TV Real April 2022

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APRIL 2022 EDITION

Wildlife Docs / Uplands Television’s David Olusoga

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CONTENTS

A Call to Action

FEATURE WILD SIDE

A look at the latest trends in natural-history content, from innovations in filming technology to an increased focus on environmental awareness.

In time for the COP26 Climate Summit last year, the Behavioural Insights Team, working with Sky, issued a report on how television can be used to inspire viewers to change their lifestyles and reduce their carbon footprints.

Ricardo Seguin Guise Publisher Anna Carugati Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani Editor Kristin Brzoznowski Executive Editor Chelsea Regan Managing Editor Jamie Stalcup Associate Editor David Diehl Production & Design Director Simon Weaver Online Director Dana Mattison Senior Sales & Marketing Manager Genovick Acevedo Sales & Marketing Coordinator Andrea Moreno Business Affairs Manager

Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development TV Real ©2022 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website: www.tvreal.com

“Mass media, such as television, can play a pivotal role in encouraging consumers to decarbonize,” the Behavioural Insights Team said in issuing its report. “The majority of future emissions reductions—63 percent—will need to come from changes in how we travel, how we power and heat our homes, what we eat and what we buy. It seems only logical that broadcasters should use their unique platform to improve viewer knowledge, challenge their attitudes and inspire them to take action against climate change.”

Noting that some 4.3 billion people watch TV every day around the world, the Behavioural Insights Team argues that television has the power to encourage consumers to alter their ways, noting that one in three viewers have said that a TV program inspired them to make a change in their lives.

And wildlife docs are key in that effort, according to the broad range of executives we surveyed for a story in this edition on the latest developments in the genre.

We also take a deep dive into history programming with acclaimed British broadcaster David Olusoga, who set up Uplands Television with producer Mike Smith five years ago to make editorially and visually distinctive factual pieces for broadcasters and platforms in the U.K. and elsewhere. And while the pubcaster funding model faces questions in the U.K., Olusoga is bullish about the state of the high-end history documentary market, telling me, “One thing that feels notable about this period, which has as much to do with the podcast revolution as with the expansion of channels, is that people love stories. It seems to me that we’re struggling to grasp all the opportunities rather than trying to scan the horizon and see opportunities.” Olusoga is also of the belief that history docs are more important than ever, given the ridiculous “critical race theory” debate that has resulted in books being banned in some U.S. schools. “TV history can play an amazing role in this. TV history can reveal forgotten histories.

It can reveal them full of remarkable people. It can tell stories.

These are our histories; these are shared histories. There is a generation of young people who want to know these histories. They don’t feel threatened by these histories; they don’t feel these histories are divisive. They feel these histories are revelatory.”

—Mansha Daswani

GET DAILY NEWS ON FACTUAL TV

INTERVIEW

DAVID OLUSOGA The historian, producer and broadcaster discusses the new slate at Uplands Television, including a doc on the British empire, and his work behind and in front of the camera.

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Albatross World Sales Superbirds—The Secret Life of Tits / Why We Dance / Archipelago New York Albatross World Sales’ slate includes the nature and wildlife documentary Superbirds—The Secret Life of Tits, taking viewers into the entertaining and dangerous world of the brave little birds. The film delves deep into tits’ charisma and versatility. The science documentary Why We Dance provides a bold exploration of dance as an emergent phenomenon in evolution. The film “builds toward the thesis that, while we are all subject to the universe’s rhythms, and while dance is a continuum across species, humans are unique in that we cannot not dance,” says Lisa Anna Schelhas, sales director for Western Europe, the Nordics, Americas and Australia. Also on the slate, Archipelago New York takes viewers on a journey to discover the New York archipelago’s geography and nature, including dolphins, whales and seals.

“We’re bringing more projects in production or development to MIPTV than ever before.”

Why We Dance

—Lisa Anna Schelhas

APT Worldwide Hitler’s Mein Kampf: Prelude to the Holocaust / Sex, Lies and the Priesthood / J Schwanke’s Life in Bloom The history documentary Hitler’s Mein Kampf: Prelude to the Holocaust leads APT Worldwide’s highlights. The hour-long film looks at Hitler’s manifesto in a new light and is “very topical with the rise of white nationalism around the world today,” notes Judy Barlow, VP of international sales. The documentary Sex, Lies and the Priesthood demonstrates how one man’s contributions helped unmask the global issue of clergy sex abuse. Meanwhile, the lifestyle series J Schwanke’s Life in Bloom shows viewers how to have fun with flowers while offering a message of wellness. APT also has a variety of other new series on offer, including the lifestyle show Welcome to My Farm and the factual programs Frank Ferrante’s Groucho, The Bob Ross Experience and Secrets of Sacred Architecture.

“APT Worldwide always strives to offer content that is captivating and informative.”

—Judy Barlow

J Schwanke’s Life in Bloom

End of the Rope

Beyond Rights End of the Rope / Loot / Santa Claus the Serial Killer A new ob-doc series that offers a look into the world of rope access technicians, Big Coat Media’s End of the Rope leads Beyond Rights’ slate of factual highlights. It follows Trask Bradbury and his team as they take on gravitydefying work on dams, bridges, rollercoasters and statues across the U.S. “We have high hopes that this series will return,” says David Smyth, CEO of Beyond Rights. From EQ Media Group, Loot investigates the thriving stolen antiquities and art trade. Santa Claus the Serial Killer, produced by Forest, follows journalist Mobeen Azhar as he investigates a 2018 killing spree in Toronto. “It is a very contemporary and thought-provoking look at how society’s ignorance, bias and bigotry can allow terrible crimes to go unchecked,” says Smyth.

“We have a fresh new slate of factual content in all our key genres.”

—David Smyth 166 WORLD SCREEN 4/22

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Murder: First on Scene

BossaNova Hindenburg: The Cover-Up / The Big Sex Talk / Murder: First on Scene From AMS Pictures, the BossaNova highlight Hindenburg: The Cover-Up explores new theories and documents that point to a possible cover-up regarding the German passenger airship across two 60-minute episodes.

Produced by Noble Television for CBC Gem, The Big Sex Talk delves into topical issues about sex while debunking some popular myths on the subject. Murder: First on Scene, made by Phoenix Television for CBS Reality, features five American episodes and five U.K. ones that each follow a police investigation that starts with the discovery of a body.

“All three shows carry a seminal appeal,” says Tatjana Kostovski, senior sales manager of BossaNova. “Buyers love a mystery, true crime is as popular as ever, and an eye-catching noisy series is on the menu or wish list for most platforms.”

“We know as much as ever about what buyers want, and this slate reflects that.”

—Tatjana Kostovski

Secrets of the Universe

Curiosity Secrets of the Universe / Doug to the Rescue Season 2 / Planet Insect Secrets of the Universe, which takes viewers along on adventures to uncover the truth about the universe’s enduring mysteries, is among the titles that Curiosity is spotlighting. The company also has on offer the second season of Doug to the Rescue, which sees aerial cinematographer Doug Thron use his cutting-edge infrared drone to find and rescue animals around the world across five episodes. In the three-parter Planet Insect, audiences will get a glimpse of the world of insects, which bears unexpected similarities to the human world. “Our high-quality factual content is brand-safe for all providers across all platforms,” says Bakori Davis, Curiosity’s managing director and head of international distribution. “We tell real stories about real people that satisfy customers’ appetites to know more about the world around them.”

“We’re eager to meet with potential partners about their needs and how Curiosity can deliver on them.”

—Bakori Davis

GRB Studios Death Walker with Nick Groff / Down to Earth with Zac Efron / On the Case with Paula Zahn GRB Studios’ Death Walker with Nick Groff sees the titular paranormal investigator delve into the origins of some of the most notorious hauntings in America. The series “constantly pushes the boundaries of our understanding of the afterlife,” says Hud Woodle, executive VP of international sales and operations. Also in the GRB Studios catalog, Down to Earth with Zac Efron sends the actor into the far corners of the world and “is simply the perfect mix of lighthearted travel and culinary adventures with a crucial ecological premise,” Woodle says. The crime series On the Case with Paula Zahn explores real murder mysteries through in-depth interviews with those closest to the cases and examinations of the forensic evidence.

“GRB is thrilled to return to the actual MIPTV floor representing a vast slate for international audiences.”

—Hud Woodle 168 WORLD SCREEN 4/22

Death Walker with Nick Groff

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Rive Gauche The Case Against Cosby / In Their Own Words / Disaster Déjà Vu Rive Gauche is bringing to MIPTV The Case Against Cosby, which follows the pursuit of justice by survivor Andrea Constand and her case against Bill Cosby. Featuring interviews, archive and animated content, In Their Own Words offers portraits of such world-famous names as Elon Musk, Pope Francis, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Chuck Berry, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Diana, Princess of Wales. “The individuals that are highlighted in both The Case Against Cosby and In Their Own Words were at one point inspirational figures all over the world, and there is an insatiable appetite to learn more about them,” says Marine Ksadzhikyan, COO and executive VP of sales. Disaster Déjà Vu tells the stories of cities that have been struck by disaster not once but twice.

The Case Against Cosby

“We can’t wait to see our amazing colleagues and learn from them the trends they see in their markets.”

—Marine Ksadzhikyan

Terra Mater Studios Once Upon a Time in Tsavo / Space Mission Senegal / Alien Contact Among Terra Mater Studios’ top factual programming highlights, Once Upon a Time in Tsavo travels to Kenya to give viewers an up-close look at a waterhole, the center of the world for a diverse selection of animal species. “The special way a waterhole forms—an unplanned cooperation between termites and elephants—and how it is a giver of life is the starting point of this captivating, emotional adventure,” says Sabine Holzer, head of specialist factual at Terra Mater. Space Mission Senegal centers on a Senegalese scientist, Maram Kaire, and his mission to find the asteroid Orus and capture a three-second occultation.

An underwater adventure, Alien Contact sees sci-fi writer Chris Carter and filmmaker and marine biologist Rick Rosenthal go on a journey to investigate manta rays.

Once Upon a Time in Tsavo

“We’re always happy to be approached with ideas and projects. Don’t be shy!”

—Sabine Holzer

ZDF Studios Africa from Above / Lions versus Hyenas / Going Circular ZDF Studios is spotlighting at MIPTV Africa from Above, a series that delivers a fresh perspective on the continent with a bird’s-eye view of its natural wonders and diverse habitats, while also celebrating its people. Lions versus Hyenas, meanwhile, seeks to correct misconceptions about the titular African predators. Telling the story of four visionaries, Going Circular explores the concept of circularity, an economic system based on the idea that nothing should go to waste. “It’s a deceptively simple idea that is at the heart of nature and the natural world, but very few of us actually live this way,” says Fred Burcksen, president and CEO. “And yet, it has the potential to save our planet’s resources and save us from the ravages of future climate change.”

Going Circular

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“We invite anybody with good ideas to talk to us at ZDF Studios or to our production companies about investments, sales and distribution.”

—Fred Burcksen

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SIDE

Chelsea Regan hears from leading executives about trends in natural-history content.

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he United Nations’ latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report offered a grim outlook for the years to come should the global community fail to address the unchecked warming of the planet.

Among the many considerations in the report are the potential effects on wildlife. Almost half of all species have already lost a portion of their populations because of climate change.

Despite the report’s dark forecasts, there is still time for course corrections—with natural-history programming playing no small part in turning up the dial on awareness for the need to turn down the temperature and protect the planet and its diverse inhabitants.

RAISING AWARENESS “It’s essential that wildlife filmmaking is used as a hook to make people understand how climate change is impacting the world,” says Jorge Franzini, VP of original content, development and programming at Curiosity. “When you see wildlife, I think people are much more emotionally aware and empathetic to the fact that this is happening—fast.”

Anne Olzmann, managing director at Albatross World Sales, also believes that wildlife and nature programming have a significant role in raising awareness about climate change—but notes that it’s essential to fit the approach to the audience in question. “Typically, public broadcasters attract an older audience,” says Olzmann. “And I would say many of these viewers often need to be ‘picked up’ by showing them the beauty of our planet first and then reaching them via a protect-what-you-love approach. They first want to fall in love with nature and its species and need some kind of feel-good moment before they will become active.”

As for the younger audiences, they’re keener for media that pulls few punches when it comes to worst-case scenarios for the planet, as they’re also prepared to take action to avoid them. “They want the full truth, direct and without any whitewashing,” says Olzmann. “They are also interested in learning about the beauty of our planet, but at the same time eager to learn how to protect and, what’s more important, ready to act on it. Wildlife programs should feel much more inclusive for the younger audience.”

WaterBear Network, a factual VOD service backed by ZDF Studios and Off the Fence, “is more than just a video platform for sustainability; it is the only platform that unites almost all NGOs on the subject of animals and environmental protection worldwide,” says Ralf Rückauer, VP of unscripted at ZDF Studios. “It has already formed a large community after only slightly more than a year after launch, and it’s constantly growing and evolving.”

Rückauer also mentions the ZDF Studios-distributed documentary Going Circular, an Off the Fence production.

“This is not a wildlife program in the traditional sense,” says Rückauer. “But ultimately, it is about us humans and our place in this world and our relationship to resources of the Earth, nature and our role and responsibility in this.”

Tom McDonald, managing director of factual productions at BBC Studios, notes, “There is no question that our naturalhistory content plays a part in raising awareness. The Blue Planet effect changed behaviors and policy internationally, and we were invited to open COP26 in Glasgow with The Green Planet, attended by representatives from the Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change to the UN.” McDonald adds that audiences are clamoring for this kind of content. “In a [July 2021] BBC Pulse survey, 75 percent of the U.K. think the media should do more around protecting the 4/22 WORLD SCREEN 173

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environment and transitioning to a more sustainable world.

This is a massive creative opportunity for all of us—not just within natural history, but the entire industry.”

NATURAL DEMAND

Albatross World Sales arrives at MIPTV with Superbirds—The Secret Life of Tits.

Terra Mater’s America’s Arctic—A Refuge Imperiled explores the dangers of oil drilling to wildlife.

Curiosity’s extensive wildlife lineup includes The Humboldt Current.

This increased interest in the planet directly affects naturalhistory titles’ performance in the marketplace. “I am observing an ever-growing appetite for natural-history and wildlife content, which we are ready to fulfill by increasing our yearly output by 50 percent,” says Gernot Lercher, the head of natural history for ORF’s UNIVERSUM strand. “This is closely related to the general interest of our society in any kind of ecological issues and conservation topics. I am now 56 years old, and I have never experienced a time when all generations have been focused on saving this planet we call home.”

The proliferation of new platforms has strengthened and diversified an already strong market for natural history, observes BBC Studios’ McDonald. “The Natural History Unit’s (NHU) ambitious production collaborations with the likes of Jon Favreau, James Cameron and Warner Bros.’ Wizarding World just demonstrate the global appeal and influence of natural history—but also how rich in innovation the genre is at the moment. We’re working on over 25 NHU productions, spanning linear, SVOD, digital, audio and live events.”

“Blue-chip documentaries are still king,” reports Sabine Holzer, head of specialist factual at Terra Mater Studios.

Holzer confirms that demand remains strong for natural history and wildlife across free- and pay-TV channels alike.

“A huge amount of broadcasters air natural-history programs in very prominent slots or even dedicate their whole output to these genres, so there’s a huge demand for high-quality content from the international market. In addition, in the last years, there’s been an even broader variety of takers due to all the streaming services.”

Albatross’s Olzmann has witnessed the enduring appeal of classic blue-chip “coffee-table” programs. “However, now that people are becoming more aware of the importance of an intact ecosystem, we now see a stronger demand for naturalhistory programs that are connected to conservation, sustainability and environmental protection efforts.”

Whatever the central topic of a natural-history title, “it’s essential to reach an audience on an emotional level,” according to Olzmann. “This can be via a strong story that can captivate the viewers, or it can be via a humorous approach, but in any case, it needs to be strong visually, as the competition gets bigger with more affordable equipment to shoot films. The story now matters more than ever before.”

Advances in technology have indeed changed the filmmaking game, democratizing it and elevating the possibilities for everyone. “These tools are now becoming readily available to all filmmakers,” says Curiosity’s Franzini.

“Not just to the big production companies, not just to these big networks, but also to the storytellers who are on the ground in their locations and can now tell their own stories.”

Franzini points to the technology utilized in the Curiosity original David Attenborough’s Light on Earth, which enabled the filming of bioluminescence in a way that hadn’t been done before. He also mentions the ubiquity of drones: “It’s not just spending incredible amounts of money to be able to do helicopter aerials,” says Franzini. “Now, you can fly a drone anywhere.”

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As ORF’s Lercher puts it, “Ten years ago, aerials without a helicopter? No chance! Today, you have different kinds of drones that can fly in high-alpine regions and just one meter above the ground. How lucky are we to get all these new perspectives that help us find new narratives, telling stories in the most compelling way?” With a note of caution, Lercher adds, “But as much technology we have for our purposes, we shall never forget the impact of a good, unique story.”

UP-CLOSE While story is paramount to hooking viewers, the evolution of wildlife content has been driven by the development of specialist filming equipment, according to ZDF Studios’ Rückauer. “Wildlife filmmaking borrows and adapts the latest technologies—hi-speed ballistics cameras, camera traps, drones—but it also stimulates the innovations of videography— GoPros, underwater housings, filming in low light—as well.

What has developed is a powerful arms race of invention, evolution and innovation to capture astounding images of elusive creatures in inhospitable habitats. Bring it on!”

Constantly pushing its storytelling and technology potential, BBC Studios used a slew of technical gadgetry and hacking in The Green Planet, according to McDonald. “Using FPV drones is just scraping the surface of the extraordinary lengths our producers will go in pursuit of the perfect shot,” he says.

“Having found a plant photography tech enthusiast in the U.S., they promptly hired him for three years and set up a studio in the middle of Devon and built a bespoke time-lapse camera, which is named the Triffid, that can record and shoot from multiple angles. It’s painstaking work that would involve 7,000 individual camera positions to make a 3-and-a-half-minute sequence. And what is more, the team managed to shrink the tech down to create a mobile time-lapse camera that they took on location with them.”

Of course, platforms are developing as quickly as tech is, and developments in the FAST space are creating new opportunities. “We will probably see considerable growth in the following months and years,” says Albatross’s Olzmann.

“FAST has opened up many possibilities to increase the shelf life of our titles and to give younger audiences a chance to experience them for the first time.”

For Rückauer, there’s no doubt that FAST channels are already having a moment, as ZDF Studios currently has several partnerships in the space, with more to come this spring. “According to our first experiences, wildlife programs are particularly suitable for [FAST platforms],” he says.

When Curiosity Stream first started back in 2015, Franzini recalls going to markets and explaining what SVOD rights were. “People would say, Well, I used to just throw in my SVOD rights with my TV linear rights. And then you saw this amazing progression. I think you’re going to see the same with FAST. People are starting to understand how to monetize those rights; how they can help grow a brand.”

BASIC INSTINCTS The entry of SVOD and AVOD players in natural history is evolving funding and distribution models, but the fundamentals of blue-chip wildlife remain the same.

ZDF Studios’ Rückauer observes: “The only answer to the question of how best to relate to the viewers is this: a lot of heart and great feelings and astonishing and empathetic observation. This is much more popular than lecture-like explanations and fact-based processing of charts and bar graphs.”

According to BBC Studios’ McDonald, the scientists and field experts in the NHU network have helped its wildlife programming travel the globe, with working relationships that stretch back decades. “The same goes for our co-production partners and broadcasters across the world—having a global reach and relevance is baked into the DNA of the Natural History Unit,” he says.

“We’re convinced that even the seemingly dullest subjects can walk on global legs if they’re wrapped into the right narrative and if they have something new to them and can delight an audience,” adds Albatross’s Olzmann.

“Something never-seen or something never-before-filmed with state-of-the-art cinematography, allowing a new view on a certain species and an inviting—maybe even humorous—narration seems to be the key to success with broadcasters and the audience.”

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Lions versus Hyenas is a two-parter produced by Doclights and distributed by ZDF Studios.

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David Olusoga he extensive slate BBC Studios unveiled at its annual Showcase last month included several titles from indie production outfit Uplands Television, among them Union and Blackface with David Harewood. The venture— set up by producer Mike Smith and historian, producer and broadcaster David Olusoga to develop editorially and visually distinctive factual series and specials—sealed a three-year first-look deal with BBC Studios last year.

TV Real caught up with Olusoga to hear about all the latest developments at Uplands and his work behind and in front of the camera.

By Mansha Daswani

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TV REAL: Tell us about the slate you’re working on now.

OLUSOGA: A landmark for the BBC, Union is about the story of Britain, the union of the four nations and unity and disunity over the centuries. We think Uplands films are distinctive.

People know when they see an Uplands film—it has an editorial distinctiveness. We’d like to think that this film will show we’re also visually distinctive. We’re interested in how you tell stories; how you use television as a medium. It’s a very topical subject—these forces of history that have brought us together and separated us are alive and on the move at this moment, so it’s very much history as now. It’s also a project where we want to show that we spend a lot of time thinking about how this medium works and how we can tell complicated stories.

Another complicated story we’re telling is the story of Blackface minstrelsy. It’s a one-off with David Harewood as the presenter. That’s to tell the missing story of the first global form of American entertainment, Blackface minstrelsy, from the 1830s to the 1970s. I always think of minstrelsy as racism literally made into an art form. This program with David will show where it came from, how it evolved and how enormous it was, which explains why echoes live on in society.

OLUSOGA: I worry about public-service broadcasting, the same as I worry about the health of rule by law or by democracy. It’s one of those pillars of many societies that is enormously valuable. And you can see it under pressure. So in the big, political, almost philosophical way, I worry about that. In terms of the health of blue-chip history, I see loads of great stuff. In some ways, there’s a mismatch, and I hope it stays this way, between the sort of hand-wringing about the future of public-service broadcasting and what public broadcasting is achieving. We use this phrase too glibly, but it does feel like a golden age. One thing that feels notable about this period, which has as much to do with the podcast revolution as with the expansion of channels, is that people love stories. There’s a recognition that quality stories are what audiences want. It seems to me that we’re struggling to grasp all the opportunities rather than trying to scan the horizon and see opportunities.

TV REAL: Tell us about the importance of Uplands’ relationship with BBC Studios.

OLUSOGA: The one thing we’re not short of as a company is ideas. It’s very easy to drown in your own ideas. The market information and the sense of opportunities from our colleagues at BBC Studios allow us to prioritize. I have more programs on bits of paper with half-written proposals or things I’m going to try again than I could make in my lifetime. The discipline and prioritization come from that relationship. Our second production was a co-production with the BBC and PBS. Even when we were just starting, we were a company that had a foot in the U.S. market. The global intel and reach of BBC Studios fit with our ambitions.

TV REAL: Tell me about your process. Do you scribble ideas down on pieces of paper?

OLUSOGA: I never scribble ideas down. I work at them. What I present to my colleagues is something where I’ve worked out all the angles. I have hundreds of one-liners, but they exist in a file on my computer. What I care about are the dozens of worked-through ideas. I’m interested in how programs are made. I’ve never stopped being a producer. I’ve never stopped thinking visually. I get the chance to work in other media which aren’t visual. In some ways, that makes me respect the visual nature of television even more. We work on things that are pretty well developed. I write a concept, I tend to write one sample episode, and then I work with our colleagues in development; I ask them to populate ideas with stories that can help us fine-tune the format. Blue-sky thinking should happen in the head rather than in meetings. I don’t want to waste people’s time with half-developed ideas. I come with developed ideas and want them to be expanded by my colleagues.

TV REAL: Pubcasters are under financial pressures. Are you concerned about their ability to continue to invest in history content?

TV REAL: Talk about your journey in TV, that transition from going from behind the camera to being a presenter.

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The Uplands slate includes Blackface with David Harewood, a doc special for BBC Two.

OLUSOGA: Television was always what I wanted to do. I’m from a council estate in the Northeast. I didn’t spend my youth imagining future careers because it didn’t seem possible. But when I was in my mid-20s, it was either do a Ph.D. or don’t do a Ph.D. And when I thought about three more years at university, I decided what I wanted to do was the thing that made me care about history in the first place, which was television. I came to TV instead of doing a Ph.D. But I still wanted to do history. I always wanted to do it in as many mediums as possible. I’ve still written academic papers while I’ve been in television. I was a radio producer for a couple of years. I’ve written books. I’ve written with my sister, who is an educationalist, lesson plans. I’ve now written two children’s books, five adult books and made lots of history programs. And I’ve sat on the boards of museums. It’s all about being multilingual, as it were, in delivering history. Transition is not the right word. I’m not someone who has gone from being a producer to a presenter. I’m someone who is still a producer. I learned to selfshoot, and then I learned to do sound so that I could spend budgets on other things. It’s about having more production skills. On the Union project, the producers are writing their parts of the script, we’re fine-tuning, I’m writing my parts.

And then we’ll meet as a production team. The only time I’m not a producer is when I’m on location. You can’t be a back-seat director. But I’m producing right until I stand in front of the camera. I’m only a presenter for the time I’m standing in front of the camera. After that, and in between shots even, I’m still walking around, talking to the cameraman, talking to the producer, trying to work out how we’re going to do the next thing. I’m presenting on one project that I’m producing and I’m exec-producing on another project.

The Uplands program I’m most proud of is The Unremembered, a documentary about the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the Imperial War Graves Commission and their history and inexcusable failure to equally commemorate the lives and deaths of African, Indian and Middle Eastern soldiers who served in the First World War. I think it’s one of the greatest scandals in 20th-century British history. I knew about that scandal from doing primary research for one of my books. When we formed Uplands, we sold [the project] to Channel 4. And I didn’t want to present it. That was never discussed. We got David Lammy to present it. I exec-produced that program. That’s 178 WORLD SCREEN 4/22

actually the program that is as much about me and my interest in television as anything else. That program went on to force the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to acknowledge the biggest failure, the biggest moral lapse, in its history. It led to an apology from the Commission, the Secretary of State for Defence, the government and the Prime Minister. Our company and I were named in Parliament. And the people who only know me as a presenter would not notice that my name is at the end of the program.

TV REAL: Is there anything else about what’s happening at Uplands that you’d like to share?

OLUSOGA: We have The Forgotten Empire. Our understanding of the empire is fundamentally a Victorian story.

To understand the empire, you have to go back to the age of the Tudors and recognize that the empire exists well into the 20th century. We tend to allow the 19th century to telescope out and take over the whole story. [The Forgotten Empire] is four hours. One hour is on the 19th century.

We’re focusing on the broader empire. We’re also talking about Britain’s relationship with countries that were never part of the formal empire. Britain was the greatest trading nation on Earth and the greatest industrial nation at the same time it was the center of the biggest empire in the world. More than a quarter of all the countries on Earth are former British colonies. Britain’s history is global history; it’s everybody’s history. So many of us have been affected by it.

I’m British Nigerian. I exist because of decisions made in the 16th century about where British explorers would go and decisions made in the 19th century about where British palm oil would come from and where British anti-slavery power would be projected into Africa. I’m one of the millions of people around the world who are the product of Britain’s imperial relationships and trading relationships.

Our aim is to tell those unknown stories of the empire in some really surprising places and talk about how old the empire is and how recent the empire is. We need to get away from this Victorian trap.

TV REAL: My parents were displaced as India gained its independence, and I was in Hong Kong for its handover back to China, so…

OLUSOGA: We are the flotsam and jetsam of the empire!

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