Munya Chawawa to give Alternative MacTaggart lecture at Edinburgh TV Festival
Chawawa, who has become known for his satirical impressions, will make the case for 'why broadcasters underestimate digital creatives at their peril and will issue a call to arms for creative risk'.
The annual Edinburgh TV festival, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, will also feature multi award-winning actress and comedian Tina Fey in conversation with broadcaster Graham Norton.
Audiences will be able to watch Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker be interviewed, while Stephen Lambert, the chief executive of Studio Lambert, the independent TV production company behind some of the UK's biggest entertainment shows including The Traitors and Gogglebox, will discuss his career and work.
Lambert will record a special edition of the podcast The Town, hosted by US entertainment journalist Matt Belloni.
Creative masterclasses include deep dives into the making of the biggest scripted and unscripted UK shows of the year, featuring Netflix crime drama Adolescence and reality TV show Last One Laughing.
There will also be a live script read of Disney comedy-drama Rivals, and 25 years of Big Brother will be marked with a session called How Big Brother Changed TV Forever.
Previously announced speakers include Sir Lenny Henry, who will receive the outstanding achievement award; Michael Sheen, who will be in conversation with advisory chairwoman Jane Tranter; and James Harding, editor-in-chief of The Observer and founder of Tortoise Media, who will be delivering the prestigious MacTaggart Lecture.
The festival's creative director, Rowan Woods, and Tranter said: 'This year's programme contains all the attributes and tonal variations of great TV: it's inspiring, thought-provoking, entertaining, attitudinal, glamorous, inclusive and actively relevant to our current challenging landscape.
'The 50th anniversary is a moment to look back and celebrate how far we've come, and the many people who've contributed to this remarkable legacy; but it's also an opportunity to look forward and ask what the future of British television looks like, how we define it, protect it and evolve it to meet the challenges ahead.
'We can't wait to see you in Edinburgh in August.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BreakingNews.ie
8 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
David Byrne and Hayley Williams write original songs for Netflix film The Twits
Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne and Paramore singer Hayley Williams have written original feature songs for Netflix's The Twits. The film adaptation based on the characters from Roald Dahl's book of the same name will feature three original songs – We're Not Like Ev'ryone Else, Lullaby, and The Problem Is You – written and produced by Byrne, 73, and performed by the cast. Advertisement Williams, 36, known for Paramore's hits including Still Into You and Ain't It Fun, joins the Psycho Killer singer for the end title song, Open The Door, as a co-writer and performer. David Byrne (Alamy/PA) Byrne said: 'This was a fun project. Like other Roald Dahl books, this one has its share of dreadful characters – this time two of them are front and centre. 'Kids (and adults) love that they can vicariously imagine their own worst impulses played out, harmlessly, in a punky fun story. So when I was approached to write some songs for this movie I immediately said 'let me give it a try and see if you like what I come up with'.' The film re-imagines Dahl's characters Jim and Credenza Twit – the meanest, smelliest, nastiest people in the world who own and operate a disgusting and dangerous amusement park, Twitlandia. Advertisement As they rise to power in their town, two brave children and a family of magical Muggle-Wumps are forced to become as tricky as the Twits in order to save their city. Williams added: 'Being a part of this movie is like one pinch-me moment after another. My favourite Roald Dahl book growing up was The Twits. Hayley Williams of Paramore performing during day two of Leeds Festival (Lewis Stickley/PA) 'It feels like a cautionary tale – and also a really lovely depiction of chosen family and community, which is one of my favourite topics. I owe David Byrne for pulling me into the music for this. It was so fun and so surreal starting a song from scratch with him.' The film stars comedian Johnny Vegas and US actress Margo Martindale, who voice the eponymous Mr & Mrs Twits. Advertisement Game Of Thrones star Emilia Clarke will also lend her voice to portray Pippa, while Hollywood actress Natalie Portman will portray Mary Muggle Wump. Other previously announced cast members include Freakier Friday actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Primos' Ryan Lopez, Nobody Wants This actor Timothy Simons and comedian Jason Mantzoukas. The film is written and directed by american filmmaker Phil Johnston, who is best known for co-writing Ralph Breaks The Internet and Zootopia. Phil Johnston (Ian West/PA) Johnston said: 'I still can't quite believe that I spent the last few years collaborating with David Byrne, a musical hero of mine since I was 13. Advertisement 'From the first demo he sent me, on which the featured instrument was a 100-year-old banjolele, I knew I was going to love the songs he wrote. 'Throughout the process, my collaboration with David has been incredibly fun and surprisingly easy, probably because I've been stealing from him for so long. 'When David and I started talking about an end credit song, the first potential collaborator David brought up was Hayley Williams. 'I still can't quite believe that two of my favourite songwriters wrote a song together for The Twits. The saying 'never meet your heroes' simply does not apply here. I met two of them, and boy howdy, it's been a dream come true.' Advertisement The Twits will debut on Netflix on October 17th.
BBC News
8 minutes ago
- BBC News
Fred Dibnah memorial in Bolton to be repaired eight months on
A memorial to TV star Fred Dibnah will be fixed in the next few weeks after being damaged eight months ago, a council has stone tribute to the famous steeplejack on Churchgate in Bolton town centre was installed following his death at the age of 66 in November Council said the stone had recently been remade and was being scheduled for comes after businessman Dave Fishwick, whose life's story was made into a Netflix film called Bank of Dave, said he would fund the repair work. Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester, Mr Fishwick said: "Fred Dibnah is a legend – that word gets used a lot but it really deserves to be there next to Fred."It's a wrong and it needs putting right. "Fred's a legend - let's just remember what he did for everybody – he inspired me as a child."Dibnah, who was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2003, became an unlikely television celebrity after he appeared in a local news programme repairing Bolton's town hall clock in 1979. He went on to be the star of 20 documentaries. Bolton Council has since thanked Mr Fishwick for his offer and confirmed plans are already in place.A Bolton Council spokesperson said: "Fred Dibnah is one of Bolton's best loved sons, and his statue is a fitting tribute to him and our borough's proud history."We are determined to return his statue to its former glory, and the stone has now been remade and is being scheduled in for installation in the next few weeks."In the meantime, we would like to thank all those offering to repair the statue free of charge, which underlines how much he is loved by locals and visitors to Bolton." Read more stories from Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X.
Graziadaily
28 minutes ago
- Graziadaily
Get To Know Olivia Rae, The Star of Netflix's Perfect Match
There's no tried and tested formula for the perfect dating show, but Netflix's Perfect Match comes pretty close. The show, now back for its third season, brings together singletons from Netflix's most-loved reality franchise, such as Love Is Blind and Too Hot To Handle, along with stars from other popular shows like Love Island and The Bachelor, for the ultimate quest to find love. The result? The ultimate amount of drama, romance and sabotage. Naturally, this has got everyone talking about the cast - and where we've seen them before. We've got Sandy Gallagher, who found fame on The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On, and Dated & Related star Daniel Perfetto. Another cast member on season three of Perfect Match is Olivia Rae - here's where you might have seen her before. Olivia Rae is a former personal assistant who appeared on the show Temptation Island earlier this year. On her Instagram profile, it says Olivia is based in Las Vegas, and she regularly shares glimpses of her amazing travels, from Cannes to Monte Carlo. According to Netflix's Tudum, Olivia describes herself as 'hot, witty, and loyal' - and she isn't interested in guys who can't express their feelings or wants. Should any men cross her boundary, Olivia wants she's 'spicy if provoked.' We can't wait to see how her time on the show plays out. Olivia Rae is 30 years old. Temptation Island returned for its ninth season this year. The show, presented by Mark L Walberg, puts four unmarried couples on the brink of separation through the ultimate test - temptation with members of the opposite sex. The aim? To work out whether they will stay loyal to their partners - or choose to go their separate ways for good. Olivia appeared on the show as a single. She wrote in the caption for her promo picture for the show: 'I didn't come to find love—I came to steal yours.' She is joined by her season 1 co-stars Alex Zamora and Cody Wright. Yes! You can keep up to date with Olivia's life at her handle @imoliviarae. Alice Hall is the Staff Writer at Grazia UK. She was previously a Junior Features Writer for The Daily Telegraph. At Grazia, she writes news and features about pop culture, dating, health, politics and interiors.
