Latest news with #MrBates
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Netflix EMEA Chief Puts ‘Mr Bates' Debate To Bed: 'We Absolutely Would Have Commissioned It In The UK'
Netflix EMEA boss Larry Tanz has put the Mr Bates vs the Post Office debate to bed. That debate over whether a streamer would have commissioned a local show like the ITV breakout hit has been raging for the past 18 months and Tanz, whose team has recently had success with Adolescence, strove to kill it off at today's Deloitte Conference in London. More from Deadline Sony's Wayne Garvie Roasts "Ridiculous" Channel 4 In-House Plan: "It Could Be Potentially Disastrous" BBC Director General Floats Concerning Vision Of Future Where "People Don't Care" About Nation's Oldest Public Broadcaster Sky Boss Dana Strong Raises Artificial Intelligence Copyright Concerns: "I Can't Fathom How A Small Producer Keeps Up" 'Maybe this is finally my chance,' said Tanz. '[Netflix UK boss] Anne Mensah and her team in the UK commissioned Adolescence, Baby Reindeer and Toxic Town for the UK audience first and foremost. Maybe I can finally put that to bed here and say we absolutely would have commissioned Mr Bates in the UK. We think our audience would love it.' Tanz's shutdown of the debate was unsurprising given that Netflix has found such success with local UK hits of late. Adolescence has been killing it and is now nearing Stranger Things in becoming Netflix's second most watched English-language series of all time. Ironically, top execs at the BBC and Channel 4 have recently said they could not have afforded Adolescence, which was made via an expensive one-take style and starred Stephen Graham, Erin Doherty and Ashley Walters. Since the BAFTA-winning Mr Bates aired to millions in early 2024, debate has raged over the death of truly local British programming. Earlier at the Deloitte Conf, ITV programs boss Kevin Lygo joked that the show has made 's***loads' of money via international sales. He has frequently said it made a loss even though the stars took paycuts. While Tanz confirmed Netflix would have commissioned Mr Bates, Amazon's ex-UK MD Chris Bird recently said the opposite, with Bird acknowledging that the ITV smash was 'too British' to have been commissioned by an American streamer. Tanz clearly disagrees. Tanz, who oversees thousands of hours of content across Netflix EMEA, was speaking at the Deloitte and Enders Media & Telecoms 2025 and Beyond Conference after BBC boss Tim Davie and alongside Sony international boss Wayne Garvie. Best of Deadline 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More Everything We Know About 'Nobody Wants This' Season 2 So Far List Of Hollywood & Media Layoffs From Paramount To Warner Bros Discovery To CNN & More
Leader Live
13 hours ago
- Business
- Leader Live
‘Ridiculous' for Channel 4 to start making in-house TV shows, says Sony
Under a new strategy, launched in May, the broadcaster unveiled how it would start to develop in-house production capabilities with a separate company focused on 'entertainment, reality and entertainment genres with international potential'. Wayne Garvie, the president of international production at Sony Pictures Television, whose company is behind Netflix hit Cobra Kai and Starz series Outlander, told the Media and Telecoms 2025 and Beyond Conference in London on Tuesday that Channel 4's plan is 'ridiculous' and 'it won't work'. He added that those 'who run in-house production businesses' know that when you start 'you lose money for the first three years'. He claimed that Channel 4 is doing this without owning many intellectual rights or having an 'institutional knowledge of how to run a production business'. Mr Garvie said: 'It could be potentially disastrous for Channel 4, because it's got limited resources. It's got to adapt to a change in (the) broadcast market.' However, he did praise outgoing Channel 4 chief executive Alex Mahon with helping the broadcaster continue, but pointed out that even with 'good people' it is going to take half a decade to make money. Mr Garvie said the UK having multiple public broadcasters is 'unsustainable', and added: 'The future has got to be, surely, Channel 4 and the BBC coming together, and that should be the focus for a new chair of Channel 4 (who replaces Sir Ian Cheshire).' Netflix's vice president of content for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Larry Tanz, dismissed that the streaming giant would not have commissioned Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, at the event, which is hosted by Enders Analysis and Deloitte at Convene Sancroft in the St Paul's area. '(Vice president of UK Content at Netflix) Anne Mensah, and her team in the UK, commissioned Adolescence, Baby Reindeer and Toxic Town for the UK audience first and foremost,' he said. 'Maybe I can finally put that to rest here and say we absolutely would have commissioned Mr Bates in the UK if we had the opportunity, we think our audience would have loved it.' It follows Wolf Hall director Peter Kosminsky, who has pushed for a levy on streaming companies to finance public broadcasters, which include ITV, BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5. Mr Kosminsky told the BBC Two current affairs programme Newsnight that Adolescence, which explores themes such as incel culture and bullying and has been a global hit for Netflix, is a 'fantastic programme', but the streaming giant would not make the show if it was not successful outside the UK. He claimed that streamers would not make issue-led dramas such as Mr Bates Vs The Post Office and Hillsborough as they are too British-focused, and voiced concerns that public broadcasters do not have the money to finance such commissions.
Times
21-05-2025
- Health
- Times
The British Blood Scandal: Poisoned at School — an utterly damning film
Forty years since the NHS's worst medical disaster emerged, the details are horrifying us all over again. Sure, it's hardly as if the scandal of how infected blood killed some 3,000 British people went away (the Sunday Times campaign has been banging the drum for decades), but there may be many today only vaguely aware of it, even after last year's inquiry findings. Until last night at least. Now ITV has got on it and it's being billed as 'the Mr Bates of the NHS'. The channel is becoming the market leader in fuelling national outrage, and all power to it. Anyone who hadn't known much about this national disgrace will have been left dumbfounded by The British Blood Scandal: Poisoned at School, a
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Bafta TV awards' biggest shocks and surprises
The Bafta TV awards last night was a battle between Baby Reindeer and Mr Bates Vs. The Post Office aka a battle between the originality of shows offered by the likes of streaming services, versus the ongoing resonance and power of public service broadcasting. Baby Reindeer had the most nominations, and Richard Gadd had already won in the writing category at last month's Craft Awards. Yet, the Post Office scandal had created a rarity in televisual history: pressure at the highest levels of government and genuine public outrage. Baby Reindeer was one of the most popular Netflix originals in the streamer's history when it debuted. Yet, Mr Bates had upwards of 15 million viewers. And here, both shows were up for Limited Drama. It was Richard Gadd vs Toby Jones for Lead Actor. Now, I know what you're thinking… weren't these shows on absolutely ages ago? It's one of the biggest questions that I get asked about the TV Baftas. The shows celebrate the very best programmes of the year, but the calendar year, which meant that shows that aired all the way back at the start of 2024 were eligible. Perhaps the Baftas could be more current, but it takes time for the juries to choose the overall winner. And lo and behold, Mr Bates aired right back on 1 January, 2024. Yet, the Baftas are a great litmus of how the television industry is coping with our changing viewing habits, and with new rivals with considerable spending power. In the end, both the streamers and the likes of ITV had something to be proud of, with Jessica Gunning winning Supporting Actor, whilst Mr Bates beat Baby Reindeer in the coveted Limited Series category. In the end, Richard Gadd and Toby Jones were not the winner of Lead Actor, with Lennie James for the BBC's Mr Loverman coming out on top. Yet, despite no show dominating the awards last night, you wonder how much we're at a tipping point. Drama on public service broadcasters is in a considerable crisis, with rising costs and a squeeze on the amount of money making it far harder for important dramas to be getting to the screen in the first place. And streaming services have been doing a series of thought provoking state-of-the-nation dramas that feel very similar to ones you see on public service broadcasters: Netflix's Adolescence and Toxic Town. Suspect — Jeff Pope's thought-provoking new limited drama on the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes — a very important British story, is on Disney+. All of these dramas will be eligible at next year's ceremony (which means, yes, Owen Cooper and Erin Doherty will be likely nominees in May 2026). If these shows do well at the awards, which certainly feels likely, it'll be harder for the likes of the BBC to argue that what it makes is distinctively different from what you can pay a subscription for, at a time of licence fee renewal and the BBC's future hanging in the air. Elsewhere, last night there was probably a lot of relief by Bafta organisers that the finale of Gavin & Stacey won one of the two awards they were nominated for, with Ruth Jones taking for Female Comedy Performance ("this is cracking," she told the crowd in the voice of Nessa). The talk of the audience last night was how on Earth the much-loved sitcom had not been nominated for Scripted Comedy, despite an acclaimed finale and upwards of 20 million viewers. If the show had walked away with nothing, it would have been as baffling as the time the acclaimed Russell T Davies' series It's A Sin received the most nominations, and yet won nothing on the big night itself. Still, there were a couple of big shocks last night, with Channel 4's The Jury: Murder Trial beating series two of The Traitors. Yes! The one with Diane and her fizzy rosé! The one where everyone yelled at Harry! The Jury is a show that is all based around whether a filmed trial makes the same verdict as the real one. It casually makes you wonder what was discussed behind closed doors that somehow made Murder Trial come up on top. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BAFTA (@bafta) The other shock? Sophie William winning Scripted Comedy for Alma's Not Normal. The shock not being her win, but saying that she wasn't going to swear, and then said the word "s***". Still, not as bad as Danny Dyer, who won for Mr Big Stuff for Scripted Comedy, proceeding to accidentally say "f***" and "f***ing" (by my count) no less than four times in his acceptance speech in less than a minute. The whole ceremony was broadcast on a taped delay, but in my opinion the Bafta's Best Editing prize should have gone to the person editing his Dyer's acceptance speech. The Bafta TV Awards are streaming on BBC iPlayer.
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Jessie J reveals why she she had to 'push through' TV BAFTA performance as she admits: 'I'm sure people could see me struggling'
Jessie J has admitted she was 'struggling' during her TV BAFTA performance because she was battling with acid reflux. The singer, 37, marked her grand return to the stage during Sunday night's ceremony at the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall. Jessie was praised by fans for her incredible vocals on The Award Goes To - her first TV performance in six years. Yet taking to Instagram after the show she revealed she wasn't feeling her best, and suspected other people might have noticed. She penned: 'My acid reflux about 2 hours before my performance on the BAFTAs tonight said "HELLO JESS. People who know how that is (or singers) I'm sure could see me struggling but I threw the mic stand and pushed through.' Jessie continued: 'I love life. It's never perfect but it is real. Grateful to be back and remembering how mad and magical this whole thing is. There is no hiding in these streets.' Prior to her performance, Jessie said it was an 'honour' to be asked by BAFTA. She said: 'I haven't sung on British television in years. What a way to come back, it's an honour. But who will the award go to, that's the question.' Mr. Bates vs The Post Office led the big winners of the evening, scoring two more awards to add to the ground-breaking ITV show's ever-growing list of accolades. However, it was the BBC who came out on top, scoring 17 wins in total after a year of triumphant programming, in the ceremony - presented this year by actor Alan Cumming. While Netflix smash Baby Reindeer and the climactic Gavin & Stacey Christmas special also won key awards. Widely expected to claim much of Sunday evening's spotlight, Mr. Bates vs The Post Office picked up an early award for Limited Drama. Accepting the gong from Russell Tovey and Daniel Mays, producer Patrick Spencer said: 'We could only film this because Polly Hill at ITV saved us from getting cancelled and this story only had the impact it did because the people who watched it stood up as one and demanded action with such rage, that the government had no choice but to respond. 'Our show didn't change the law, the people of this nation did. They showed in their response to Mr. Bates vs The Post Office that our country cannot abide liars and bullies.' He added: 'May it be a warning to those who are supposed to have our backs, that they better not abuse their power. 2025 BAFTA TV AWARD WINNERS AT A GLANCE Drama Series - Blue Lights (BBC One) Limited Drama - Mr Bates vs the Post Office (ITV1) International - Shogun (Disney+) - WINNER Scripted Comedy - Alma's Not Normal (BBC Two) Entertainment - Would I Lie To You? (BBC One) Entertainment Performance - Joe Lycett, Late Night Lycett (Channel 4) Strictly Come Dancing: Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell's Waltz to You'll Never Walk Alone (BBC One) Factual Entertainment - Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour (BBC Two) Factual Series - To Catch a Copper (Channel 4) Specialist Factual - Atomic People (BBC Two) Live Event Coverage - Glastonbury 2024 (BBC Two) News Coverage - BBC Breakfast: Post Office Special (BBC One) Single Documentary - Ukraine: Enemy In The Woods (BBC Two) Leading Actress - Marisa Abela, Industry (BBC One) Leading Actor - Lennie James, Mr Loverman (BBC One) Supporting Actress - Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer (Netflix) Supporting Actor - Ariyon Bakare, Mr Loverman (BBC One) Female Performance in a Comedy - Ruth Jones, Gavin & Stacey (BBC One) Male Performance in a Comedy - Danny Dyer, Mr Big Stuff (Sky Comedy) Reality - The Jury: Murder Trial (Channel 4) Soap - EastEnders (BBC One) Daytime - Clive Myrie's Caribbean Adventure (BBC Two) - WINNER Current Affairs - State of Rage (Channel 4) Shortform - Quiet Life (BBC Three) Sport - Paris 2024 Olympics (BBC Sport) Children's Non Scripted - FYI Investigates: Disability and Me (Sky Kids) Children's Scripted - CBeebies As You Like It at Shakespeare's Globe (CBeebies) 'When accepting this award, we would like to go on record that being trusted by the post-masters to tell their story has been the greatest privilege of our lives.' ITV went on to claim a Special Award, presented by Baroness Floella Benjamin - for its work in commissioning Mr. Bates vs The Post Office. Urging Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's Labour government to rush through arranged compensation payments for affected former postal employees, ITV boss Kevin Lygo said: 'Hurry up and pay these people what they are due.' The night began with Jessica Gunning collecting the award for Best Actress after winning accolades for her portrayal of crazed stalker Martha in Richard Gatt's hugely successful Netflix drama Baby Reindeer. Danny Dyer then forced the BBC to do some quick editing, after he let slip several swear words during his acceptance speech for best Male Performance in a Comedy. The actor, 47, won his first BAFTA for his role as Lee in Mr. Bigstuff, and allowed his excitement to get the better of him in his typically expletive-laden speech. After first saying: 'F***ing hell, I'm choked up', the EastEnders star then shared a sweet and hilarious tribute to Mr. Bigstuff writer and his co-star Ryan Sampson, which led him to turning the air blue once more. Danny said: 'But I got to dedicate this to Ryan Sampson. One of the greatest things to come out of Rotherham. Which is not saying much. Mr. Bates vs The Post Office led the big winners of the evening, scoring two more awards to add to the ground-breaking ITV show's ever-growing list of accolades (Toby Jones, Monica Dolan and Alan Bates pictured) Danny Dyer then forced the BBC to do some quick editing, after he let slip several swear words during his acceptance speech for best Male Performance in a Comedy 'But one of the best actors this country's ever produced, I'm telling you. Never done the same thing twice. Which is not something I can say. 'He wrote this part for me, so you know... I'm getting choked up again, f**k me. So you won this for me mate, I really appreciate it, thank you so much.' He finished by addressing his two daughters Dani, 28, and Sunnie, 18, who were sat in the audience and took the opportunity to swear one last time, declaing: 'Girls, Sunnie and Dani. I've done it girls, I've f***ing done it!' However, the BBC were less than impressed by the star breaking the watershed, with host Alan being forced to say: 'I've been asked to apologise for the naughty language there.' And when the moment was aired just an hour later, the broadcaster made sure to trim down Danny's speech and cut out all of his curses. Alan later accidentally let slip a swear word of his own, while presenting the prestigious BAFTA Fellowship award to journalist Kirsty Wark. The Scottish star suffered an unfortunate blunder by mistakenly introducing the award as the 'b*****d fellowship', and upon realising his error, the mortified actor let loose yet another swear, as he sheepishly muttered: 'Oh f*** me!' The Fellowship is the highest accolade bestowed by BAFTA upon an individual in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, games or television. It was a special night for Ruth Jones, who accepted the award for female Performance in a Comedy after playing the iconic Nessa for a final time in December's Gavin & Stacey finale Kirsty was honoured for her unwavering dedication and unmatched legacy in the world of news and current affairs broadcasting. It was also a special night for Ruth Jones, who accepted the award for female Performance in a Comedy after playing the iconic Nessa for a final time in December's Gavin & Stacey finale. Accepting the award from Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall, she said: 'I really wasn't expecting this, so I wanted to thank the wonderful cast. 'Huge thank you to the BBC, such a fantastic institution which I am so proud to have worked with so many times.' Turning to her writing partner, Ruth added: 'The person I would like to thank most is my dear, kind and talented friend James Corden, with whom I have shared this astonishing journey for 17-years and without whom Vanessa Shanessa Jenson would not have existed.' Hinting at the potential of a new TV project with James, she said: 'I love you James, I love writing with you. Long may it continue.' However the show suffered disappointment in the P&O Cruises Memorable Moment category, with blind comedian Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell's Strictly Come Dancing waltz beating Smithy's wedding to the accolade. Scooping one of the biggest awards of the night, British star Marisa Abela won the Leading Actress accolade for her starring role in BBC hit Industry. Collecting her award, the tearful actress said: 'I've been filming Industry for about six years now and (production company) Bad Wolf and HBO, the fact that they let us carry on after season one is mental.' She also said she booked the BBC series, about a group of young finance graduates, in her first year of drama school and said the role of Yasmin 'changed my life' as she has gone on to play the late singer Amy Winehouse in the film Back To Black. Over in the category for Leading Actor, Rivals star David Tennant - one of the favourites for the award - lost out to Lennie James for his starring role in BBC show Mr Loverman. A shocked Lennie admitted he hadn't prepared a speech, as he 'didn't think this was coming my way'. It was the second award of the night for Mr Loverman, with Lennie's co-star Ariyon Bakare winning the Supporting Actor gong earlier that night and giving an emotional speech that moved much of the audience. Popular BBC show Would I Lie To You claimed the Entertainment Programme accolade, with stars Lee Mack, Rob Brydon and David Mitchell causing the audience to crack up with their usual witty banter. David said: 'We have been nominated eight times but this is the first time we have won. They actually abolished the category we were nominated for last year and so we thought next year we would be nominated in news, maybe a short-form drama on something that Prince Andrew has done.' Robert Rinder and Rylan Clark also found themselves among the winners, with BBC show Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour winning the Factual Entertainment award. Elsewhere Joe Lycett beat Stacey Solomon, Romesh Ranganathan, Claudia Winkleman, Graham Norton, Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly to the Entertainment Performance award for Channel 4 show Late Night Lycett. Meanwhile, Glastonbury won its first TV BAFTA in an astonishing 33-years for the BBC's extensive Live Event Coverage of the event at Somerset's Worthy Farm. EastEnders also got in on the act, with the long-running BBC flagship claiming the award for Best Soap as it celebrates its milestone 40th anniversary. The broadcasting giant claimed another gong courtesy of BBC Breakfast, with the morning show winning its first ever TV BAFTA for their Post Office Special. The glitzy ceremony also saw powerful musical performances from pop stars Jessie J and Tom Grennan, marking Jessie's first TV performance in six years. And award-winning concert violinist and social media sensation Esther Abrami performed Apple Tree for the In Memoriam tribute to the TV stars that passed away this year.
