Beautiful shot and thoughtful, The First ultimately hits all the beats you expect it too, with no surprises. The First is a futuristic drama documenting the first manned mission to Mars. It’s set in the near future – the latter part of the 21st century – and as a result feels very contemporary, albeit with… Continue reading The First: No alarm and no surprises
Tag: television
Let women tell their own stories
When I saw the list of new drama commissioned by ITV this year I was heartened to see the focus on female characters seems to have shifted, but confused to see that all these female led shows are being written by men. This is dissatisfactory on several levels. Firstly, female characters written by men do… Continue reading Let women tell their own stories
Don’t write the first episode, write the third episode
Don’t write the first episode, write the third episode I’ve heard Sally Wainwright say this a few times. The gist of it being that you enter into the throw of the action, not before it begins. You can tell the story of how we got here numerous ways, but it’s the being here that’s important.… Continue reading Don’t write the first episode, write the third episode
Experiences, not things: watching telly get made
Spotting locations from Happy Valley has been a highlight of my recent visits to Calderdale. Not content, however, I embarked upon a journey to see some of it being filmed. It was amazing to see the work and dedication which goes into a single scene of television drama, which will amount to a matter of… Continue reading Experiences, not things: watching telly get made