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Good afternoon Insiders, been all hands to the pump this week but we bring you the very latest news and analysis. Please read on. |
Davie defiant: Monday and Tuesday delivered a whirlwind 48 hours for bosses at the UK's oldest public broadcaster. Reports into both the Gregg Wallace (and subsequently John Torode) MasterChef scandal and the Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone debacle (pictured) dropped almost simultaneously, bringing with them consequences and posing plenty more questions. By the time Director General Tim Davie's written response to a third scandal, the
Bob Vylan Glastonbury
brouhaha, dropped at 5.30 p.m. UK time, us journalists were exhausted. While it is impossible to 'rank' scandals, it is fair to say that Davie and co have been bruised by each landing on top of the other. The future of MasterChef is being brought into question, the Gaza doc has led to downright outrage from BBC employees on both sides of the debate, and the Bob Vylan controversy may still run and run. The BBC could therefore have picked a better day than Tuesday to host its Annual Report press briefing, a gathering during which Davie faced a relentless grilling over the issues of the day. While Tim wanted to talk about a solid set of financials (the BBC
hit record-high license fee takings and commercial revenue), it was scandal that dominated. Responding to a question from Deadline, however, Davie was unequivocal that he is the man for the job, as was his BBC Chair Samir Shah, who swooped in alongside him, declaring that Davie "has shown strength, confidence and decisive leadership in a very challenging environment.” The DG will hope he has less challenging weeks than this past one as his tenure at the very top of the BBC turns five. Missed anything?
Check out all our BBC coverage here.
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'Wake Up Dead Man': Anticipation is rising for the 50th edition of Toronto, which is traditionally regarded alongside Telluride as the unofficial North American kick-off for awards season. Our resident expert Anthony D'Alessandro reported on a wealth of world premiere additions on Wednesday, including Netflix’s Rian Johnson threequel Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Sony Pictures Classics’ Nicholas Hytner title The Choral, Miramax/Paramount’s Derek Cianfrance crime caper The Roofman, Paul Greengrass’ AppleTV+ movie The Lost Bus and Searchlight’s The Rental Family from Beef
episodic director Hikari. The latter Tokyo-set drama stars Brendan Fraser in his first major feature role since his 2022 Oscar-winning comeback performance in The Whale, which made its North American debut at Toronto. There is also the Canadian premiere of the highly-anticipated Hamnet from Oscar winning Nomadland filmmaker Chloe Zhao. Some serious movies for punters to get their teeth into. Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, said the pics "showcase the remarkable originality and excellence of today’s most exciting and acclaimed directors." Wake Up Dead Man in particular is a huge get. While Glass Onion, the second instalment in the A Knives Out
franchise, didn't quite light up with critics in the same way as the first, Johnson's trilogy has major star power and a big ol' tick in the originality box. As TIFF draws closer , we will be bringing you the latest. The fest, which runs from September 4 to 14, unveils its full schedule on August 14. For background reading, check out Zac's interview last month with fest boss Cameron Bailey.
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Journalists In Firing Line |
Timely reminders: Rarely does a week go by these days when we aren't all given a timely reminder of the dangers faced by journalists the world over when it comes to covering conflict. There were two big ones this week, both in the Middle East. Melanie reported Tuesday on CNN Jerusalem Correspondent Jeremy Diamond, who said Israeli settlers attacked the car
that he and his crew were traveling in as they visited the West Bank on assignment. "This is just a sliver of the reality many Palestinians face in the West Bank amid rising settler violence," he posted on X, while the Foreign Press Association described the incident as part of a rising cycle of settler violence against local and international journalists. A day later, dramatic footage emerged of a Syrian TV presenter
fleeing a news studio mid-broadcast after an Israeli airstrike on a building framed in the cityscape behind her was captured live on air. The footage is terrifying, showing Dima Abodan gasp and hunch before she makes a swift exit. These reminders can breed fear but show the world the realities of covering conflict. They also feel far too commonplace at present.
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Fluorescent 'Adolescence': Last decade, hits like Fleabag and The Crown led to something of a British Emmy invasion, as streamers started taking bigger and bigger bets on British shows. That invasion arose again with the nominations this week, as Adolescence, Netflix's second-most popular English language series of all time, bagged 13 noms, beating Baby Reindeer's tally from last year. The Adolescence actors had a particularly fruitful morning, with Stephen Graham, Erin Doherty, breakout Owen Cooper, Ashley Walters and Christine Tremarco all recognized. Cooper, who had never acted before appearing in what is arguably the show's best scene,
is the youngest ever nominee in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Anthology Series or Movie category. He told Jake he's now being roasted by Jacob Elordi on the set of Wuthering Heights. What a year. Meanwhile, it was a good night for now-Sir Gary Oldman, who is one of a number of nominees from the ever-strong
Slow Horses, while Brit Charlie Brooker was also recognized. The ceremony takes place September 16.
Big American shows in the running include Severance, The Penguin, The Studio and White Lotus. |
Next big thing: Interested observers from the formats world must have been keeping tabs on Korea's Physical 100 for a while. This, for sure, could be the next global thing, so it was perhaps unsurprising when a casting call was put out by Netflix seeking 100 American competitors for a U.S. version, with the streamer then confirming that a European equivalent is currently in development. Physical 100 is good telly. The original Korean series stars a cast of top athletes, celebrities and elite military professionals facing off in grueling physical and mental quests. The American show comes from A. Smith & Co. Productions, the indie behind popular reality shows like American Ninja Warrior and
I Survived a Japanese Game Show, so the team has chops. Coming off the back of the success of Netflix's Squid Game: The Challenge, which has a third season in the works before the second has even aired, mega global Korean formats appear to be having yet another moment. We'll be keen to see how this one pans out.
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