GENRE REPORT
TV DRAMA
AMANDA LEVIN, BBC SENIOR COMMISSIONING EDITOR, DRAMA
Which upcoming shows are emblematic of BBC drama right now? The thing that runs through most of our commissions is a desire to be ambitious about what mainstream means. That could be Martin Freeman tumbling into darkness in The Responder, or James Graham examining the seismic reverberations of the miner’s strike in Sherwood. Both pieces talk about contemporary life with flair and heart. We love strong and provocative
admits. “As a streamer, we don’t just get pitched here [from the UK], we get pitched from all areas.”
CUTTING THROUGH There is also, of course, the additional of
challenge getting your drama to stand out in a crowded market, at a time when audiences have so much to choose from. Amazon’s UK scripted team has completed
shooting on four UK originals this year – supernatural thriller The Rig, grime and drill musical drama Jungle, Jez Butterworth’s comedy drama Mammals and thriller Devil’s Hour, written by Tom Moran. Three of them are from new creators, all of them are contemporary UK set stories that are meant to resonate with British audiences. These are on top of UK based dramas from Amazon’s global drama team, which includes The Power, Anansi Boys, Citadel and Good Omens. In the next few years, Mount thinks that
viewers’ need for escapism is going to become more important. “I’ve really enjoyed shows that aren’t too demanding recently – shows that are really pleasurable to watch. Our viewing habits are often a reaction to what is happening in the real world. There’s a real want for TV shows to have a bit more fun.”
“FINDING THE TALENT TO MAKE THE SHOWS IS NOW ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT THINGS THAT ANY PRODUCTION FACES”
flavours. Watching Jamie Dornan in The Tourist or Shane Meadows making his first period drama The Gallows Pole is thrilling. Trying to think about what the perfect BBC show is, I wonder if it might be Happy Valley - it takes a very established TV drama genre, but has such a specific sense of place and it’s got the most complex, iconic character in Catherine Cawood. The stories in Happy Valley are both kinetic and heart wrenching. Somehow, it becomes a story about the struggle of being a human in the world today, which is what all drama should come down to. What are you looking for now? We are always looking for stories that surprise us and are there because an author can help us see something authentic and universal with fresh eyes. As result, it’s underrepresented parts of British life that will help us stay relevant and creatively robust. It could be work from the British Asian community or deaf, disabled and neurodivergent writers, or original voices from Newcastle, Bangor, Caerphilly or Aberdeen. What are audiences responding to at the moment? As a viewer, it can be really exhausting just trying to work out what to watch each evening. [So there is something] special about episodic returning drama. They build such a unique relationship between viewers and characters. Those very cherished shows become inestimable in their values. So we are working very hard to try and build the new Peaky, Line of Duty or Call the Midwife.
Winter 2021
televisual.com 43
IT’S A SIN
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