RTS London Podcast

When it comes to game shows and reality TV formats, taking a popular series from one country and making a new version is fairly easy. But remaking scripted formats has always been a harder nut to crack. 

From homegrown hits Doctor Fosterand Liarto global phenomena like Call My Agent!and Skam, scripted formats are traveling further than ever. With streaming services battling for more localised content, they're also a multi-billion dollar business.

Yet for every successful remake, whether The Officeor Shameless, there are countless dramas that haven’t cut through the cultural divide. Add in the accepted position that “comedy doesn’t translate,” and this begs the question, what makes a good or bad adaptation, and who gets to decide? 

In this session, RTS London brings together a panel of leading experts to answer this, alongside what formats sell, how scriptwriters can address the challenge of creating cultural relevancy while keeping the values of the original, and why in the age of global media consumption, do broadcasters still need to adapt when they can just dub or use subtitles.

They’ll also explore the reaction towards remakes in fan communities, whether having the original creator be involved impacts success, and what role the choice of platform/channel has on the form and style of the adaptation. 

Chair:
Dr. Andrea Esser, Professor of Media and Globalisation, King’s College London 

Panel:
Sumi Connock, Creative Director for TV Formats, BBC Studios
Marianne Furevold-Boland, Head of Drama, NRK, and Producer, Skam
Sabrina Duguet, EVP Asia-Pacific, All3Media International
Matt Baker, Writer, Professor T, Before We Die, and Suspect

Producer: Damien Ashton-Wellman

RTS London marks the BBC's centenary with a look at the BBC's history, the celebrations planned and the inspiration for the next generation.

Created 100 years ago, on 18th October 1922, the BBC transformed people's lives at the turn of a dial, bringing voices out of the ether and conjuring up the magic community of radio. The TV services followed and now, many aspects of our lives are inextricably linked to broadcasting. It is how we remember where we come from and who we are — from the Moon Landing to the 9/11 attacks, Monty Python to Strictly, and Live Aid to London 2012.

In this RTS London event, Head of BBC History Robert Seatter charts the story of a broadcaster and a nation, reflecting the story of our lives across ten eventful decades. He looks at how the BBC is celebrating its centenary and how it can inspire upcoming generations to join the national and global conversation, building on the foundations of public service broadcasting.

Host:
Lettija Lee, Presenter

Speaker:
Robert Seatter, Head of BBC History
Peter Rippon, Executive Editor, BBC Archive

Producer: Carol Owens

Starring Emmy-nominated Carice van Houten (Game of Thrones, The Fifth Estate, Race) and Golden Calf winner Halina Reijn (Bodies, Bodies, Bodies, Black Book, Valkyrie, Instinct), Red Light is an immersive thriller that portrays how three women's lives unexpectedly intersect when a well-known philosophy professor suddenly goes missing. Sylvia (van Houten), an aging sex worker, runs a brothel with her toxic partner in Antwerp’s Red Light District. Esther (Reijn) is a well-known opera soprano who comes from a well-educated background. Evi (Maaike Neuville) is a cop trying to combine a major case with her role as a wife and mother. Their stories intertwine to liberate themselves from the situations they’re each trapped in.  

Following an exclusive screening of the first episode, there will be a panel discussion and Q&A with stars and series Co-Creators Carice van Houten and Halina Reijn, alongside director Wouter Bouvijn (The Twelve). This event is supported by Walter Presents, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the UK, and the Diplomatic Representation of Flanders in London. 

There will be a drinks reception held after the Q&A. Tickets include a complimentary drink after the session.

Red Light launches on Channel 4 on Sunday 9th October at 11pm while the entire box set will also be available to binge via Walter Presents on All 4. 

Chair:
Walter Iuzzolino, Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Walter Presents 

Panel:
Carice van Houten, Co-Creator, Creative Producer, and Actor
Halina Reijn, Co-Creator, Creative Producer, and Actor
Wouter Bouvijn, Director

Producer: Damien Ashton-Wellman

How do you produce a live topical Sunday morning discussion show out of Northern Ireland, with a studio in London and support from teams across the UK?

The BBC recently awarded the tender to produce Sunday Morning Live, its flagship BBC One religious and current affairs discussion programme, to Tern TV and Green Inc, two companies working together to make this important commission from Northern Ireland.  

This Production Focus session brings together key members of the production team to explore the challenges and opportunities of producing this successful live strand. With production happening across three nations - their joint production base in Northern Ireland, the studio in London, and crew and support teams in Glasgow, Manchester, and Sheffield – the panel will talk about how they coordinate the various elements and locations involved and the balance between planning ahead yet responding to breaking events by the hour.  This session promises to be an informative and entertaining insight into bringing such a complex live show to air every week.

This session is a co-production between RTS London and RTS Yorkshire. 

Chair:
Dr. Fiona Thompson, TV Exec and Academic

Panel:
Brendan Hughes, Exec Producer and Head of Tern TV, Belfast
Stephen Stewart, Exec Producer and Founder of Green Inc
Neil Dimmock, Executive Editor
Rosina Davis, Production Manager

Producer: Phil Barnes

What’s next for the future of content? Bring yourself up-to-date with news from the world's leading media, entertainment and technology show. 

For those who weren't able to attend this year's show held 9-12th September, this panel discussion, co-hosted with the IET, is the next best thing. It promises to be an informative and lively discussion on the key trends, products and research covered.

The IBC Conference is an unrivalled global destination for discovering and debating the many different challenges and opportunities facing the electronic media and entertainment industry, both in its sessions and in the range of networking opportunities it affords. Meanwhile, the IBC Exhibition covers up to fifteen halls across the RAI Conference Centre and hosts thousands of exhibitors spanning the media, entertainment and technology industry, combining a world-class exhibition with specially curated feature areas and events.

Hosted by the award-winning presenter and journalist Nadine Dereza, our panel of experts will guide you through the most exciting exhibitors, and give you an overview of the hottest sessions. and timely topics featured in the conference. Following the session, there will be a drinks reception. Please book complimentary tickets through our partners at the IET through the link above. 

Panel:
Neal Romanek, Editor in Chief, FEEDmagazine
Muki Kulhan, IBC AcceleratorInnovation Co-lead
Mehboob Siddiqui, Client Partner, NTT Data UK
Russell Trafford-Jones, Chair IET Media Technical Network
Jonathan Chappell-Seetayah, IP Broadcast Project Engineer, Timeline TV, and RTS Young Technologist of the Year 2022

Producer: Terry Marsh

Professor Brian Cox fulfils a childhood dream: 

Back in 1980 twelve-year-old Brian Cox wrote to NASA asking for photos from some of their missions to the planets. The images they sent him from Voyager and the Viking mission to Mars inspired him to become the physicist he is today.

Now watch as he has the chance to visit NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab to witness the workings of the Mars mission as it guides the Perseverance rover and the Ingenuity helicopter (the first powered aircraft we have ever sent to another planet) across the surface of Mars. Seven Days on Mars, a feature-length documentary for BBC Two follows Professor Cox’s visit as, just over a year after touching down on the red planet, Perseverance embarks on the most demanding part of its mission to date – striking out at ‘top speed’ for the sites most likely to reveal signs of life.

This Production Focus brings together the production team to explore their approach to filming such a unique event, the background to gaining this special access, and the technical and editorial challenges of bringing such an exciting story to life.

Chair:
Ash Potterton - Executive Producer, Arrow Media

Panel:
Professor Brian Cox CBE, Physicist and TV Presenter
Michael Lachmann, Director of Seven Days on Mars
Dr Vandi Verma, Chief Engineer, Perseverance Robotic Operations, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Producers: Terry Marsh & Phil Barnes

Join RTS London for this exclusive in-person Q&A of Walter Presents’ new crime drama Snow Angels (Snöänglar) — a daring character-driven crime drama about motherhood as three women — a mother, a policewoman, and a child nurse’s — fates become intertwined following the disappearance of a 5-week-old infant.

Panel:
Mette Heeno, Creator and Writer
Anna Zackrisson, Co-Creator and Director
Josefin Asplund, Lead Actress

Chair:
Jakob Stougaard-Nielsen, Professor in Scandinavian and Comparative Literature, UCL School of European Languages, Culture and Society / Founder of the original Nordic Noir Book Club in London

Producers: Damien Ashton-Wellman and Philip Barnes

Virtual Christmas Lecture by Dame Esther Rantzen DBE followed by Q&A hosted by Paul Jackson.

Dame Esther Rantzen is a legend of British broadcasting and became a household name appearing in more than 2,000 TV programmes including documentaries, talk shows, reality shows and quizzes; most notably presenting the BBC’s “That's Life!” for 21 years, from 1973 until 1994.

A creative producer as well as a presenter, she invented the documentary series "The Big Time" which discovered Sheena Easton, created the "Children of Courage" segment of "Children in Need" and invented "Hearts of Gold" which ran for seven years, honouring unsung heroes and heroines. 

She is a regular contributor to "The One Show", political and news programmes on many different topics especially those relating to broadcasting, growing old ungracefully, and to the abuse of children and older people.  She writes for newspapers and magazines and is the author of five books including a history of Childline, and one novel.  

Dame Esther has been recognised for her contribution to television and society. She was awarded an OBE for services to broadcasting in 1991, a CBE for services to children in 2006, and in the 2015 New Year Honours, was made a Dame for services to children and older people through Childline and The Silver Line.

She’s played Dick Whittington in Bognor and rather rashly took part in "Strictly", "First Dates" and "I'm a Celebrity".  Now Dame Esther has agreed to give the RTS London Christmas Lecture.   

Producer: Philip Barnes

RTS London and RTS Scotland come together to proudly present a virtual panel discussion on the importance of sustainability and how it's currently implemented in the world of television. 

Fresh in the minds of many following the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow this November, the session will look at both the making of and the consumption of TV — from production level to the digital footprint from audiences. 

Host:
Richard Parsons, COO of International Production, Sony Pictures Television 

Panel:
Kevin Keane, Environment & Transport Correspondent, BBC Scotland News
Chloe Fletcher, Sustainability Data Scientist, BBC R&D
Carys Taylor, Director, Albert
Joanna Langan, Production Manager, Raise The Roof Productions

Producers: Liz Cooke & Aradhna Tayal

How has COVID-19 impacted children’s media consumption and the content created in response?
In January 2020, we held a joint event with the Children’s Media Foundation: “Are the Kids Alright?” The session looked at how the mainstream media were providing engaging content for our youngest audiences. Then the pandemic changed everything. How did the media industry rise to the challenge?

RTS London and the CMF now bring you an hour of insights and information, exploring key case studies of content created and delivered by broadcasters, producers, digital providers, and online creators that responded to, or reflected, the COVID-19 crisis, and how it impacted children's TV audiences. As life returns to something like normal, discover how some of the most brilliant content makers and platforms rose to the occasion, what they made and how they achieved it to boost public service.

Chair:
Gary Pope, CEO of Kids Industries.

Panel:
Louise Bucknole, VP of Programming Kids, ViacomCBS Networks International UK & Ireland
Helen Foulkes, Head of Education and Newsround, BBC
Lucy Murphy, Director of Kids Content, Sky UK & ROI
Maddie Moate, Presenter and YouTuber
Greg Foot, Science Presenter and Producer

Producers:
Nikki Stearman, CMF, with Execs Carol Owens, RTS London and Greg Childs, CMF.

Challenging the Status Quo — Production, Mental Health & Neurodiversity

With nine in 10 people working in the UK’s film and TV industries experiencing mental health issues*, something needs to change.

The Film and TV industry is full of amazingly talented and skilled professionals working hard to provide content to people's screens. However, it is not all sunshine and rainbows. In recent years, we have become increasingly aware that it can often be an unhealthy work environment for many people, particularly those who struggle with mental illness or are neurodiverse. With long working hours and intense stress daily, even people who consider themselves healthy or neurotypical can crumble under the pressure of a long shoot. 

As we emerge into a world where mental health and neurodiversity are more openly discussed, RTS London and The Film and TV Charity bring you an insightful discussion with industry professionals about their experiences and how to make our industry accessible for everyone.

*Survey of 9,400 people undertaken by The Film and TV Charity in 2019/2020

Chair:
Lucy Tallon - Head of Mental Health and Wellbeing, The Film and TV Charity

Panel:
Stewart Kyasimire - Managing Director, Create Anything
Leo Anna Thomas - WBF (Wellbeing Facilitator)
Zeb Chadfield - Founder, The Finish Line
Lennie Varvarides - Founder, DYSPLA

Producers: Amber Fisher and Aradhna Tayal

This exclusive look at Walter Presents’ compelling new drama series, asking the question: can whistleblowers ever win? 

Inspired by the true stories of Norwegian corporate whistleblowers, Heksejakt (Witch Hunt) looks at how those fighting for justice often become targets themselves.

Following an exclusive virtual screening of episode one, series co-creators Anna Bache-Wiig and Siv Rajendram Eliassen, along with lead actress Ingrid Bolsø Berdal join the Radio Times’ Frances Taylor for this live behind-the-scenes discussion ahead of Witch Hunt's release on All 4 and Channel 4.

This event will include a live audience Q&A.

About the Show:
A mysterious invoice from an unknown Dutch company lands on the desk of Ida Waage, Chief Accountant at the influential law firm Biermann and Gude. The amount is modest but seemingly lacks basis. Soon Ida discovers that the invoice is part of a money-laundering operation on behalf of her firm’s biggest client, businessman Peer Eggen... She alerts the board, but instead of going after the ones responsible, they turn on her with harassment and fabricated accusations.

Shaken, Ida alerts the Norwegian Police Unit for Investigating of Economic Crime, Økokrim, expecting this to be the end of it as far as she is concerned. Økokrim's investigator, Eirik Bråten, soon finds that the invoice is a cover-up for a transaction between Eggen and the husband of Norway's Minister of Justice. Others have also caught the smell of corruption…

Chair:
Frances Taylor - Streaming Editor, Radio Times

Panel:
Anna Bache-Wiig - Creator and Writer
Siv Rajendram Eliassen - Creator and Writer
Ingrid Bolsø Berdal- Lead Actress

Producer: Damien Ashton-Wellman

As we approach the twentieth anniversary of the four plane tragedies of 11th September 2001, this event looks behind the scenes of the moving two-hour documentary transmitting on Channel 4, which follows six children born after their fathers died on that day.

On 11th September 2001, many children lost their parents, with over 100 born after their fathers’ deaths on that fateful day. Children of 9/11: Our Story does not return to that dramatic day but looks forward, to follow some of those children, now coming of age, from all sorts of diverse backgrounds across America and the world beyond, in order to unveil the hidden cost of the tragedy.

This Production Focus brings together commissioners and production staff to explore the unique approach to filming such intimate stories, and the editing of the combination of new footage, family photos, and home archives into a feature documentary. And, as this unique project is a three-way commission from Channel 4, PBS, and ARTE France, the session will also explore the collaborative process of these three significant and equal partners. 

Arrow Pictures, with their distinguished track record of films on 9/11, share the story of their creative process, and their sensitive exploration of 9/11's impact on an entire generation.

Chair:
Aradhna Tayal - Producer & Consultant, Clockhouse Media

Panel:
Bill Gardner - VP, Programmes and Development, PBS
Danny Horan - Head of Factual, Channel 4
John Smithson - Creative Director, Arrow Pictures
Lucie Ridout- Executive Producer, Arrow Pictures
Liz Mermin - Director

Producer: Terry Marsh

Skewering the politicians and celebrities who need it the most! Join the Spitting Image team for a look behind the revival of this bitingly funny sketch show.

Described as “one of the most innovative and daring television programmes ever conceived” by the BFI, Spitting Image was first broadcast on ITV all the way back in 1984 and continued to mercilessly caricature the great and the good of British society (and beyond) till 1996.

Now rebooted in 2020 with Boris Johnson, Joe Biden, Donald Trump and XI Jinping leading the global stage, the Royal Family in tabloid turmoil (again) and a new generation of selfie-loving celebrities on our screens, Spitting Image co-creator Roger Law could hardly have chosen a better moment to re-animate his satirical puppets courtesy of the streaming service BritBox. Joined by a whole new batch of celebrated writing talent including Jeff Westbrook (of Futurama and the Simpsons fame), and a cast of characters from the UK, America and around the world, no one is safe from satirical roasting.

With widespread critical and social media acclaim, the return of Spitting Image has delivered record subscribers for BritBox UK, the BBC and ITV created streaming platform, and a 4.4 million audience for ITV with a one-off US Election Special, the highest Saturday night ratings for at that time in four years (one of ITV’s biggest Saturday night ABC1 audiences of 2020).  Across official social media channels, the new Spitting Image series content has been hugely popular with over 200 million views globally and three No. 1 trending videos on YouTube.  The show is also a success internationally and it was announced earlier this year that Sky Germany will bring a bespoke Spitting Image show to German audiences.

Revealing the extraordinary technical achievement of the series, join the RTS London Centre as they bring together the creative team behind the hit to talk about the challenges of updating a British classic for modern, global audiences, keeping up with an increasingly faster 24/7 news cycle and… maybe even showing off a few never before seen surprises in advance of the next series this autumn.

Host
Benji Wilson - Journalist and TV Critic, Private Eye

Panel:
Roger Law - Co-Creator and Executive Producer
Jeff Westbrook - Showrunnner and Executive Producer
Nana Hughes - Commissioning Executive, BritBox
Matt Forde - Writer and Voice Actor
Bert Tyler-Moore - Consulting Producer and Writer

Producer: Damien Ashton-Wellman

Barnestorming Production for RTS London

Join the stellar production team behind Small Axe for a look at the love letters to resilience and triumph within London's West Indian community.

Small Axe has been one of the most talked about drama series of recent years. Sharing the untold challenges and triumphs of London's West Indian community in such a truly authentic way has been a major cultural eye opener to the world and to the UK TV industry itself. Written, directed and produced by Oscar winner Sir Steve McQueen, each episode of the critically acclaimed anthology series shares the vivid stories of hard-won victories in the face of racism and intolerance. From police brutality to unofficial segregation in schooling, Small Axe shines a light on 1960s, 70s and 80s London like never before.

Join the panel as they discuss the casting, costume, screenplay, research and honest stories behind each episode of the much needed series, exploring all the elements that have been central to its success.

Chair:
Aradhna Tayal - Producer & Consultant, Clockhouse Media

Panel:
Tracey Scoffield - Executive Producer
Courttia Newland - Co-Writer
Gary Davy - Casting

Producer: Lettija Lee

How the Creative Industries Embraced Live Streaming.

Is streaming coming to the rescue of the creative industries?  The music sector is using live streaming to create high-quality Pay Per View concerts, with theatre also getting in on the streaming act. In this session we take a look at the emerging business models based around live streaming with some of the industry’s top experts and practitioners.

The global pandemic wreaked havoc on the live music industry with global revenues falling some 75% in 2020 year-on-year.  No concerts, no fan engagement.  It was harsh.  But across the course of last year, artists have gone from playing pianos in their living rooms to performing in high-quality, ticketed live streams. The list included Gorillaz, Pete Tong, Foo Fighters and not forgetting Dua Lipa’s Studio 2054 livestream drawing in an impressive 5 million viewers.

US rapper Travis Scott took it a step further with more than 12 million players logging into Epic Games Fortnite to watch Scott's in-game concert and millions more have since watched it via Twitch, YouTube and other streaming platforms

An unprecedented period of innovation and experimentation has created a whole new virtual concert ecosystem.  One that is also able to address the environmental concerns of touring and simultaneously side-step the recent visa fiasco for touring artists in Europe.

Over the last 11 years, NT Live had sold over 11 million tickets worldwide, live streaming 83 shows, in 65 countries. The National Theatre was a godsend for drama lovers during the first lockdown, streaming some of its most famous productions on its YouTube channel for all to see through National Theatre at Home. We were treated to the likes of Tamsin Greig in Twelfth Night, Benedict Cumberbatch in Frankenstein and James Corden in One Man, Two Guvnors.

Now, the theatre has built on the global success of NT Live and decided to re-launch National Theatre at Home as a streaming service, with many productions available on demand. Join our panel as we discuss if it’s full stream ahead and what impact this could have on the TV industry and more conventional broadcasters.

Host
Nadine Dereza, Journalist and Presenter

Panel
Lisa Burger - Joint Chief Executive, National Theatre
Mark Mulligan - Managing Director and Analyst, MIDiA Research
James Sutcliffe - Chief Marketing and Content Officer, LIVENow

Producers: Nadine Dereza and Philip Barnes

Anna and Jörg Winger in conversation with Stephen Armstrong. Anna and Jörg discuss concluding the UK's highest-rated foreign-language drama after three series. Featuring a special introduction by Walter Presents Chief Creative Officer Walter Iuzzolino.

With Deutschland 89, Anna and Jörg Winger conclude their Emmy Award winning 80s set political drama which has explored the fraught system that divided Germany from the end of WWII through to the fall of the Berlin Wall. At the heart of this thrilling, action packed, and at times very funny, trilogy has been series lead Martin Rauch, played boyishly by Jonas Nay. Beginning the story as a young East German border agent, coerced into life as a double agent by his Stasi agent aunt Lenora, Martin ends up a world hero and international superspy. From thwarting nuclear war in 1983 to South African arms dealing in 1986, coming face to face with Libyan terrorism, the AIDS crisis and much more. Now, in 89, he’s being pursued by just about every spy agency out there as the world he’s known his whole life comes crumbling down.

Join Anna and Jörg Winger as they talk about the ins and outs of concluding the saga while doing justice to it’s characters, and the very real human stories around the fall of the Berlin Wall, alongside how they brought the 80s to life and why the message of the series is more relevant than ever.

Chair:
Stephen Armstrong - Journalist and Author

Panel:
Anna Winger - Creator, Writer and Executive Producer
Jörg Winger - Creator, Writer and Executive Producer

Producer: Damien Ashton-Wellman

TikTok has become one of the most talked-about social media launches of recent years, but producers and broadcasters are still in the dark on how best to navigate it. 

TikTok has grown as a major cultural force over the past 18 months, spawning countless memes, trends and cultural moments that have set the Internet ablaze, along with launching direct on Samsung Smart TVs. With household names from the worlds of TV, sport and entertainment all joining its ranks - Strictly Come Dancing to I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, Gordon Ramsay to Jamie Oliver - being part of the TikTok conversation is now an unmissable destination for all major media brands.

Join TikTok’s European Strategy Manager Edward Lindeman, Public Figure Partnerships Manager Michael Djan and Digital Content Producers from ITV and the BBC, as they show you how to make an impact on the fastest growing short-form video platform in the UK. Learn the core features and functionality of TikTok, understand what resonates with its audience, find out how to work with TikTok’s creative team and see what TV shows, broadcasters and public figures are doing on the platform.

This session will be of interest for independent producers, production companies and all major broadcasters across the UK looking to better understand how to connect with and be discovered by Millennials, Gen Z and beyond on TikTok, driving new kinds of engagement with their content.

Chair:
Lettija Lee - Culture and Entertainment Presenter

Panel:
Edward Lindeman - European Strategy Manager, TikTok
Jen Leeming - Senior Digital Producer, Entertainment, ITV
Dave Gibson - Senior Content Producer, BBC
Michael Djan - Public Figure Partnerships Manager, TikTok

Producer: Damien Ashton-Wellman

Are we on the verge of having too much TV?  

With soaring investment in production from the streamers and American imports alongside the UK’s PSBs, it looks like we are entering a golden age of TV — particularly with drama.
 
 However, the fragmentation of platforms to view much of this content is making it harder for viewers to easily find what they want to watch.
 
 Is the streaming market becoming over-saturated with an increasing number of subscriptions and rising costs? Is word-of-mouth marketing more important than ever?  How do viewers navigate this new world? Why hasn’t technology caught up and come to the rescue? How do series stand out to make their return on investment?
 
 In this session, we challenge our panel to come up with some of the answers.
 
Chair:
Abby Robinson - TV Writer, Digital Spy

Panel:
Manori Ravindran - International Editor, Variety
Frances Taylor - Streaming Editor, Radio Times
Nigel Walley - MD, Decipher

Producers: Philip Barnes and Damien Ashton-Wellman

How Legal and Commercial Teams Have Responded to Covid-19.

COVID-19 has impacted the television industry in an unprecedented way, from gaps in programming, productions halted, and the enforcement of legal provisions rarely used. 

Legal and commercial teams from across the UK’s top broadcasters and content studios have had to be creative in how they operate to keep programming on our screens and production teams on set, alongside grappling with the challenges of when even these were not possible, all to keep the nation entertained and to protect the livelihoods of the thousands working in TV production.

In this RTS London Centre event, our panel of leading legal and commercial executives considers how the industry has adjusted from production and programming perspectives, asking who the winners and losers have been - from streamers to production companies, what changes have had to be made to complex contracts and rights agreements, and how they’ve sold shows when trade festivals and upfront screenings were cancelled. 

The panel also discuss what the future of TV production and distribution may look like as we move into 2021 and what lessons can be learned with the shadow of the pandemic still looming large.

Chair:
Nana Duodu, ex legal Disney and Hit Entertainment

Panel:
Damian Kent, VP Legal and Business Affairs Scripted, Fremantle
Nick Smith, EVP Formats, All3Media International
Katrien Roos, TV & Film Associate, Harbottle & Lewis
Olusoga Adamo, Head of Business Affairs, ITV Studios

Producer: Lettija Lee

David Schwimmer and Nick Mohammed in conversation with Boyd Hilton.  The stars and creator of Intelligence discuss how season 2 was made and how they juggled their multifarious actor, producer and writer roles in this RTS London production focus event.

Created by Nick Mohammed, Intelligence is a workplace comedy set in the UK’s GCHQ—a kind of weedier, geekier version of MI5, where they tackle international and domestic Cyber Crime from a desktop. But when a pompous, maverick NSA agent (David Schwimmer) comes over from the U.S. to join the team, he enlists an inept and tactless computer analyst (Nick Mohammed) in a power grab that threatens to disrupt the team’s ability to combat cyber terrorism.

Host
Boyd Hilton, Entertainment Director, Heat Magazine

Panel
David Schwimmer
Nick Mohammed

Producers: Lettija Lee and Philip Barnes

Gaby Roslin chats with the team behind Ashley Banjo’s heart-warming, and Broadcast Award nominated, Flirty Dancing

Second Star Production’s successful hybrid reality dating show Flirty Dancing has two seasons under its belt; they share their insights and experiences behind this refreshingly new dating show format. Two strangers rehearse a dance separately with members of Diversity, Ashley Banjo’s dance team. The first time they meet is to dance together in a beautiful location, then walk away without speaking. Will they want to meet up again after sharing their emotional dance?

Well-received as a dating show breath of fresh air, the second UK series had a clip that went viral in 2019, and the format was picked up by Fox USA. We’ll hear how the team brought us that hard-to-capture first date magic.

Chair:
Gaby Roslin
Speakers:
Ami Jackson - Series Producer
Nik Warner- Series Director
Laetitia Nneke - Senior Casting Producer + Edit Producer

Event Producer: Lettija Lee

This year has been a tipping point for our industry, partly because of COVID-19.

Early in the last decade, a tsunami in Japan devastated the factory that supplied HDCAM-SR tapes - the format used to deliver most TV programmes. As people sought an alternative, the uptake of file-based production was accelerated. An informal organisation was formed - called the Digital Production Partnership - that seized on this opportunity to hasten the move to end-to-end digital, by creating a new file-based delivery specification.

A few years later the DPP became a formal company, committed to bringing all parts of the media supply chain together to solve problems and create opportunities. It provides insight, technology change leadership and market opportunity for around 400 member companies drawn from the whole media supply chain, from start-ups to global corporations. 
And now another kind of natural disaster has happened: the global pandemic. So what media industry changes might this event precipitate? And will the DPP once again find itself at the centre of whatever happens next?

It seems just the right moment for RTS London to invite the DPP to reflect online on the key milestones of the last decade, and the probable trends for the next.

Speakers:
Mark Harrison - CEO, DPP
Helen Stevens – Operations Officer, Content Supply & Distribution, ITV and Chair of the DPP
Rowan de Pomerai- CTO, DPP

Whether you’re a big streamer, a start-up streamer or a consumer, this session examines how to survive... and more importantly... stand out.

Join an all-star panel led by journalist and presenter Nadine Dereza as they look at some of the best in class OTT offerings from the worlds of ad-supported streaming, niche content, and multi-service aggregation. 

Chair:
Nadine Dereza, Journalist and Presenter

Panel:
Olivier Jollet, Senior VP Emerging Business for ViacomCBS Networks EMEAA
Daniel Berg, Co-Founder and CEO, NextUp Comedy
Alan Wolk, Co-Founder and Lead Analyst, TV[R]EV

Producers: Philip Barnes and Damien Ashton-Wellman

Responding to the myriad of complex digital transformation challenges and the need to innovate at speed and collaborate remotely in today’s Media & Entertainment industry, IBC has introduced the Accelerator Innovation Programme. 

The Programme has been created to drive sector-wide digital transformation, where Accelerators ultimately demonstrate business value through an open R&D approach, reflecting the value of industry of standards and best practices. Through the Accelerators, multicompany teams come together – led by game changing broadcasters, studios, platforms and content owners as ‘Champions’ - to develop solutions to use cases working with expert vendors and solutions providers as project ‘participants’. Projects develop over an intensive five months’ project path, culminating in innovative solutions that will be showcased as proof of concepts at IBC Showcase.

Challenges in 2020 address many relevant and topical areas, such as

Join the project managers Muki Kulhan and Mark Smith and their guests as they share the highs and lows of this impressive programme of collaborative innovation.

This event is a joint IET/RTS production

Producers: Terry Marsh and Philip Barnes

A guided tour through the  history of broadcast TV tech from the inimitable Norman Green

In 2017, Norman Green, the retired ITV Network's first Head of Technology, was asked at very short notice to give an 'after lunch' talk to a group of retired senior BBC Managers and staff from Engineering and Operations. 

Norman decided to tell them how he got into the 'Fun Factory' that was television and then how, through his career, he had worked with BBC staff on many occasions. This is the soundtrack to the video that illustrated that talk.

Delivered by
Norman Green

Introduced by
Paul Mason, Former BBC Chief Technical Coordinator, International Operations

Covid brought most production to a halt in March. But Commissioners, and viewers, still want fresh content. This session is a case study of a company finding innovative ways of working emerging from the constraints – new methods that can bring about long-lasting benefits.

Factual specialists Arrow International Media addressed the uncertainties of lockdown by convening a virtual task force, from every level of the company, to brainstorm innovative ideas. Their top priority was to consider their assets – over 4,000 hours of rushes and completed series from both the Arrow Media and Arrow Pictures' archives which could be examined and catalogued to create new programmes. The sheer size of the task seemed insurmountable, so their solution was to invest in AI, which could both interpret the images and even identify faces, people and locations.

The panel will share the story of how the company managed the resulting new ways of working, whilst still continuing to question established practices and processes, to both deliver new programming as quickly and effectively as restrictions allowed and maintain the high quality of content for which the company is so well known.

Chair:
Muki Kulhan - MD, Muki-International Ltd

Panellists from Arrow International Media:
Dan Carew-Jones - Post Production Consultant
Carrie Pennifer- Production Executive
Kyran Speirs - Post production Manager
India Goss - Runner

Producers:
Terry Marsh, Carol Owens, Phil Barnes

Michael McCarthy in conversation with Richard Sillitto.

Michael shares anecdotes and behind the scenes stories in a relaxed conversation with his longtime colleague, Richard. He covers the changing world of TV since he first started at TV Centre in 1961.

The RTS Lifetime Achievement Award was recently presented to Michael McCarthy, veteran Sound Designer whose career has spanned six decades, and a range of changing technologies.

Michael's credits include Doctor Who, Morecambe and Wise, Miss World, The Two Ronnies, Top of the Pops, Lennie Henry, Who Dares Wins, The National Lottery and many, many more.

Michael has delivered pristine sound on many iconic moments of TV, from 'Four Candles' and 'All the Right Notes But...' through to the strange microphone on Blankety Blank.

Richard Sillitto's sound credits include Dancing on Ice, Strictly Come Dancing, RuPaul's Drag Race and Would I Lie to You.

Producers: Terry Marsh and Phil Barnes

Monday 29 June 2020 marks the 60th anniversary of the formal opening of BBC Television Centre — TVC — at White City in West London.

To celebrate the anniversary, RTS London has commissioned a special programme looking at the origins and design of the building, and what it meant to BBC staff and viewers in the 1960s and beyond.  The programme features archive footage, and contributions from Robert Seatter, the Head of BBC History; Phillip Schofield, TV Presenter past and present at TVC; and Roger Bunce, TVC Studio Cameraman in the 1960s.

An accompanying resource of links to other materials of interest is also available.  https://rts.org.uk/article/rts-london-tvc-60

Both the programme and the resource will be available after the premiere.

Credits (apologies for any omissions)

with
Robert Seatter
Roger Bunce
Phillip Schofield

narration
Bruce Hammal
Trish Bertram

thanks to
Christopher Baines
John Escolme
Chris Booth
Norman Green
Bernard Newnham
BBC Television

Producers: Carol Owens and Philip Barnes

Meet the team behind Portrait Artist of the Week for the unique production focus.

This is the story of how the flagship Sky Arts show, Portrait Artist of the Year, pivoted to reinvent itself for an audience under lockdown and in the process created a global live paint-a-long..

Each week a celebrity sits for an invited artist to paint their portrait on a live Facebook stream that now plays to a worldwide audience.  The show is inspirational and  regularly gets over 2,000 submissions from the viewers of their own portraits of the celebrity.

In this YouTube live streamed event, presenter Joan Bakewell and the team behind PAOTW reveal all...

Chair:
Aradhna Tayal, Producer & Consultant, Clockhouse Media

Panel:
Joan Bakewell, Presenter, Portrait Artist of the Week
Phil Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts
Danielle Graham, Executive Producer, Storyvault Films
Sam Richards, Executive Producer, Storyvault Films
Kimberley Klauss, Artist & PAOTY Finalist
Adam Noble, Director, Sky Production Services
Charlie Sever, Live Producer, Storyvault Films
Ben Burdon, Studio Manager, Sky Production Services

Producer: Phil Barnes

Join RTS Fellow and Chairman of the DTG, Simon Fell, in this joint RTS London and Digital Television Group event.  

Simon and his panel of industry experts will discuss the home entertainment technology that’s available to audiences today to make their viewing experience the best it can be under lockdown, and also look at what’s coming next.

They will discuss lockdown TV tech such as Next Gen Audio, voice recognition, 4K, 8K, HDR and much more.

The audience will be able to suggest questions for the panel to address in this live online event.

Chair
Simon Fell, Chairman of the DTG (Digital Television Group)

Panel
Simon Gauntlett, Director of Imaging Standards and Technology, Dolby
Yvonne Thomas, Strategic Technologist, DTG​
Chris Johns, Chief Engineer, Broadcast Strategy, Sky

How do you plan your career while you can’t get out of the house?

An expert panel of recruitment specialists give us their advice on how to make plans for your career during lockdown.  Hints and tips on everything from your CV and showreel, to your personal brand!  The advice offered will be relevant to many in the creative industries. This is the audio version of the YouTube live stream.   See here: https://youtu.be/KxxEj6A5pL0

A joint RTS London and ACCESS:VFX event

Chair

Panel

ACCESS:VFX is a global, industry-led, non-profit organisation comprised of 40 leading companies, industry bodies and educational establishments in the VFX, animation and games industries. It focuses on actively pursuing and encouraging inclusion, diversity, awareness and opportunity under its four pillars of Inspiration, Education, Mentoring and Recruitment.

Producer for RTS London  Phil Barnes

What is happening to tv viewing during lockdown?

In this topical look at viewing behaviour, our guests reference BARB audience data and original research by Thinkbox to take stock of what people are watching during lockdown.  How does viewing compare year on year, and which genres are the winners and losers?

Guests:
Jeremy Martin, Insights Manager at BARB
Matt Hill, Research and Planning Director at Thinkbox

Producer: Phil Barnes

What does the future of the BBC look like in this new decade?

As the BBC’s Director General, Lord Tony Hall, announces his departure in the Summer, we discuss the challenges facing the BBC and whoever takes over in the role.

A mid-term review in 2022 and a new charter in 2027 will be preceded by a consultation on decriminalising non-payment of the licence fee.  Issues facing the organisation are numerous.  From equal pay and licence fees for the over 75s to diminishing younger audiences and its very funding model.   The BBC and the next Director General will need to decide what type of organisation Auntie wants or needs to be.  There will plenty in the next DG’s in-tray. 

Roger Bolton and a distinguished panel discuss, debate and digest the challenges facing the BBC and give their notes for the next Director General.

Chair
Roger Bolton, Former BBC executive, journalist and presenter.

Panel
Patrick Barwise, Emeritus Professor of Management and Marketing, London Business School
David Elstein, Former ITV, BBC, Sky, C5 executive, Chairman of openDemocracy.net
Alice Enders, Director of Research, Enders Analysis

Producer: Philip Barnes

Join David Abraham as he reflects on three decades in global media in conversation with Chris Curtis, Editor of Broadcast.

David Abraham is co-founder of Wonderhood Studios and a former chief executive of Channel 4 and UKTV. He is a passionate advocate of public service broadcasting in the UK and throughout his extensive media career has navigated through rapid shifts in technology, business models and ownership. 

David co-founded the iconic 90’s ad agency St. Luke’s, then became a broadcaster at Discovery Networks in the early 2000’s. He went on to revive TLC in the USA with shows like Miami Ink, Little People Big World and Say Yes To The Dress before becoming Chief Executive at UKTV where he launched the hugely successful Dave channel. 

David was appointed as CEO of Channel 4 in 2010 shortly prior to the end of Big Brother after over a decade at the heart of the schedules. He formed and led an award winning team team which creatively refreshed and diversified the schedules while delivering The Paralympics, Stand Up To Cancer, F1 and Bake Off. His tenure also delivered an industry leading digital strategy that secured over 15m registered users of All4. David faced calls to privatise Channel 4 which were resolved by the time he stood down towards the end of 2017 - by which time annual revenues had reached £1bn, and record investment into UK film via Film4 had also been sustainably delivered. 

In the summer of 2018 David launched Wonderhood Studios which brings together leading talent from TV production and creative communications. 12 months in the company is now working on delivering its first commissions for UK PSB’s and has also been engaged by several leading brands to produce high quality mid and long form content for media platforms which are converging. 

David will speak about his return to the frontline after nearly two decades leading established media companies - what he has learned and where he plans take Wonderhood Studios next. 

Producer: Terry Marsh

The team behind the award-winning sitcom Timewasters reflect on the show's origins, impact and handling of serious topics with humour.

Timewasters follows a London jazz quartet who reluctantly time travel to the 1920s, encountering a host of bizarre situations and characters. Among the band is Nick (Daniel Lawrence Taylor), Jason (Kadiff Kirwan), Lauren (Adelayo Adedayo) and Horace (Samson Kayo).

Joining us is creator and writer of the show Daniel Lawrence Taylor, series director George Kane, actor Adelayo Adedayo, actor and writer Samson Kayo.

Chair:
Justin Johnson, BFI Lead Programmer
Panel:
Daniel Lawrence Taylor, Actor & Writer
George Kane, Director, Writer & Editor
Adelayo Adedayo, Actor
Samson Kayo, Actor & Writer

Producer: James Cordell

Join our panel discussing the wide variety of options open to those with a passion for animation.

Animation is a multi-billion dollar industry. From games developer to VFX artist, from 3D modeller to motion capture, the careers are wide-ranging and highly creative, in industries including film and television, advertising, gaming and  education. The panel share stories of their careers, the highs points and the tricky projects. 

Host:
Terry Marsh
Panel:
Christine MacKay - CEO/Producer at Salamandra.uk, Animation & Design Studios in Eton and Dundee
Neil Kidney - EP/Director, Seed Animation Studio
Elmaz Ekrem- Animation Director at NERD Productions, Technical Tutor in Digital Animation at University for the Creative Arts
Will Cook- Animation Director at Blue Zoo, and member of ACCESS VFX

Producer: Terry Marsh

What will the future of TV look like?

As we embark upon the new decade, we bring together a multifarious panel to look at their TV tea leaves, gaze into their crystal balls and read the runes to bring us their visions of the future of TV over the next few years!

Come with us as we take a journey through time and space into the future of TV — and get back in time for Newsnight!

Host:
Nadine Dereza, Journalist and Presenter

Speakers:
Matthew Griffin, Futurologist & CEO, 311 Institute
Khalid Hayat, Director, Consulting, Technology, Media & Telecommunications, Deloitte London
Mark Smith, Independent Marketing Consultant, Technology, Media & Entertainment, MSA
Nigel Walley, Founder & CEO, Decipher Media Consultancy

Producer: Phil Barnes