Continuing drama is key to addressing TV’s class challenge

James Graham’s MacTaggart was a call to arms, swiftly met by a chorus of support from industry leaders – and a wave of scepticism from TV creatives on social media. While there was appreciation that the case for working class inclusion had been voiced with such passion, few were convinced anything will really change. What will broadcasters actually do to shift the dial?

Should it be a new Play For The Day? Bespoke training? The vetting of roles? James challenged commissioners to find new ways to facilitate opportunities for working class talent.

As with any attempt to increase diversity, the solutions are only as good as the institutions who back them. So here’s my starter for ten: if we want to enable working class (and all under-represented) talent to build a career in our industry then we need to start by getting over our snobbery about long-running dramas.

Then – and here’s the tricky bit – we need to start investing in new ones that can rival the very best of our drama output.

Having exec’d EastEnders and Casualty, I’ve seen how brilliant these shows are for developing diverse talent both on and off-screen. But I have also seen this talent struggle to get work beyond the world of continuing drama.

Agents warn their clients about the stigma of being labelled a ‘soap’ director if they do more than a few episodes. ‘High-end’ producers talk darkly about actors picking up ‘bad habits’ if they stay too long. Writers are written off for being too ‘soapy’, and journalist Mark Lawson suggested Bafta drop the soap category altogether.

The bottom line is that few people in the industry actually watch soaps or continuing dramas, despite them being integral viewing for millions of the working-class audience.

James is right: the definition of ‘working class’ stretches beyond wealth. But practically, getting into and staying in the industry is all about money. Freelance creatives gravitate towards returning dramas because they offer the kind of job security that’s needed if you don’t have independent wealth to fall back on.

Those same creatives – some of the very best in the industry - then find themselves unable to get work beyond these shows. They are punished for having to earn a living in the first place, despite now having hours of experience and training.

Until long running dramas are viewed as a talent pipeline to the wider industry, issues of unfair representation and inclusion will remain. If the industry is serious about becoming more inclusive, then new, innovative long running dramas are the answer.

This isn’t a case for more soaps but an argument for the kind of creative thinking that would enable producers to make drama series of 12 or 18 parts that rival the quality of their six-part siblings.

Smart thinking key to reducing costs

Obviously, the financial risk of this is not insubstantial – especially when the costs of making drama have become so ludicrously high. But let’s reflect on the second big scripted take-away from the festival: the current model of financing drama is untenable. Experienced drama producers all said the same thing; we are simply going to have to find ways to make drama for less.

High-quality, lower cost, long running shows are the answer.

Yes, that means very clever thinking about the dramas we conceive in this space: precinct-based with a minimal need for VFX, CGI or stunts; they may not be star-lead; producers may need to work with BECTU/PACT to look at new rates; writers may need to accept a different level of fee.

We may need to embrace the collective authorship of a talented writers’ room rather than handing sole responsibility to one gifted screenwriter. But given the shadow of unemployment stretches into all corners of the scripted world, doesn’t it make sense to spend budgets more equitably across a wider range of talent?

Unlike the naysayers, I believe the change James Graham outlined can happen. Working at an indie that places diversity at the heart of its mission, there is a sense of hope that things can change.

But the industry needs to recognise the asset that is already under its nose: the wealth of talent and immense potential that exists in long running continuing drama.

Jon Sen is joint managing director and executive producer at Esmerelda Productions, and a former executive producer of EastEnders and Casualty