Can British creatives win the next Harry Potter or Marvel in a “British context”?
This was the challenge raised by James Graham this morning during the traditional post-MacTaggart discussion in Edinburgh. In his speech, he stressed that television gatekeepers must encourage “new universes” rather than relying on established intellectual property.
The Dear England The Creator called for more encouragement and ambition in the conception of new Harry Potter Universes or Marvel would look in a British context.” Graham believes writers should be given the “opportunity and space” to be innovative.
During the session after MacTaggart, Graham responded to a question from Deadline by praising the UK ecosystem, highlighting the direct connection between different disciplines such as theatre, gaming and YouTube, which helps find new talent and ideas.
In contrast, he criticized the American system for its “separation” between these disciplines, mentioning how the entertainment industry is geographically separated from Broadway. He gave examples such as Flea bag And Baby reindeerdiscovered at the Edinburgh Fringe.
“Any world-building in gaming can also be applied to the talent pool of theater and television,” noted Graham.
“Corsets and Horses”
Graham explained his call for creating “new universes” rather than relying on “tried and tested intellectual property” and expressed concern that British buyers are reluctant to invest in local working-class stories.
“They’d rather sell a historical, period, corseted and horse-riding view of England than niche stories from working-class people who might appear to be outsiders because of the accent,” he said. “In this economic climate, these shows don’t seem commercially viable.”
Since the 2008 crash, the world and cultural gatekeepers have been wary of “newness,” Graham said, citing the abundance of plays currently being performed in the West End based on films and musicals from the 1990s as evidence of this fear.
“Remember this when you use a streaming service. You know you should start that prestige drama, but your hand still moves to the series of Below deck You’ve seen it before,” he added. “There’s something missing in the way of thinking.”
Graham’s insights were shared at the Edinburgh TV Festival, which also featured notable figures such as Warren Littlefield, Anne Mensah and will.i.am.
