Director Of ‘Mr Bates Vs The Post Office’ Says Smash ITV Drama Should Not Be A “Unicorn” As He Urges “Mechanism” For Broadcasters To Tell Campaigning Stories

deadline.com:

The director of Mr Bates vs the Post Office has urged the creation of a “mechanism” for British broadcasters to continue to tell campaigning stories as he communicates a desire for his smash ITV drama not to become a “unicorn.” Since Mr Bates aired in January, James Strong said he has been contacted by “loads and loads of people asking for help, from small stories to [scandals about] corporate structures.” “I think it’s about setting up a mechanism so that all these issues can be represented,” he told the Creative Cities Convention. “[People affected] can go to a broadcaster and say, ‘We’ve got this idea, can we make a drama?’.” The BAFTA nominee, whose past credits include Vigil and Doctor Who, said Mr Bates “shouldn’t be a unicorn” and urged British broadcasters to support “factual stories.” Mr Bates has become ITV’s most-watched show since Downton Abbey and, even though the devastating post office scandal had been covered in the media for years, it generated front page headlines for weeks and has initiated real change in terms of compensation for victims.

Unlike many past scandals represented in TV shows, Strong said the post office is set apart by the fact it is a “live issue” rather than being “retrospective” or a “postmortem.” He praised the “good step” taken by ITV on an upcoming drama about another live scandal, the contaminated blood affair, which Deadline revealed was fast-tracked several weeks ago and is being penned by Peter Moffat.

He described funding for local shows such as Mr Bates as “incredibly perilous” but countered that its success and sale to other countries including the U.S.