Louis Theroux will deliver this year’s James MacTaggart memorial lecture, the flagship address at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
The documentary maker, who also founded unscripted production company Mindhouse in 2019, has examined everything from Scientology to porn to neo-Nazis in his films. He has also turned his hand to social media, podcasting and streaming.
Theroux will address the challenges broadcasters face in today’s “multi-platform universe,” how he has maintained longevity after a quarter of a century in the broadcasting industry and the pros and cons of the tech revolution we are all living through.
“I am beyond thrilled to be asked to deliver this year’s MacTaggart lecture,” Theroux said. “The old Chinese curse runs, ‘May you live in interesting times.’ But I also believe interesting times – to those of us whose job it is to report on them and reflect them, while also providing an occasional distraction from them – can be a blessing.
The documentary maker, who also founded unscripted production company Mindhouse in 2019, has examined everything from Scientology to porn to neo-Nazis in his films. He has also turned his hand to social media, podcasting and streaming.
Theroux will address the challenges broadcasters face in today’s “multi-platform universe,” how he has maintained longevity after a quarter of a century in the broadcasting industry and the pros and cons of the tech revolution we are all living through.
“I am beyond thrilled to be asked to deliver this year’s MacTaggart lecture,” Theroux said. “The old Chinese curse runs, ‘May you live in interesting times.’ But I also believe interesting times – to those of us whose job it is to report on them and reflect them, while also providing an occasional distraction from them – can be a blessing.
- 6/29/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
BAFTA-winning dramatist and playwright Jack Thorne has slammed the U.K. TV industry’s shoddy treatment of disability and has called for a quota to redress the situation.
Delivering the annual James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival, Thorne, a disabled professional whose credits include the West End play “Harry Potter and The Cursed Child,” Netflix film “Enola Holmes” and TV series “His Dark Materials,” said: “Disability is the forgotten diversity, the one everyone leaves out of speeches.”
“Gender, race, sexuality, all rightly get discussed at length. Disability gets relegated out,” Thorne said. “Producers have ignored disabled writers. Commissioners haven’t taken the opportunity to tell disabled stories. There are very few disabled people in front of the camera, and even fewer behind it.”
“TV has failed disabled people. Utterly and totally.”
Thorne called for an attitudinal change towards disability to begin with. While he hailed some of...
Delivering the annual James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival, Thorne, a disabled professional whose credits include the West End play “Harry Potter and The Cursed Child,” Netflix film “Enola Holmes” and TV series “His Dark Materials,” said: “Disability is the forgotten diversity, the one everyone leaves out of speeches.”
“Gender, race, sexuality, all rightly get discussed at length. Disability gets relegated out,” Thorne said. “Producers have ignored disabled writers. Commissioners haven’t taken the opportunity to tell disabled stories. There are very few disabled people in front of the camera, and even fewer behind it.”
“TV has failed disabled people. Utterly and totally.”
Thorne called for an attitudinal change towards disability to begin with. While he hailed some of...
- 8/23/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Jack Thorne, the prolific British writer behind His Dark Materials and Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, is to deliver the prestigious James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival next month.
Thorne, who has been diagnosed with a condition called cholinergic urticaria, which means he is allergic to heat and his own body movement, will spotlight the representation of disability on British TV during his address.
He said: “I am ridiculously honoured to be asked to deliver this year’s MacTaggart lecture. It’s an opportunity I never anticipated, but an opportunity I am determined to use. This country has a glaring problem at the moment and it’s in its treatment of disabled people.
“In the last two years people have died who didn’t need to, and those that survived were treated appallingly, ignored and shut out. We lived and live in a two-tier society, those...
Thorne, who has been diagnosed with a condition called cholinergic urticaria, which means he is allergic to heat and his own body movement, will spotlight the representation of disability on British TV during his address.
He said: “I am ridiculously honoured to be asked to deliver this year’s MacTaggart lecture. It’s an opportunity I never anticipated, but an opportunity I am determined to use. This country has a glaring problem at the moment and it’s in its treatment of disabled people.
“In the last two years people have died who didn’t need to, and those that survived were treated appallingly, ignored and shut out. We lived and live in a two-tier society, those...
- 7/8/2021
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Acclaimed dramatist and playwright Jack Thorne will deliver this year’s James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
Thorne’s credits include the West End play “Harry Potter and The Cursed Child,” Netflix film “Enola Holmes” and TV series “His Dark Materials.” As a disabled professional, Thorne is a vocal champion, campaigner and ally of other disabled creatives both in front of and behind the camera.
Thorne has co-written with Genevieve Barr an upcoming BBC factual drama called “Independence Day? How Disabled Rights Were Won,” starring Ruth Madeley, based on the true story of the people behind a campaign that led to the winning of disabled civil rights in Britain.
Thorne’s lecture will focus on the need for greater representation, platforming the voices of disabled professionals — both visible and invisible — and the role the TV industry has to play in defining a more accessible future, underpinned by...
Thorne’s credits include the West End play “Harry Potter and The Cursed Child,” Netflix film “Enola Holmes” and TV series “His Dark Materials.” As a disabled professional, Thorne is a vocal champion, campaigner and ally of other disabled creatives both in front of and behind the camera.
Thorne has co-written with Genevieve Barr an upcoming BBC factual drama called “Independence Day? How Disabled Rights Were Won,” starring Ruth Madeley, based on the true story of the people behind a campaign that led to the winning of disabled civil rights in Britain.
Thorne’s lecture will focus on the need for greater representation, platforming the voices of disabled professionals — both visible and invisible — and the role the TV industry has to play in defining a more accessible future, underpinned by...
- 7/8/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Alex Westthorp Oct 1, 2019
Witches, demons and ancient pagan rituals: Alex explores the use of folk horror in the Doctor's adventures...
This article originally ran on Den of Geek UK.
Thought to be a relatively recent term, coined by director Piers Haggard and popularised by Doctor Who's own Mark Gatiss, "folk horror" is essentially horror based on old countryside folklore. It is a sub-genre of occult fiction, which encompasses paganism, witchcraft, superstition, legends and the traditions of the countryside. Often texts will refer to "Green man" rituals, stone circles, Devil worship, disfigurement and the "memories" of the earth.
In the cinema, folk horror is at the fore in films like the 1967 Hammer classic The Devil Rides Out, Terence Fisher's vision of the 1934 novel by Denis Wheatley, Piers Haggard's own 1974 film Blood On Satan's Claw (which incidentally features a terrific cast including a pre-Who Anthony Ainley and a post-Who Wendy Padbury...
Witches, demons and ancient pagan rituals: Alex explores the use of folk horror in the Doctor's adventures...
This article originally ran on Den of Geek UK.
Thought to be a relatively recent term, coined by director Piers Haggard and popularised by Doctor Who's own Mark Gatiss, "folk horror" is essentially horror based on old countryside folklore. It is a sub-genre of occult fiction, which encompasses paganism, witchcraft, superstition, legends and the traditions of the countryside. Often texts will refer to "Green man" rituals, stone circles, Devil worship, disfigurement and the "memories" of the earth.
In the cinema, folk horror is at the fore in films like the 1967 Hammer classic The Devil Rides Out, Terence Fisher's vision of the 1934 novel by Denis Wheatley, Piers Haggard's own 1974 film Blood On Satan's Claw (which incidentally features a terrific cast including a pre-Who Anthony Ainley and a post-Who Wendy Padbury...
- 10/1/2019
- Den of Geek
'Black Mirror' Star Michaela Coel Says She Was Sexually Assaulted While Writing 'Chewing Gum' Series
Michaela Coel, the rising British star of two Black Mirror episodes, has revealed that she was sexually assaulted while writing her BAFTA-winning Channel 4 comedy series Chewing Gum.
Giving the prestigious James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival on Wednesday, Coel described how she was working late one night on season two of the show in the production company's offices in London.
"I had an episode due at 7 a.m. I took a break and had a drink with a good friend who was nearby," she said. "I emerged into consciousness typing season ...
Giving the prestigious James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival on Wednesday, Coel described how she was working late one night on season two of the show in the production company's offices in London.
"I had an episode due at 7 a.m. I took a break and had a drink with a good friend who was nearby," she said. "I emerged into consciousness typing season ...
- 8/22/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Award-winning UK television journalist Jon Snow delivered the James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture at the Edinburgh International Television Festival here this evening, calling for media to close what he described as today's social disconnect — and launching an attack on Facebook who he said “prioritized fakery on a massive scale” during the U.S. presidential election. Snow — not to be confused with his Game Of Thrones namesake — is a respected veteran newsman who has been…...
- 8/23/2017
- Deadline TV
Award-winning UK television journalist Jon Snow will deliver this year's James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture at the 42nd Edinburgh International Television Festival. Snow, one of the country's most respected and well-known TV news anchors and journalists, has been the face of Channel 4 News since 1989, having reported for ITN since 1976. He has covered many of the defining news events of the last 40 years including the fall of Idi Amin in Uganda, the Soviet Invasion of…...
- 7/17/2017
- Deadline TV
Steven Moffat has defended the BBC from its critics, saying that Doctor Who could not have been created by any other broadcaster.
The show's lead writer and executive producer was speaking after a screening of 'The Magician's Apprentice' - the first episode of the upcoming ninth series - at the Edinburgh International Television Festival.
What is the future of the BBC? Vote now to have your say in our survey
According to Moffat, Doctor Who forms part of the BBC's "insane variety".
"It's fair to say that there's only one broadcaster in the whole world that would have come up with and transmitted as good an idea as Doctor Who," the writer said, according to The Guardian.
"I think a very, very small number of people think the BBC is a bad idea, and a huge number of people think it's a wonderful idea," he added.
The BBC is "so...
The show's lead writer and executive producer was speaking after a screening of 'The Magician's Apprentice' - the first episode of the upcoming ninth series - at the Edinburgh International Television Festival.
What is the future of the BBC? Vote now to have your say in our survey
According to Moffat, Doctor Who forms part of the BBC's "insane variety".
"It's fair to say that there's only one broadcaster in the whole world that would have come up with and transmitted as good an idea as Doctor Who," the writer said, according to The Guardian.
"I think a very, very small number of people think the BBC is a bad idea, and a huge number of people think it's a wonderful idea," he added.
The BBC is "so...
- 8/29/2015
- Digital Spy
Sue Perkins isn't happy about the government's plan to cut 20% of the BBC's funding - and she even confronted culture secretary John Whittingdale about it.
The Great British Bake Off presenter interrupted Whittingdale at the Guardian Edinburgh international television festival on Wednesday (August 26), just as he was having dinner with some senior TV execs.
Steven Moffat thinks pulling the BBC's public funding would be "vandalism of the worst kind"
"I'm a passionate person, there's a lot going on underneath my carousel of blazers, a cauldron of sensitivity and emotion," Perkins later told The Guardian of her encounter with Whittingdale.
"I went to this dinner and John was opposite and I took it as my opportunity, albeit after one or two glasses of wine, to engage with him about the government and the BBC. We had a lively exchange during which many views were contested and I said my piece. It...
The Great British Bake Off presenter interrupted Whittingdale at the Guardian Edinburgh international television festival on Wednesday (August 26), just as he was having dinner with some senior TV execs.
Steven Moffat thinks pulling the BBC's public funding would be "vandalism of the worst kind"
"I'm a passionate person, there's a lot going on underneath my carousel of blazers, a cauldron of sensitivity and emotion," Perkins later told The Guardian of her encounter with Whittingdale.
"I went to this dinner and John was opposite and I took it as my opportunity, albeit after one or two glasses of wine, to engage with him about the government and the BBC. We had a lively exchange during which many views were contested and I said my piece. It...
- 8/28/2015
- Digital Spy
Veep creator Armando Iannucci thinks that the government should consult those who are creating content when deciding the future of the BBC.
Talking at the 40th annual James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture in Edinburgh, he expressed confusion that out of all the "experts" who are making the decisions, none are part of creative teams.
What is the future of the BBC? Vote now to have your say in our survey
"I see executives, media owners, industry gurus, all talented people; but not a single person who's made a classic and enduring television show, not a presenter, a writer, director or creative producer, no Moffat or [writer, Sally] Wainwright or [producer, Jimmy] Mulville or Mercurio..." he said.
"Nor do I see anyone from our world-class post-production industry or from design or drama, no-one from the enormous world-beating service of day-to-day production, to give their views, to offload their expertise on the difficulties and the joys and...
Talking at the 40th annual James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture in Edinburgh, he expressed confusion that out of all the "experts" who are making the decisions, none are part of creative teams.
What is the future of the BBC? Vote now to have your say in our survey
"I see executives, media owners, industry gurus, all talented people; but not a single person who's made a classic and enduring television show, not a presenter, a writer, director or creative producer, no Moffat or [writer, Sally] Wainwright or [producer, Jimmy] Mulville or Mercurio..." he said.
"Nor do I see anyone from our world-class post-production industry or from design or drama, no-one from the enormous world-beating service of day-to-day production, to give their views, to offload their expertise on the difficulties and the joys and...
- 8/27/2015
- Digital Spy
Veep creator Armando Iannucci has passionately jumped to the defence of the BBC.
In a speech at the 40th annual James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture in Edinburgh, the writer spoke out against the politicians who are backing the dismantling of the broadcasting corporation.
Culture secretary will face questions on BBC licence fee at Edinburgh TV Festival
"Dismantling it is madness. The question shouldn't be, 'how do we cut it down to size, but why should we?'" he said on Wednesday (August 26).
"The British are very good at calling out nonsense. So if the British public feel they're being bullshitted at, if they get the slightest whiff that what's being done to the BBC is purely political, then I urge the relevant ministers to leave the country for they really don't know what's about to hit their fan."
Iannucci went on to say that the British public won't simply back the...
In a speech at the 40th annual James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture in Edinburgh, the writer spoke out against the politicians who are backing the dismantling of the broadcasting corporation.
Culture secretary will face questions on BBC licence fee at Edinburgh TV Festival
"Dismantling it is madness. The question shouldn't be, 'how do we cut it down to size, but why should we?'" he said on Wednesday (August 26).
"The British are very good at calling out nonsense. So if the British public feel they're being bullshitted at, if they get the slightest whiff that what's being done to the BBC is purely political, then I urge the relevant ministers to leave the country for they really don't know what's about to hit their fan."
Iannucci went on to say that the British public won't simply back the...
- 8/26/2015
- Digital Spy
The BBC licence fee is always a hot topic, and culture secretary John Whittingdale will face questions about it during this year's Edinburgh International TV Festival.
The Conservative MP will also take questions about the BBC's charter renewal and Channel 4's future amid rumours of its privatisation, in a one-on-one interview with journalist Alastair Stewart.
"We are delighted that the new culture secretary is coming to the TV Festival in its 40th anniversary year," said Guardian Edinburgh TV Festival advisory chair Zai Bennett.
"There are few MPs more knowledgeable about the media than John Whittingdale, and I'm sure the industry will be excited to hear his views on issues ranging from the impending charter renewal, to discussions on privatisation. This really is a session not to be missed."
The government recently denied it has plans to sell off Channel 4 following Ofcom's third review of public service broadcasting, which is currently under way.
The Conservative MP will also take questions about the BBC's charter renewal and Channel 4's future amid rumours of its privatisation, in a one-on-one interview with journalist Alastair Stewart.
"We are delighted that the new culture secretary is coming to the TV Festival in its 40th anniversary year," said Guardian Edinburgh TV Festival advisory chair Zai Bennett.
"There are few MPs more knowledgeable about the media than John Whittingdale, and I'm sure the industry will be excited to hear his views on issues ranging from the impending charter renewal, to discussions on privatisation. This really is a session not to be missed."
The government recently denied it has plans to sell off Channel 4 following Ofcom's third review of public service broadcasting, which is currently under way.
- 6/17/2015
- Digital Spy
EastEnders star Kellie Bright has joined the All TV Is Soap panel at this year's Edinburgh TV festival.
The actress, known for her portrayal of Linda Carter on the BBC One series, joins Coronation Street's Sally Ann Matthews in the lineup.
The pair will talk all things soap at the event, while producers from Emmerdale, EastEnders, Coronation Street and Hollyoaks will discuss what happens behind the scenes.
The festival, celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2015, takes place from August 26-28.
Armando Iannucci will deliver this year's James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture, discussing the future of BBC funding and the changing ways people access television.
It was previously announced that Nicola Sturgeon will become the first ever British politician to deliver the Alternative MacTaggart lecture this year.
Meanwhile, Bright was recently rewarded for her portrayal of Linda Carter, winning Best Actress and Best Dramatic Performance at the 2015 British Soap Awards.
The actress, known for her portrayal of Linda Carter on the BBC One series, joins Coronation Street's Sally Ann Matthews in the lineup.
The pair will talk all things soap at the event, while producers from Emmerdale, EastEnders, Coronation Street and Hollyoaks will discuss what happens behind the scenes.
The festival, celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2015, takes place from August 26-28.
Armando Iannucci will deliver this year's James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture, discussing the future of BBC funding and the changing ways people access television.
It was previously announced that Nicola Sturgeon will become the first ever British politician to deliver the Alternative MacTaggart lecture this year.
Meanwhile, Bright was recently rewarded for her portrayal of Linda Carter, winning Best Actress and Best Dramatic Performance at the 2015 British Soap Awards.
- 6/17/2015
- Digital Spy
Nicola Sturgeon will become the first ever British politician to deliver the Alternative MacTaggart lecture at Edinburgh TV Festival this year.
The First Minister for Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party follows in the footsteps of Ant and Dec, Professor Brian Cox, Mary Portas and Charlie Brooker.
This year's festival marks the annual event's 40th anniversary year, and will see Sturgeon interviewed by editor-in-chief of Guardian News & Media, Katharine Viner.
Sturgeon said: "I'm delighted to have been invited to speak at this year's Alternative MacTaggart.
"This will be an excellent opportunity to share my views on the future of Scottish Broadcasting, in front of the key people responsible for running our country's media organisations, and those creating content for our audiences."
Viner added: "Nicola Sturgeon is one of the most interesting figures in British politics right now and I'm delighted to be interviewing her at this year's TV Festival.
The First Minister for Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party follows in the footsteps of Ant and Dec, Professor Brian Cox, Mary Portas and Charlie Brooker.
This year's festival marks the annual event's 40th anniversary year, and will see Sturgeon interviewed by editor-in-chief of Guardian News & Media, Katharine Viner.
Sturgeon said: "I'm delighted to have been invited to speak at this year's Alternative MacTaggart.
"This will be an excellent opportunity to share my views on the future of Scottish Broadcasting, in front of the key people responsible for running our country's media organisations, and those creating content for our audiences."
Viner added: "Nicola Sturgeon is one of the most interesting figures in British politics right now and I'm delighted to be interviewing her at this year's TV Festival.
- 6/8/2015
- Digital Spy
A transcript of television writer Dennis Potter's final interview is Aliya's non-fiction book club choice for this month...
Dennis Potter was a television writer who shaped British TV drama over three decades. His final interview took place in April 1994, only a few weeks before his death. He knew there wasn't long left, and he had things he wanted to say about his life, his writing, and the society he lived in. It was that rarest of moments - a chance to evaluate everything that has gone before without having to worry about what will come after.
It's a moving interview to watch, but I found at the time of viewing it that it was almost too much to take in. As much as you're listening to what he's saying and engaging with it, you're also looking at a very ill person and your thoughts are also taken up with...
Dennis Potter was a television writer who shaped British TV drama over three decades. His final interview took place in April 1994, only a few weeks before his death. He knew there wasn't long left, and he had things he wanted to say about his life, his writing, and the society he lived in. It was that rarest of moments - a chance to evaluate everything that has gone before without having to worry about what will come after.
It's a moving interview to watch, but I found at the time of viewing it that it was almost too much to take in. As much as you're listening to what he's saying and engaging with it, you're also looking at a very ill person and your thoughts are also taken up with...
- 5/18/2015
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
For its 40th anniversary edition, the Edinburgh International Television Festival is placing an emphasis on talent and bringing in more offshore content than ever. But, it’s keeping things homegrown for the prestigious James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture. The fest has recruited Scottish writer, director and producer Armando Iannucci “to show why TV still matters.” The Oscar and Emmy-nominated writer, director and producer of In The Loop, The Thick Of It, and Veep, will…...
- 5/12/2015
- Deadline TV
Channel 4's Chief Executive David Abraham is to give the main lecture at this year's Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival.
The broadcaster chief will deliver the James MacTaggart Lecture at the 39th annual event, which takes place from August 21 to 23.
The former UKTV chief said: "2014 is already shaping up to be a seismic year of change in the landscape of television so I am honoured to have the opportunity to give the MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival this year.
"It's also been over a decade since Channel 4 has had this important platform - so it will be a key opportunity, in front of our creative partners, to set out a vision for how and why we intend to maintain our cultural impact in a world in which globalisation and technology continue to reshape everything.'
Meanwhile, Keith Lemon will present a special edition of Through the Keyhole involving channel controllers' homes,...
The broadcaster chief will deliver the James MacTaggart Lecture at the 39th annual event, which takes place from August 21 to 23.
The former UKTV chief said: "2014 is already shaping up to be a seismic year of change in the landscape of television so I am honoured to have the opportunity to give the MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival this year.
"It's also been over a decade since Channel 4 has had this important platform - so it will be a key opportunity, in front of our creative partners, to set out a vision for how and why we intend to maintain our cultural impact in a world in which globalisation and technology continue to reshape everything.'
Meanwhile, Keith Lemon will present a special edition of Through the Keyhole involving channel controllers' homes,...
- 5/21/2014
- Digital Spy
★★★★☆The BFI has gone into overdrive this Halloween with several classic TV chillers being dusted down for the haunting season. Amongst them is Robin Redbreast (1970), an episode of the popular BBC drama series Play for Today. This story, involving pagan beliefs set in an undisclosed Home Counties village, may not be your usual blood and gore horror fair. However if your tendencies lie towards inference and suggestion in the style of Rosemary's Baby (1968) and The Wicker Man (1973), this unsettling tale directed by James MacTaggart and starring Anna Cropper and Andrew Bradford will more than satisfy your curiosity.
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- 10/29/2013
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Kevin Spacey, the star of Netflix's breakthrough series House of Cards, wrapped up the Edinburgh International Television Festival by delivering the prestigious James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture. He used the platform to deliver a glowing endorsement for the online TV industry in which he strongly advised all producers to get their programs on the Internet Asap. Spacey argued that, for an increasing number of young viewers, platform is irrelevant. “There’s no difference...watching Avatar on an iPad or watching YouTube on a TV and watching Game of Thrones on their computer,’” Spacey said. “It’s all content. It’s all story.” It's a valid point; viewers are flocking to Netflix because of Spacey, Jenji Kohan, and Mitchell Hurwitz--not because of Ted Sarandos. Spacey then compared the rise of online TV to that of online music, noting how successful platforms must offer their products online for a competitive price,...
- 8/26/2013
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Kevin Spacey delivered the keynote address at this year's Edinburgh International Television Festival, the James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture, noting that 15 years ago he, as the first actor to do so, would never have been asked because "television was considered a lost cause." "Frankly, 15 years ago I wouldn't be up here lecturing you because my agent would have never allowed me to do a TV series after winning an Oscar," he added. "Let alone something streaming." In the 45-minute talk, which you can watch in full below, Spacey discusses both the rise of the quality drama and the sea change with regard to platforms and streaming that's allowed him to get a history-making Emmy nomination for his role in Netflix's "House of Cards." He cites a comment from David Lean in 1990 that the studios' lack of support for upcoming creatives would lead to the medium losing them all to television, noting...
- 8/26/2013
- by Alison Willmore
- Indiewire
Kevin Spacey officially opened the Guardian Edinburgh Television Festival in the Scottish capital this evening, becoming the first Hollywood star, rather than exec or broadcaster, ever to deliver the prestigious James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture. The lecture is designed to focus on the topics that are currently top of mind for the British TV biz. The House Of Cards star and exec producer riffed that the Netflix show was “one of the primary — if not the only reason — I was asked to speak today.” In an hourlong speech, he touched on the show’s innovations, the problems with pilots, the importance of storytelling and the industry’s responsibility to support new talent. One of his more rousing comments was about making programming. “We know what works and the only thing we don’t know is why it’s so difficult to find executives with the fortitude, the wisdom and the balls to do it,...
- 8/22/2013
- by NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor
- Deadline TV
Hollywood star Kevin Spacey will deliver this year's prestigious James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
Spacey, who starred in this year's groundbreaking Netflix drama House of Cards, will discuss the shift in viewers' consumption of entertainment from traditional broadcasters to online.
"As a newcomer to the TV industry I am honoured to be invited to give the MacTaggart Lecture. Clearly this has been an exciting period for me personally but also I believe this is a time of huge opportunity, innovation and creativity for all of us who live to tell stories and engage audiences," said Spacey.
"I'm excited to share my thoughts and meet players from across the media industry. I'm also an Edinburgh TV Festival virgin so have no idea what I am letting myself in for!"
Edinburgh's exec festival chair Elaine Bedell said: "I'm thrilled that Kevin Spacey has agreed to deliver this year's...
Spacey, who starred in this year's groundbreaking Netflix drama House of Cards, will discuss the shift in viewers' consumption of entertainment from traditional broadcasters to online.
"As a newcomer to the TV industry I am honoured to be invited to give the MacTaggart Lecture. Clearly this has been an exciting period for me personally but also I believe this is a time of huge opportunity, innovation and creativity for all of us who live to tell stories and engage audiences," said Spacey.
"I'm excited to share my thoughts and meet players from across the media industry. I'm also an Edinburgh TV Festival virgin so have no idea what I am letting myself in for!"
Edinburgh's exec festival chair Elaine Bedell said: "I'm thrilled that Kevin Spacey has agreed to deliver this year's...
- 5/13/2013
- Digital Spy
As the BFI celebrates his 50 years' work, the man behind Cathy Come Home reveals the tragedy that changed his world
Television has treated Tony Garnett well over the past 50 years. He lives in an apartment close to the Ritz Hotel, where Margaret Thatcher died, a far cry from his working class childhood roots in Erdington, Birmingham. His local cafe is Fortnum & Mason, where he wields a silver teapot with aplomb, but he still declares: "I am a revolutionary socialist. I think our society would benefit from fundamental change."
Charming, kindly, but still angry after all these years, Garnett, 77, was a leader of the generation of radical TV creatives who addressed big social and political issues in their influential BBC dramas of the 1960s and 70s. His work is about to be celebrated in a two-month season, Seeing Red, at London's BFI.
The season opens with his explosive dramas for the BBC's Wednesday Play,...
Television has treated Tony Garnett well over the past 50 years. He lives in an apartment close to the Ritz Hotel, where Margaret Thatcher died, a far cry from his working class childhood roots in Erdington, Birmingham. His local cafe is Fortnum & Mason, where he wields a silver teapot with aplomb, but he still declares: "I am a revolutionary socialist. I think our society would benefit from fundamental change."
Charming, kindly, but still angry after all these years, Garnett, 77, was a leader of the generation of radical TV creatives who addressed big social and political issues in their influential BBC dramas of the 1960s and 70s. His work is about to be celebrated in a two-month season, Seeing Red, at London's BFI.
The season opens with his explosive dramas for the BBC's Wednesday Play,...
- 4/28/2013
- by Maggie Brown
- The Guardian - Film News
Edinburgh - "I really harbor absolutely no ambition for that top job," Elisabeth Murdoch, the daughter of News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch and chairman of the conglomerate's U.K.-based TV production firm Shine Group, said here Friday morning at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival. In a Q&A session after her James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture Thursday evening, one of the annual highlights of the industry gathering in the Scottish capital, Murdoch was asked about her possible future role at News Corp. and the succession issues that often get raised. "Shine is at beginning of an incredible journey," she
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- 8/24/2012
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
London - The British Labour Party's deputy leader has called on politicians of all political parties to work together to limit the Murdoch family's News Corp. media empire in the U.K. on the eve of a keynote speech from Elisabeth Murdoch at the Edinburgh International Television festival, according to the Guardian. The daughter of News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch is set to appear late on Thursday in the annual James MacTaggart lecture at the industry gathering. Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman said that "the age of deference to the Murdochs is over." She added that she wanted to make an
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- 8/23/2012
- by THR Staff
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Observer's film critic reflects on The King's Speech – and how his own speech impediment has contributed to his life and character
From as early as I can remember until 1952, when I left home at the age of 18 to go into the army, there was an annual ritual on the afternoon of Christmas Day. Dinner, which meant turkey and all the trimmings followed by plum pudding, began around two o'clock and was carefully timed to end so that everyone could sit there beneath the paper decorations, wearing the hats that came out of the crackers, and earnestly, reverently listen to the king's Christmas message on the radio.
This hallowed national tradition, initiated by Sir John Reith in 1932, was not five years old when George V, who'd given four of them, died. His successor Edward VIII's landmark contribution to broadcasting was his 1936 abdication speech: there was no Christmas message that year.
From as early as I can remember until 1952, when I left home at the age of 18 to go into the army, there was an annual ritual on the afternoon of Christmas Day. Dinner, which meant turkey and all the trimmings followed by plum pudding, began around two o'clock and was carefully timed to end so that everyone could sit there beneath the paper decorations, wearing the hats that came out of the crackers, and earnestly, reverently listen to the king's Christmas message on the radio.
This hallowed national tradition, initiated by Sir John Reith in 1932, was not five years old when George V, who'd given four of them, died. His successor Edward VIII's landmark contribution to broadcasting was his 1936 abdication speech: there was no Christmas message that year.
- 12/26/2010
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
BBC director general Mark Thompson has again spoken out against Rupert Murdoch-owned News Corp.'s bid for the remaining 61 percent of BSkyB, this time using an interview on PBS' Charlie Rose Thursday to warn against the consequences of the deal.
Thompson's comments on U.S. television come ahead of a hotly anticipated speech later this month by News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch, who is expected to give further details of the bid when he delivers the inaugural Baroness Thatcher lecture in London October 21st.
"If the two [News Corp and Sky] were combined, there might be a significant loss of plurality in our media market," Thompson said during an appearance on PBS' "Charlie Rose" Thursday (via the UK Guardian).
"Cable, the relevant minister, will decide whether he wants to refer this. It's not that they've done anything wrong. It's just that there is a potential of an abuse of power," Thompson warned.
Still,...
Thompson's comments on U.S. television come ahead of a hotly anticipated speech later this month by News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch, who is expected to give further details of the bid when he delivers the inaugural Baroness Thatcher lecture in London October 21st.
"If the two [News Corp and Sky] were combined, there might be a significant loss of plurality in our media market," Thompson said during an appearance on PBS' "Charlie Rose" Thursday (via the UK Guardian).
"Cable, the relevant minister, will decide whether he wants to refer this. It's not that they've done anything wrong. It's just that there is a potential of an abuse of power," Thompson warned.
Still,...
- 10/8/2010
- by By Lindsay Powers and Mimi Turner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
UK producer Simon Channing Williams succumbed to cancer on Saturday (April 11) at age 63. Channing Williams began his career at the BBC working with a variety of directors including Stephen Frears, James MacTaggart, Mike Newell and Mike Leigh. He formed Thin Man Films in 1988 with Mike Leigh where he produced the acclaimed films Secrets & Lies, Topsy-Turvy, Vera Drake and Happy-Go-Lucky. In 2000, he and Gail Egan launched Potboiler Productions where they produced seven films including a classic adaptation of Nicholas Nickleby and the Oscar-winning The Constant Gardener.
- 4/15/2009
- Sydney's Buzz
London -- Film producer Simon Channing Williams, the longtime producing partner of Mike Leigh, has died of cancer. He was 63.
Williams died at home with his family in Cornwall on Saturday.
Channing Williams began his career at the BBC, where he worked with Leigh, Stephen Frears, James MacTaggart, Mike Newell and Michael Apted, among others.
He went on to produce 11 films with Leigh, founding Thin Man Films in 1988. Titles included "Topsy-Turvy," an Oscar winner for best makeup and costume design, Palme d'Or winner "Secrets and Lies" and the Oscar-nominated "Vera Drake."
Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky" marked the duo's final production before Channing Williams' death.
Channing Williams produced several other films outside his relationship with Leigh, including Tony Palmer's "Puccini," Clive Rees' "When the Whales Came" and Tim Sullivan's "Jack and Sarah."
In 2000, he formed independent production company Potboiler Prods. with Gail Egan. Together they produced seven feature films including Fernando Meirelles' "The Constant Gardener.
Williams died at home with his family in Cornwall on Saturday.
Channing Williams began his career at the BBC, where he worked with Leigh, Stephen Frears, James MacTaggart, Mike Newell and Michael Apted, among others.
He went on to produce 11 films with Leigh, founding Thin Man Films in 1988. Titles included "Topsy-Turvy," an Oscar winner for best makeup and costume design, Palme d'Or winner "Secrets and Lies" and the Oscar-nominated "Vera Drake."
Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky" marked the duo's final production before Channing Williams' death.
Channing Williams produced several other films outside his relationship with Leigh, including Tony Palmer's "Puccini," Clive Rees' "When the Whales Came" and Tim Sullivan's "Jack and Sarah."
In 2000, he formed independent production company Potboiler Prods. with Gail Egan. Together they produced seven feature films including Fernando Meirelles' "The Constant Gardener.
- 4/14/2009
- by By Stuart Kemp
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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