EXCLUSIVE: Jimmy Akingbola, who plays Geoffrey in Peacock’s Bel-Airremake, has opened up about making a “positive story about adoption” to help inspire Black children in care in the upcoming ITV documentary Handle with Care.
Previous shows about adoption have tended to focus on “mining trauma,” the Kate & Kojo, In the Long Run and Ted Lasso star told Deadline, and he wanted to “flip the script but without dismissing these other stories”in Handle with Care.
“I have had to overcome a lot of difficulties but overall my experience was positive,” Akingbola said of his time growing up after being adopted by a white family at age 2, when he left his Nigerian parents.
“I felt like I hadn’t seen an inspiring, positive care story on TV and instead there is this trend of only putting something on if it is really harrowing. I wanted to go the other way and think how I could inspire a 14- or 15-year-old version of myself. So whenever my fear [of making the show] got to a bad stage I thought if I can just help one young person then that’s enough.”
The number of UK children in care has risen by a massive 28% in the past decade to almost 500,000, and more than 40% awaiting adoption are Black, with Black foster families rare in comparison.
Akingbola, who speaks openly about growing up in a loving adoptive family, stressed that he doesn’t want to devalue previous shows and books on the subject, adding: “There is nuance here — we need to go beyond the clickbait and ‘black and white’ view of these stories.”
Akingbola spends most of his time in Los Angeles and plays Geoffrey, the butler, in Peacock’s top-rated Bel-Air reboot. He said he could see so much of himself in the 1990s Will Smith-starring series.
“When I was younger it was like watching [Will Smith] play me,” he went on to say. “And now here I am telling my story and playing Geoffrey at the same time. You can’t really make it up. I was told the other day that he’s the mist iconic British TV character in the U.S. and am so proud to be playing him.”
Handle with Care
Conceived during the Covid-19 pandemic, Handle with Care charts a heartwrenching, emotional and educational journey taken by Akingbola, who meets other Black people who grew up in care along the way such as Save Me star Lennie James and athlete Kriss Akabusi.
Akingbola wanted to pose questions around “the meaning of family, unconditional love and how much you can help a child when they are in a difficult position and it’s not their fault.”
Having mainly acted and produced in the past, along with founding diversity consultancy/production company TriForce Creative Network with Fraser Ayres, Akingbola pitched the idea for the doc to ITV programs boss Kevin Lygo after landing a commission for Black topical comedy format Sorry, I Didn’t Know.
It came at a harrowing time for him, having lost four family members in 2020 while the world was in lockdown.
“I should have just been trying to get over the loss of these family members but in a way it felt like the best and the worst time to be doing this,” he added. “I wanted to honor them.”
Being an “actor and producer foremost,” Akingbola said the experience was a difficult one “because I couldn’t hide behind my character.”
“If I were in a pub this stuff would run off my tongue effortlessly, but when you have a camera in front of you it’s really hard,” he added. “I knew I had to remain open and let go of the performer and producer.”
He was inspired by David Harewood’s Psychosis and Me, a BBC documentary about the Homeland actor’s battle with mental illness, which saw a 100%-plus increase in views to the psychosis section of mental health charity Mind’s website.
“[Myself and David] had a heart to heart and he said it wouldn’t be easy but the doc could help people,” said Akingbola.
The likes of Akingbola and Harewood have spoken in the past about the challenge of Black British talent having to move to the U.S. in order to make it big and Akingbola said this situation is slowly improving, citing the likes of Gangs of London stars Sope Dirisu and Paapa Essiedu as evidence.
Akingbola is in the midst of filming Season 2 of Bel-Air and has just wrapped on the second season of ITV’s The Tower. He’s keen to do more film, having starred in the likes of Netflix’s Rogue Agent earlier this year.
Jimmy Akingbola Handle with Care will air on Tuesday 1 November at 9pm on ITV and ITV Hub.
Sorry, I Didn’t Know team captain Eddie Kadi and executive producer Fraser Ayres on the panel show providing an education in Black history.
ADRIAN LOBB – https://bigissue.com/culture/tv/sorry-i-didnt-know-black-history/
18 Oct 2022
Sorry, I Didn’t Know is a panel show, a comedy show, and a history show. It’s a show that showcases and celebrates Black talent, foregrounds Black history, and is now into a third series on ITV – airing every Sunday night in October.
The blend of comedy and history is proving a smash hit – and providing a vital platform for emerging and established talent. Comedian Eddie Kadi has joined the show as a team captain, while executive producer Fraser Ayres is one of the masterminds of Sorry, I Didn’t Know, which is hosted by actor Jimmy Akingbola. We asked Kadi and Ayres why the series was so important…
Why does this series matter?
Eddie Kadi (team captain): This series matters because it showcases a lot of talent we wouldn’t normally get to see. People that have been performing for years. Not only do they deserve to be seen across the country, but the country deserves to see these talents. Also, when we grew up, in school we didn’t learn about our history. Certainly not Black history. The show gives some relief to the new generation and space for them to be educated and entertained about cultures.
Fraser Ayres (executive producer): Making sure lesser-known stories are being seen and heard on mainstream TV – given the current state of conversations around race in our country, it feels more important now than ever.
What did you learn through this series that should have been common knowledge and taught in school?
FA: Too many things! That whilst we were building Stonehenge, Africans had already built castles and temples. That no matter who we are, we all come from Morocco. That the richest person to ever live was from Mali and is still richer than Musk and Bezos combined. Astrology and Mathematics? Apparently Black people…
Our amazing researcher, Josh Pickering, is a fierce academic. Knowing I pride myself on being a walking Wiki of Black history, he would revel in messaging me: ‘Guess what?’. On a daily basis he’d find something to blow our mind. The fact we know so little about those kings, queens, pioneers, and societal changers shows the massive gaps we have in our knowledge – and the more you look, the more you realise what we’re all missing out on.
EK: Most important is the contributions of Black people in Britain. Because if you’re a 14-year-old Black child in school and they are talking about British history and you don’t see yourself in it, don’t see your contribution in it, you don’t feel valid. You don’t feel like you played a part. You don’t feel like you belong. These things are extremely important.
The tone of the series is comic. But there’s an underlying seriousness…?
FA: When shows about the Black experience or history are made, they’re mainly through a lens of trauma or oppression and often considered niche. Certainly not ‘mainstream’ to be enjoyed by a wide-ranging audience. I wanted to reframe that and create a non-tokenised show with a tone of celebration that unearthed Black history in a way that wasn’t antagonistic to those who didn’t know. The truth is, whether we’re Black or white, very few of us know about the rich contributions Black people have made since the very beginning of humanity.
EK: It also shows that comedians are not just ‘people that just come to have a laugh’, but actually intelligent people who turn painful experiences and moments into laughter. This show is decorating Black history with humour. The priority is to educate, to raise awareness, to raise respect, but you’ve got to dress it up nicely, because it is entertainment at the end of the day. That’s the best way to feed the people.
How important is it that the stories shared in this series are being shared?
FA: When we were first pitching the show, many asked us: ‘Is there enough Black history for an ongoing show?’ We pointed out that Black history goes back as far as, well, history itself. When we see comments online, like: ‘What have Black people done for civilisation?’ or: ‘There were no Black people in the war’, it all stems from a lack of knowledge. I wanted to create a show that put many of those old misconceptions to rest. Hopefully, we can all be just a little less ignorant.
EK: It’s important because it changes the narrative, it changes the way people look at certain groups. They call them minority groups in this country – but these people are part of this culture. They call Britain the melting pot of the world and there’s different cultures here – that needs to be reflected not just in the wording itself, but on television, how history is written, and how people are involved in the workplace.
Eddie Kadi (right) on Sorry, I Didn’t Know with fellow team captain Chizzy Akudolu
How do you feel about the way history is taught in this country and what is taught as part of the history curriculum?
FA: We get a lot of engagement from teachers and academics who thank us for showing what they’ve been told not to in classrooms. Some people feel that to highlight a certain part of history is to diminish their own in some way. But you go far enough back, and we all come from one place, and all had the same skin colour. There isn’t really such a thing as Black history or white history, there’s just history. The story of humanity. Which lots of amazing people from lots of different places have contributed to.
EK: The fact that a lot of my friends growing up had to go to Saturday schools to get extra lessons specifically on Black history says a lot. We didn’t get that from school so we had to get it elsewhere. We need to change the way we teach history. The curriculum needs to change. And I’m not talking about extracurricular activities, I’m talking about during the actual course. If we’re going to learn about the Romans, aqueducts, or the Aztecs, we should also be able to learn about South Africa, Namibia and Angola. It’s important.
FA: Excluding any part of history is a mistake as it prevents us from learning what we all ultimately want – the truth. Not including all history is to effectively rewrite and alter historical fact. I grew up in the 1980s and the access I had to wider history was very limited. If our education was more inclusive, some arguments we see online simply couldn’t exist as the knowledge and facts that contradict them would be part of everyone’s education.
EK: I would have wanted to hear more about the roles that Africans played during the war, the role Caribbeans played during the war. Because war veterans should be celebrated. It’s important for those moments to be taught.
During the show, there was an African map that was laid out and they were getting us to guess which commodities belong to which country. Being from Congo, I know it’s extremely important – I always take pride in saying Congo is the richest country in the world when it comes to natural resources. So it’d be nice to understand where different resources belong. During double science, tell us about copper and where it is found instead of just giving us the periodic table.
FA: One of the biggest Sorry, I Didn’t Know moments for me was discovering that the oldest Briton ever recorded is Black. That no matter our hue today, that our ancestors in this country were Black. He’s called ‘Cheddar Man’ and it’s one of those pieces of information that says so much about our history, or our lack of it, that it constantly blows my mind that I wasn’t taught that in school.
How vital is Sorry, I Didn’t Know as a space for Black history, but also comedy talent?
FA: It’s not only that people are seen, but also how they are seen. Sorry, I Didn’t Know is one of those rare shows that celebrates Black excellence whilst still being entirely accessible to those who aren’t from that world. It’s part of an evolving trend for content that’s authentic but can stand toe-to-toe with old favourites. It’s also proving to be an incredibly important platform for both on and off-screen Black talent. Myself and fellow executive producer Minnie Ayres run an extensive network of diverse on and off-screen talent from across the UK, which we draw on to crew up the show. The TV industry can often be inaccessible. Or progression can be dependent on resources or knowing the right person, and the TCN / Dandi.org.uk has been addressing some of those issues for the past 20 years.
It was important to us that the show could also be a vehicle that brings those excellent but lesser-known comedians to the forefront. With the lack of inclusion in many comedy shows, it can be a long haul for many to breakthrough into the mainstream. Like our new team captain Eddie! We’ve been fans of Eddie’s for years and so glad we can help bring him into people’s homes… metaphorically speaking.
EK: A lot of things we talk about and our stand up sets as comedians are to do with being self-educated and our contribution to culture. Our teachers weren’t talking about it in school, we don’t see it on TV, we hardly ever hear it on the radio – so the stage is a way of expressing ourselves. It literally is history meets comedians, you know? And it’s a great platform, just like we’ve seen on Never Mind the Buzzcocks and 8 out of 10 Cats, this is no different. This one is just more focused on another culture as well, which is very much a part of Britain.
Who needs to watch this series?
EK: Everybody needs to watch the series. Those who haven’t seen themselves represented can watch the series. Those who have craved to learn about other cultures can watch the series. And Britain in general needs to watch the series because it’s very much not just our history, it’s part of their history. We’re all friends. We all live on the same island. So why not learn about each other a lot more? This is for everybody who loves watching TV.
The series is airing during Black History Month – but will the success of the show / what it represents be measured when it runs all year round, or at least outside of BHM?
FA: It was vital to us when we created the show that it wouldn’t be ‘tokenised’ or ‘niche’ and that it would be enjoyed by people from all walks of life. Running in BHM has never meant that only Black people watch it. We’ve seen the audience grow and the anticipation for this third series shows there’s a real desire for content that speaks across demographics. This speaks to a larger conversation about the kind of shows that are commissioned and the perception that audiences aren’t interested in shows outside of their own world. They’re just starting to get their heads around the ’Black Panther effect’, and they’re beginning to understand that when it comes to humans, there’s more similarities, than differences.
EK: This is the third season of the show, so it is already a success. I’ve always said Black History Month is all well and good, just like we look at different moments in history, and we say this is the day for it, let’s celebrate. But that doesn’t mean it should be restricted to just October, you know, Black history has been happening from the beginning of time.
The show is hilarious. It’s a very funny show. It deserves to be on any time of year. I don’t think people tune in and say: ‘Oh, we just want to hear more about Black issues this month’…
TriForce’s Fraser Ayres explains how the initiative which created its comedy pilot sought to platform new and underrepresented talent. Dead Canny, which tells the story of a girl from Consett in the North East whose talent for talking to the dead embroils her in a police investigation, was one of four comedy pilots to grace our screens on UKTV’s Dave last week. All four pilots were written by entirely new writers, none of whom had previously had a broadcast credit and all but one were unrepresented. Behind this TX week of giggles was a cavalcade of inclusion across the board, permeating all aspects of the project, from the development process to the crews that delivered them, and it was all achieved in just 12 months.
It all started out quite innocently. Pete Thornton, head of unscripted at UKTV, and I were discussing bringing the WriterSlam pathway (a TriForce Creative Network/Dandi.org.uk initiative) to UKTV. This pathway for writers ends in a guaranteed commission with our partners – a way of ensuring tangible outcomes and avoiding the horrendous trap of ‘schemes’. Pete has supported WriterSlam in the past and has always been an advocate for inclusion in practical forms. But he and I share similar misgivings at some of the solutions our industry has put forward over the last couple of years – the endless dead-end schemes, unsupported talent, mining of trauma for pennies and the resurfacing of databases that do nothing to address the constraints of time and resource that line producers and productions face, to name but a few. Given all this, Pete was keen to ‘supercharge’ the WriterSlam, asking ‘what could we do that’s truly impactful?’.
In our position working across the TCN/DandI.org.uk, we have a unique overview of our entire industry; we have 25,000-strong pool of production talent at all levels from across the UK as part of our recruitment network and are currently working with over 60 production companies and SVOD’s to support them to hire inclusively on everything from Made in Chelsea to Bridgerton. This work, which we have been doing for two decades, allows us to very clearly see the issues around inclusion and, for those in our industry who are serious about it, what the solutions look like. In response to Pete’s question about being truly impactful, my response was that it would require an entirely open and level playing field – so not asking for full scripts but samples, selection based not on previous experience but on people’s fire and passion, and ensuring that the opportunity is spread far and wide.
This would mean an enlisting army of readers, processing and filtering to find the gems, but would also ensure access to all, no matter their circumstances. You would then need to take those writers and start paying them. In terms of development, you would need script editors who understand the writers and the worlds they are portraying, ensuring they felt valued and on a very basic level, could pay their bills, focus on their projects and make the best of the opportunity. The writers would also need to receive mentoring, preparing them for their journeys after the pathway, so that they weren’t falling through the cracks once all the noise had subsided. And once you have wonderful projects and writers that have been ‘brought up to speed’, it would be vital to engage key partnership production companies who had a passion for inclusion and for the projects, to ensure they come to screens with as much polish and professionalism as possible. This would be achieved by providing full, not ‘token’ budgets.
And Pete Thornton, and UKTV, said: ‘Yes. We should do that’. And this is where we find ourselves in the current climate of diversity and inclusion; where some are saying ‘No, we don’t need more inclusion’, ‘No, the talent isn’t qualified/ready/there’, but there are also those who are saying ‘Yes’. You’re either doing it and benefitting from it, as many currently are, or you’re not.
If you’re still talking about the problem, then you simply aren’t engaging with the solutions that are available and are already operating at volume – take the TV Collective’s work with breakthrough leaders and fledgling production companies or Mama Youth’s industry-based training where you’re guaranteed incredible talent. There’s also DANC’s enormous, supported network of talent and their work to make our industry more accessible to disabled talent, and even our work at DANDI, placing talent in their thousands each year and changing the makeup of our production teams. Production companies and broadcasters are very much saying ‘yes’, (and the American SVOD’s are saying ‘YASSS!’) like never before and appreciating that if we are to be truly inclusive, then the work needs to be done with proper funding and support.
So, can you find four writers with incredible stories to tell and take them straight into paid development, and have their shows professionally produced and on our screens in 12 months?
Turns out if you say ‘yes’, then you can.
Anna Costello, writer of Dead Canny
Having been a secondary school teacher for the majority of my adult life, I never dreamed that one day I’d have a pilot on the actual telly. As someone from a working-class background in Consett, Co. Durham, the thought of being a professional writer didn’t seem like a possibility for me – it’s something ‘other people do’.
When I found out I was a finalist, I was excited, terrified, and overwhelmed by imposter-syndrome. However, Fraser was adamant that the process of creating a script for broadcast should be demystified for writers, and that supporting and protecting writers should be the priority throughout.
I was paired with the most incredible script editor, Micheal Jacob, who taught me to do ‘more with less’ – how to take the characters and world I’d created, and make it concise, allowing the story and humour shine through. I learnt that it’s necessary not to hold on to ideas too tightly – sometimes, gags need to be sacrificed for the sake of the story, but you can make it ‘funny’ elsewhere. I gained so much from the re-drafting process. When receiving feedback, I learnt how to identify the ‘note behind the note’, and how to find solutions to issues whilst still remaining true to the characters’ voices.
Each finalist was partnered with a production company, and I was partnered with TriForce Productions. I was introduced to Jon MacQueen (producer), and Theresa Varga (director), two insanely talented individuals who brought so much creativity, knowledge, and insight to the pilot.
More than anything, I learned that a good script is just the start – what makes a great pilot is an incredible team of people (production, cast, and crew), who each bring something that could never be captured on the page alone. Someone once told me that the script is the blue-print for a TV show – working collaboratively with the team is what really brought Dead Canny to life.
I’m so, so grateful to Fraser, [Triforce co-chief executive] Minnie Ayres, and UKTV for launching this initiative. The industry needs more people that meaningfully champion diverse voices, and help people have their stories heard and worlds seen.
Good things come in threes! We’re back with a third season of Sorry I Didn’t Know! on your screens every Sunday in October, on ITV.
What a joy it was to be back in the studio with familiar faces and new ones. Jimmy Akingbola returns as host, while Chizzy Akudulu and Eddie Kadi take to the captains’ chairs with a whole heap of comedic chemistry! Join them and our fantastic guests as we uncover more hidden Black history. You’ll be surprised it’s true and then unsurprised you were never told it!
Starting Sunday 2 October @ 10.20pm on ITV, and running throughout Black History Month. #BHM
There are SO many places to find entry level TV and Film jobs and opportunities. The most obvious place we can recommend to find jobs is right HERE on our TCN Talent Pool (it’s completely free to set up a profile and apply for job opportunities!), but we’ll give you a run down on some of the places you should looking to find the best opportunities out there and how to maximise your chances of landing your perfect job!
Some top tips for Job hunting:
● Always answer your phone!
It can sometimes feel a little daunting picking up the phone to unknown numbers, BUT this will help to make sure you never miss an opportunity as jobs can go quickly! Same with emails…Always check your inbox/spam often!
CV Tips
If you’re happy for your CV to be passed around for employment purposes a way that makes it extra clear and speedy for potential employers to know about you, save your CV file name as ‘NAME – CURRENT JOB TITLE – DATE AVAILABILE FROM’. If you’re starting out in the industry or unsure what to put as your current job title, put the role which you are looking to apply for e.g. Runner. (it’s also a good idea to put a GDPR statement on your CV!)
● Tailor your CV to the job you’re applying to. You can have different CVs for different roles/genres and use experience that suits each one. You can write things like ‘I am keen to gain experience in TV and have a particular interest in X Y Z’. This will give whoever is reading your cv an idea of what you are interested in and where they can place you
● Make your skills clear on your CV. e.g. If you can drive, TELL US on your CV.
Our Tips for Cover Letters:
Keep it short
Tell them where you saw the advert and what the role is you’re applying for
Put the information they’ve asked for first. Did they ask if you have a driving licence? If you’re based in a certain area? If you’re available for certain dates? Then answer their questions first, in a really easy to read way – think bullet points!
Check your spelling and wording. It just doesn’t look great if you haven’t taken the time to check your spelling, or if you’ve copied and pasted a bit from a previous application and haven’t changed the company name for example. Make sure it’s accurate!
Do not write one ‘cover letter’ and use that for all applications. It is obvious if it’s a copy and paste job.
When writing a cover letter a basic thing is to put yourself in the shoes of whoever is reading your application and to try and make it as easy for them to pick out why you are right for the job!
Places to find jobs and opportunities!
· TriForce Creative Network Talent Pool – on the TCN Talent Pool website you will find some of the best opportunities available in TV and Film for all kinds of roles and levels of experience. All you need to do is sign up to our Talent Pool and from there you can apply to all the amazing jobs that we update everyday! It’s free to set up a profile and apply for as many job opportunities as you like! https://thetcn.com/the-tcn-talent-pool/
● Facebook Groups
Facebook groups are a key way people of all levels find jobs in the industry. From Costume Networking groups to Sound TV and Film jobs groups, there are Facebook groups for whatever department you’re looking for. Here are some of the best groups on Facebook for opportunities, but there’s LOTS more:
TV Talent North Focusses on jobs and talent based in the North, but there are lots of other location based groups for where you might be based in https://www.facebook.com/groups/958623744555057/
●LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a great place to connect with people who are working in the roles you aspire to work in and is also a great space for hiring. Get a profile set up and start to grow your network!
● Other Places
Jobs and opportunities can be found in other places too. Make sure you check these sites for some of the amazing things they put out.
TriForce Productions first feature documentary will be hitting your screens this Autumn on ITV.
In this deeply personal film, acclaimed actor Jimmy Akingbola traces his own journey and, in doing so, uncovers the truth about growing up in the care system in England.
Now a celebrated actor, starring in award-winning, global productions across film, television and theatre including Bel-Air, In The Long Run and Most Dangerous Game, Jimmy reflects on how his upbringing shaped him.
Exec Producer Fraser Ayres said “We’re very excited to be working on such a personal story as our first documentary. Not only does this revealing programme explore Jimmy’s upbringing, we also take a wider look at the experiences of those growing up in care in the UK.”
Triforce Productions is pleased to announce our new sitcom ‘Dead Canny’, premiering Wednesday 24th August 2022on Dave at 10pm. Dead Canny follows ‘Kay’ (Sarah Balfour), a questionable young psychic from Consett, Co. Durham, whose ability to see dead people earns her a few quid cash-in-hand down the local pub. Unfortunately, it turns out people are just as annoying dead as they were alive.
Sarah Balfour as Kay
Our stellar cast stars: newcomer Sarah Balfour, Laoise Sweeney, Denise Welch, Dean Bone, Steph Lacey, Mark Benton, Aryana Ramkhalawon, Rhea Bailey and our very own Fraser Ayres!
‘Dead Canny’ is written by the talented Anna Costello, who is one of the finalists from our popular WriterSlam competition which had writers vying for an opportunity to have their project produced and broadcast on Dave in partnership with UKTV.
WriterSlam is Triforce Creative Networks writers programme to help TV production companies and broadcasters access UK based new writers from diverse backgrounds who represent the society that we live in, and who will offer different perspectives, experiences and opinions. The initiative with UKTV was to encourage writers to tell a story we’ve never seen on TV before, or whether it’s simply a universal story told by a different voice.
Three other productions will also be shown as part of the season, they include: Holier Than Thou written by Misha Adesanya and produced by Big Deal Films, Perfect written by Laurence Clark and produced by Happy Tramp, and The Other Half written by Kate Reid and Zak Ghazi-Torbati and produced by Ranga Bee.Pete Thornton, Head of Scripted, UKTV, said, “We’re excited to be working with TriForce Creative Network and DandI.org.uk on this unique UKTV WriterSlam and to be throwing this opportunity open to all underrepresented voices from any background”.
Fraser Ayres, Executive Producer and CEO of TriForce Creative Network, said “This is what a ‘360° approach’ actually looks like. If we’re going to find more Michaela Cole’s and Tim Renkow’s we need to develop pathways that provide access and then perhaps those much needed voices won’t have to traverse so many obstacles to be heard. This move is unprecedented and kudos to UKTV for taking this tangible and giant step to truly move the dial with us.”
Minnie Ayres, Executive Producer and dandI.org.uk CEO, said “By utilising our dandI.org.uk talent pool, we’re in a unique position to ensure inclusion and open access at all levels” added “From creatives to crew this will be fully inclusive, allowing us to also address the gaps we have identified by levelling up talent that is ready, but yet to be given their shot”.
Dead Canny’ will premiere on UKTV’s award-winning comedy entertainment channel Dave, at 10pm, Wednesday 24 August 2022!
Free tickets are now available to book for the studio recording of Sorry, I Didn’t Know season 3!
We’re very excited that ‘Sorry, I Didn’t Know…’ the comedy panel show about Black history is returning this year for season 3!
TriForce needs YOU!
We’ll be filming the show at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith Sun 12 June – Tues 14 June and once again this year there are FIVE shows.
The show is a hilarious comedy panel show, unearthing everything you didn’t know about black history. We’ve all heard of Mary Seacole and Martin Luther King, but did you know that the first self-made female millionaire was black? Or that the inspiration for the character Monostatos in Mozart’s The Magic Flute’ was black classical composer Joseph Bologne?
We’ve got an amazing panel lined up for the show, including our host Jimmy Akingbola, the lovely Chizzy Akudolu and guest appearances from the likes of White Yardie, our favourite Chaser Shaun Wallace, Russell Kane and Verona Rose.
For more information and to book your ticket, click the button below!
We’ve had a bit of a makeover with our jobs site! Check out the info here on how to access the new site, find your profile if you’ve already registered, or set up a new profile if you’re new to us!
We are now working with over 70 production companies and broadcasters and have updated the system to make it even easier for you to look for work and apply for jobs.
Now you can:
Apply for jobs directly from your profile
See previous job applications
Have complete control over your profile for uploading latest CV, updates/corrections etc.
‘One-Click Apply’ for jobs.
I already had a profile on the TCN Talent Pool – how do I access my profile on the new site?
You won’t need to fill in your profile again! (A collective sigh of relief…)
Click THIS LINK and click ‘Forgot Password’, where you’ll be directed to a page to assign a new password, which will then connect you to your profile.
-PLEASE NOTE- For it to be able to find and link to your account, you need to enter the SAME email address that you ORIGINALLY SIGNED UP to the TCN Talent Pool with.
Once that’s done, you can now access your new profile!
Please take a look and make sure all of your information is up to date and correct as the more information you provide, the more effective we can be in finding you the perfect job.
Then what?
You can then log into your candidate portal and apply for jobs directly from there. Just click the ‘Jobs’ tab on the left hand side.
You can also access all our jobs on the new Career Site here where you can see all the current jobs as well as login to your profile. (Click Sign In on the top right hand corner to log in!)
Applying for a job –
You can now apply for jobs with just one click using the ‘Easy Apply’ button at the top of every job post.
This will then automatically take your CV, profile details and Personal Statement (So make sure they’re up to date!) and apply you for the job.
If any additional information is required, a pop-up questionnaire for you to fill in any details will appear.
I’m new to the TCN Talent Pool, how do I set up a profile?
Simply go to the new Career Site here and click Register in the top right hand corner.
Can I apply for jobs without registering?
You can, just look at the job you’re interested in on the career site, click I’m interested and then you can fill in a form just for that job. However, if you take the time to register, you’ll only have to fill that form in once, instead of every time you apply!
We’re very excited to announce the finalists and winner of our Looking For Louis competition, in association with Mindhouse, Amazon Studios and Edinburgh TV Festival.
Our six finalists were:
Alim Jayda – Both Parents Deaf
Ginna Cheng – Becoming a Chess Boxer
Jessica Brady – A Male Stripper Experience
Remel London – My Grandad’s Secret Society
Sharon Walia – Queerjabis
Tiger Cohen-Towell – As God Intended
Their micro documentaries were completed in just a week, after their pitches were selected from over 600 entries.
The finalist films were showcased at a live session with Louis Theroux today at Edinburgh TV Festival, with the winner announced as well.
Our overall winner was Ginnia Cheng for her exploration of the strange and wonderful world of Chess Boxing!
Ginna wins a six-month, exclusive option with Mindhouse. She will work together with Mindhouse’s creative team to develop projects and pitch them to commissioners with the aim of winning commissions that will be executive produced by Mindhouse and authored or presented by Ginnia.
In addition, Amazon Studios will offer Ginnia a bespoke 12 month programme of mentoring and training to help them achieve their career goals.
All six films are available to view on the Edinburgh TV Festival app, along with the films of our other shortlisted filmmakers, Emb Hashmi, Iman Amrani, Rakeem Omar and Tasnim Nazeer.
Congratulations to all!
If you’re interested in meeting with any of the shortlisted or finalist filmmakers, please do get in touch on [email protected].
As part of our UKTV pathway for writers, we are on the hunt for production companies with a keen love for talent and for bringing the best out of them!
We’re looking for emerging indie production companies with some experience in scripted production to come and join us on our mission to take exciting new writers from ‘Bedroom to Broadcast’ as part of a planned AMPLIFY season on Dave in 2022.
We have filtered thousands of amazing submissions and have now selected 6 projects to develop further, 4 of which will go on to be part of an anthology series to be broadcast on Dave next year.
Selected production companies will take on early drafts of each selected project, making full use of their own creative expertise whilst working hand in glove with the writers, script editors and the team at UKTV to help shape and polish these projects as we progress towards the final selection process and production dates towards the end of 2021.
This is an opportunity for you to get the support you need to take your organisation to the next level, as well as being central to the creative journey that guiding a script successfully from first draft to screen involves.
If you’d like to be part of this process, please email [email protected] and tell us about your production company and why you’d like to be part of the AMPLIFY season.
Louis Theroux teams up with TriForce and Amazon to find the next documentary star!
TriForce Creative Network have joined forces with Louis Theroux’s company Mindhouse, Amazon Studios and The TV Foundation (the charity arm of the Edinburgh TV Festival) to launch ‘Looking for Louis’. Building on the success of our previous WriterSlam partnerships with Amazon, this time we’re looking for budding journalists and documentary makers who think they could be the next Louis Theroux.
We’re looking for exciting documentary ideas, with the filmmaker front and centre as the on screen talent. Whether your idea is about telling a story we’ve never seen on TV before, or whether it’s simply a universal story told by a different voice, we want to hear from you. We’re looking for talent who represent the society that we live in, and who will offer different perspectives, experiences and opinions.
You might have never worked in TV before but spend all your spare time making YouTube and TikTok content, or you might be a budding broadcast journalist looking for an opportunity to present your own documentary, or just someone with a great idea who’s confident in front of a camera! If you live in the UK, and you’ve got a great idea for a 2 minute documentary, we want to hear it.
All you need to do is send in a one page pitch about your documentary idea.
Competition Details
We’re asking people to fill in a short form on the TriForce Creative Network website and attach a one page pitch of an idea for a 2 minute micro-documentary. 10 people will then be selected by a panel put together by Mindhouse, Edinburgh TV Festival Fest and Amazon, who will be asked to make their 2 minute doc, shot on their mobile phone. All 10 shortlisted filmmakers will be given financial support to make sure they can deliver their film.
Louis Theroux will watch the films and select 6 filmmakers to go through to the Edinburgh TV Festival online final. Their films will be showcased online to the Edinburgh TV Festival audience during the session and Louis will then announce the winner.
They will win a six-month, exclusive option with Mindhouse. They will work together with Mindhouse’s creative team to develop projects and pitch them to commissioners with the aim of winning commissions in that time that will be executive produced by Mindhouse and authored or presented by the talent.
Amazon Studios will offer the winner a bespoke 12 month programme of mentoring and training to help them achieve their career goals.
Theroux said: “I am very excited to be part of this initiative. For me, one of the best parts of launching Mindhouse is being involved behind the scenes with new talent who can tell fresh stories in different and exciting ways. To paraphrase Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon, I’m getting old for this shit, and my knees aren’t what they once were. We need to safeguard the future of irreverent and intelligent on-camera reporting by bringing up the next generation of presenters.”
“Documentary filmmaking in the UK is world class, so we’re excited to be helping unearth the future generation of filmmaking talent, and mentoring and training them to help propel them to the next level in their career,” said Fozia Khan, UK Unscripted Executive at Amazon Studios.
“We’re really excited to be working with Mindhouse to offer budding journalistic talent the chance to be front and centre presenting their own ideas,” said Fraser Ayres of TriForce Creative Network. “It’s such a great opportunity to accelerate the winners’ careers.”
The competition is open to residents of the UK only.
Submissions are open from 10:00am on Wednesday 14 July – 11:59pm Tuesday 27 July.
