What is up with British TV and Film?

Falling Star · Guest

Why or why do we always here that British Film and TV are dead? I tell you why because of all the f***ing negativity that runs through the industry. Did any of you see that tripe 'MOVING WALLPAPER', never in over 30 years of writing for TV have I seen writers brought round a table, this is the AMERICAN SYSTEM - most times we are confined to a lonely room and meet lacklustre idiots who are using TV as a stepping stone to FILM. They don't care about the product, so we get rubbish and often cheap knock offs.

It would be great if writers worked together, they do on some soaps but on the whole we are marginalised.

So, I know I'm being negative but let's get to the positive, we have produced some of the finest comedies, Ealing, Shaun of the Dead as a contemporary, proving we can do it. So, why don't we?

Roy · Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 9:26 pm Post subject:

You sound like one of the lucky ones if you have been doing it for 30 years. It's not dead just cheap.
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Falling Star · Guest

You've hit it on the head, Roy. Problem is that most people think the BBC waste money - they do, on admin - this money should be going on the programmes, creative mentoring and investing in the next generation. And, Independent have been burnt badly, Last Train etc, which was a shame as I liked it and it was good writing, not great but good, one of those growers that will make it cult viewing.

But why spend anything when you can produce cheap chat shows, fly on the wall documentaries (and I use that word tongue in cheek), soaps that just go round the houses and when they can repeat a vast back catalogue and buy in US programmes - but this is false economy, though some of the US programmes are great, Dexter, Lost, Battlestar Galactica, we still get their rubbish, Dharma & Greg and all that ilk. I think we will lose something unique, the voices that gave us Last Train, Quatermass, Dr Who (Terry Nation mainly, lovely man), character driven programming that does not have James Nesbitt in or bloody Caroline Quentin.

Roy · Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 10:33 am Post subject:

The problem your argument is reality shows really are popular. My wife liked the ice dancing enough to go to the live shows and when I was working all the youngsters would spend their tea break discussing Big Brother. Admittedly a few years back but it still generates a large and active thread on the Interzone website forum.

I always feel lost when people talk about reality shows as I never watch them but I did propose a writer/writing reality show to the beeb in the distant past and I might well have watched/listened to that.

Yes reality shows are cheap (I'm told) but the Channels have to go where the audiences are. Sometimes they lead and sometimes they follow but commercial imperatives I understand. BBC is more complicated. I think they see finding fresh UK talent as part of their mission and so some of their shows fit that bill. I don't think they do enough or really take it seriously but that is a matter of opinion, or my sour grapes.

Every organisation turns into a self-perpetuating bureaucracy eventually. That's why we have revolutions every so often. It's not just the beeb it's the entire 'establishment' that is the problem. To much influence in too few hands and the hands are all crosslinked. The revolution is overdue, perhaps.
_________________
Fiction magazines: Interzone, Black Static & Crimewave, (E Reader editions at 'Fictionwise')
thefix-online and transmissionsfrombeyond.com are TTA Press ventures.