The Amazon executive who persuaded Woody Allen to make his first TV series will be among a host of US TV bosses to take part in this year’s Guardian Edinburgh International TV Festival.
US executives who will appear at this year’s event in August will include Amazon’s Roy Price, HBO’s Michael Ellenberg, Discovery’s Rich Ross and John Landgraf from FX.
It was Price, vice president of Amazon Studios, who was behind Allen’s first, as yet untitled, TV series for Amazon Prime. Allen joked: “I don’t know how I got into this. My guess is that Roy Price will regret this.”
The annual event will see appearances by Ross Kemp, Coronation Street star Sally Ann Matthews, Sherlock producer Beryl Vertue, and a YouTube masterclass featuring vloggers Fleur de Force and TomSka.
It will also feature an industry version of Big Brother, featuring seven TV executives holed up in the Big Brother house, and special festival takes on Come Dine with Me and University Challenge.
The festival’s advisory chair, Sky Atlantic boss Zai Bennett, said: “In its 40th year, we have gone back to basics with the festival programme and tried to ensure that talent, both on and off-screen, is at the heart of everything we do.
“We have also made our international profile a huge priority this year, securing some of the biggest broadcasting executives in the world.”
Pointless presenter Richard Osman will look at the vogue for rebooting old TV formats, while Richard Bacon will host a competition to run the best TV channel.
Reflecting its US focus, the festival, which runs from 26 to 28 August, will host the UK premiere of Amazon’s Hand of God, attended by its creators and cast including Ron Perlman.
The person who will deliver this year’s MacTaggart Lecture, the centrepiece of the festival, remains under wraps. Last year it was delivered by Channel 4 chief executive David Abraham, and Kevin Spacey in 2013.
