A Bolton comedian is set to kick off an annual TV festival which draws figures from across the TV industry. Alma’s Not Normal creator Sophie Willan, who hails from Bolton , is set to be among those speaking on the first day of the Edinburgh TV Festival. The annual media event will be held between Tuesday and Friday this week.
On Tuesday, advisory chairman Harjeet Chhokar and Rowan Woods, the creative director of the event, will officially welcome delegates. Sign up to our newsletters to get the latest stories sent straight to your inbox. Big Boys supremo Jack Rooke and Alma’s Not Normal creator and actress Willan will follow them and speak about their creative processes.
Alma’s Not Normal, which won a best comedy Broadcasting Press Guild award in 2022, is set in Bolton, and sees Willan draw on her own unusual life experiences. A second series of the show has already been filmed, with one lucky audience enjoying a sneak preview of the first two episodes last month. The series, which has been snapped filming in parts of the borough , is expected to return to screens this autumn.
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 joined as Lord Henry Muck, the chief executive and founder of a green tech energy company, named Lumi, which is about to go public. Edinburgh TV Festival’s first day will end with a talk featuring BBC Three controller Fiona Campbell, YouTuber and KISS Fresh presenter Elz The Witch and gamer Yammy about how broadcasters are entering the world of games. Follow The Bolton News on Facebook , Instagram , X (Twitter) , and TikTok .
The BBC has recently launched various experiences on virtual reality game Roblox with the broadcaster’s stars including Match Of The Day presenter Gary Lineker, documentarian Louis Theroux, and Doctor Who’s Ncuti Gatwa. Speakers for the next few days include Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud, former Coronation Street star Julie Hesmondhalgh, ex-Newsnight producer Sam McAlister, comedian Lucy Beaumont and historian David Olusoga, along with TV executives. There will also be sessions on hit Netflix competition series Squid Game: The Challenge, ITV show Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, the environment, and making factual dramas accurate.
The James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture, the flagship address of the festival since 1976, will be delivered by screenwriter and playwright James Graham, whose Dear England won an Olivier Award for best play. He will explore the “role and responsibility of television drama in shaping the political agenda and illuminating social injustices” on Wednesday. Former Countdown presenter Carol Vorderman will deliver the Alternative MacTaggart speech on Friday, the same day consumer rights champion Martin Lewis will be honoured with the festival’s outstanding achievement gong.
Contains reporting from PA. If you have a story, I cover the whole borough of Bolton. Please get in touch at jack.
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