Journalist and broadcaster Jon Snow delivers 2017’s prestigious MacTaggart Lecture. In the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire, he calls for the media to close today’s “social disconnect”. Jon’s career has spanned huge changes to broadcasting and he's been at the forefront of Channel 4 News’ success in engaging young and diverse audiences.
Creator and writer Charlie Brooker, and executive producer Annabel Jones delve into the Black Mirror archives and discuss the origination and continued inspiration behind their satirical, often uncomfortably prophetic televisual phenomenon. The hugely publicised move to Netflix in 2016 catapulted Brooker, Jones and their dystopian tales into the global market.
Having received the 2017 Outstanding Achievement Award, producer and screenwriter Russell T Davies discusses his illustrious career with longtime collaborator, Nicola Shindler. Highlights include creating some of the UK’s best television dramas and award-winning series including Queer as Folk, Bob & Rose and Casanova, as well as regenerating Doctor Who.
With the BBC Studios’ world-leading Natural History Unit turning 60 in 2017, Sir David Attenborough joined Julian Hector, head of The Natural History Unit in conversation, looking at the past, present and future of natural history programme-making and the important role it has played in improving understanding, driving awareness and changing perceptions of the natural world. They also spoke about the latest landmark Blue Planet II, and last year’s Planet Earth II, watched by over 30 million in the UK and attracting more viewers aged 16 to 34 than The X Factor!
Exploring the creation of Fleabag from the first script commission as a BBC3 Comedy Feed to the multi-million dollar US marketing campaign that helped it become one of the most talked-about comedies in years. Creators, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Vicky Jones and producer Lydia Hampson tell us how they went about creating the smash hit.
The First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party returned to the Festival in 2017 to deliver a keynote speech. Topics included the election, the BBC’s launch of a dedicated Scottish television channel and the representation of women in the media, followed by a Q&A chaired by television journalist Kirsty Wark.
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