Nick Elliott: How I'd run BBC drama

On The Guardian's Organ Grinder blog, retired drama supremo, Nick Elliott, explains his approach to commissioning.

For mainstream ITV and BBC1, the key word is empathy. Ordinary viewers need to identify with a sympathetic leading character or set of characters. (These are hopefully played by a relatively small band of actors that inspire loyalty and affection. Usually these actors had some comedy in them and didn't take themselves terribly seriously.) This means avoiding characters (and actors) who are cold, supercilious, cool or trendy.

Meanhwile, outgoing Controller of Ficton at the BBC, Jane Tranter, has criticised the "fetishisation around the single (TV) play" and Janice Hadlow has been appointed as Controller of BBC Two.