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The TV Commissioner

(March 2016)

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SA
SA100
I have worked in Television for around 6 years, over that time I have noticed the commissioner having greater input. I was in the production office last week and the series producer was on the phone to the channel discussing or rather getting told what outfit the presenter will be wearing. I just wondered if anyone else has come across this or similar behaviour. Is this good for creativity? I can understand the over arching and big editorial questions need to be discussed with the broadcaster who is investing few hundred grand in a project. But what the presenter is wearing? What I found most worrying is that the producer was just happy to obey and follow orders. Is that the point of programme making? Would the BFI tell film directors what XYZ should wear? Suggest maybe but tell..
JO
Jon
He who pays the piper calls the tune.
CI
cityprod
Jon posted:
He who pays the piper calls the tune.


True enough, but in some situations, it smacks of unnecessary micro management. This is one of those situations.

It feels equivalent to a story about the first Star Wars film where 20th Century Fox executives wanted Chewbacca to be wearing trousers. Thankfully, George Lucas didn't follow that particular dictat.
MR
mr_vivian
Well, what you wear can be really important when it comes to the tone of a programme. (e.g.) If you read the news in a pair of ripped jeans it's not right for the programme.

My employer tells me what I should and shouldn't wear so I don't see a difference in this case.

The commissioner has a vision of how everything should look and at the end of the day they are steering the ship since they agreed to commission it so to me it makes total sense.
WH
Whataday Founding member
It feels equivalent to a story about the first Star Wars film where 20th Century Fox executives wanted Chewbacca to be wearing trousers. Thankfully, George Lucas didn't follow that particular dictat.


I hope any executive would intervene if it was proposed a TV presenter should do it without trousers.
SP
Steve in Pudsey
In the week where newspapers have had a go at Jeremy Kyle's lack of tie and alleged that Rick Stein has sponsored shirts it seems reasonable to make sure there will be no simular issues.
CI
cityprod
It feels equivalent to a story about the first Star Wars film where 20th Century Fox executives wanted Chewbacca to be wearing trousers. Thankfully, George Lucas didn't follow that particular dictat.


I hope any executive would intervene if it was proposed a TV presenter should do it without trousers.


You can say that 10 years after Mythbusters' Grant Imahara went down to his undies to test beating a thermal alarm, from the Crimes & Myth-demeanours episode? And what about all those chat TV channels with ladies in their lingerie?

Oh and what about women in skirts and dresses? No trousers there.

If we're not beyond such small-minded thinking, then god help us all.
CI
cityprod
In the week where newspapers have had a go at Jeremy Kyle's lack of tie and alleged that Rick Stein has sponsored shirts it seems reasonable to make sure there will be no simular issues.


And you think those are appropriate examples why?

Any newspaper citing Jeremy Kyle's lack of wearing of tie, is living in the past. I see plenty of gentleman looking smart in suits without a tie, and a formal shirt with the open collar, just like Jeremy wears. Having no tie is no crime.

Rick Stein having sponsored shirts may be a little bit of a deal, but in an era when product placement is allowable, it's hardly a big deal at this point, compared to what it would have been 20 years ago.
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
It feels equivalent to a story about the first Star Wars film where 20th Century Fox executives wanted Chewbacca to be wearing trousers. Thankfully, George Lucas didn't follow that particular dictat.


I hope any executive would intervene if it was proposed a TV presenter should do it without trousers.


You can say that 10 years after Mythbusters' Grant Imahara went down to his undies to test beating a thermal alarm, from the Crimes & Myth-demeanours episode?


That's a segment in a wider programme; there's a difference between wearing no trousers for the sake of an experiment and wearing no trousers just because. You could say the same thing about Jon Tickle when he walked on custard in that Brainiac episode.

Quote:
And what about all those chat TV channels with ladies in their lingerie?


They're adult channels, that's the whole point of them, any adult channel with fully clothed ladies isn't going to be particularly successful...
DV
dvboy
I think cityprod's questions were rhetorical. Rolling Eyes
CI
cityprod

I hope any executive would intervene if it was proposed a TV presenter should do it without trousers.


You can say that 10 years after Mythbusters' Grant Imahara went down to his undies to test beating a thermal alarm, from the Crimes & Myth-demeanours episode?


That's a segment in a wider programme; there's a difference between wearing no trousers for the sake of an experiment and wearing no trousers just because. You could say the same thing about Jon Tickle when he walked on custard in that Brainiac episode.


And that's exactly my point. There are situations where various states of undress are considered appropriate, even necessary. So why are some in the extremist media getting so hung up about Jeremy Kyle not wearing a tie? It makes about as much sense as asking a fish to ride a bicycle underwater.
SA
SA100
To be clear, there were four outfits bought by a stylist A B C D. Producer and talent like C but TVC wanted A. Outfit A was worn. Surely those decisions can be made by the production team. The TV Commissioners role is to commission some one else's vision and make sure they stick to it. The programme makers vision needs to sit within the tone of the channel. Isn't that the commissioner job? Give the programme the right budget, right marketing and fight for the best slot. Or is it Showrunning via email and phone. Doesn't the audience deserve passionate and enthusiastic people making the shows and given some level of creative freedom?

As a crew member that usually doesnt listen to the waffle, I was just surprised at the level of control. Having worked on UK films I haven't seen BFI tell the director what the actress should be wearing.
Last edited by SA100 on 30 March 2016 12:55pm

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