Many British entertainers have crossed the pond in search of fame and fortune in the uniquely competitive US TV market, but few have been as successful as James Corden and returned to the UK looking so at ease with themselves.
Boyd Hilton speaks to the cast and creatives behind series two of hit detective drama Bloodlands, on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Panel:
Jed Mercurio - Producer
Chris Brandon - Creator and Writer
Victoria Smurfit who plays Olivia Foyle
James Nesbitt who plays DCI Tom Brannick
Boyd Hilton - Chair
She was speaking at an RTS early-evening event in early December that celebrated the enduring appeal of quiz shows.
The audience were treated to a clip of Keppel’s triumph – one of British TV’s most iconic moments. Despite appearing calm and clear-headed as she pondered the jackpot question –Which king was married to Eleanor of Aquitaine?* – Keppel admitted: “I was like a duck – I was paddling madly underneath.
“I wasn’t calm at all. I thought my heartbeat was so loud that the mics would pick it up.”
Please note that this video contains adult material.
This is the full video from this year's RTS Comedy event where chair Boyd Hilton asked members of the panel about comedy going online, the longevity of the genre and whether anything needs to change about what type of comedy is being commissioned.
Get an idea of what was discussed about comedy on television at the RTS No Laughing Matter event
Get an idea of what was discussed about comedy on television at the RTS No Laughing Matter event
Panellists BBC Comedy's Gregor Sharp, UKTV's Simon Lupton, Comedy actor Jessica Knappett, Channel 4's Nerys Evans were asked by Heat magazine's Boyd Hilton about the future of comedy.
Here they reveal the interest that remains in comedy and whether the genre will work online.
Plans to put BBC Three online could rob a new generation of comedy writers and performers of the opportunity to find an audience, said Jessica Knappett, creator of E4 sitcom Drifters.
Knappett, who writes and stars in the series said: "I feel like BBC Three going online is a door closing, it's an opportunity that's been taken away from me. I feel personally it's exactly the sort of channel I would write for and I found it difficult enough to get an audience on E4."
Key industry players provide an insight into the evolution of sitcoms and discuss whether the genre has become more risk averse because of the pressure to land a hit, or simply evolved to meet the changing taste of viewers. We also examine if money is being redirected into genres that are cheaper and easier to make, how BBC Three moving online might affect the development and growth of new comedies, and who is putting their head above the parapet and trying to put scripted comedy back at the heart of TV viewing.
Panel:
