Gripping drama - September 2020 - Royal Television Society
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September 2020
Gripping drama
from ITV
Television www.rts.org.uk September 2013 1
HOW DO WE CREATE MODERN
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Journal of The Royal Television Society
September 2020 l Volume 57/8
From the CEO
Our summer may have epitomised by David Olusoga’s forward to ITV’s The Singapore Grip,
been highly unusual, MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh adapted by the great Christopher
but I am proud to say International Television Festival, a Hampton. Caroline Frost discovers
that RTS events came sobering account of his experience what it was like to make the series.
thick and fast from of racism while working in television. We also hear from Sky Arts head
head office and our Our TV Diarist, Pat Younge, recalls an Phil Edgar-Jones about his plans for
centres across the UK. alienating episode of his own during the channel, which goes free-to-air
This issue reports some outstanding the early part of his career. He also later this month.
sessions: “In conversation with James praises a new generation of black With production recovering, there
Purnell”, the BBC’s director of radio activists demanding lasting change. is a growing sense that TV is getting
and education, expertly chaired by Also inside, Channel 4’s Maria St back on the front foot after lockdown.
Miranda Sawyer; a discussion of The Louis looks at social justice from an Massive credit to the ingenuity of our
Salisbury Poisonings from RTS Futures advertising perspective, while Ofcom’s industry for making this happen.
Northern Ireland; and a fascinating Vikki Cook responds to Marcus Ryder’s
look at the importance of TV brands piece in our last issue.
in a cluttered digital landscape. Autumn is traditionally the time
Diversity and inclusion remain top when viewing figures surge as the
of our sector’s agenda, and were nights draw in. I, for one, am looking Theresa Wise
Contents
Cover: The Singapore Grip (ITV)
5 Pat Younge’s TV Diary
David Olusoga’s powerful MacTaggart lecture contained
uncomfortable personal echoes for Pat Younge 16 Heart-melting viewing
ITV family favourite Dancing on Ice has broken
taboos. Now it is preparing to socially distance
6 Take Five...
Kate Holman and Imani Cottrell update
us on five social media trends 18 Inspiration to all
Sky Arts is about to debut as a free service.
Phil Edgar-Jones, the man in charge, explains
to Steve Clarke what new viewers can expect
7 Our Friend in the North East
Graeme Thompson asks if the infamous ‘exams algorithm’
also informed the BBC’s plan to axe regional services
20 Brand recognition is only half the story
An RTS event showed how platforms and broadcasters
can cut through digital clutter
8 Working Lives: military advisor
Military advisor Paul Biddiss is interviewed by Matthew Bell
22 Time for truth
The writers of The Salisbury Poisonings tell the RTS why
10 Comfort Classic: Gilmore Girls
A gentle guide to getting older and wiser, which
Moya Lothian-McLean returns to again and again
gaining the confidence of local people was critical to the
drama’s success
11 Ear Candy: HBO’s Succession Podcast
Podcast host Roger Bennett takes character analysis
to a new level, hears Harry Bennett
24 Diversity: Ofcom puts action before words
Vikki Cook responds to Marcus Ryder’s article in our
last issue by outlining what Ofcom is doing to improve
minority ethnic representation in television
12 An epic story of imperial hubris
ITV’s adaptation of JG Farrell’s novel The Singapore Grip has
many contemporary resonances, discovers Caroline Frost 26 A lesson for the BBC’s future?
James Purnell tells Miranda Sawyer how the BBC acted
fast to transform its education service in lockdown –
and why he’s a licence-fee fundamentalist
14 A sketch show defying gravity
Shilpa Ganatra examines why BBC Three’s Famalam, a
huge hit on social media, is making big waves with its
third series 28 Brands and broadcasters must seize the time
Maria St Louis puts forward a three-point plan to build
genuinely diverse teams in the media sector
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 2020.
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 September 2020 3
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TV diary
David Olusoga’s powerful MacTaggart lecture contained
uncomfortable personal echoes for Pat Younge
I
t’s been an unusually ■ We have a series in production, Am about, because David tackled head-
domestic and turbulent Dro!, for S4C, showcasing the beauty on that hoary old race/class question
month. Covid-19 wiped out and characters of the Welsh country and the pernicious ways race and
the idea of piggy-backing side. However, because of Covid class biases push you to the industry’s
on my wife’s work trip to guidelines, we’ve had to review and edges and often out of the door.
Tokyo, the family holiday rework everything from minibuses It happened to me, when I was a
in Greece and travelling to to toilets to packed lunches. It’s been local news correspondent at BBC
Edinburgh for the TV festival. an interesting creative and logistical Newsroom South East. It was 1994 and I
But it’s not been quiet, as the challenge. So far, so good. was taken aside by my boss and told
reverberations of the death in May I just wish we could rework the that, “while your accent sounds just
of George Floyd, under the knee of bloody weather. like most people in this region, it’s not
an American cop, are still being felt RP and we have a lot of BBC senior
in August. ■ I thought this month would be a execs who watch our show”. The
It triggered an interest in race and good time to start to learn the Welsh solution was to enrol me, aged 30,
race relations that we’ve probably not language. I studied in Cardiff for in elocution lessons.
seen here since the New Cross fire five years, support Welsh rugby and One night, it took me three hours
and Brixton riots in 1981. And, after a can sing the national anthem – but to record a 40-second voice piece. It
lot of soul searching in the TV indus- never learnt the language. Given our was confidence-sapping and soul-
try, the commitments have come long-term commitment to Cardiff, destroying. Luckily, I had producing
thick and fast. and working closely with Welsh- experience from LWT and managed
I’m old enough to have been here language producers and S4C and to get into an off-screen role and
before, many times, so it was great to BBC Cymru/Wales, it seems like the restart my career. Many didn’t have
see a new generation of activists on right thing to do. the opportunity of a second chance.
the scene taking up the battle, such as I took advice from Adrian Chiles,
Adeel Amini and the BAME TV Task who’d been learning the language for ■ The month ended with our second
Force. Let’s hope they will find the an S4C show, and have subscribed to broadcast, again for Channel 4, Peter:
allies to get this done. a tuition service. Come back to me The Human Cyborg. If you wanted a
next August to find out how I’m doing. film that showed you how technology
■ In May, along with Narinder could be a hedge against the worst
Minhas, I left Sugar Films to launch ■ If it’s August, it must be the Mac- impacts of extreme disability, and
Cardiff Productions. Early August Taggart lecture, kicking off the how the power of a positive mind-
saw the transmission of our first Edinburgh International Television set and unquestioning, devoted love
show, The Talk, a co-production with Festival. This year it was digital and could possibly conquer all, this is the
Whisper, which also part-funded delivered by David Olusoga. Wow! film for you.
the show. What a speech he delivered, not just It is also a fitting tribute to the
It went from a casual conversation deeply personal but also with some director, Matt Pelly, who died follow-
with Fatima Salaria at Channel 4 to policy prescriptions that invited ing a fatal fall during a filming hiatus,
broadcast in just six weeks. Ofcom to regulate diversity or step but who set the style and tone of the
Despite Covid-19 and the tight aside for someone who will. film. This one was for him.
turnaround, all the talent in the A lot of my black and brown col-
senior roles was black, including leagues on social media used the Pat Younge, former chief creative officer
camera, sound and editing. I guess it same phrase: “Now I feel seen.” I of BBC Vision Productions, is Managing
shows that where there’s a will… understood what they were talking Director of Cardiff Productions.
Television www.rts.org.uk September 2020 5
Take five...
Kate Holman and Imani Cottrell update us on five social media trends
enough content to help us all survive Once the reality of spending days,
TikTok screen wipes the socially distanced months. The even weeks, creating one small loaf
TikTok has allowed any of us to one currently doing the rounds is the set in, people turned their attention to
become social media famous, with #2020Challenge. Started by Reese banana
the app showcasing new talent sur- Witherspoon, the meme shows the bread. Less
facing from viral trends that anyone months of the year so far represented work than
can participate in. by different characters. Witherspoon the demand-
Instagram @happytummy_702
One of the most popular trends is pulls a range of hilarious facial ing sour-
the #WipeItDown challenge, which expressions that become increasingly dough, but
shows users as their normal selves in a dramatic as the year goes on. with more
mirror before wiping the mirror down Since Witherspoon posted the failed
to reveal a surprising alternative image. meme on Instagram, influencers, attempts
Stars such as Jason Derulo and Will celebrities and even brands have than suc-
Smith have had fun with the trend. recreated the #2020Challenge to show cesses, the
The videos are set to the song Wipe It banana bread
Down by BMW Kenny and Theelboy. phase was
short-lived.
Depop dramas The latest bread trend spreading
Who could have known there would across the social platforms is cloud
be so much drama on social shopping bread. Soaring in popularity due to
app Depop? The weird and wonderful its fluffy, colourful appearance and
world of Depop has been catapulted skimpy recipe (a mere three ingredi-
to the mainstream after an app user ents), #CloudBread has accumulated
set up an Instagram account that 2.5 billion views on TikTok and nearly
showcases the best of #DepopDrama. 36,000 posts on Instagram.
From outlandish excuses as to why All you need is egg whites, sugar
an order was not shipped (“I fell off and cornflour – mixed in with some
the edge of a swimming pool and got food colouring to create your own
Instagram @hulu
concussion”), to someone acciden- rainbow creations.
tally paying £12,000 instead of £12 for
a second-hand top, the comments Fitness freaks
never fail to shock and amuse. Since lockdown, gyms may be empty
but that hasn’t stopped people from
turning to social media to “feel the
their own versions of 2020, from burn” with home workouts.
Kerry Washington to Netflix. Our Workout queen Chloe Ting has
favourites are the depictions of the more than 2.7 million followers on
ever-shocking Killing Eve and the Instagram and 14 million subscribers
Instagram @depopdrama
emotional rollercoaster Normal People. on YouTube. She has been spearhead-
ing some major fitness transforma-
Bread heads tions, uniting people with the hashtag
When the UK went into lockdown #ChloeTingChallenge. The hashtag
in March, the nation saw a bigger rise involves a daily 20-minute workout to
in amateur baking than when a new sculpt a toned and athletic physique.
series of Bake Off hits our screens. Ting is not the only one getting
With self-raising flour like gold dust, people moving: fitness guru Kayla
people found solace in their Insta- Itsines is the personal trainer behind
#2020Challenge grammable sourdough creations. the popular #BBG, which stands for
Social media is the place to go if you Soon, everyone wanted a slice, and the Bikini Body Guide, and has gar-
want to find a great meme to make no social media platform was free nered a legion of fans who credit the
light of a difficult situation. And the from the hourly updates of Insta- workout regime with helping them to
pandemic has provided more than grammers “feeding” their starters. stay fit and healthy. n
6
OUR FRIEND IN THE
NORTH EAST
I
Graeme Thompson
t was Groundhog Day for new current-affairs strand serving six
me when news broke that asks if the infamous super-regions led by a commission-
the BBC was proposing to
cut £25m from the BBC
‘exams algorithm’ ing team based in Birmingham.
The 11 existing production teams
England budget by 2022. also informed the will be replaced by six slimmed-down
Flashback to redundancies
across regional programme
BBC’s plan to axe hubs, where journalists will make way
for content producers. The new York-
teams, the culling of popular titles and regional services shire and North West replacement in
complaints from audiences seeing and 2021 will have an audience stretching
hearing less about where they live. from Haverigg in the west to beyond
I was regional director of ITV Tyne Holbeach in the east.
Tees & Border when, in 2008, Michael In mileage, that’s the equivalent of a
Grade announced £35m of cuts to region spanning Newcastle to London.
local news and programmes. Popular In my experience, viewers like network
titles such as The Dales Diary, Grundy’s and they value local, but other people’s
Wonders and The Way We Were vanished local programming is a hard sell.
alongside production teams who also Since the 1990s, the UK has increas-
made shows for the network. ingly slashed investment in local econ-
University of Sunderland
No amount of protests and talk of omies to power that of its capital. I
ratings success in the regional slots (up remember visiting newsrooms in the
against the mighty EastEnders) were US during that period and being told
ever going to change ITV’s determina- that TV audiences wouldn’t put up
tion to replace local favourites with with a network that spent more time
cheaper products. And, from Ofcom’s on Washington news than local activ-
perch overlooking the Thames, the ity. Not true of England, apparently.
commercial arguments all seemed At a time when democracy is under
perfectly reasonable. people living in the North East and threat as a result of widespread cuts
Fast forward 12 years and the BBC Cumbria, has a BBC TV budget of in commercial radio bulletins and
is making the same case. The long- £29m – that’s £15 of TV spend for newspapers, the BBC appears intent
running Inside Out current-affairs every viewer. In my English region, on further alienating loyal audiences
series and its production teams – the equivalent spend is £1.87. outside London by reducing opportu-
who also produce award-winning One of the BBC’s justifications for the nities for them to see and hear their
documentaries for the BBC network cuts is its desire to focus on “under- lives and localities reflected online
channels – are being axed. served” audiences. I think you could and on-screen.
In the case of the North East and safely argue that a publicly funded So, fewer jobs and fewer opportu-
Cumbria, Inside Out performed strongly broadcaster already commissioning nities for the next generation of
against Coronation Street and ranked little content from a region whose programme-makers. At least the cuts
alongside ratings phenomenon The population is bigger than Northern don’t extend to the regional politics
Repair Shop in audience appreciation Ireland’s and about the same as Wales slot. These may not be award-winning
scores. is, indeed, significantly underserved. programmes, but they’re highly valued
Regional TV news and radio services It feels like a rationale utilising the by local MPs, whose opposition to the
are also in the line of fire. The axe is same algorithm that levelled down downsizing might just be appeased.
not as sharp in the BBC nations. Quite A-level results for comprehensives Ofcom, on the other hand, may prove
rightly, home-grown production in but boosted schools teaching Latin. more difficult to convince. n
Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland In its defence, the BBC’s senior
is more protected. If only it were the managers argue that the English Graeme Thompson is pro vice-chancellor
same for the English regions. regions need to take a share of the for external relations at the University of
Northern Ireland, with a population target savings (£125m). Furthermore, Sunderland and Chair of the RTS Educa-
smaller in size than the 3 million Inside Out is being replaced with a tion Committee.
Television www.rts.org.uk September 2020 7
WORKING LIVES
Vanity Fair
ITV
Military advisor
F
rom staging the Battle action series Strike Back, I was actually suggestion for a scene. I didn’t know
of Waterloo for the ITV in the writers room, helping to make that extras on set were meant to be
adaptation of Vanity Fair to the stories authentic. seen, not heard. The director, George
recreating trench warfare When I have the script, I advise the Clooney, liked my idea.
for the Oscar-winning 1917, costumes and props departments on Word got around and I got called in
Paul Biddiss ensures that military uniforms and equipment. to run the extras’ boot camps for Fury,
battle scenes in TV and film are as Then, I train the cast and supporting starring Brad Pitt as a Second World
authentic as possible. artists in how, for example, to use War tank commander. It all took off
weapons realistically and safely. from there.
What does the job involve?
My job is to support the director and How did you become a military advisor? What was your first TV work?
make films realistic from a military It wasn’t planned. I served 24 years as BBC One’s 2016 adaptation of War &
perspective. On Sam Mendes’ First a paratrooper in the British Army, sta- Peace was my first big TV project as a
World War movie 1917, I was running tioned around the world. After leaving military advisor. I wanted to show
up and down the trenches with 500 the army, I worked as a private investi- guys knocking seven bells out of each
men, checking they were holding their gator and a bodyguard. other, because that’s what the battle-
weapons and equipment the right way. I had a lean period before answering field was like back then when you got
an ad for a job as an extra on the 2014 to close quarters.
When do you start work on a show? Second World War movie The Monu- There were 500 Lithuanian extras. I
Ideally, I’m brought on to a production ments Men. The military advisor was had three days’ notice to study Napo-
as early as possible. On the Sky 1 with the main film unit, so I made a leonic warfare. Then, I had to carry out
8
Entertainment One
1917
a risk assessment, put a boot camp – the Russian soldiers’ green tunics in hasn’t got the money to keep you on
together and train them for the shoot. War & Peace were not always right as set. It’s so frustrating when they get the
the shade changed three times details wrong during filming because
Do you have to have been in the army between the periods depicted. there’s no military advisor on hand.
to work as an advisor? But a production isn’t going to pay Sometimes, productions don’t
Yes – you have to have experienced for 500 uniforms three times over just understand the value an advisor brings
military life. You have to be able to to appease the purists. – we can save them money by helping
articulate to an actor the thoughts and On 1917, Sam Mendes said he was them to avoid reshoots.
feelings of a soldier as he potentially making the film for an audience of
faces his death. It’s about much more millions, not to satisfy a few nitpickers. Are there any tricks of the trade you
than knowing how a rifle works. Military advisors are helping to make can share with us?
an entertainment, not a documentary. Keep yourself fit – if you’re training an
Can real soldiers play TV armies? actor and you want them to take you
It’s not always a good idea – sometimes, What work are you most proud of? seriously, you have to be able to do
you need a blank canvas. Trained, mod- I’m hugely proud of 1917. It was a hard exactly the same things that you’re
ern-day soldiers would march perfectly job due to the nature of the shoot, asking them to do.
in step but during, say, the Battle of which used a series of long takes – if
Waterloo, many soldiers were not that one of the extras had screwed up dur- What TV series or film would you love
polished, so it wouldn’t be realistic. ing a nine-minute take and we had to to work on?
do it again, everyone would have been I’d love to do a series set in Roman
Can you advise on all types of warfare? looking at me. times – that’s an interesting period.
All through history and beyond – I do And Star Wars – the storm troopers
sci-fi, too. For a new series, I’ve devel- What are the best and worst parts of need sorting out!
oped a system incorporating Roman, the job?
Napoleonic and modern-day drills. The best is when I see the people I’ve Is it a great life as a military advisor?
trained on screen, getting everything My ex-army mates think I’m a lucky
What do you bring to work with you? on point and doing it effortlessly. I use bugger to get myself into film and TV.
My experience. I drill actors until it’s a three-bar system of excellence to It’s even worse when I tell them it all
natural, so they can concentrate on encourage the actors: “good”; “the kicked off after a chance encounter
their acting. dog’s bollocks”; and “airborne”, the with George Clooney. n
highest.
Do military advisors always get it right? The worst is when a production Military advisor Paul Biddiss was inter-
You never get everything 100% correct brings you on board to train a cast, but viewed by Matthew Bell.
Television www.rts.org.uk September 2020 9
COMFORT CLASSIC
Amazon
Gilmore Girls
A gentle guide to getting older and wiser, which
Moya Lothian-McLean returns to again and again
O
n the face of it, a com- Hitting screens in 2000, the show At the centre of its appeal are Lorelei
ing-of-age story about ran for seven seasons, its cross- and Rory Gilmore, a mother and
a mother and daughter generational popularity such that it daughter navigating the world. When
who live in a quirky was revived for a four-part Netflix we meet them, both have a lot of
Connecticut town and mini-series in 2016, nearly 10 years growing up to do; Lorelei is a formerly
speak at the pace of an after the last episode aired. teen mother who has a fraught rela-
Aaron Sorkin script doesn’t sound that There’s no secret about why the show tionship with her wealthy, old-money
comforting. But that would be to judge is so beloved; sinking into the world of parents. Rory is literally a teenager.
Gilmore Girls, the cult comedy-drama Gilmore Girls is like sipping on your first Often, their relationship is more like
created by Amy Sherman-Palladino hot chocolate of autumn or swaddling siblings than parent and child.
too quickly. yourself in a thick duffle coat. Which is part of what makes Gilmore
10Girls so magic; both Lorelei and Rory
Ear candy
Succession
are fully fleshed out women charac-
ters. This shouldn’t be rare but, all too
often, it is. These two are more than
the sum of their parts, not just “a
mother” or “a daughter”. They have
individual hopes, dreams, loves
and losses.
At times, each makes mistakes or
does horribly unlikeable things. Sher-
man-Pallindo wasn’t afraid to allow
the women she wrote to be real and
learn the lessons of life the hard way.
It makes Gilmore Girls both a refreshing
show but also a comforting one. Life is
messy, the show says. And that’s OK.
However, some of the joy also lies in
the fact it stops short of full reality. The
Gilmore Girls exist in a golden bubble:
despite family tensions, there’s always
a large pot of money on hand if needed
to bail them out.
Lorelei and Rory live in Stars Hollow,
a unbelievable little town, stuffed with
zany characters, who make up a tight-
knit community that’s simply too good
HBO’s Succession
to be true. Viewers will also notice the
dark side of this; a huge lack of non-
white faces. It’s not the show for you if
Podcast
you’re watching for proper representa-
tion in 2020.
Frankly though, as a woman of colour,
I’m not. Time and time again, I return
to Gilmore Girls because of its pseudo-
Sky
T
reality, its slow-burn soap opera, its
gentle guide to getting older and wiser.
It’s a programme from another era, o provide succour to their Succession characters’ story arcs.
before everything was on-demand and desperate Succession As the Roys are all in severe need
you could binge an entire season in a fans faced with a long of therapy, there is ample material for
day. The plots reflect that: arcs that last wait for series 3, HBO psychoanalysis. And Bennett does his
several seasons, calm pacing (despite has assembled the best to unearth the roots of the relent-
the fast talking) that allows the viewer cast for a sequence of less conflict and abuse by digging deep
to sit with the storylines and fall in longform, one-on-one into their past traumas. No stone is left
love with the world that is being care- interviews. Loosely inspired, it is said, unturned, no trait unanalysed and no
fully created in front of their eyes. by the Murdochs, the Roy family of wardrobe uninspected.
Gilmore Girls is smart and savvy but Succession boasts some of the most Each actor’s devotion to the craft
also a cocoon of safety, one that, at its complex characters on the small screen. shines through, but none more so than
warm heart, shares a spirit with the Series 2 saw the Roy siblings vying to Jeremy Strong, who plays Kendall Roy.
likes of Anne of Green Gables or Little ascend the Waystar Royco throne once He confesses to taking method acting
House on the Prairie. It’s a story of com- the aging, raging patriarch Logan Roy to mentally detrimental extremes.
munity and mutual support. That’s the (Brian Cox) finally steps down. Sprinkled and bookended with
quality that renders it timeless and Sports journalist Roger Bennett memorable quotes from the character
why, when I’m in need of a bit of light hosts with infectious enthusiasm. His in question, HBO’s Succession Podcast
and optimism, I’ll always head to Stars emphatic introductions to each actor will enlighten and leave you laughing.
Hollow. n have become something of a trademark. “If it is to be said,” as a wise Greg once
He breezily steers the conversation from said, “so it is.”
Gilmore Girls is on Netflix and Amazon. their origins to the peaks and valleys of Harry Bennett
Television www.rts.org.uk September 2020 11ITV’s adaptation of JG Farrell’s novel The Singapore Grip has
many contemporary resonances, discovers Caroline Frost
ITV
An epic story of
imperial hubris
‘I
t’s a false sense of entitlement exploration of the consequences Hampton was determined to keep
that we have to get rid of, of colonialism. the comic, often bemused, tone of the
because it can have cata- Japan’s victory at Singapore was author’s prose in his screenplay, high-
strophic results. This is a story overshadowed globally by the events lighting the military incompetence,
that recommends modesty. I of Pearl Harbor just two months previ- casually racist society and all-round
think arrogance was the main ously, but it was, nevertheless, calami- complacency that led to Britain’s
problem and it’s big a problem today in tous for the British Empire: it led to the downfall in the region.
the way things have been handled capture of nearly 80,000 Allied soldiers, “He treats a serious subject with wit
recently in this country.” the death of thousands more, and an and lightness, which gradually darkens
Screenwriter Christopher Hampton, evacuation on a massive scale. as the story darkens,” explains Hamp-
who has adapted The Singapore Grip for Hampton’s own uncle was among ton. “I wanted to preserve the comedy
the small screen, clearly sees recent the desperate throng who boarded where I could, and it’s very amusing in
parallels to the tale told in JG Farrell’s ships and fled the island just before the places. I also wanted to keep the bal-
last novel. invasion. The screenwriter (an Oscar ance between the real-life military
His epic treatment of Farrell’s 700- winner for Dangerous Liaisons) therefore characters and the family saga, giving
plus pages comes to ITV this month felt a personal connection to the story. them context.”
and tells the story of what Winston He had also known and admired Hampton, who also served as an
Churchill called “the largest capitula- JG Farrell when they both lived in executive producer on the project,
tion” in British history – the fall of London’s Notting Hill during the 1970s. sounds almost embarrassed when he
Singapore in 1942. The book was the Tragically, Farrell drowned off the adds: “I found the whole process of
third in Farrell’s “Empire” trilogy, his coast of Ireland in 1979. adapting the book immensely
12enjoyable. Nobody should be paid for firmly where Matthew’s values are. its very different inhabitant. “We can
having so much fun.” In the scene where I’m asking Walter all identify with the beautiful, cool
He was blessed with a cast able to about how he treats his workers, I house the Blacketts have created,” she
swing with these nuances of light and found myself getting angry with him, laughs. “It’s fashionable, cool, abso-
shade. David Morrissey plays Walter and everyone like him.” lutely pristine, the perfect house for
Blackett, a complacent rubber- While it is all too easy to see the a modern European living in Asia.”
company executive focused only on complacence and arrogance of Farrell’s Mr Webb’s house is darker, pokier
what works best for him. Charles characters in many of our contempo- but more characterful. “He’s immersed
Dance is his more principled colleague, rary public figures, Treadaway is himself in the country’s culture. He’s
Old Mr Webb, and Luke Treadaway stumped when I ask for a real-life collected things that are quite unique.
his equally well-intentioned but wet- modern equivalent of the more ear- It’s a true reflection of his personality.”
behind-the-ears son, Matthew. nest, honourable Matthew Webb. Other locations that jump out on
Jane Horrocks and Georgia Blizzard Hampton believes the challenge screen include: the “Blue House”,
play Blackett’s wife and daughter, lies in the character’s innocence. He where a bizarre dinner party takes
while Coronation Street alumna Eliza- explains: “I don’t think this is a very place in the second episode; “an old
beth Tan is the mysterious and disrup- innocent age. I feel that part of the clan house that dates back centuries,
tive Vera Chiang. story is that of an innocent who, in the with little bits of water, dark wood, so
Treadaway clearly delighted in his course of the story, gradually gets edu- much history”; and the recreation of
role: Matthew Webb is a late arrival to cated. I think that there are genuine the Battle of Slim River, filmed in
southern Malaysia – “lots of Japanese
extras cycling over rocky ground on
bicycles from the 1940s – it looked
magical”.
Abushwesha still can’t decide which
was more temperamental – one of
their leading men, who happened to
be a monkey with very strong facial
expressions, or the weather. Certainly,
the latter failed to behave on one of the
most important and, no doubt, expen-
sive, shooting days of the entire project.
“It was a circus day. We had hun-
dreds of extras, special effects, groups
of singers, a cannon to shoot someone
from. We’d flown people in from Thai-
land. We had 10 hours to shoot, and it
rained for seven and a half of them.
“There was a foot of water on the
ground. What could we do? We
Luke Treadaway (left) with the principal cast
ITV
couldn’t drink, so we went to a café
across the road, ate loads of cake and
the party, and it is he who takes the idealists in the world, though, and he’s waited. Finally, we got the shots, but it
audience on his journey into the rich, in that family.” was maddening.”
complex world of Singapore, beginning The challenge of creating an epic Treadaway says acting in these huge
six months before the invasion. feel for “a Second World War film shot street scenes was thrilling, “the nearest
He soon becomes the subject of two in the tropics of Southeast Asia” has I’ll have to time travel”. He hopes the
rival women’s affections, but it is in his made this the biggest professional series will spark conversations about
protestations against Walter Blackett’s project yet for producer Farah Abush- the past: “We look at it and say, what’s
machinations for his rubber company wesha, who previously worked with changed? It’s a fascinating prism to look
that Matthew emerges as the most the same company, Mammoth Screen, into another world, and have our own
generous-minded of the characters. on The ABC Murders. world reflected back at us.”
Treadaway describes him as “progres- The series was shot entirely in South- Is there hope, too, amid all the hubris
sive for his time” in his attitude to east Asia, with Kuala Lumpur doubling and eventual devastation? Hampton
native workers’ rights and not wanting for wartime Singapore. The neighbour- believes so: “It resides in the under-
to strip the country of its assets with- ing houses owned by Walter Blackett standing that arises between the races
out putting something back. and Mr Webb on screen are, in reality, and the open-mindedness that leads
The actor says he saw his character a stone’s throw from one another in the to that. That’s the big positive of the
as one who learnt as he went along. highest part of the city, which remains story, and in the young people who
“He wasn’t putting his body on the surprisingly lush and green. are open to what’s happening. They’re
line, he was just less shackled to the The producer was delighted with the aware of the world in a way that the
status quo. different moods the design team were older generation have become too
“My ethics and values come down able to create, each interior reflecting boiled in aspic to notice.” n
Television www.rts.org.uk September 2020 13Shilpa Ganatra examines
why BBC Three’s
Famalam, a huge hit
on social media, is
making big waves
with its third series
W
hen Famalam
came to our
screens in
2018, British
television was
ready and
waiting for a high-profile comedic
exploration of the contemporary black
British experience. It tapped the same
vein as Michaela Coel’s Chewing Gum
and the 1990s ensemble show The Real
McCoy – and another hit sketch show
was long overdue.
It was squarely on target on both
counts. In the two years since then, the
show has earned RTS and Bafta recog-
BBC
nition for its driving force, Akemnji
Ndifornyen (known as AK), and actor/
writers Samson Kayo and Gbemisola
Ikumelo. The show’s clips are among
the BBC’s most-viewed social content.
“A large part of [it] was to appeal to
black folk, and for us to have agency
A sketch show
over our stories,” says AK of its crosso-
ver success. “Because it has served us
first and has now gone broader, we’re
thrilled.”
With the cast completed by Vivienne
defying gravity
Acheampong, John Macmillan, Tom
Moutchi and Danielle Vitalis, the
troupe continues the winning formula
in the third series. AK believes it to be
“the strongest yet”. Certainly, it’s found
its stride: alongside familiar characters,
such as the imposing gaggle of aunties executive producer of all three series. Interracial Couples Selling Stuff, per-
and the Nigerian philanthropist Prince “So we’ve brought in Danielle, and formed by AK as if channelling Errol
Alyusi, its 22-minute episodes are she’s brilliant. The change has widened Brown from Hot Chocolate. The every-
crammed with absurd situations up our comic angles and it’s brought a day lyrics against the sexiness of the
pushed to their extreme and smart freshness to it. It excites the writers song is funny in itself, but poking fun
observations about life today. and keeps us on our toes.” at ad companies’ formulaic output
The opening gambit is a Narcos-style While the dominating type of com- notches up the comedy – even when
skit in which two avocado cartels meet edy is irreverence, the smarts are in the point is the same as that made by
to do a dangerous deal; “You know we the density of ideas, the multilayered social media trolls. For AK, it’s a case
are going to have to test it,” says one, observations and unexpected left of “classic message and messenger”,
chopping up a line of avocado to smear turns. “Life provided a wealth of inspi- he says. “Two people can say the same
on toast and taking a rush-inducing bite. ration to lampoon and satire,” says AK. thing, but, because one person has the
The new series sees a change of the It helps that, with a largely black licence to say it, it means different
core cast, with Roxy Sternberg step- British cast and crew, otherwise- things.”
ping out and Vitalis stepping in. sensitive topics that have bubbled to That is a large part of its unique posi-
“All the cast are becoming harder to the foreground this past year are han- tion in 2020’s TV landscape, explains
nail down, but Roxy had a massive job dled from a place of experience, rather Shane Allen, controller of BBC comedy
offer in the US and we couldn’t make than judgement. commissioning: “People in mainstream
it work,” explains Ben Caudell, an A case in point is a musical number, white culture walk on eggshells in
14Vivienne Acheampong in Famalam
BBC
certain areas, working out how they that this approach has proved popular: two to three minutes,” he says. “I think
can keep pushing the boundaries, but “Turf wars” has been viewed more that’s a great training ground for writ-
it’s more likely that the boundaries are than 30 million times, and “There is no ers to then go on and write longer-form
going to be pushed by people who white Jesus” stands at 27.5 million pieces or rounded sitcoms. Father Ted
aren’t the mainstream voice. views, making these Famalam sketches creators Graham Linehan and Arthur
“If you have people from those among the BBC’s most successful social Mathews wrote for Alas Smith & Jones
backgrounds who own the joke, then media content. Which, as a blunt meas- and, in the US, Tina Fey went from
that’s what the line is. Culturally, it’s ure of success, matters. Saturday Night Live to 30 Rock.”
really important that comedy still has a “The overnights are not as relevant Famalam is already proving success-
bite and is able to ruffle feathers. It as they were even two or three years ful in developing talent, with Stern-
keeps comedy relevant in an age when ago – now you’re looking for social berg’s move to the US, and AK’s Bafta
people are saying, ‘It’s all gone PC and media impact, cultural impact, and a Television Craft Award for Break-
they’re trying to take away our com- little bit of industry impact,” says Allen. through Talent suggesting that “he’s
edy’. Actually, we’re trying hard for that “Social media figures are one factor in going to be a lot of people’s boss soon”,
not to be the case.” a wide array of how you judge a show, according to Allen. The BBC comedy
Crucially, in this politically weighty but, because the BBC is trying to reach chief also commissioned Brain in Gear,
age, the show isn’t only about the black the young, underserved audience, it’s Ikumelo’s comedy short, for a full
experience. Jokes are made about the an important one – this audience isn’t sitcom to air on BBC Two.
affront involved in leaving a WhatsApp lining up to watch a specific show in a The better news is that, even if the
group and people who thwart conver- specific time slot on a specific channel cast and crew outgrow the show, the
sations when there’s a spoiler involved any more. There isn’t that brand loyalty.” Famalam series could keep running
– in other words, ribbing every aspect It helps greatly, of course, that short- regardless. “It’s not like writing a soap
of contemporary life. form content viewed on social media opera or a new series of Line of Duty,
“If something pops up as part of the fulfils the BBC’s remit as much as tra- where you have to keep thinking of
zeitgeist, it’s like a Hungry Hippo: you ditional viewing. The format also aids new stories,” says Caudell. “Sketches are
have to knock it down,” says AK. “I its remit of seeking out emerging tal- often about life and there’s always going
apply the Family Guy model of laughs: ent, a specific forte of sketch shows. to be new aspects coming through, and
that nothing and no one is sacrosanct. Allen reels off TV royalty such as new talent coming through, too.”
So, while my name is one of the black- Lenny Henry, Meera Syal, and Rowan AK agrees: “In a show where we’ve
est, most African names you can ever Atkinson, whose talent was nurtured set a template for regeneration, any-
find and, when I cross my mother’s in sketch shows Three of a Kind, The Real thing’s possible. And this country has no
threshold, I’m in Cameroon, the reality McCoy and Not the Nine O’Clock News, shortage of black talent, because that’s
is that there are some aspects of life respectively. what this show is about. This can be a
that we all encounter. Love, relation- “Sketch shows encourage mastering great platform for the next generation of
ships, aliens – we’ll cover it all.” of the short form: creating a character, people. I can see this show continuing
The social media figures indicate finding a concept and playing it out in and having a long-lasting legacy.” n
Television www.rts.org.uk September 2020 15Heart
melting
viewing
2019 Contestants
Ian ‘H’ Watkins (left)
and pro Matt Evers
ITV
I
t was a remarkable moment in going to do this.’ It shouldn’t be a thing
British TV, when two men skated The makers of the so I didn’t quite realise what a big deal
on to the ice to perform together
in a prime-time show. Hearts
ITV family favourite it was.”
The RTS event host, Richie Ander-
melted across the nation, from Dancing on Ice have son, part of the BBC’s Radio 2 Breakfast
the Dancing on Ice studio to mil-
lions watching at home.
broken taboos. Now Show team and a reporter on its TV
magazine The One Show, said: “As a gay
The same-sex pairing of Ian Watkins they’re preparing to man, I felt it was empowering and there
– “H” – from Steps with pro skater Matt was an element of acceptance. It was a
Evers was a new development for the socially distance beautiful moment.”
flagship ITV show – and, as a member Dancing on Ice superfan Anderson
of the production team told an RTS any show. I was so proud and delighted was the perfect upbeat host for the
Midlands online masterclass, judge John by the viewers’ reaction – we thought entertaining masterclass, as he admit-
Barrowman wasn’t the only one in it might be more negative. ted to having “anorak knowledge” of
tears. Executive producer Clodagh “I remember when I rang Matt and his favourite TV show. He even con-
O’Donoghue recalled: “It was such an said, ‘H has approached us about doing fessed to wanting judges and Olympic
iconic moment and there wasn’t a dry this, what do you think? It’s a brave champions Jayne Torvill and Christo-
eye anywhere in the studio. I’ve never thing to do.’ He started crying on me, pher Dean to be his TV mum and dad.
heard an audience reception like it, on saying, ‘I can’t believe the network is He’s not alone in his love for Dancing
16on Ice, which has dazzled as a Sunday- up in coats – but it can get steamy on Gemma Collins falling flat on her face
night family favourite over 12 series. the ice. The show has led to three last- on the ice in last year’s show, which
Originally titled Stars on Thin Ice, it ing relationships and a baby. Former O’Donoghue said was initially a
began in 2006. So far, 154 contestants England goalkeeper David Seaman and “heart-wrenching” moment.
have put their skates on, from Joe Pas- Frankie Poultney are married, as are “All of us honestly thought she was
quale and Todd Carty to Kelly Holmes Coronation Street’s Samia Ghadie and seriously injured. We felt sick. But she
and Vanilla Ice. There have been Sylvain Longchambon, who have a son. just got up and started waving and smil-
18 judges, including Louie Spence, The last series saw the engagement ing at the audience. It was amazing.”
Katarina Witt, Robin Cousins and the of footballer-turned-BBC-pundit O’Donoghue picked actor Ray Quinn
acerbic Jason Gardiner. Kevin Kilbane and skater Brianne as the show’s best celebrity skater but
The show will look a little different Delcourt – who had previously dated said that she has a soft spot for the
when it returns in January. One solu- soap-star contestants Danny Young, reigning champion, Joe Swash: “He
tion to filming with social distancing is Sam Attwater and Matt Lapinskas. was a real surprise. When we first
to have Perspex panels between the “Maybe there’ll be a romance this met him he was falling over all the
judges on the Ice Panel. But one time, who knows?” said O’Donoghue. time. If you had asked me to bet on
advantage Dancing on Ice has in a pan- “I was delighted about Kevin and Bri- who would be in the final, I would
demic is that it’s filmed in an never have said Joe. And
isolated studio, a mile along then to win it – and what
a runway on a disused RAF a lovely bloke.
base in Hertfordshire. “If I could sign up anyone,
O’Donoghue said: “We Beyoncé would be incredi-
have to look at what works ble. She would come out of
with cameras and lighting. that tunnel looking amazing,
Will there be a reflection off and I bet she can skate
the Perspex at a certain because she can do any-
angle? We have all these thing, can’t she?”
decisions to make. When asked for tips on
“The cast start training in getting into TV, creative
October and will go into a sort producer Sita Patel said: “I
of isolation separately in order applied for every traineeship
for them to come together and and runner scheme. Hunt
train. There will be a lot of down those opportunities,
testing for Covid and being because they are out there.
‘clean’ – a period where you’re “Be enthusiastic, persis-
not going out to nightclubs tent and respectful about the
and rubbing up against people. show you’re hoping to work
“Our studio isolation works on. Watch it! And don’t say:
very well for Covid. It’s just ‘The last series wasn’t very
us, there aren’t any other good’. Quietly getting on
shows around. Dancing on Ice with your job, staying late
used to come from Elstree to clean up and helping out
and Shepperton Studios, but with photocopying is what
they were booked up when a producer will notice more
Reigning Dancing on Ice champion Joe Swash
ITV
the show relaunched in 2018, than the person chatting
so we purpose-built a studio loudly in the bar.”
at RAF Bovingdon. It’s big enough for anne. We pair them up on the basis of O’Donoghue, the daughter of publi-
two ice rinks, a rehearsal and main their heights and personalities. When cans, revealed that her big break came
studio rink, and for all the crew, dress- we first meet a celebrity – and that’s thanks to common sense and a jug of
ing rooms and parking.” always on the ice, whoever they are, to sangria: “I was on work experience
The on-screen talent consists of make sure they can get from A to B with TV production company Initial. It
13 celebrities and 13 professional skat- – we ask what sort of pro they’d like. had a late meeting one night and they
ers, four judges, two presenters – Phil- Are you competitive, do you need a asked me to buy some sangria from a
lip Schofield and Holly Willoughby pro who will push you? Do you just tapas place down the road. I thought,
– and a commentator. want to have a laugh? Do you want a ‘That’s crazy, to spend all that money.’
Backstage, there is a crew of 250, pro who is kind and nurturing? “So I made a jug myself and brought
including medics and physios, catering “We want people to have a good it in. The boss, Malcolm Gerrie, thanked
staff and a wardrobe department for all time. There’s no point doing it unless me and when I told him what I’d done,
the colourful, sequinned costumes. you’re going to enjoy it. It’s full on but he said: ‘You are going to go far’.” n
Then there are the more unusual jobs, so rewarding. They often keep skating
skate sharpeners and a tanning team to for fitness – you get a really firm bum Report by Roz Laws. The RTS Midlands
make sure the sun-deprived contest- on Dancing on Ice.” ‘Dancing on Ice Masterclass’ was held
ants aren’t the same shade as the ice. Inevitably, there are falls, which is on 29 July and hosted by Richie Anderson.
It may be freezing in the studio – it’s secretly what viewers may be waiting The producers were Caren Davies and
no wonder the audience are wrapped for. Everyone remembers reality star Megan Fellows.
Television www.rts.org.uk September 2020 17Sky Arts is about to debut as a free
service. Phil Edgar-Jones, the man
in charge, explains to Steve Clarke
Portrait Artist of the Year:
what new viewers can expect Painter Toby Michael and
sitter Wunmi Mosaku
Sky
Inspiration to all
F
or many of us, starved of for another milestone in Sky Arts’ his- be distinctive and do something differ-
enjoying a real perfor- tory when, on 17 September, Sky Arts ent to the BBC and Channel 4?’ I can
mance in a theatre or a stops being a subscription-only service say to an artist, ‘You can have the
concert hall these past and goes free-to-air. channel for as long as you like, we’ll
months, watching Sky The move is bound to increase the take out the ad breaks, it’s yours, do
Arts in lockdown was a network’s popularity. In some quarters, what you like with it’.”
revelation. Most of us knew about its it is being interpreted as a direct chal- Why, then, is Sky Arts removing its
flagship shows Urban Myths and Portrait lenge to the BBC. Several commenta- pay wall? The channel’s impressive
Artist of the Year. We were less familiar tors have remarked on what they on-demand programming, amounting
with the service’s sheer eclecticism, perceive as a diminishing number of to around 2,000 hours of cultural con-
which encompasses everything from regular arts slots available on BBC tent, will remain exclusive to Sky sub-
ballet to the blues and Bono. television. Even BBC Four has latterly scribers. “We’ve been looking at it for
“On some occasions, our audience pivoted away from the arts to the a while, the best part of 2019. We did a
figures increased by as much as 40%,” extent that presenters such as the bril- lot of research around the channel and
says Phil Edgar-Jones, who runs the liant Andrew Graham-Dixon are rarely talked to people in the arts world,
channel. “During lockdown, we found seen on the channel. practitioners and leaders, to see what
that, across the board, there was a real Edgar-Jones, who joined Sky as head it was about the channel that was
hunger for cultural content. It wasn’t of entertainment in 2012, plays down important to them.”
only Sky Arts that benefited from this.” any suggestion that having Sky Arts on Three conclusions were drawn from
A spin-off show, Portrait Artist of the Freeview is likely to lure viewers away this process – the desire to make Sky
Week, perhaps reflecting a desire by from BBC TV’s arts coverage. Arts more widely accessible, the need
some people in lockdown to take up “The BBC’s arts content is fantastic. to help drive diversity and inclusivity,
painting, was one notable success. It’s very different to ours. We think and the aim of increasing participation
The programme, which will return in about how we can create work that has in the arts.
October, was first shown on Facebook a Sky flavour to it. Participation is at the “So it made logical sense to allow the
Live before transferring to the channel. heart of that,” he insists. “I don’t see it channel to reach more people,” explains
“What we took away from this was as a zero-sum game. We’re all in it Edgar-Jones, who says he is now going
that there is a great sense of commu- together. I’d like to work with [the out again to sample the arts. Recent
nity that can be built around people’s BBC], not against it. I’d love to partner forays have included a local art-house
passion points,” he observes. with the BBC on projects.... cinema in north London and the opera,
Edgar-Jones will soon be responsible “We always ask ourselves: ‘Can we socially distanced of course, at
18Thankfully, not everything on Sky
Urban Myths: Joan Rivers, Arts requires that kind of dedication or
played by Katherine Ryan stamina. Upcoming shows this autumn
(right), and Barbra Streisand, include: series 4 of Urban Myths, includ-
played by Jessica Barden ing Steve Pemberton starring in Les
Dawson’s Parisienne Adventure; live cov-
erage of ENO’s first drive-in opera, a
new production of La bohème; No Masks,
a new drama from Theatre Royal Strat-
ford East based on the pandemic sto-
ries of key workers in east London; Life
& Rhymes, a celebration of the spoken
word hosted by Benjamin Zephaniah;
and Danny Dyer on Harold Pinter.
“A lot of our work is trying to think
of ways to work beyond television.
We’re uniquely positioned to be more
than just a TV channel. We can com-
mission in the real world and meet
people in a way that other channels
can’t,” says Edgar-Jones. “We’re mov-
ing beyond being a spectator in the
arts to being an active participant. We
want to get communities involved in
creating art with us.”
An example of this approach is a
new show, Landmark, in which artists
and local communities across the UK
attempt to create a new British land-
mark. “We want artists to be at the
forefront of our programmes and not
Sky
presenters,” he says.
Sky doesn’t reveal its programme
Glyndebourne. He also plays guitar Having run it for five or six years, I’ve budgets. Edgar-Jones says it is less
and recently mastered David Bowie’s always wanted to get it to more people. about their size than where the money
1970s classic Starman. The business has always supported goes. “In the arts, every practitioner
“Sky is a public service broadcaster,” Sky Arts as something that doesn’t is able to stretch things further than
he continues. “Giving Sky Arts away have to be massively commercial or people who buy drama can,” he
free is part of our service to the pub- populist. I don’t get judged on ratings. notes wryly.
lic.… I always say to people, ‘You won’t “It enhances the Sky brand. From a Edgar-Jones needs no reminding of
like everything on the channel, but I Sky perspective, that’s a very positive the existential crisis that arts organisa-
guarantee you’ll find something that thing. There is no commercial pressure tions are undergoing and is anxious
you like.’” around the channel. that “a layer of new talent”, potentially
When James Murdoch was running “In fact, quite the opposite. I’m a forgotten generation, risks being
BSkyB in 2005 he purchased the encouraged to do things that are bold, extinguished by the pandemic’s eco-
remaining shares in Artsworld that noisy, creative, and to encourage new nomic impact.
BSkyB didn’t already own and turned work, help support the arts and help Sky Arts is looking at what it can
the channel into Sky Arts. “James support arts practitioners,” says Edgar- do: a bursary scheme is being set up
deserves a lot of kudos for doing that,” Jones, who, in common with many to support new and diverse voices in
says Edgar-Jones. “He’s a passionate viewers, enjoyed Grayson’s Art Club, with the arts industry.
supporter of the arts and making them Grayson Perry, on Channel 4 during He concedes that, overall, British
more accessible. James pioneered £10 the early weeks of lockdown. broadcasters need to try harder on
opera tickets for people who wouldn’t How, then, will Sky Arts change diversity: “We have to do a lot more.
normally go to see a live opera.” when it is free? Might it become less It’s been a perennial problem. There
Could having a bigger audience eclectic and more populist, perhaps has been scheme after scheme after
eventually lead to more advertising more pop and less Prokofiev? scheme. Sky has put money into some
revenue when the market begins to “We’re not afraid of being popular of these.
turn? “You might not believe this, but and accessible,” he says. “There’s a “We’ve made great strides.… When I
we haven’t had a commercial discus- wide range of stuff on the channel. At started in television, diversity was
sion,” replies Edgar-Jones. “We think one end of the scale, we can do Portrait about whether you were from Oxford
we’ll reach a bigger audience, which Artist of the Year, which we expect to or Cambridge [Edgar-Jones went to
is attractive to all the partners we become more popular still, while also neither]. Television has come a long
work with. doing 15 hours of The Ring cycle in way from that. We include voices from
“I’m passionate about this channel. German in one sitting.” all communities.” n
Television www.rts.org.uk September 2020 19You can also read
