It is the holy grail of television: launching a guaranteed, solid-gold, ratings winner. But how to do it? There were plenty of insights when Curve Media CEO Camilla Lewis questioned Andy Wilman, executive producer of Clarkson’s Farm and The Grand Tour, and Nicola Shindler, founder of Quay Street Productions. “If anyone knows how to make a hit programme it is these two,” said Lewis.
From Happy Valley to Fool Me Once, The Grand Tour to Clarkson’s Farm, Nicola Shindler and Andy Wilman have presided over programmes which resonate hugely with their audiences.
What do they look for in new ideas, and how do they develop them?
Chaired by Camilla Lewis, CEO of Curve Media.
It’s rare for Yorkshire town Whitby to make the national press – unless, of course, there’s been a flood – but wherever Jeremy Clarkson goes, the world follows. Amazon’s impending launch of The Grand Tour is one of the most globally anticipated series of all time.
Jay Marine, vice-president of Amazon Prime Video Europe, says: “It is a huge TV moment, not only for us but for UK TV generally.”
Although the much-publicised ‘steak-gate’ incident led to the end of the Clarkson, Hammond and May era of the show, the end had been looming, Wilman suggested.
“We were collapsing under the weight of the work we were doing,” he added.
Appearing at the festival to promote the team’s new Amazon Prime show The Grand Tour, Wilman would not be drawn on how much the company had paid for the series. “It’s a good whack,” he conceded, but denied that it was as much as the rumoured £4 million per episode.
