racist remarks and got away with it”, added the former BBC and TalkbackThames executive.
In a drama series first, ITV's Victoria will focus on the life of the Queen, played by Jenna Coleman.
It's being produced by the broadcaster's recent acquisition Mammoth Screen, makers of BBC One's Poldark.
“This epic series is a chance to see the Victorian age through the eyes of the Queen herself for the first time," ITV's Director of Drama, Steve November, told the RTS.
From writing about what happens in a fictional five star luxury hotel to artificial intelligence, Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley have had a successful career in British television writing.
In 2009 the pair received their first drama credit for BBC One's Hotel Babylon.
A year later they began writing episodes for BAFTA winning Spooks (MI-5) and soon became the programme’s leading writers.
Now they are the writers of sci-fi Channel 4 show Humans, which explores the presence of synths (human-like-robots) in people’s homes.
The world of television production can, to quote Digital UK Chief Executive Jonathan Thompson, "sometimes be somewhat sniffy about strategy folk".
With this in mind, he says Lucinda Hicks' success in becoming Endemol Shine UK's Chief Operating Officer is doubly impressive.
He hired Hicks to work with his team at Channel 4 in 2008, when he was its Strategy Director.
Colm McCarthy has multiple famous titles to his directing credits. From Endeavour and Spooks to Doctor Who, Sherlock and most recently the entire second season of Peaky Blinders, McCarthy has a wealth of experience. In this video he gives his best advice on how to get into directing.
