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In Conversation With Jane Tranter

30 September 08

Jane Tranter, the controller of BBC Fiction and the driving force behind the rebirth of Doctor Who, talks to BAFTA about her career and the future of television drama.

Supported by The Farm Group

In Conversation with Jane Tranter was a collaboration between BAFTA and WFTV .

Events: Jane Tranter At a time when women still under-represented in film and television, Jane Tranter has managed to break through the glass ceiling and establish herself as a leading force in the industry. Her modernising vision led to the rebirth of Doctor Who and her impressive list of credits includes Life on Mars, Bleak House, Spooks, Hustle and Criminal Justice.

In this exclusive BAFTA webcast Sophie Balhetchet - Chair of Women in Film and Television (WFTV) - asks about her career, her views about the importance of television drama and her reflections on the future of the industry.

Highlights

Jane recalls her earliest childhood TV memories (including her crush on Star Trek’s Captain Kirk!) before discussing the current trend of television drama towards fantasy and heightened realities.

She explains how the advancement in television special effects and the support of writer Russell T Davies led her to commission a new series of Doctor Who: "Once Russell said he wanted to do it there was never a moment of looking back"

Further highlights include Jane comparing the single play and multi-part drama formats ("The least risky thing you can commission in television is a one-off!") and comparing the structure of BBC drama to a US-style studio model: "We are a virtual studio where everyone is free to enter and everyone is free to leave."

Finally, Jane takes questions from the audience and explores whether or not television is in the process of being feminised.

Jane Tranter

Jane became Controller of BBC Fiction in October 2006, leading a team working across Drama Commissioning, Comedy Commissioning, Programme Acquisitions and BBC Films. With a budget in excess of £500 million across four television channels Jane commissions all television drama across BBC One, Two, Three and Four. Her credits include Life on Mars, Bleak House, Doctor Who, Spooks, Hustle, Cranford, Lark Rise to Candleford, Coming Down The Mountain, Babyfather, Crime and Punishment and Stuart: A Life Backwards. She is soon to become the head of production for BBC Worldwide.