‘Grange Hill’ Creator Phil Redmond: Finding Great TV Is Like Searching For A Gem In “Torrent Of Pebbles”

Sir Phil Redmond, the celebrated British writer behind series including Grange Hill and Hollyoaks, has lamented the state of the television industry, arguing that more choice has made it harder to find great storytelling.

In a freewheeling address at the Creative Cities Convention in the city of Liverpool, Redmond blamed U.S. streaming services for bringing “digital boredom” to audiences. He argued that finding great television is like searching for a gem in a “torrent of pebbles.”

Redmond described a familiar scene in which families waste time attempting to find something to watch amid an abundance of choice. He described it as the “looks s**t” problem, as viewers flick through thumbnails and trailers in search of a great story. “You suddenly realize you’ve lost 30 minutes,” he said, noting that this is around the length of a soap episode.

“Algorithms are just a replacement for audience research. And what that gives you is: One more of that. But more of that means more of the same. More of the same leads to digital boredom,” he explained. “But the thing about being a storyteller is how you have to surprise people. That’s the art of storytelling. You have to keep surprising, that’s what creativity is all about.”

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Redmond also issued a withering assesmment of the commissioning process. He joked: “There’s an old saying that those who can’t, teach. I used to say those who can’t even do that become journalists. Those who can’t even do that become commissioning editors.”

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