Friends! Screenwriters! Countrypeople! Lend me your eyes!! Booking is now open for FROM PITCH TO PILOT screenwriting retreats this autumn in mid-Wales. More details below🧵👀👀👀
🧵Today is the last day of filming
@BBCDoctors
A show that has run for 24 years, employed thousands of people, produced more than 4,500 episodes, will call ‘cut’ for the final time. As a writer on the show for the past 19 years I’m personally impacted along with hundreds 1/
Here’s the crisis in UK tv production in a nutshell - a massively successful, politically influential drama makes a loss of £1M because it won’t sell internationally… 🤦♂️🤷♂️
It’s long past time we rethink how we make TV at every level before high end drama is all that’s left…
by the disastrous decision to axe it. So, on this day when the show ceases production (though it will remain on screen until November) here is a🧵 into why I believe it matters that it’s been cancelled, who is ultimately responsible, and what comes next…
2/
From its very inception, Doctors was a show that offered two crucial things that help to sustain a thriving industry: OPPORTUNITY and EXPERIENCE. 200+ episodes every year where new and seasoned creatives got the opportunity to work, learn, fail, experiment and play. 4/
Public viewing habits are changing, the streamers are taking ever bigger slices of the pie, but we all know that the reason the BBC is under so much pressure is because of the relentless, ideologically driven campaign of destruction by the incumbent Conservative government. 24/
Doctors filmed 200+ episodes every year, each one starring the regular cast plus up to 3 guest actors, each one written by a writer , each one made by a full production crew. Each one produced, shot, and edited in Birmingham. In one fell swoop, from today, all of that is gone.3/
if it provides a public service, then the Conservative government have systematically undermined it, defunded it, abused it, attacked it, accused it of bias or being ‘woke’, broken it into little pieces, sold it off to the lowest bidder – usually one of their mates... 27/
Over 600 guest actors every year likewise got the chance to work, be seen, renew their faith in their abilities, and keep going. A writing team of up to 60 writers crafted original, bonkers, moving, real (and often surreal!) stories based around the lives of our regulars. 5/
For the past 14 years, the Tories have waged all out war on the BBC, backed by their willing army of ‘bias accusers’, all desperate to close down this most diverse, progressive, complex, flawed yet still brilliant publicly funded service…
'To be continued...' 25/
The TV industry is contracting. Production across the board is way down. BECTU recently surveyed its members and found 68% of them are currently out of work. Doctors was a much-needed ‘finger in the dam’ of this terrible situation. And now it’s gone with nothing to replace it. 8/
They see the arts as a pastime of dilettantes and layabouts. That somehow everyone engaged in the arts is not a ‘hard working member of society’, is an ‘enemy of the people’ and should be stamped out. 31/
Hugely grateful to everyone who has read, shared, and engaged with my thread on the end of
@BBCDoctors
and the state of the arts under the dying Tory government. Let’s keep the conversation going. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
🧵Today is the last day of filming
@BBCDoctors
A show that has run for 24 years, employed thousands of people, produced more than 4,500 episodes, will call ‘cut’ for the final time. As a writer on the show for the past 19 years I’m personally impacted along with hundreds 1/
There is no other show in the UK industry that offers such variety of storytelling – everything from high drama and tragedy, to farce, dream sequences, stand-alone single plays, themed weeks on important subjects, you name it, we wrote it. 6/
But if there is no work available for them beyond that, and even experienced creatives are unable to find work, then you simply do not have a viable industry... 10/
🧵continues! Now, where else in British civil society can we spot other institutions under such attack?
That’s right! Everywhere! The NHS. Schools. The judiciary. Local councils. The civil service. The transport network. You name it... 26/
Doctors was always a place where people new to TV could get their first experience for the screen. It also sustained experienced creatives. All of that opportunity and experience is now gone – and there is nowhere in the industry for all of these people to go… 7/
Yes, we featured the odd murder, the odd argument, the odd ‘villain’. But our stories were always based on ‘decent people trying to be decent to each other’, as the vast majority of us do in ‘real life’. 17/
Because the only people who can keep going are those who can already afford to do so – and we know all too weel that this excludes those from less well-off and more diverse backgrounds… 12/
The Tory government want to divide us against ourselves. They don’t value us. They only value what they can steal. But they are yesterday’s story. Together we can write the story of what comes next. Let’s start the conversation. ENDS/
In a sea of TV shows that insist on telling us that human beings are venal, angry, violent, self-serving, and resolve their disputes through fights and slanging matches, Doctors was always a calm voice of sanity and reason. 16/
In these incendiary times, the language we use is vital. I’m 100% certain I didn’t “slam” or “blast” anything. I calmly called for an industry-wide conversation about how we can make TV production more open, resilient, and sustainable.
@BBCNews
@DEADLINE
@RadioTimes
Without opportunity and experience, the TV industry is simply not a sustainable profession. Now you might well point me towards a million schemes and opportunities for new writers, producers, and crews to gain early career experience... 9/
– even more miraculous in the current climate – get their own original series idea commissioned. There’s no ‘career ladder’ left. There’s incredible good fortune – or there’s nothing. And that’s no way to build and grow a sustainable industry. 14/
The soaps are collapsing. Mid scale drama is contracting. This leaves just the high profile writers and creatives succeeding, and everyone else scrabbling around for scraps, hoping to somehow ‘win the lottery’ and get onto an existing show or... 13/
Don’t get me wrong – no TV show has the right to continue to exist if ratings fall or tastes change. But Doctors was a success. Its ratings were high. It’s audience was loyal. It cost next to nothing, and the benefits of making it clearly far outweighed the expense. 20/
They have created the conditions for anything that does not make a vast profit for shareholders to be seen as a failure. They are responsible for peddling the narrative that the arts and creativity are somehow ‘woke’ -meaning progressive, open-minded, diverse, compassionate...30/
Mid-career creatives were also able to sustain themselves by working on Doctors. They could hone their skills, gain experience, keep the roof over their heads. And now they can’t. Without opportunities like this, there are less people to draw from to sustain the industry... 11/
The stories we tell about ourselves impact on how we see ourselves. Doctors was always a hugely diverse show, telling stories with kindness, empathy and understanding. It reflected the changing world we live in whilst never seeking to demonise or ‘other’. 18/
Hang on… Am I really saying that the demise of
@BBCDoctors
is directly the fault of the Tories? Of course not. That would be ludicrous paranoia. But they are the direct cause of the state of the industry and the dearth of sustainability in the creative marketplace. 29/
So, the loss of Doctors is clearly disastrous for those who worked on the show. It is obviously disastrous for the industry. And, I would argue, it is also disastrous for the tone of public discourse. Now hear me out… 15/
The importance of the power of positive storytelling grows stronger every day. The axeing of Doctors is a tragedy for individuals, industry and society as a whole, whether you watched the show or not. So, why on earth was it cancelled? And who is responsible? 19/
...or themselves hiding behind a subsidiary company – and then urged us to accept private ownership and dividends for shareholders instead of any kind of public provision… 28/
The BBC’s budgets are being squeezed like never before. The licence fee has been frozen for the past two years and the entire model of funding for the Corporation is under constant threat. 23/
Now, you can argue the rights and wrongs of this decision, and the logic behind making a cut so devastating to drama production in the Midlands and the wider industry’s future sustainability. But there can be no doubt that the BBC had to save money somewhere. Why? 22/
When the show was axed in October, the reasons given were: “super inflation in drama production, the cost... has increased significantly, and further investment is also now required to refurbish the site where the show is made, or to relocate it to another home.” 21/
We are in the last days of this appalling government of shills, thieves, fraudsters, liars, and conspiracy theorists. And of course they are taking every opportunity to burn down everything good that remains whilst feathering their nests before they are finally thrown out. 41/
A week ago today, Friday 1st of March, cameras rolled on BBC Doctors for the final time after 24 years. As a writer on the show, I posted the🧵below to share my thoughts on the loss of
@BBCDoctors
By the end of the weekend the thread had been viewed 1.7 million times… 1/
🧵Today is the last day of filming
@BBCDoctors
A show that has run for 24 years, employed thousands of people, produced more than 4,500 episodes, will call ‘cut’ for the final time. As a writer on the show for the past 19 years I’m personally impacted along with hundreds 1/
The country is far kinder, more compassionate, more empathetic, more understanding, and more open to change than they can possibly allow themselves to contemplate. 34/
They say they value the arts, whilst attacking them at every possible opportunity. They have absolutely no concept of the true value of the arts. Because to do so would necessitate having a soul and a heart. 32/
They are about to face the most devastating electoral defeat in history because practically no-one under the age of 50 will vote for them. And they are terrified. Rightly so. Because their time is over, and they know it. 33/
That’s a whole lot more writers out of work. Are the Tories to blame for that too? Of course they are. Look at Nadine Dorries’ relentless campaign against Channel 4 when she was culture secretary. 37/
The Tories didn't cancel Doctors. But they did create the conditions that are leading the industry to become ever more risk averse, stripped of anything weird, odd, open, curious, kind, grounded in day-to-day life, leaving space only for high concepts, big names, big stars. 35/
The last thing these people want is a vibrant, thriving creative industry that asks genuine searching questions about who we are, who we want to be, and how we get there. 38/
Morning all. Wow, what a response to this thread over the weekend. It's clear that there's a much wider, important conversation to be had across the industry and the country about what we can collectively do to improve things. Let's keep talking. Thank you again.
Hugely grateful to everyone who has read, shared, and engaged with my thread on the end of
@BBCDoctors
and the state of the arts under the dying Tory government. Let’s keep the conversation going. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
All over the country, the arts are under threat like no time in living memory. Local authorities are slashing arts budgets as they face the consequences of 14 years of swingeing cuts to their budgets from Westminster. 39/
I know that the arts have never been wiped out. I know it is always darkest right before the dawn. I know we are at our best when we are ingenious, employing every ounce of our creativity and skill to tell stories of the times we live in that really speak to people. 44/
As the BBC struggles, so too do advertiser funded broadcasters as people are forced to tighten their belts thanks to the Tory-created cost of living crisis.Yesterday Channel 4 announced that
@Hollyoaks
is to drop to just 3 episodes a week. 36/
I believe that we need an industry wide conversation along with
@bectu
,
@EquityUK
,
@TheWritersGuild
, etc about how we can sustain ourselves through these dark days and how we can make ourselves more vital and resilient going forwards. 46/
Not telling stories of ‘I’m alright, Jack, and screw everyone who isn’t me’ but stories of who we aspire to be, of community, empathy, compassion, curiosity, and joy. 45/
One thing is certain – change always looks different to how we expect. Can we take more risks? Make space for new stories, new voices? A new ��Play for Today’? A new soap? New forms of drama we haven’t even thought of yet? 48/
Just finished
@Dafydd__James
stunningly beautiful Lost Boys & Fairies… utterly brilliant on every level but holy shit, Gwyneth Keyworth!!! One scene. Takes the script in both hands and tears your heart open with it. Gobsmacking. Deserves every plaudit coming her way. 💥💥💥
@bectu
@EquityUK
@TheWritersGuild
We need to ask ourselves how we can avoid a huge talent drain of experienced people leaving the industry; how we can make genuine opportunities available to people from as many wide and diverse backgrounds as possible; in short – how we can change to meet the future. 47/
@BBCDoctors
is but one victim of the destruction, forced out by a BBC struggling to survive and institutionally blind to the devastation the ripple effect of their decision will cause. The situation is truly bleak.
So, what comes next? 42/
Maybe not driven by star names, but a space for new opportunities and experience for those who want to build sustainable careers? Can we build an industry driven not be ‘magical thinking’ but one that can grow, nurture, and sustain? I truly believe we can. 49/
This is supposed to be the point that I find my inner ‘Jerry Maguire’ and pull out a miraculous manifesto to rally us all into fighting back. Right? I’d love to be that sure of what should come next… but I’m only a writer. I’m only one voice. Still, here’s what I know… 43/
I believe every crisis is an opportunity. Times of change are times of renewal. Every storyteller knows that endings are just beginnings in disguise. 50/
I’m quoted in this Guardian piece about the loss of
@BBCDoctors
The irony that this is published on the very day my totally ‘silent’ ep airs, an ep that no other show currently on tv would ever dream of making, is not lost on me…
I’ve been writing
@BBCDoctors
for 18 years and I have never been prouder of that fact than today. This is an absolutely exquisite episode of tv. In a death phobic culture, this is so vital and beautiful. Stunning script by Claire Bennett
And, lest we forget, many of the cast took pay cuts in order to get the show made. Something is very wrong in the industry if a hit like this can’t break even. Time to dream big and imagine a new way of making TV that actually sustains the industry and the people who work in it.
And here’s the problem in a nutshell. The TV industry has been hollowed out, and truly British stories simply won’t sell internationally. So only big star names - writers, actors, directors - will get to work. We need an industry wide conversation on how we turn this around. Now.
The Crown producer Andy Harries warns ‘uniquely British’ shows like Mr Bates vs The Post Office are at risk as global market desires fewer local with contentious subjects “
#BPGAwards
In an impassioned speech collecting the outstanding contribution Harvey Lee Award Harries said…
As fate would have it, the final ep of
@BBCDoctors
to air while the show is still in production was written by me. No other series would focus on the damage conspiracy theories do to us, with deep empathy, humanity and insight. I'm so proud to have been part of the writing team.
@RobynVinter
When my first ep of drama was on TV, based on autobiographical moments from my life, my mum watched 2/3 of it, before turning to me and saying: “Do you remember when this happened to you?” 😬🤦♂️🤷♂️
@bbcwritersroom
He’s 💯 right of course, and isn’t it fascinating that, since this interview was recorded, Holby has gone and Hollyoaks and Casualty produce far less episodes. The dramas that are the engine room of a sustainable TV industry are dead or dying. Time for a rethink.
Here’s the lived reality of the crisis in TV production that should be sparking industry wide conversations. Those who are thriving need to be looking out for those who aren’t because they could so easily be next. How do we turn this around and soon?
I'm getting a bit bored of people asking me if I've found any TV work yet as the answer is no.
Trying to explain the crisis in TV just goes over people's heads
The best I can come up is imagine being a teacher and then one day you woke up to find schools no longer existed?
“In 10 years’ time we’re going to turn around and say ‘where are all the artists, where are all the stories, where are all the good ideas?’. There needs to be a moment of rejuvenation where people can get back to a place of financial strength.” Spot on from
@mrdavebyrne
This show - and The Gathering and The Responder - are testament to brilliant casting decisions. Give actors of any age you might never have seen or heard of a terrific script and a chance to shine and they will knock your socks off. So refreshing! 👏👏👏👏
Just finished
@Dafydd__James
stunningly beautiful Lost Boys & Fairies… utterly brilliant on every level but holy shit, Gwyneth Keyworth!!! One scene. Takes the script in both hands and tears your heart open with it. Gobsmacking. Deserves every plaudit coming her way. 💥💥💥
I spoke to
@carole_writer
about the deepening crisis for writers of TV in the UK. Her article is a brilliant encapsulation of where we are and, hopefully, where we might go next.
Next generation of TV writers in peril | Royal Television Society
Here’s the reality for UK TV writers of the contraction/slow down/crunch in TV production. The career ladder has been smashed to smithereens. Time for industry wide conversations, solidarity,creativity, and innovation. We can turn the tide together. I know it.
#senddowntheladders
@DaviesHylton
@WriterHBlack
“We conducted a fee census with TV writers, and early indications are that the majority of members… are not making a living from working in TV.”
That's Sukey Venables Fisher, Chair of the Television Writers Committee,
@TheWritersGuild
THE MAJORITY. Terrible state of affairs.
EXPERIENCED MID-CAREER SCREENWRITERS! I’m planning two pilot week-long residential screenwriter’s retreats this autumn! Entitled ‘From Pitch to Pilot’, they are aimed at supporting mid-career writers to develop their own original TV series scripts. More details in🧵below -
I wrote tomorrow’s episode of
@BBCDoctors
which gives me a golden opportunity to do something I’ve wanted to do for ages – a paean in celebration of
#scripteditors
and one in particular -
@MichaelCregan
This is such a vitally important message. The situation across the TV industry is beyond disastrous for so many freelancers who are in desperate need of support and hope. Time for the channels, streamers and commissioners to step up. Time to talk about what’s really going on.
Important video out from
@the_tv_mindset
about the current situation for TV freelancers across all genres and sectors, including post please do share
#Leftinthedark
I wrote tomorrow’s episode
@BBCDoctors
‘Silence Is Golden’, the vast majority of which is *dialogue free*… I’m really curious to see what people think of this one… 🤫🤫🤫
A week today, Thursday 2nd November, marks the beginning of the end for my work on
@BBCDoctors
with the first of 6 final episodes. I’m really proud of them, and chuffed they begin with this one… the pitch? Jimmi goes on a meditation retreat - AND THE ENTIRE EP IS SILENT! 🧵
A truly brilliant episode of
@BBCDoctors
yesterday exquisitely written by
@DaviesHylton
, sensitively performed by
@kiapegg
Edie Lambden & Simon Thorp & superbly directed by Rupert Such with
@GrainneOB1
producing. THIS is what this show does so well like no other. Human compassion
BBC 'Doctors' is written by me, tomorrow. A standalone episode, doing what 'Doctors' has always been so great at - allowing writers and cast to really delve into characters and story.
Terrific, thorough, important piece by
@hollierichtweet
on how the crisis in TV production is impacting working class, diverse and marginalised voices. It’s endemic, systemic, and we need action to change it. Life doesn’t stop at the M25!
So pleased that
@UKLabour
leader
@Keir_Starmer
gave the keynote speech at the launch of our plan for arts, culture and creative industries last week. He spoke with passion and commitment about how we value creative people and our plan for creative education for every child.
Trevor Griffiths one of the great stage & television playwrights of the 1970s and 1980s has died. Has anyone (other than Brecht) blended political dialectic with theatrical magic better? If he'd only written COMEDIANS he'd be one of the greats, but he wrote so much more. RIP
Wise wise words from
@the98percentpod
here. It’s as tough out there as anyone can remember. Vital right now to let go of ‘magical thinking’ and find ground and self worth in life anyway you can, not only from doing the work. The tide is turning 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
The industry is harder than ever right now. For all creatives. The longer you spend in this profession, it usually becomes easier. Not any more. It’s not the same business as 3, 5, 10 years ago. It’s not you!!
This isn’t to be pessimistic instead, realistic in hopes of helping…
I’m really looking forward to speaking to
@jamescapel
of
@uk_scribe
this coming Wednesday 20th at 1pm about all things TV drama, crisis, opportunity, and where we go next.
Morning! 👋
Busy old week this week on planet Scribe Lounge!
⚡️ Writing Rooms Monday 11am, Tuesday 6.60am, Wednesday 11am, Thursday 7.30pm and Friday 11am!
💥 Pro Member script swaps, ten page groups, pitch groups
💡 AMA with Philip Ralph on Wednesday @ 1pm
Woah! We got you!
For anyone stupid or cruel enough to have shrugged at the news of
@BBCDoctors
being cancelled yesterday, here are beautiful, heartfelt words that show the devastation and impact on hundreds of lives. Thank you
@kiapegg
for writing from the 💔
And the rot continues… so one person can run Film 4 and commission drama for Channel 4, can they? Cause they’re not both hugely complex, totally different mediums or anything…
This is a terrible decision on every level. The loss of
@CarolineHollick
will be felt industry wide.
Since the election was called I’ve visited the grave of John Smith, the finest prime minister we never had, on beautiful Iona. His epitaph says it all: “An honest man’s the noblest work of God.”
The relentless avalanche of lies from the Tories says it all. Vote. Them. Out.
Delighted to discover that 8 Days: To the Moon and Back, the verbatim docudrama I wrote on Apollo 11, is now on
@BBCiPlayer
for 🤞ever! I’m insanely proud of this film, brilliantly directed by
@MrAPhilipson
- The Eagle has landed! 🚀 🌑
Coming up next!🚀
📅On Wed 20th March at 1pm we'll be chatting to experienced screenwriter
@PhilipRalph9
about the recent cancellation of
@BBCDoctors
, what it means for the industry and where we go from here.
🎟️Ticket info👇This session is free for all
This is key. We can and could be doing so much more to address the crisis across our industry and the arts. We need to get out of our silos, start really talking to each other about what’s going on, and what we can do to change it for the better. We’re creators! Let’s create!
When I post about the state of the TV industry it’s not out of bitterness - I’m doing fine
It’s out of frustration that we don’t/won’t do the obvious things to make it work properly
I’m not nostalgic for a golden past (fairly new to this game) but there are ways…
Just a quiet late night tweet to say that it’s a truly mind blowing peak experience to see a film I wrote listed next to the masterpiece that is Past Lives and in the Top 10 on
@netflix
tonight… Really very proud to be part of the
#einsteinandthebomb
team.
I recently spoke to
@thediyora
@theleaduk
about the deepening crisis in TV and film production here in the UK. It’s a clear and comprehensive article that paints a truly terrifying picture. 🧵