
Munya Chawawa to give Alternative MacTaggart lecture at Edinburgh TV Festival
Chawawa, who has become known for his satirical impressions, will make the case for 'why broadcasters underestimate digital creatives at their peril and will issue a call to arms for creative risk'.
The annual Edinburgh TV festival, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, will also feature multi award-winning actress and comedian Tina Fey in conversation with broadcaster Graham Norton.
Audiences will be able to watch Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker be interviewed, while Stephen Lambert, the chief executive of Studio Lambert, the independent TV production company behind some of the UK's biggest entertainment shows including The Traitors and Gogglebox, will discuss his career and work.
Lambert will record a special edition of the podcast The Town, hosted by US entertainment journalist Matt Belloni.
Creative masterclasses include deep dives into the making of the biggest scripted and unscripted UK shows of the year, featuring Netflix crime drama Adolescence and reality TV show Last One Laughing.
There will also be a live script read of Disney comedy-drama Rivals, and 25 years of Big Brother will be marked with a session called How Big Brother Changed TV Forever.
Previously announced speakers include Sir Lenny Henry, who will receive the outstanding achievement award; Michael Sheen, who will be in conversation with advisory chairwoman Jane Tranter; and James Harding, editor-in-chief of The Observer and founder of Tortoise Media, who will be delivering the prestigious MacTaggart Lecture.
The festival's creative director, Rowan Woods, and Tranter said: 'This year's programme contains all the attributes and tonal variations of great TV: it's inspiring, thought-provoking, entertaining, attitudinal, glamorous, inclusive and actively relevant to our current challenging landscape.
'The 50th anniversary is a moment to look back and celebrate how far we've come, and the many people who've contributed to this remarkable legacy; but it's also an opportunity to look forward and ask what the future of British television looks like, how we define it, protect it and evolve it to meet the challenges ahead.
'We can't wait to see you in Edinburgh in August.'
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