Latest news with #LouisaCompton
Times
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Channel 4 exec brands Netflix ‘TV tourists' for nabbing top talent
The head of Channel 4 news has accused Netflix of acting like 'TV tourists' by commissioning work from talent that had been nurtured over many years by public service broadcasters. Louisa Compton, the broadcaster's head of current affairs and sport, said that the streaming giant had reaped the rewards of Channel 4's support for Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, who created Adolescence, making her channel 'proud parents' of the knife-crime drama. Adolescence launched on Netflix in March and became one of its biggest English-language series to date, drawing more than 140 million viewers within three months. In the UK it was the most-watched TV event in the first quarter of the year, drawing 12 million viewers — marking the first time a streaming title has topped weekly TV ratings.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Netflix UK Scripted Chief Bristles At 'TV Tourists' Barb After Success Of ‘Adolescence'
Netflix has been quick to respond to criticism that the streamer behaved like a 'TV tourist' in commissioning hit series Adolescence. In one of the talking points of the Edinburgh TV Festival, Channel 4's news and current affairs boss Louisa Compton said the network was 'proud parents' of Adolescence because of how the network gave opportunities to co-creators Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham early in their careers. More from Deadline Netflix's 'Emily In Paris' Season 5 Teases New Looks & Location In First-Look Photos; Sets Premiere Date Roy Wood Jr. Predicts Stephen Colbert Will Become Leading Anti-Trump Voice On YouTube Next Year Paramount UK Chief Ben Frow Says Channel 5 Won't Be Sold After Skydance Merger 'We've developed and nurtured the talent that has allowed Netflix to come in as TV tourists and effectively commission [Adolescence],' said Compton. 'Without us, that wouldn't have happened.' Speaking during an Adolescence masterclass, Netflix's Mona Qureshi was asked for her response to Compton's comments. 'My initial response is consternation,' said the streamer's UK director of scripted series. The former BBC executive added: 'I don't think I'm a tourist — I've been around.' She added: 'Nothing about where I am, where we sit, and the conversations we had about Adolescence comes out of anything other than us, within the UK network team, being solely about finding shows and speaking to our local audience. 'We are all part of the same ecosystem. Adolescence simply came out of something which is us reading a script and responding to this fantastic creative team and just being utterly compelled by delivering from the get-go… No one's thinking global, let's make something globally. It's just about being in tune with what the local market wants, and what we as commissioners feel inspires and compels us.' Speaking during the same masterclass, writer Thorne said: 'I started at Channel 4. I was lucky enough to get my first shows away at Channel 4 … I'm really grateful for Channel 4, but I'm excited that Netflix is moving into this space.' 'I think the real problem we've got in TV at the moment is a certain conservatism that's crept in because of the recession,' he added. 'I think any broadcaster that's prepared to take a risk, a wild swing, which is what this show was, it should be applauded for it.' Adolescence is Netflix's second most-watched English-language show of all time. Executives from UK broadcasters have previously said that the show would have been too expensive for them to make without co-production money. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery Everything We Know About 'The Boys' Prequel Series 'Vought Rising' So Far Solve the daily Crossword
The Guardian
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Channel 4 rather than Netflix is ‘proud parent' of Adolescence, says news boss
A senior Channel 4 figure has accused Netflix of acting like 'TV tourists' with the internationally acclaimed show Adolescence. Louisa Compton, the head of news and current affairs at the broadcaster, said Channel 4 was the 'proud parents' of the runaway hit. She said rather than nurture British TV talent, Netflix had benefited from talent developed over many years by Channel 4 and other public service broadcasters. 'We are the proud parents of Adolescence. It wouldn't have happened without Channel 4 and other PSBs,' she said. 'We've developed and nurtured the talent that has allowed Netflix to come in as TV tourists and effectively commission it.' She said that Britain's public service broadcasters 'nurture where the streamers don't', also accusing the streaming giants of failing to tackle the difficult, live issues facing the world. 'Where are the investigations on the streamers into Gaza or Trump? There's no current affairs on the streamers. Everything is retrospective.' Adolescence was co-created by Jack Thorne and the actor Stephen Graham, both of whom have worked with Channel 4 on a series of projects, including This is England '86 and Help. Graham appeared in both programmes. The comments come against a backdrop of a crisis in the TV industry, as public service broadcasters (PSBs) – the BBC, ITV Channel 4 and 5 – struggle to meet the costs of making television amid inflation many blame on the arrival of the streamers. A series of figures have raised concerns about the impact on UK television. The financial pressures mean that UK broadcasters are looking for international hits and projects that could be co-funded by a big streamer, meaning culturally British stories could disappear. Insiders say streamers have recently become more reluctant to co-produce programmes with UK broadcasters, putting even more pressure on the PSBs. Elisabeth Murdoch is among those to have warned that the economic pressures could lead Britain's broadcasters to turn away from issues that appeal mainly to a British audience. Meanwhile, some producers of the ITV hit Mr Bates vs the Post Office have questioned whether it would be made in the current environment. Netflix did not wish to respond to Compton's comments. However, insiders pushed back at the remarks, arguing that the show had placed a British story, crew and cast on the international stage and championed important issues. They also said Netflix had begun to uncover talented actors that had since worked for UK broadcasters, adding that the executives who commissioned Adolescence had decades of experience in UK television between them. 'Ultimately, who we care about the most is the audience,' said one. Some of those involved in making Adolescence have suggested it could not have been made by a UK broadcaster, because of the way in which its one-take episodes were shot and the large, expensive outdoor scenes. However, there have been calls for a levy on streamers such as Amazon and Netflix, used to pay for explicitly British productions. The idea has been backed by a committee of MPs and adopted in other European countries, but the measure has already been rejected by ministers. Others in the industry are pushing for more tax breaks to lower the costs of making television. Peter Kosminsky, the director of the BBC's Wolf Hall, who has been leading calls for a streamer levy, has accused ministers of 'running scared' of Donald Trump in their refusal to introduce it.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Netflix Accused Of Being 'TV Tourists' Over ‘Adolescence' By Channel 4 News Boss
Channel 4 news boss Louisa Compton has accused Netflix of behaving like 'TV tourists' over the streamer's breakout hit Adolescence. During the opening debate at the Edinburgh TV Festival, Compton described Channel 4 as 'proud parents' of Adolescence because of the way in which the network blooded Adolescence co-creators Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham over many years and multiple shows. Thorne has made a number of Channel 4 shows down the years, including This is England '86 and Help, both of which Graham appeared in. More from Deadline Hayley Atwell & Rupert Everett Join Season 2 Of 'Rivals' On Disney+ BBC Three To Commission Current Affairs Docs; 'Dead Howling' Lands ANZ Release; MFF & Co Teams With Globo For Telenovelas - Global Briefs 'Misfits' Creator Howard Overman Writing 'Hit Point' For Canal+ & UKTV's U&Dave 'We've developed and nurtured the talent that has allowed Netflix to come in as TV tourists and effectively commission [Adolescence],' said Compton, who runs news, current affairs and sport for Channel 4. 'Without us that wouldn't have happened.' 'We nurture where the streamers don't,' added Compton. 'Where are the investigations on the streamers into Gaza or Trump? There's no current affairs on the streamers. Everything is retrospective. [Current affairs] is a unique thing PSBs offer.' Adolescence is Netflix's second most-watched English-language show of all time. Execs from the broadcasters have previously said that the show would have been too expensive for them to make without co-pro money. Line of Duty EP Simon Heath, who runs World Productions, said there is a risk that 'you stop making shows like Adolescence' if UK producers become too tempted to only make internationally-facing shows, which need their budgets topped up from outside the UK. 'What happens is you change the nature of the show you are trying to make with more than half an eye on the international market,' added Heath. 'The risk is that the chase for international funding fundamentally alters the kinds of stories we can tell.' World Productions recently made splashy BBC-Netflix Lockerbie drama The Bombing of Pan Am 103 but Heath said this kind of co-pro is a 'rarity.' 'More and more streamers want to pursue their own shows, they don't want to be in a co-pro situation,' he added. World Productions launched three decades ago with a remit to 'make low cost drama that gave us creative control,' according to Heath, and he said the ITV Studios-backed indie is now thinking about returning to those low-cost roots. 'But you're in a world where audiences are seeking the production value of cinemas because of what the streamers are putting out there, and that's a challenge,' he said. Locking horns over in-house Compton also locked horns with John McVay, the outgoing CEO of producer trade body Pact, about the controversial new Channel 4 in-house productions unit. McVay called the unit 'wrong' and a 'waste of time and executive attention,' as he posited: 'I'm not sure it will make the difference that Channel 4 needs.' But Compton reminded McVay Channel 4 'did not ask for it' – the unit was in fact gifted to them by the government – and she said 'everything we do is for the indie sector, and a robust and healthy Channel 4 is good for the indie sector.' The group were speaking during the opening debate at the Edinburgh TV Festival before the likes of Shonda Rhimes, Tina Fey and Graham Norton. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery Everything We Know About 'The Boys' Prequel Series 'Vought Rising' So Far
Scotsman
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Gaza: Doctors Under Attack: how to watch on Channel 4?
Gaza: Doctors Under Attack is set to be broadcast on Channel 4 📺 Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Gaza: Doctors Under Attack was originally commissioned by BBC. The broadcaster dropped it earlier this year. Channel 4 has now picked it up and is set to air it tonight (July 2). A documentary that was dropped by the BBC before it was broadcast is finally set to be shown on TV - after it was picked up by Channel 4. Gaza: Doctors Under Attack is described as a forensic investigation into Israeli military attacks on hospitals in Gaza. Originally commissioned by the Beeb, it was announced in June that the broadcaster would not be airing it after all. In a statement the BBC said that it risked 'creating a perception of partiality'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Channel 4 has now picked up the one-off documentary film and will be broadcasting it tonight (July 2). Here's all you need to know: What is Gaza: Doctors Under Attack about? A general view shows the damage in the area surrounding Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital in 2024 | AFP via Getty Images In the documentary, Ramita Navai investigates allegations of the targeting and abuse of doctors and healthcare workers in Gaza. Channel 4's preview adds: 'Every one of Gaza's 36 main hospitals has now been attacked or destroyed by Israel, with people forced to evacuate and healthcare workers reportedly killed, imprisoned and tortured.' The broadcaster adds that it has been fact-checked and complied to ensure it meets Channel 4 editorial standards and the Ofcom Broadcasting Code. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Louisa Compton, Channel 4 Head of News and Current Affairs and Specialist Factual and Sport, said: 'This is a meticulously reported and important film examining evidence which supports allegations of grave breaches of international law by Israeli forces that deserves to be widely seen and exemplifies Channel 4's commitment to brave and fearless journalism.' Basement Films added: 'This is the third film we have made about the assault on Gaza since October 7th at Basement Films, and whilst none of them have been easy this became by far the most difficult. 'As ever we owe everything to our Palestinian colleagues on the ground; over 200 of whom have been killed by Israel, and the doctors and medics who trusted us with their stories. We want to apologise to the contributors and team for the long delay, and thank Channel 4 for enabling it to be seen.' What time is Gaza: Doctors Under Attack on? The documentary is set to be aired by Channel 4 tonight in the UK. It is due to start at 10pm and will run for just over an hour, finishing at approximately 11.05pm. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Gaza: Doctors Under Attack will be broadcast on TV and will also be available on demand. It will be available to watch on the Channel 4 app - the platform formerly known as All4/ 4OD.
