An artisanal producer of quality broadcast comestibles.
Producer/Director making BAFTA, RTS and Emmy award-winning and nominated films. Grierson finalist. Experience of most film-making situations; live, long-form observational, short, very short, 90 minute, feature, multi-part series as sole director, series director and self-shooter on all formats for many major world broadcasters and the web
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Big Issue
In the deepest depths of the worst tv-industry recession I can recall, came the call to work as Series Writer. Took the sort of fraction of a second that scientists at the Hadron Collider deal in to say yes. Please. It’s been life changing.
Writing pointed but slightly humorous comm about a most unfunny subject has been a challenge and a joy. Supporting a cast of overweight heroes with affectionate lines, a privilege.
The usual television contract stipulates that for some benighted reason one can’t breathe a word about a production until it’s all too late, and the publicity department have failed to interest even the Metro TV critic. If not for this Omerta clause, I’d be bellowing about the wonders of a new C4 series about obesity.
By far the most fascinating factor has been the novel experience of feeling intimately connected with the contributors without ever having met them. Editors never enjoy the Transmission Party; they meet people they’ve lived with, often for much longer than the crew, seen their tears, cut out miss-takes and honed performances, but they meet as strangers with only Chardonnay in common.
I’ve fallen head over heels with six people I’d call friends. Their bravery is astonishing, their emotional intelligence inspiring. They are beautiful. Thin people can never know what it is to be banged-up in a cell of your own flesh; this band of brothers and sisters take our hands and lead us into their abyss where yes, they all lose weight, big time.
So, coming soon, five episodes of must-watch TV I’d commend to the nation. If only I was allowed.
latest on blog
In March 2020
The FT advises that those climbing the walls at home take episodes of BBC 4’s Handmade, on the hour, every hour. Those looking for episodes not on the iplayer will find them here. read more
paperback writer
Hilary Mantel is not a person easily boxed into a standard hour, even a BBC one; she’s an open door you push and then fall through, flying headlong into her world, clutching the map you drew up before leaving home, wondering if you’ll ever find your way back, but hoping you won’t because her version of the film you thought you wanted to make is so much more compelling. Hilary was previously the film critic of The Spectator, a chair once occupied by my other favourite author, Graham Greene and no surprise. Both write books like films. Spending two sunlit seasons trying to make images to accompany her words was a challenge and a joy. Taking possession of the famous message in a bottle titles just made it all the more memorable. Arena: Hilary Mantel, Return to Wolf Hall.
related: PG Wodehouse: The Long Exile
In
After many months in dry dock, Victoria and Albert: The Wedding is finally setting sail read more