Charles Sturridge in Botswana on the set of The No1 Ladies Detective Agency with actors Gill Scott and Anika Noni Rose. Pic: BBC
26 September 2009
Veteran programme makers, Tony Garnett and Charles Sturridge, will be joining BECTU members for the Autumn Debate, organised by the Writers, Producers and Directors branch.
The annual gathering, this year titled Still Tilting at Windmills? is open to everyone with an interest in television drama and its future. All are welcome.
Date: Thursday 8 October 2009
Venue: The Drill Hall, Chenies Street, London WC1E 7EX, off Tottenham Court Road; nearest underground station, Goodge Street.
Time: 18.30 (cash bar available); the debate starts at 19.00 in Theatre 2.
Admission: Free (first come, first served).
Looking ahead to the event, Mike Dick, chair of the WPDs branch commented:
"We can look forward to an illuminating discussion in the company of two of television drama's greatest talents."
Tony Garnett produced the now classic drama-documentary Cathy Come Home. Such was the impact of the programme that homeless charity Shelter was formed. Pic:BBC
Still Tilting at Windmills?
Mike Dick writes:
Tony Garnett is a producer with a career spanning nearly 50 years. However, it is not his longevity that is most remarkable –it is his willingness to say exactly what he thinks and the iconoclastic, uncompromising quality of his work, from Cathy Come Home through Between the Lines to No Angels. Tony’s career blossomed at the BBC in Sydney Newman’s Drama Group during the 60s. It is a period often identified as a golden era in television: new ideas, a new channel and a management willing to take risks and, occasionally, to offend.
Charles Sturridge is a director with a similarly impressive CV. A staff director at Granada, he burst onto the scene in 1981 with Brideshead Revisited for ITV followed by Longitude and Shackleton for the BBC, as well as BAFTA winning features. His recent work includes episodes of the The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Charles is also Chairman of Directors UK which campaigns for a better creative deal for directors in film and television. Charles’ time as a young director at Granada is also often identified as a charmed period of creative freedom and plentiful funding under a benign management team.
Can drama make a difference any more?
Charles and Tony continue to be active and vocal, both as programme makers and commentators. Tony’s recent article criticising senior BBC execs and their deadening effect on creativity became a viral phenomenon earlier this year.
So, should we infer that the golden age of creativity is behind us now, as budgets and schedules get ever tighter? Or can we look forward to new technology bringing new openings and opportunities for the next generation? How has pressure on budgets affected the relationship between producer and director?
"Come and join two very distinguished industry veterans in a debate about how the past influences the future, and how lessons learned 40 years ago are just as important now".
"Established and newer members of BECTU, and those yet to join, will benefit greatly from this opportunity; we look forward to welcoming them all," said Mike Dick.
Space is limited at the Drill Hall; please arrive promptly. Queries? Contact Nancy Ackah at BECTU.
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