Award-winning comedy show creators Jack Rooke and Sophie Willan will be among those speaking on the first day of the Edinburgh TV Festival. The annual media event, held in the Scottish capital, attracts figures from across the TV industry and this year is held between Tuesday and Friday. On Tuesday, advisory chairman Harjeet Chhokar and Rowan Woods, the creative director of the event, will officially welcome delegates.
Big Boys supremo Rooke and Alma’s Not Normal creator and actress Willan will follow Mr Chhokar, who is an unscripted Amazon MGM Studios executive and worked on Prime Video’s Clarkson’s Farm and Ms Woods. Jack Rooke with his award for writing for comedy at the Bafta Television Craft Awards (Ian West/PA) Alma’s Not Normal, which won a best comedy Broadcasting Press Guild award in 2022, is set in Willan’s hometown of Bolton, and sees her draw on her own unusual life experiences. Rooke collected a gong for best writer for a comedy for his Channel 4 semi-autobiographical sitcom Big Boys at the 2024 Bafta Television Craft Awards.
Following their talk, there will be a session on Industry, the hit BBC show about the world of finance, with creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, actor Sagar Radia and Bad Wolf chief executive Jane Tranter, from the series’ production company. It follows a group of young bankers vying for success at the London office of the fictional international bank Pierpoint & Co. For series three, Game Of Thrones star Kit Harington has joine.