From spectacle to advocacy - Natural history TV - February 2021 - Royal Television Society
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February 2021
Natural history TV
From spectacle
to advocacy
Television www.rts.org.uk September 2013 1
CO M E DY From slapstick to satire, sitcom to sketch, belly laughs or subtle sniggers, discover a world of comedy through music - and bring your story to life SEND US YOUR BRIEF DISCOVER MORE musicsearch@audionetwork.com audionetwork.com/discover
Journal of The Royal Television Society
February 2021 l Volume 58/2
From the CEO
Few issues of our times to say, the environmental crisis is a exhibitors across the UK. A record
are more pressing than communications crisis. number of young people – more than
the need to accelerate Lenny Henry and Marcus Ryder 2,200 – signed up for the fair. As the
sustainability and to are two of British TV’s most devoted TV talent of tomorrow cope with the
effect to real social campaigners for greater diversity impact of the pandemic on their edu-
and workplace diver- in our sector. Don’t miss Narinder cation, I hope the fair provided valuable
sity and inclusion. Minhas’s compelling review of their insights, encouragement and career
These two vital topics are highlighted new book, Access All Areas: The Diversity opportunities.
in this edition of Television. Manifesto for TV and Beyond. Thanks so much to our 90 exhibitors
For our cover story, Shilpa Ganatra They say that necessity is the mother and the many masterclass speakers
examines how natural history TV is of invention, and so it was with this and producers.
developing a greater awareness of the month’s two-day, virtual RTS Futures
planet’s fragility and the need for Careers Fair. By holding the event
urgent action on climate change. online, we’ve been able to provide
As Sir David Attenborough likes greater access for attendees and Theresa Wise
Contents
Cover: Elephant (Disney)
5 Nicola Shindler’s TV Diary
The drama producer wants to bring unheard voices to TV
– and to cut down her chocolate intake 18 Refining Sky’s winning strategy
Sky’s new CEO, Dana Strong, is a former engineer who
knows how to stand out in a room, says Kate Bulkley
6 Comfort Classic: The Good Life
A show that gently sends up the English middle class
is built on a sharp script and consummate acting, says
Matthew Bell
21 Our Friend in the South West
Devon and Cornwall locations are a magnet for film-makers
– and very appreciated in lockdown, writes Chris Williams
7 Ear Candy: 10/10 (Would Recommend)
Kate Holman takes advice from Tolani Shoneye and
Gena-mour Barrett on what to watch on Netflix
22 Daytime fun in the sun
Season 2 of The Mallorca Files is guaranteed to bring
some much-needed light to BBC One’s winter line-up
8 Working Lives: Movement director
Polly Bennett, whose work ranges from The Crown to
Bohemian Rhapsody, explains what she does on set
24 A duty of care
Ofcom is beefing up its rules to protect vulnerable people
who appear on TV shows, reports Caroline Frost
26
A parenting nightmare
10 The call of the wild
Shilpa Ganatra investigates how the appeal of natural
history TV is growing in eco-conscious times
Martin Freeman and his co-creators recall how they drew
on their own experiences for Breeders, the no-holds-barred
Sky 1 comedy
12 Laughing all the way to the ballet
Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan reveal the
secrets of their Sky 1 hit, Rob and Romesh Vs 28 Sky reaches for the stars
Zai Bennett reveals why the satellite giant is splashing
out on a star-driven line-up for 2021
14 For real and lasting change
Narinder Minhas reviews a radical manifesto for
transforming television by Lenny Henry and Marcus Ryder 30 The race for space
Tim Dams explains how the boom in scripted shows is
driving the need for more UK studios
16 Back against the odds
David Mitchell, Robert Webb and Simon Blackwell tell
the RTS how they dealt with emergency surgery and the
pandemic to deliver the second series of Back
33 Careers fair spurs ambitions
This year’s virtual RTS Futures Careers Fair broke new
ground and increased attendance, reports Matthew Bell
Editor Production, design, advertising Royal Television Society Subscription rates Printing Legal notice
Steve Clarke Gordon Jamieson 3 Dorset Rise UK £115 ISSN 0308-454X © Royal Television Society 2021.
smclarke_333@hotmail.com gordon.jamieson.01@gmail.com London EC4Y 8EN Overseas (surface) £146.11 Printer: FE Burman The views expressed in Television
News editor and writer Sub-editor T: 020 7822 2810 Overseas (airmail) £172.22 20 Crimscott Street are not necessarily those of the RTS.
Matthew Bell Sarah Bancroft E: info@rts.org.uk Enquiries: publication@rts.org.uk London SE1 5TP Registered Charity 313 728
bell127@btinternet.com smbancroft@me.com W: www.rts.org.uk
Television www.rts.org.uk February 2021 3
TV diary
Nicola Shindler wants her new production
company to bring unheard voices to TV –
and to cut down on her chocolate intake
A
lmost every minute really useful – as well as, at times, of reading material alongside new
of every day used being hugely frustrating. scripts. It’s vital to find space to read.
to be very different. I never knew how much I’d miss I carve out time each day to read as
Now, what I’m the “in-person” chit-chat around the much as possible.
doing might still meeting. This is where so many ideas
vary all the time, were made better or originated. ■ I’ve always tried to put the writer
but each day starts at the centre of the process to bring
pretty much the same as they have ■ This year has been a real new start their story to the screen, and one of
done since last March: heading to my for me, even if the pandemic hasn’t my ambitions at Quay Street is to
home office after wrangling the kids let me move far. I have launched my work with brilliant new and estab-
to start their home schooling. new company, Quay Street Produc- lished writers on their best work.
During lockdown, I have found it tions, partnering with ITV Studios. There is a wealth of exciting and
important to sit at my desk to start It’s been full-on and exciting talking entertaining stories to tell, especially
the day, even though I could work about new ideas and developments stories that are currently not repre-
anywhere. Bed feels tempting but I’ve with my new team. sented on screen. I have a responsibil-
resisted so far. Luckily, my office is This is in addition to my continuing ity to seek out and work with voices
next to the kitchen, so I can supervise work of executive producing Ridley that have been unheard, given less
the family without moving and, occa- Road, No Return, Traces season 2 and opportunity or just aren’t on screen.
sionally, shout out orders and try to Stay Close, as well as Finding Alice and I want to make sure that those
stop the kids from killing each other It’s a Sin, which have just gone to air. voices are given a platform and, ulti-
during lunchtime. No day has been the same, which is mately, tell stories that are going to
challenging and fun. Never boring. stand out from what’s already on
■ I’m still getting used to the new television. And, of course, be enter-
normal. Being next to the kitchen ■ In between having dozens more taining, fun, funny and watchable.
makes restricting my chocolate phone calls than pre-pandemic and
intake harder than usual. I spend a working on the usual production ■ While working at home, I’ve found
lot of time trying not to eat all day. jobs – looking at design photos, loca- that the day never really ends. Making
tion photos, costume ideas, watching tea and talking to the family merges
■ But the pandemic has made the audition tapes, having conversations into emails and more reading. When
world smaller in many useful ways. about scripts, watching edits, listening the office is an extension of the
Normally, I would be on the Man- to sound edits and watching rushes – kitchen, the two worlds are going to
chester to London train, and back, at I’ve been having numerous meetings stay very close!
least once a week, which was tough. about Quay Street and the direction
But the world of Zoom/Google/ of my development slate. Nicola Shindler OBE is the award-
Hangout/Teams means that I can My new development team offi- winning drama producer behind hit
meet anyone anywhere in the coun- cially starts shortly, but they are series The Stranger, Years and Years,
try (and the world), without the need already sparking new ideas. Working Happy Valley and Queer as Folk. She
to leave my own office. Which is with my new book scout, I have a lot recently set up Quay Street Productions.
Television www.rts.org.uk February 2021 5
COMFORT CLASSIC
A show that gently
sends up the English
middle class is built
Self-sufficiency in
on a sharp script and the suburbs: Felicity
consummate acting, Kendal and Richard
Briers as the Goods
says Matthew Bell
T
here is, surely, no more
fitting comfort comedy for
lockdown than The Good
Life, a tale of stay-at-home
self-sufficiency. Tom and
Barbara Good were the
original artisan couple: sowing spuds,
brewing booze and weaving wool.
The 1970s BBC sitcom was created by
John Esmonde and Bob Larbey, friends
since their Clapham schooldays, who
had already created one comedy classic,
ITV’s Please Sir!. That starred John Alder-
ton as an idealistic English teacher at a
tough secondary school.
The Good Life couldn’t have been more
different. Set in Surbiton – now, thanks
to the sitcom, a byword for English
suburbia – the first episode begins with
Tom Good (Richard Briers) suffering a
mid-life crisis on his 40th birthday.
Stuck in a job he hates – designing
plastic animals for cereal promotions
– Tom quits the office and, with wife
Barbara (Felicity Kendal), digs up the
garden to grow veg and raise animals.
Next-door neighbour Jerry Leadbet-
ter (Paul Eddington) works with Tom
but, thanks to his native cunning and
incessant crawling to the boss, he has
climbed the career ladder and been
made a manager. His wife, Margo
(Penelope Keith) is humourless and an
appalling snob. When the Goods bring
home a goat, she looks down her nose
and observes, “Degradation, misery
and squalor – and we have to live next
door to it”.
The Good Life
The set-up seems obvious: we
should love the Goods for quitting the
rat race and embracing a green, whole-
some life; we should hate the Thatch-
erite Leadbetters. But not so fast: the
lovey-dovey Goods are also smug and
BBC
maddening, while Jerry is droll and
6
perhaps even envious of Tom’s new
life, and Margo is actually quite sweet.
The BBC One sitcom ran for just four
series from 1975 to 1978 and, at its peak,
attracted audiences of 15 million-plus.
It took Esmonde and Larbey into the
pantheon of double-act comedy writ-
Ear candy 10/10 (Would
ers, joining Croft and Perry (Dad’s Army),
Recommend)
Clement and La Frenais (The Likely Lads
and Porridge) and Galton and Simpson
(Steptoe and Son).
For its quartet of stars, The Good Life
brought TV stardom. Briers – the only
actor who was well known at the time
– went on to star in another Esmonde
and Larbey sitcom, the much darker
Ever Decreasing Circles. Years later, this
was a big influence on Ricky Gervais
when he (and Stephen Merchant) cre-
ated The Office.
Briers achieved national-treasure
status long before his death in 2013. He
appeared in countless TV shows and
performed Shakespeare on stage and
film, for Kenneth Branagh, as well as
voicing many ads and kids’ shows.
Kendal became a sex symbol for
middle-class blokes (which speaks
volumes about repressed English male
sexuality) and has now clocked up
more than 50 years on TV. She is also a
multi-award-winning stage actor. Keith
was given her own comedy vehicle, To
the Manor Born, and still presents TV docs
when not working in the theatre.
Fame arrived late for Eddington.
Netflix
Already in his late forties when The
I
Good Life came along, he went on to
play the title role of Jim Hacker in the
much-loved satirical sitcoms Yes Minis- f you have spent more hours favourite T’Nia Miller, on the experi-
ter and Yes, Prime Minister. scrolling through the endless ence of filming a horror series; The
To the Young Turks of the alternative options on Netflix than you Social Dilemma creator Jeff Orlowski,
comedy scene, The Good Life stood for have actually watching the who turns the spotlight on some of
everything that was wrong with British platform’s shows, 10/10 (Would the negative impacts of social media;
sitcom. Vyvyan, the punk in The Young Recommend) is here to help. and Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan, who
Ones, raged: “It’s so bloody nice! Felicity The Receipts Podcast pre- describes meeting Shonda Rhimes and
‘Treacle’ Kendal and Richard ‘Sugar- senter Tolani Shoneye joins co-host talks about her favourite reality shows
Flavoured Snot’ Briers!.… They’re noth- and friend Gena-mour Barrett – who for binge viewing.
ing but a couple of reactionary works for Netflix – on the streaming Shoneye and Barrett’s mission is to
stereotypes, confirming the myth that service’s rebranded podcast, previ- encourage listeners to venture beyond
everyone in Britain is a lovable mid- ously called What to Watch on Netflix. the trending tab and explore the aisles
dle-class eccentric. And I hate them!” The duo trawl through 32,600 hours of Netflix’s virtual warehouse, name-
This, I think, is unfair. Four decades of content on Netflix (though they may checking such eclectic fare as Three
on, The Good Life seems far less of a have fast-forwarded parts of the cata- Identical Strangers and No Good Nick as
period piece than the supposedly logue…) to the must-see shows for they go.
anarchic The Young Ones. A sharp script ultimate escapism, from big hitters The pair display considerable
and consummate acting count for a lot to the hidden gems. comedic chemistry, and there’s a good
in TV comedy. And, of course, what On each episode they are joined by chance that they can point you to a
could be more modern than working guests to talk about their new shows show that you would be happy to rec-
at home in splendid isolation, pickling and their TV obsessions. These include: ommend at your own virtual water-
veg and baking bread? n Death to 2020 creators Charlie Brooker cooler (aka Zoom in your makeshift
and Annabel Jones, discussing their workspace by the kitchen sink). n
The Good Life is available on BritBox. satirical take on last year; Netflix Kate Holman
Television www.rts.org.uk February 2021 7
WORKING LIVES
Channel 4
The Great
Movement director
A
s a movement director, How did you first become a move- direction uses those and more tools
Polly Bennett has carved ment director? to give a greater range of possibilities
out a niche recreating As a young dancer and actor, I often for actors.
famous figures in pro- led physical warm-ups and became
ductions such as Bohe- the person who would say, “Wouldn’t How has the job changed over time?
mian Rhapsody, Stan & Ollie it be better if we tried this?” Movement roles have been around in
and The Crown. But the remit of the role After university, I took a job behind theatre since the beginning of the 20th
is very broad. the scenes in television production, but century, whether they were known as
ended up helping a model who was musical stagers, dance répétiteurs,
What does the job involve? struggling to walk in time to music. choreographers or movement directors.
Movement directors create and build I knew then that my ability to But they haven’t always been acknow
physical sequences, and help actors to describe movement was something to ledged. The field is now growing and
find a vocabulary of physical behaviour pursue, so I did an MA in movement, there’s a greater understanding of the
to tell a story. All movement directors which led to me joining the choreog- value of movement in a TV or film
work differently but my television and raphy team of the London 2012 Olym- process. That means there’s more
film work has largely developed around pics ceremonies. I developed my skill opportunity to do great work.
embodying well-known people, such set in theatre, and now here I am.
the Royal Family in The Crown or Elvis What was the first TV programme you
Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming How much does movement direction worked on?
biopic. Working on the physical world overlap with choreography? I worked on the film Stan & Ollie first
of these characters can extend into They’re part of the same world. While and, during Bohemian Rhapsody, I was
choreography. It’s a role that evolves choreography is exclusively about put up for Killing Eve. I worked on a
with every job. dance and setting steps, movement scene in the first series with Jodie
8
rhythm from my dance training has
formed the base of a lot of my work.
I know lots of choreographers who
aren’t dancers, though – they are
Polly Bennett
choreographers of feelings and ideas.
working with actor
Rami Malek (playing
Freddie Mercury) What common movement issues have
during the making of you found?
Bohemian Rhapsody Especially now, when we are looking
at a lot of screens, there’s a real poten-
tial to not be as in tune with our bodies
as the animals that we originally were.
So I see a lot of restraint and notice a
lot of fear when people are asked to
use their body. There’s a lot of thinking
rather than doing. My job involves
enabling actors to trust that their bod-
ies will make the right decisions.
Do you use any equipment?
The body is my only prop. Of course, I
work with props if there’s something
specific in the scene, like a micro-
phone, hooped skirts or a table. But I
predominantly work by looking at the
people I’ve got in the room and go
from there.
What are the best and worst parts of
the job?
Because it’s a relatively new role in TV
and film, sometimes it feels like I have
to explain what I need to do my job,
or I have to fight to be treated similarly
to other creative people on the team. I
Alex Bailey
haven’t been credited on two jobs
recently. That’s not necessarily the
worst part of the job – it’s a challenge
as the job comes into focus.
Comer, when she had to do a Russian casting, as well as the directors. I went The best part of the job is when you
dance as a way of spoofing her boss. to each department for physical infor- see an actor or a scene come to life in
Those projects, involving both move- mation. Can people lift their arms in front of you from a physical stimulus
ment and choreography, opened the those dresses? How much blood will you’ve given. Another bonus is wear-
door for me to work on The Crown, which there be? What do you want the dance ing elasticated clothing all the time.
was the first time I worked on a full to feel like? I then fuse the information
television series. together to make the physical part of Are there any tips or tricks you
the puzzle with the actors. can share?
What type of programmes benefit Move. Pick a song, put down your
from having a movement director? What makes a good movement phone and move. You can get a real
All programmes would. It’s easy to director? sense of where your body wants to go
think it’s just about reimagining Curiosity. I try not to decide what if you settle into your feet. It helps to
famous people, but a story is far more something is before I start work. Ask- put your feet on the floor, push your
than words on a page: 95% of our com- ing questions helps kick off an idea big toes into the ground to help your
munication is physical, so movement and enables the actors to follow an back fall into the right place, and align
work can help invent characters, as well impulse. The work is best when actors your hips. I think this works as an
as feed into bold or nuanced choices. feel ownership of their part, rather initial exercise for actors, but it’s help-
than just doing what they are told. ful for everyone. Release yourself from
Which departments do you work presentation and get ugly. It’s where
with closely? Does it help to be a dancer? the good stories are. n
On a TV programme such as The Great, I don’t think you need to have a dance
I collaborated especially with stunts, background but my personal under- Movement director Polly Bennett was
costume, the camera operators and standing of technique, music and interviewed by Shilpa Ganatra.
Television www.rts.org.uk February 2021 9
The call of the wild
The Hunt
BBC
J
ust three days into 2021, the BBC
secured its first big hitter of the
Shilpa Ganatra production company behind A Perfect
Planet and A Life on Our Planet among
year: A Perfect Planet, narrated by investigates how the others (and recently bought by
Sir David Attenborough, drew in All3Media), explains that “scientists
6.2 million viewers. That’s on a appeal of natural know what needs to be done, but the
par with previous series pre-
mieres such as Seven Worlds, One
history TV is growing in world is not going that way because
most people don’t understand the seri-
Planet (6.8 million), Dynasties eco-conscious times ousness of what’s playing out.
(5.7 million viewers) and Blue Planet II “So natural history film-makers have
(10.4 million). with bright colours or the cosiness of a responsibility to urgently get that out.
It’s a sign that the natural history shows such as The Repair Shop,” he says. As David Attenborough says, in one
genre continues to thrive. Netflix, Dis- “Or they want escapism in the form of a way, the environmental crisis is a
ney+ and Apple TV+ are all commis- complex narrative, such as twisty-turny communication crisis.”
sioning high-end, original, nature crime with heroes and villains. Natural But meeting the increased demand
programming; Discovery has recently history speaks to both those needs at – even with higher commissioning
announced a new nature-heavy the same time. It’s a comfort, but it’s budgets – is far from straightforward.
streaming service, while Sky has a also thrilling and distracting. For starters, the pandemic has halted
dedicated nature channel, spearheaded “Another aspect is the interest in the production in key countries. And even
by three or four landmark series a year. environment. The BBC’s Science Unit, when filming returns, there’s no hurry-
At the same time, the traditional beat- which collaborates closely with the ing up giant tortoises so the crew can
ing heart of the genre, the BBC’s Natural NHU, made Extinction: The Facts, which begin their next project.
History Unit (NHU), has announced an [attracted an audience of] 4 million in Moreover, only a limited number of
expansion of its Bristol HQ and a new its opening week. That was incredible production staff have the specialist
outpost in Los Angeles, as the global for a hard-hitting film in the middle of experience to deliver a premium show.
demand for nature programmes surges. a pandemic.” “A landmark series can take four years
The gold rush was already in full We saw the tangible effect that film- to deliver, and you’ve got to work on
flow when the pandemic hit. As Tom making can have with An Inconvenient three or four of those to become a
McDonald, director of BBC Studios Truth in 2006 and Blue Planet II in 2017, producer,” says Scholey.
Factual, explains, natural history ticks both of which delivered persuasive “The danger is that people will get
all the boxes for lockdown audiences. environmental messages. overpromoted and the quality will fall.
“The trends in the pandemic are Keith Scholey, co-founder and And if buyers come in to a new genre
clear: audiences want escapism – things co-CEO of Silverback Films, the expecting a certain standard because
10“Audiences want the authenticity of
someone who knows that topic well.
That’s how David Attenborough
became so respected. Plus, when it
comes to on-screen presenting, we
have a responsibility to not travel
across the world all the time.”
Emerging cameraman/presenter
Hamza Yassin (host of CBeebies’ Let’s
Go for a Walk as Ranger Hamza) believes
that an inclusive approach to present-
ing helps to tell natural history stories
through a new lens. “It’s about reflect-
ing the audience,” he says. “Also, find-
ing new talent will bring in younger
film-makers. As the older generation,
we need to make sure that we’re
including the younger generation,
otherwise they’ll feel disconnected.”
The shift is not only in the “who” of
the storytelling, but also the “how”. We
have already seen a growing emphasis
Netflix
on narrative, “and, with super-saturation
Our Planet
of the genre, it’s going to become even
more key,” warns Scholey.
‘SCIENTISTS KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO Technological innovation will con-
tinue to help inject new life to stories.
BE DONE, BUT… THE ENVIRONMENTAL Attenborough’s forthcoming series
CRISIS IS A COMMUNICATION CRISIS’ with the BBC, The Green Planet, will be
accompanied by a 5G-friendly app
that uses augmented reality to bring
the show’s exotic plants into viewers’
of what they’ve seen before, and that Packham, Liz Bonnin and Steve Back- homes.
doesn’t happen, they will think it shall – but newcomers would be for- “I think the golden ticket is always
doesn’t work and move on.” given for feeling that it’s a particularly about the next visual perspective, in
BBC Studios NHU’s expansion to Los tricky genre in which to make headway. the way that Seven Worlds used drones
Angeles is both a symptom and a solu- It’s a situation that’s familiar to Lizzie so effectively,” says McDonald. “If you
tion, as it addresses interest in natural Daly, a Welsh wildlife biologist who look back 10 years ago, it was all quite
history globally, while creating an has presented for Animal Planet, far away – you couldn’t get that close
opportunity to recruit and train to a National Geographic and BBC Two, to animals. Audiences have an unbe-
best-in-class standard.Says McDonald: and is due to front a three-part series lievable proximity now, and they desire
“If we weren’t setting up in LA, we on the online platform BBC Earth. to be in the thick of the action. And I
would still be winning commissions “It’s a difficult industry to get into think we’ll see more CGI. That hybrid
from US broadcasters. The expansion is because there’s so much competition between fact and fiction is an interest-
about the depth of the relationship we – there’s only a handful of landmark ing area.”
have, and the opportunity to tap into productions and they only want one With these developments on the
the brilliant emerging US film-makers presenter,” she says. “But now, if you’re horizon, the slate for the months ahead
out there.” passionate about the natural world, already looks crammed with natural
As the need for engaging natural you’ll find ways to tell stories, even if history. Frozen Planet II is due later this
history programmes increases, it is it’s via YouTube.” year, Greta Thunberg will be airing her
evident that there’s only one David Natural history presenting is suscep- debut series for the BBC, and Planet
Attenborough to go around. Has his tible to becoming celebrity-led, like Defenders will be introduced to CBBC.
dominance as a presenter of blue-chip travel and entertainment shows. For Meanwhile, ITV re-enters the landmark
shows stifled the search for new talent? example, Hollywood star Paul Rudd natural history arena with A Year on
“Possibly,” concedes Scholey. “He’s narrates the Apple TV+ series Tiny World. Planet Earth.
an immense figure so, naturally, things But Daly hopes that the move towards While the genre is clearly in the
have gravitated towards him. There are a global approach will allow the report- middle of a purple patch, Scholey
great presenters who have come through ing of local conservationists to come to warns that, akin to its subject matter,
and we work with many of them. But the fore. “That trend’s become a lot balancing forces are at work.
they wouldn’t be asked to be Director- more noticeable recently,” she says, “I’ve seen a few of these cycles
General of the BBC or present at the citing Our Gorongosa, a film about the before, so there’s a slight sense of déjà
World Economic Forum.” national park fronted by Dominique vu,” he says. “To me, the interesting
There’s a strong list of well-known Gonçalves, who runs the Gorongosa thing is how long this boom will last
wildlife presenters – such as Chris Elephant Ecology Project. for – and what happens afterwards.” n
Television www.rts.org.uk February 2021 11Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan…
taking on the art world
Rob Beckett and
Romesh Ranganathan
reveal the secrets
of their Sky 1 hit,
Rob and Romesh Vs
Sky
Laughing all the
way to the ballet
C
omedy is hard graft. the BBC’s In at the Deep End, featuring at something, I’m like a rat up a drain-
But comedians Rob Chris Serle and Paul Heiney. pipe.” The ever-enthusiastic Beckett
Beckett and Romesh In the new series of Rob and Romesh Vs, provides the perfect foil to his comic
Ranganathan made the duo grapple with the worlds of ten- partner’s deadpan style.
light work of an RTS nis, drag performance and art. The settings that they enter in the
session that turned the In one episode of the last series they series have something in common –
spotlight on the pair’s hilarious Sky 1 joined the Birmingham Royal Ballet, an at least one of the pair is completely
factual entertainment series, Rob and experience that led to them performing ignorant of these worlds. This is where
Romesh Vs. The third season starts Swan Lake live on stage. Yes, really. the comedy comes in. And it helps that
this month. Watching them struggle into their ballet the pair’s friendship is genuine, some-
The show sees the likely lads gamely tights was not for the faint-hearted. thing that was abundantly clear during
taking on unfamiliar worlds and situa- And, once they got down to learning this good-natured chat, where, despite
tions. It could be basketball or, more to dance, it became clear that Ranga the limitations of Zoom, their rapport
unlikely still, ballet. nathan wasn’t a natural. and affection for one another shone
They even underwent the indignities “Everything we do, we’re hoping through. Like the series itself, the RTS
of colonic irrigation for the benefit of we find some undiscovered ability session was a perfect pandemic pick-
the cameras in series 2 – an experience – but it hasn’t happened for me yet,” me-up.
Ranganathan told the RTS that he still he explained, tongue planted firmly “In this show, when we go and do
regrets – while in LA getting the low- in cheek. “The ballet revealed a really mad things, when we’re so out of our
down on NBA basketball. “To give you annoying trait of Rob, where he’s happy comfort zone, especially something like
an idea of how bad we were at basket- to say we’re doing this as a team until ballet…. I don’t think I could do those
ball, we weren’t allowed to play basket- he spots any kind of distance between things without Romesh,” said Beckett.
ball in the show, but we were allowed to us in ability. Ranganathan added: “Often, when
have a colonic,” recalled Ranganathan. “Once he knows he’s better than you, we’re about to do something really
Having TV stars do ridiculous things he’ll cut you loose in a heartbeat.” terrifying, one of us will look at the
is a telly trope that goes back at least to Beckett conceded: “If I’m half good other one and go, ‘This is going to be
12OK, isn’t it?’.” They agreed that the Today, they are familiar faces on TV we immerse ourselves in any kind of
thrill of putting themselves up for thanks to panel shows such as 8 Out of world, we’re always going to get some-
these potentially intimidating situations 10 Cats, Have I Got News for You and A thing out of it,” Ranganathan explained.
was comparable to when they started League of Their Own, and BBC Two’s Having said that, sports do feature
doing stand-up, a feeling that tended Bafta-winning The Misadventures of prominently in Rob and Romesh Vs.
to dissipate the more performances Romesh Ranganathan. “We first met in a The pair had to watch five days of Test
they clocked up. pub playing to about eight people and, match cricket – something Beckett
“We still get off on that buzz when in 2019, we co-hosted the Royal Variety found akin to watching paint dry – and
we throw ourselves into something Performance. It’s nice to have a mate the new series reveals what happens
as stressful as these situations,” said alongside you for that ride,” said when Ranganathan was introduced
Ranganathan. “When you’re doing Ranganathan. by Beckett to the joy – or otherwise
stand-up, you think that it is in your True to his working-class roots, – of golf.
power to make this gig go well, Beckett recalled how the pair wrote As for working alongside the profes-
whereas, if you’re doing Swan Lake, it their script for the Royal Variety Per- sionals, whether it was Carlos Acosta
isn’t in your power to make it go well. formance over a cold apple juice at a or cricketer Kevin Pietersen, the duo
Romesh Ranganathan and Rob Beckett…
taking a crash course in golf
Sky
You’re holding on, hoping you don’t pub in Crawley that he’d driven to in discovered that sports luminaries
fuck it up too much.” his battered Nissan Micra. tended to be less forgiving of the pair’s
“It’s not like I’ve got a pirouette up One reason Rob and Romesh Vs worked, shortcomings than those from the arts.
my sleeve,” chipped in Beckett, who they thought, was because their friend- “Carlos Acosta was so keen to pro-
met his partner on the stand-up circuit ship was genuine. “It resulted in the mote ballet, and for people who are
just over a decade ago. “I remember a show, rather than the other way round,” outsiders to get an idea of what it’s like,
friend saying, ‘I’ve seen this Romesh said Beckett. “I like to think that we’re that he was very welcoming to us,”
and he’s pretty good.’ I thought: ‘I’ll be such good friends that we’ve never remembers Ranganathan. “But Kevin
the judge of that.’ I went to see him at been competitive. We’re never compet- Pietersen just couldn’t understand why
his dad’s pub and I thought, ‘Yes, he is ing for the same job.” we couldn’t do any of this.”
good.’ I was quite annoyed at that point The show was created by its producer, Commentating on a cricket match
because I wanted to be the only good CPL Productions, when Sky Sports was, to be generous, challenging – as
one at comedy.” wanted to find an original way to pro- was playing it. “I couldn’t even catch
Their careers on the stand-up circuit mote one of Anthony Joshua’s big fights. a ball. It was too hard,” said Beckett.
were on the same upward trajectory. “I’m a big boxing fan,” said Beckett. “Fashion, ballet, art – those worlds
“I’d seen Rob perform. He was a bit “They wanted to put together someone were a bit more open and accepting.”
obvious, but he smashed it,” remem- who knew about boxing with someone Although they made light of it, a lot
bered Ranganathan, a former maths who knew nothing about it. Sky Sports of hard work went into the programmes.
teacher. said: ‘You’re really good friends with “We properly commit to it,” said Beck-
“Coming up through comedy and Romesh – why don’t you lead him on ett. “We don’t just fake it for telly. We’re
telly, which is quite a middle-class this journey, showing him boxing?’” not going through the motions.” n
world, we bonded because we both The programme was a one-off but
felt we didn’t belong,” said Beckett. their evident on-screen chemistry Report by Steve Clarke. Rob Beckett and
“We really did get on… having a mate persuaded Sky to commission a series. Romesh Ranganathan were in conversa-
that you could share the madness with “Originally, the idea was just to do tion with Caroline Frost on 5 January. It
was great.” sports, but it soon became clear that, if was a joint RTS-Sky event.
Television www.rts.org.uk February 2021 13For real and
lasting change
Narinder Minhas reviews a radical manifesto for
transforming television by Lenny Henry and Marcus Ryder
O
h, noooo. The D word. Access All Areas: The more staggering. Those white, able-
Surely not Donald? No, Diversity Manifesto bodied, heterosexual men in London
not that D word – the for TV and Beyond make up just 3.1% of the national pop-
other one. The one that by Lenny Henry ulation. The other 96.9% are the rest of
makes your heart sink and Marcus Ryder us, who, right across the country, are
a little, too. The one is published by female, black, Asian, LGBT+, Welsh and
that reminds you of years of struggle. Faber & Faber, many, many other identities.
The one that tells of endless meetings priced £7.99. ISBN: As the book argues in its jaunty style,
with fellow campaigners in drab rooms, 978-0571365128 “We think of ourselves as the minority,
banging heads against brick walls. when, really, we are the majority. If you
It is diversity, of course. The word are of the mind that this new drive to
that everybody hates, but no one can down, the book starts with a bang, a make society more ‘diverse’ does not
think of anything better. Don’t get me Big Bang, challenging the very idea include you – then you, my friend, like
wrong, diversity is one of the biggest that diversity is about the “minority”. members of the Covid-19 fan club, are
issues facing the British media. And, as One of the more interesting charac- in a very, very small minority.”
an Asian immigrant, who came to this ters in the book – and there are many Just like the seven stages of grief, the
country not speaking a word of English, – is Susie Symes, who runs a museum book induces a range of emotions. I
with working-class parents, it has in London dedicated to immigration often got stuck at the “anger and bar-
occupied my thoughts more times and diversity. She is a former Treasury gaining” stage. Not surprising, given
than I wish to remember. economist, who knows her stats and the truly disturbing statistics: women
But have we really moved on over does not mince her words. “One of the make up roughly half of the students at
the past 30 years? Forgive the jaded pieces of lazy thinking” she loves to film school, but only 13.6% of film
outlook, but do I really want to plough squish is the idea that diversity is a directors in the UK; non-white people
through Access All Areas: The Diversity minority issue. In fact, she says, “it is a make up 14% of England and Wales
Manifesto for TV and Beyond by Lenny majority issue”. and yet only 2.2% of TV directors.
Henry and Marcus Ryder? It feels like But how could that possibly be true? And, for disability, which is seriously
homework; it sounds like homework. Stay with this: “According to Suzie neglected, it is even more depressing:
The reality, however, could not be Symes, the people we generally think of 14% of people in employment aged
more different. This is a book that every- as the majority – white, heterosexual, 16 to 64 consider themselves disabled,
one should read. Written in an accessi- able-bodied males – make up less than but only 0.03% are found in the overall
ble, punchy style, fizzing with ideas and a third of the population. The rest come film workforce.
warmth, with the very distinct voice of under the umbrella term ‘diverse’.” And as Henry told The Daily Telegraph
Henry beating at its heart, it is an inspir- If we look at London, where most of last month: “I don’t believe men are six
ing call to arms. Don’t be put off by the the media is located and where power times more likely to be better directors
Jane Austen-esque references to “Dear ultimately resides, the figures are even than women, or white people are
Reader”, this is a modern text with a 6.3 times more likely to be better than
modern message. It is a political mani-
festo for today and tomorrow, demand ‘DIVERSITY IS someone from an ethnic minority, or
able-bodied people are… OK, my cal-
ing proper structural change. In fact, it
reframes the entire conversation about
NOT A MINORITY culator just had a nervous breakdown
at this point, because the figures are so
diversity. And this particular reader, ISSUE… IT IS A ridiculous!”
Dear Reader, is inspired.
Turning conventional wisdom upside
MAJORITY ISSUE’ Behind these gruesome statistics are
the real human stories. This is where
14Getty Images Lenny Henry the book is at its most moving. Ryder “According to self-discrepancy theory, break, he didn’t need more training.” tells the story of a friend of his, Jay prejudice in the media industry could Yes, there is more representation Merriman-Mukoro, who drowned in literally be making people from diverse on-screen, but, behind the camera, Barbados in an accident before he backgrounds mentally ill. Especially as where the powerful sit, the picture is could direct his first film. It was Ryder this prejudice is nearly always indirect broadly unchanged. Henry calls this who was about to give him his first rather than overtly in your face.” the “Milli Vanilli” syndrome, named break as a director, something that If you combine this with the loneli- after the famous lip-synching duo, should have happened a long time ness that many of us feel in the indus- who simply mouthed the words of the before: “His talent was so immense try, including the famous names, such writers operating behind the scenes. and obvious. He should have had a as Henry and historian David Olusoga, If I had to make one criticism of the plethora of directing credits.” you are left with a deeply concerning book, and I do this reluctantly, as it This theme of “wasted talent” runs and serious mental health crisis. deserves to be read widely, I would through the book and it was hard not So, who is to blame for the appalling like to have had more on the solutions. to hold back the tears when I read: “Jay state of diversity in our industry? But then, this a relatively short book, was never able to fulfil his potential. The According to Henry, “nearly all the around 180 pages. same is true for too many people from people I have met in television are Its real strength lies in the reframing diverse backgrounds working in televi- nice and liberal. None of them are of diversity. And via a brilliant analysis sion – we may not die as tragically and secret members of the Ku Klux Klan, of the problems, it gives us a road map early as Jay, but our untapped potential nor do they go to anti-immigrant ral- to steer clear of the potholes of the past, follows us to the end of our careers.” lies on their days off.” as we search for a new way forward. Instead of just touching on the emo- So, it can’t be them, right? As Vimla (not her real name), a tional impact, the book delves deeper For Henry and Ryder, the issue is one diversity officer in the industry, argues, and makes some fascinating links of what they call “fake diversity”: years we need a radically new approach, between wasted talent and mental of the industry pursuing cosmetic strat- which avoids the broadcasters and health. Apparently, the medical profes- egies that have led to very little struc- those in power essentially “marking sion has a term – “self-discrepancy” tural change, resulting often in “blaming their own homework”, and high-fiving – to describe the gap between where the victims”. You know the stuff: we each other on hitting their own self-set you are in society and where you can’t find the right people; we must low standards. n should be. increase our training and mentoring And it is this gap that seems to spend. As Henry once said: “Idris Elba Narinder Minhas is Co-Managing Director be creating many of the problems: went to the US because he needed a of Cardiff Productions. Television www.rts.org.uk February 2021 15
David Mitchell, Robert Webb and Simon Blackwell tell the RTS how they dealt
with emergency surgery and the pandemic to deliver the second series of Back
V
iewers have been kept
waiting for a second
outing of Back, David
Mitchell and Robert
Webb’s bitingly funny
Channel 4 sitcom,
which returned to our screens at the
end of last month.
The delay had nothing to do with a
lack of commissioning courage – how
could anyone find fault with the filth
and comic fury of Simon Blackwell’s
scripts, the ever-watchable Mitchell and
Webb or the fantastic ensemble cast?
Webb took up the story at a recent
RTS event, beginning with a routine
insurance medical in autumn 2019, as
filming was due to start on series 2:
“Normally, it’s very perfunctory and
the doctor just makes you cough. This
time, he put a stethoscope on my heart
Back
and pulled a face and said, ‘Oh dear,
what have you been doing about the
heart murmur?’ And I said, ‘What heart
murmur?’
“A couple of days later, I had a cardi-
against
ologist tell me I had a mitral valve
prolapse, that it wasn’t something that
could be fixed with drugs and that I
needed surgery – otherwise, the heart
was going to fail in the next two to six
the odds
months. That was a bit of a shocker.”
Filming resumed when Webb had
recuperated, but then the pandemic
brought the production to a shuddering
halt. Finally, the show wrapped in
Channel 4
autumn 2020.
It has been worth the wait.
Back series 2
Mitchell is Stephen, a man who has
failed as a husband, a lawyer and at
running his late father’s pub. Worse, let the air out of the set-up.” There was, – there’s a lot of comedy and fun act-
the charismatic Andrew (Webb), sup- though, a handbrake turn, he added: ing to be had from the character who
posedly a foster child of Stephen’s “In series 2, the roles are reversed things are happening to.”
parents, has usurped him in his fami- – [Stephen] comes back and Andrew is The character, Mitchell maintained,
ly’s affections. the boring, mundane one [working] in was based on no one other than him-
Series 1 ended in October 2017 with the pub. Suddenly, Stephen feels that self: “What he looked and sounded like
Stephen strung out on booze, and he’s the exotic one, having spent some was inspired by me.… They gave me
Andrew in charge of the pub and loved time away in therapy. We thought that other clothes to wear that some people
by all. “It seemed to be a nice way to was a nice mirror to the first series.” have been good enough to say are
finish, with Stephen catatonic in a The supporting cast returns, including sometimes distinguishable from the
chair… driven to the edge of his sanity,” Penny Downie’s hippy mum, her vicar sort of things I wear anyway.
said Blackwell, whose credits include lover, John MacMillan, and Geoffrey “I’m not going to claim for a
Armando Iannucci’s political satire The McGivern as potty-mouthed uncle Geoff. moment that I got the walk from my
Thick of It and parental comedy Breeders. Mitchell was happy playing Stephen, old geography teacher and the look of
In series 2, Andrew’s true character whom he described as “disappointed despair from a homeless man in a
remains uncertain, said Blackwell: and self-loathing and endlessly self- doorway. No, I said the words like I
“Once you know for sure whether he’s doubting, also intelligent and a little bit thought people might say them if it
this guy coming back to a family where angry. I like to play the comic mattress was really happening, which it wasn’t.”
he was very happy or he’s Satan… you on which people jump up and down Mitchell was comically dismissive of
16Acting the part
…David Mitchell
‘People talk in a lot of interviews
about the tremendous pain and
struggle of their creative processes
– that’s not my feeling in terms of
performing. If it doesn’t feel great,
From left: Geoffrey then it’s not going well.
McGivern, John ‘I did Upstart Crow in the West
MacMillan, David
Channel 4
End… it was going well and really
Mitchell and
good fun. But one thing I baulked
Penny Downie
at was when somebody came in
to work on our voices… He said: “If
his acting, comparing his philosophy to of the group, it completely died, but we it doesn’t feel embarrassing, you’re
two of the greats: “Dustin Hoffman had a brilliant time writing it and really not doing it right.”’
– transformative, method; Laurence made each other laugh. The same [Webb shouts: ‘Oh, fuck off’, and
Olivier – ‘Why don’t you just act?’; things amuse us and we amuse each then can’t stop laughing as Mitchell
David Mitchell – ‘Why don’t you just other. That’s been a very strong part of builds up comic steam.]
read it out.’” what’s kept us going.” ‘What I didn’t say to him was,
“David and I try not to look too deeply Mitchell added: “We’ve always been “Listen, I can’t play the oboe, I can’t
into what it is about our personalities on – it’s a sort of clichéd phrase – the dance, I can’t sing. All I’ve got in this
that makes writers come up with people same comic wavelength, and yet we theatre is my sense of what feels
like this for us to play,” added Webb. don’t come across like we’re necessarily shit. You’re not going to pay my
There are marked similarities to both going to be… pension, sunshine. So, if it feels shit
actors’ dysfunctional characters in Peep “We have always found the same and there’s an audience watching,
Show, the RTS-award-winning sitcom things funny but we have contrasting stop.” I didn’t say that to him; I
created by Sam Bain and Jesse Arm- personas.” went along with it.’
strong, for which Blackwell also wrote. The duo wrote for other people’s
“Andrew is a liar. So is [Peep Show’s] shows, before landing roles in the BBC
Jeremy, but Jeremy was an idiot,
whereas Andrew is a better liar.… He
Two sketch show Bruiser, and then
getting their own vehicle, The Mitchell
…Robert Webb
goes around telling these whoppers,” and Webb Situation. The wonderful Peep
said Webb. “So Andrew is either this Show followed. ‘As an actor, you’re massively con-
very needy person who’s so desperate Back is a worthy successor. On the ditioned [to the idea] that the show
for approval that he will say potentially eve of series 2, Webb was able to laugh must go on. I went to work when
quite dangerous things, or he’s an at his ill-health, which he said was all my wife was in labour with our first
absolute maniac. too evident on screen: “The continuity baby.… I’ve missed funerals; I’ve
“I never really decided during series 1 is pretty funny on my face.… You’ve got missed weddings…
or 2. I’m not sure if Simon [Blackwell] someone who is clearly very, very ill… ‘It took having quite serious
has decided. Certainly, the character and then you’ve got someone who is surgery for me to go: “Do I need to
doesn’t know what he’s doing. He’s like not ill any more but pretty knackered, be here? I don’t think I should be
[Tony] Blair, he believes it while he’s and then, finally, someone who is creeping around the set trying to
saying it.” [pointing at his face] whatever you not have a fucking heart attack.”
Mitchell and Webb met almost think of this face. It tickles me to ‘[Now] there are certain things
30 years ago at an audition for a Foot- watch that.” n that you thought mattered that
lights panto at Cambridge University clearly don’t matter.… There’s at
and immediately began writing Report by Matthew Bell. ‘Back preview and least a moment [every] day when
together. Their first attempt, recalled Q&A’ was held on 20 January, chaired by I’m fairly close to being overcome
Webb, was “a terrible sketch called War journalist Caroline Frost and produced by by gratitude for being alive.’
Farce.… When we read it out to the rest the RTS and IJPR.
Television www.rts.org.uk February 2021 17Refining
Sky’s
winning
strategy
Sky’s new CEO, Dana Strong,
is a dynamic former engineer
who knows how to stand out
in a room, says Kate Bulkley
Comcast
I
t is just over two years since cable business in the US. There, she both great loyalty in them and good
Comcast bought Sky for a launched several new products and results for the company.”
massive £30.6bn, but it is only reset the strategy of the consumer Although a native of the US – Strong
now that the company has cable unit to focus on changing con- was born in Ohio – most of her career
appointed one of its own sumer needs. has been spent outside of the US. She
senior executives to run the Strong, who has two teenage children met her husband, Mark, when they
European pay-TV giant. Last month, and a husband who is an art history were both studying in Philadelphia. A
the dynamic Dana Strong, head of PhD student at Columbia, rebranded colleague notes that Strong jokes that
Comcast Cable’s consumer services the Comcast broadband product to she first left the US so long ago that Bill
business, was announced as the suc- Xfinity and added wi-fi boosters and Clinton was still President.
cessor to Jeremy Darroch, who led Sky parental controls as part of the package. Strong will report directly to Com-
for 13 years and was chief financial “Dana knew that focusing on just cast CEO Brian Roberts, who poached
officer before that. speed and price wasn’t going to move her from Virgin Media in 2018 follow-
Strong’s appointment represents the the needle,” says a US colleague. ing reports that she was a rising star.
end of an era for Sky and comes as the Strong’s ability to lean into product A recruitment dinner in Philadelphia
TV business is being challenged by the segmentation comes from both her followed, when they discussed Com-
rise of direct-to-consumer streaming pedigree as an engineer and her cast’s family-oriented culture and she
services led by Netflix, Amazon and 20 years’ experience of working outside decided to accept his job offer.
Disney. the US, in both Australia and Europe; Three years later, Roberts recognises
While Sky’s brand and business she was COO for Virgin Media, and there are big changes afoot in the cable
remain strong, the impact of the pan- chief transformation officer at Liberty business and figures that Strong has
demic, as live sports were cancelled and Global as well as CEO of Liberty’s Irish the right credentials to tackle them.
advertising fell, led to a 22.5% drop in cable TV operator, UPC Ireland. Even so, Craig Moffett of media ana-
earnings for the nine months to 30 Sep- “She really knows how to navigate lyst MoffettNathanson believes that the
tember. Some observers argue that a the upper echelons of corporate envi- business case for Comcast’s decision to
pivot is needed to ensure Sky’s future ronments very effectively and how to buy Sky is still unclear. He argues that
growth and market relevance. bring out the best in people who work a more “platform-agnostic business
For the past three years, Strong has for her,” observed Claire Enders, who model” is required to counteract the
been running Comcast’s consumer runs Enders Analysis. “That inspires trends of cord cutting and companies
18business, Stephen van Rooyen, for the
past year, an indication that, under
former CEO Darroch, there had been a
move to centralise Sky. It seems likely
that Strong will continue to bed this in.
Having worked in Comcast’s Phila-
delphia HQ for the past three years,
Strong should be able to drive still more
co-ordination between Comcast and
Sky, for example in R&D and product
innovation.
Sky has built its brand on pioneering
technology and product innovation.
Coupling that with the scale and ambi-
tion of Comcast will allow Sky to “dou-
ble down on innovation”, says a Sky
observer.
Clearly, there are some challenges
ahead. Finding a growth plan in Ger-
many may mean thinking beyond
pay-TV. In the UK, it may be about
identifying new products, such as
home security or new mobile services
– initiatives that will help “sweat” the
subscriber base harder as well helping
Sky reach new customers.
Growth could also be achieved
through acquisitions or expanding the
geographic footprint, which might be
easier to persuade Comcast to fund,
given Strong’s credibility with Roberts
and the HQ team in Philadelphia.
Enders believes that Strong is joining
Babylon Berlin
Sky
Sky at an opportune moment. She says
that Sky is noted for its “disciplined”
prioritising their own direct-to-con- arguably be the steepest learning curve approach to what it is willing to pay for
sumer distribution over third-party for Strong. Some observers have live sports rights – particularly the
players such as Sky and Comcast. expressed concerns that, under Strong, English Premier League. With most
However, others might counter that Comcast could scale back Sky’s invest- other key content rights secure until
Sky is already “platform-agnostic”, ment in content or integrate it more 2026, working out the long-term tele-
because it owns NowTV, one of the with NBCUniversal. coms strategy of Sky will be Strong’s
UK’s biggest direct-to-consumer “Dana is going to have quite a few biggest challenge.
broadband services. big questions to answer, with the big- “There is a transition to the fibre
To bolster its distribution business, gest probably being deciding what the universe that is coming by the end of
Sky has already committed to doubling growth plan is,” said a TV executive the decade, and positioning for that will
its content spend, reaching £1bn a year who has worked with her. “Sky is a be a strategic challenge,” says Enders.
by 2024. In June 2019, the company different business to what she has run The growth plan and the rationale
also unveiled Sky Studios, a pan- before. She understands the retail side for Comcast to pay as much as it did
European production arm that will well, but she has never done the con- for Sky may still elude media analyst
create new shows for Sky channels, tent side.” Moffett, but he concedes that “sharing
Universal Pictures and NBC broadcast While the UK business is far and managerial talent can be one source of
and cable, as well as for third parties. away the most profitable part of Sky, synergy, and Dana Strong is an excep-
Meanwhile, Sky Elstree Studios is set to there are potentially bigger growth tionally talented leader with rare expe-
open in 2022, creating up to 1,500 jobs. opportunities in the German and Ital- rience in both the US and Europe”.
Sky has agreed deals to offer Netflix, ian markets. In Italy, a big push on Strong also has flair, a characteristic
Disney+, Discovery+ and Amazon’s broadband and mobile products has noted by Enders, who booked her to
Prime Video on its platform, but creating already begun, while, in early 2020, speak at the annual Deloitte Enders
original content is clearly a big part of Sky Deutschland appointed its new conference when she was still working
the plan. The focus will be on drama CEO, Devesh Raj. Before joining Sky he at Virgin Media. “She has an articulate-
and comedy following the success of was a senior vice-president for strategic ness and a freshness in her approach
the multi-award-winning Chernobyl, and financial planning at Comcast that is compelling,” says Enders. “I also
Gomorrah from Sky Italy and Babylon NBCUniversal in the US. remember the trouser suit she wore
Berlin from Sky Deutschland. Raj and the CEO of Sky Italy have which was in that bright Virgin Media
The content side of the business will both reported to the head of Sky’s UK red. It was so Avengers, so cool.” n
Television www.rts.org.uk February 2021 19You can also read
