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Lenny Henry: Save the BBC goddammit – no BBC, no me Lenny Henry: Save the BBC goddammit – no BBC, no me
(about 17 hours later)
Having worked at the BBC pretty regularly between 1980 and the present day, both on in-house projects and independent ones, I can very honestly say that without the BBC’s continued trust and support my career would have stuttered to a halt after a disastrous TV pilot called Six of a Kind. Having worked at the BBC pretty regularly between 1980 and the present day, on both in-house projects and independent ones, I can very honestly say that without the BBC’s continued trust and support, my career would have stuttered to a halt after a disastrous TV pilot called Six of a Kind.
I was working on a children’s show called Tiswas and enjoying life as a young comic, but my career was going nowhere – there didn’t seem to be a plan. The BBC weighed in via a donnish looking chap called Robin Nash, who was putting together a new variety show with Eric and Ernie’s producer, Ernest Maxin. I was working on a children’s show called Tiswas and enjoying life as a young comic, but my career was going nowhere – there didn’t seem to be a plan. The BBC weighed in via a donnish-looking chap called Robin Nash, who was putting together a new variety show with Eric and Ernie’s producer, Ernest Maxin.
Six of a kind, which featured me and five others, was a huge, unwieldy beast – it just didn’t work. For an eighties show its remit and feel were very much old-school light entertainment. The cast weren’t enjoying it and it turned out that the powers that be didn’t like it much either. Luckily there was a strike and the whole thing got quietly put away. Six of a Kind, which featured me and five others, was a huge, unwieldy beast – it just didn’t work. For an 80s show, its remit and feel were very much old-school light entertainment. The cast weren’t enjoying it and it turned out that the powers that be didn’t like it much, either. Luckily, there was a strike and the whole thing got quietly put away.
But Nash had spotted the rapport between me and David Copperfield - a brash, northern, musical comedian with a flair for the guitar, pratfalls and face pulling. David made me laugh a lot and we got on. But Nash had spotted the rapport between me and David Copperfield – a brash, northern, musical comedian with a flair for the guitar, pratfalls and face-pulling. David made me laugh a lot and we got on.
We were sent out with a young producer/director called Paul Jackson to watch Four In A Million at the Royal Court, a play about life in the hinterlands of northern English working men’s clubs in which Tracey Ullman slayed the audience with her character. We told Paul that Tracey should be in the show – and that was us. Three of a Kind, BBC2, four episodes. From there the whole thing took off. We were sent out with a young producer/director called Paul Jackson to watch Four in a Million at the Royal Court, a play about life in the hinterlands of northern working men’s clubs in which Tracey Ullman slayed the audience with her character. We told Paul that Tracey should be in the show – and that was us. Three of a Kind, BBC2, four episodes. From there, the whole thing took off.
Related: Is TV putting its money where its mouth is on diversity?Related: Is TV putting its money where its mouth is on diversity?
I loved working at the BBC - there was a collegiate atmosphere in the canteen that was pretty hard to beat. At our first writers meeting, the three of us were thrust into a room with something like 200 writers (very few of them female, none of them BAME). We felt as though the possibilities were endless. Where else could you eat steak and kidney pie with a dalek on one side and Derek Jacobi on the other? I loved working at the BBC – there was a collegiate atmosphere in the canteen that was pretty hard to beat. At our first writers’ meeting, the three of us were thrust into a room with something like 200 writers (very few of them female, none of them BAME). We felt as though the possibilities were endless. Where else could you eat steak and kidney pie with a dalek on one side and Derek Jacobi on the other?
The creativity at North Acton BBC Rehearsal rooms could run the national grid. I was hooked – I didn’t want to leave the BBC, even though I’d had positive experiences working for other companies; there was a willingness to assign a producer and explore with talent. The creativity at North Acton BBC rehearsal rooms could run the National Grid. I was hooked – I didn’t want to leave the BBC, even though I’d had positive experiences working for other companies; there was a willingness to assign a producer and explore with talent.
Without the BBC I wouldn’t have been brave enough to take on my own production company Crucial Films and produce Chef! The Lenny Henry show, Funky Black shorts, Neverwhere and others. The BBC made me brave with regard to diversity - and way back in the early nineties funded a workshop called A Step Forward that encouraged BAME writers to push on and get their material on air in programmes such as The Real McCoy, Goodness Gracious Me and more. Without the BBC, I wouldn’t have been brave enough to take on my own production company, Crucial Films, and produce Chef!, The Lenny Henry show, Funky Black Shorts, Neverwhere and others. The BBC made me brave with regard to diversity – and way back in the early 1990s funded a workshop called A Step Forward that encouraged BAME writers to push on and get their material on air, in programmes such as The Real McCoy, Goodness Gracious Me and more.
Of course there are problems. Diversity within the BBC infrastructure needs to be addressed and I still feel that ring-fenced money for BAME creatives is a way forward, but the BBC’s approach to some of the diversity issues – leadership courses funded by the Clore Foundation, a deputy commissioner’s training course to name just two – are to be applauded. Of course there are problems. Diversity within the BBC infrastructure needs to be addressed, and I still feel that ring-fenced money for BAME creatives is a way forward, but the BBC’s approach to some of the diversity issues – leadership courses funded by the Clore Foundation, a deputy commissioner’s training course, to name just two – are to be applauded.
Save the BBC goddammit – no BBC, no me. No Not the Nine O Clock News. No Big Train. No Vic and Bob, or French and Saunders. No the Young ones, Blackadder, Miranda, Not Going out, or Some Mother’s do Ave ’em. No Hancock, Boys from the Blackstuff, Edge of Darkness, Dad’s Army, Steptoe and Son, Clangers, Magic Roundabout, or Ripping Yarns. No Happy Valley, League of Gentleman, or The Day Today … Save the BBC goddammit – no BBC, no me. No Not the Nine O’Clock News. No Big Train. No Vic and Bob, or French and Saunders. No The Young Ones, Blackadder, Miranda, Not Going Out, or Some Mother’s Do ‘Ave ’em. No Hancock, Boys from the Blackstuff, Edge of Darkness, Dad’s Army, Steptoe and Son, Clangers, Magic Roundabout, or Ripping Yarns. No Happy Valley, League of Gentleman, or The Day Today …