Former Doctor Who star, David Tennant, has said that a plan to make British broadcasters produce more “distinctly British” shows was a move to encourage more Government friendly programmes on TV.
Mocking the move, the West Lothian actor, has said that his portrayal of Phileas Fogg in the BBC adaptation of ‘Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days’ will show “a different type of Stuffy Englishman” that “represents everything that’s alarming and peculiar about that old sense of British Empire.”
The multi-episode series will feature as part of the BBC’s Christmas schedule will fly in the face of certain Government ministers that are understood to be contemplating a fresh legal requirement for broadcasters like to BBC to create programmes that celebrate ‘British value’ and have “Britishness” at their heart, according to the i.
Tennant said told the Radio Times: “Is there some inherent criticism within this plea for more Britishness? Did Britishness mean ‘made in Britain’ or programmes that have a certain political viewpoint?
“Is it just a government pleading for the artist to be more sympathetic towards it? Why would the Government feel they need more sympathy directed towards them? Perhaps that’s a question they should ask themselves, rather than trying to blame it on the television industry.”
Tennant added in the interview that the interpretation of Phileas Fogg’s tale as “a story about an England that should elicit very little sympathy.”
The “Britishness” policy idea was originally touted in a speech by the former UK media minister, John Whittingdale and it is not yet known how their successor, Nadine Dories, will carry out and implement the proposal.
Mr Whittingdale told the i : “The speech was simply saying the public service broadcasters should produce programmes designed to appeal to British audiences when so much content from the likes of Netflix and Amazon is made for global audiences and has a rather anonymous identity.”
