Life, the universe, and everything

Back on this blog after an embarassingly enormous hiatus… The 5-part documentary series ‘Universe’ with Professor Brian Cox, started its run last night on BBC2 in the UK, with an episode called The Sun: God Star. The whole series also landed on iPlayer. You can see a trailer of it here. I watched the film,… Continue reading Life, the universe, and everything

How Seoul’s Digital Media City matches up to Salford’s MediaCityUK

Korea has created a Digital Media City (DMC) on the outskirts of Seoul and houses nearly all its broadcasters there. Like MediaCity UK in Salford. But way bigger.   This is the enormous HQ for MBC, one of the three Korean public channels. Check out its OTT ‘window on  the world’ promotional video on the link above.… Continue reading How Seoul’s Digital Media City matches up to Salford’s MediaCityUK

Peoples Broadcasting in the age of the internet

When the British electorate voted for a Conservative government, to replace the previous Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition, there were a few predictions of doom for the funding of pubic services in the UK. For the BBC, the result confirmed that their role, size and funding will be firmly in the sights of the new administration – though I imagine… Continue reading Peoples Broadcasting in the age of the internet

Voting for Little Britain or the wider world

The UK General Election is tomorrow, May 7th. One of the issues in the Conservative manifesto is the pledge to hold a referendum about whether the UK stays in the European Union. But it’s barely featured in this election campaign. The London correspondent of German paper Die Welt has noticed this, but I haven’t seen much else.… Continue reading Voting for Little Britain or the wider world

MIP-TV: Yes We Cannes!

Long gap since my last post, apologies. But last week I went to the annual MIP-TV market in Cannes which gave me plenty to think (and write) about. Four days of meetings equated a big batch of ideas – though the word product seems more appropriate in such a marketplace. Fewer people were wandering the Palais this year –… Continue reading MIP-TV: Yes We Cannes!

From Hamlet to Richard III – history brought to life

I took part in a live-action role play a couple of weeks ago, called Inside Hamlet at Kronborg castle in Denmark. It was set in the 1930s, giving a whole new spin to Shakespeare’s tale. I learnt a massive amount about what history means by acting it out (as a Lutheran exorcist priest).   And… Continue reading From Hamlet to Richard III – history brought to life

Diversity is not an option, it’s the mainstream

Last week I went to a diversity debate in Malmo called Eye to Eye – Reflecting Childrens Reality. On the panel was a commissioner from the Swedish Film Institute, the head of the Kids Film Fest BUFF, and an animation producer from Norway, to discuss diversity in films for children and young people. Moderated by Cecilie Stranger-Thorsen,… Continue reading Diversity is not an option, it’s the mainstream

Murder (and other dramas) in the cathedral

A couple of weeks ago at BBC Worldwide’s annual showcase in Liverpool that I attended for SBS,  drama was to the fore. The big programme  being promoted was Wolf Hall, the six-parter which became the biggest drama launch on BBC2 for years. At Showcase, BBC Worldwide laid on a dinner in Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral. This is a… Continue reading Murder (and other dramas) in the cathedral

Australia’s going to Austria for Eurovision

In other news this week… Australia has been granted a wild card entry for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, being held in Vienna at the end of May. It’s been a long held aim of the SBS MD  Michael Ebeid, as the channels been the official broadcaster for the past thirty years. For the past… Continue reading Australia’s going to Austria for Eurovision

Are games the way to reach TV audiences?

Still on my Transfer Deadline theme, yesterday the BBC had a couple of outside experts giving their views on the players who might be on the market.Fifa Interactive World Cup 2014 Grand Final competitor David Blytheway and Football Manager expert Alex Stewart provided insight and analysis of players involved in deals from a gamer’s perspective.Got me thinking… Continue reading Are games the way to reach TV audiences?