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Every television decade pro- duces a handful of outstand- ingly talented individuals who make waves.
Nicola Shindler is one of these. Indeed many commissioning edi- tors will tell you she is one of the very best to emerge before the turn of the millennium.
They look forward to a Shindler offering. They can expect edge, sharp comedy, tight characteri- sation and dialogue for real. These trade-marks run through Queer as Folk, Clocking Off, Linda Green, Sparkhouse and the recent Flesh and Blood which notched up 2.8 million on BBC2.
Before she set up Red in January 1998, there was Hillsborough and Our Friends in the North.
It is In-the-North that Shindler is proudly and firmly anchored with a no frills office in the midst of Granada’s studio complex. “I was born in Rochdale, grew up in Manchester. I live here and some of the writers I work with live here. We set our drama here. And why shouldn’t I,” she says in a way that doesn’t encourage pro- longed debate.
She reminds one of Tony Garnett of World Productions: focused, single-minded, tigerishly protective of writers and actors, lit-
tle time for small talk, and certain- ly not one for the celebrity circuit. “My job” she says “is to make sure that the writer’s voice grows
from the page onto the screen without compromise. I want writ- ers to come to me and say ‘This is what I’ve always wanted to write about.’ That is the way you get the purest work. I will kill myself to make sure what they want gets on screen.”
women, love or responsibility.” Then there’s The Second Coming, a two-parter for ITV about the Son of God returning to Earth in 2002 in Manchester. “It will be great. I can’t wait to see peo- ple’s reaction to it.”
And there’s plenty more to come. “We’re developing some great new scripts for next year and the year after. Today I have three script meetings, dubbing, talking with producers about casting, watching rushes and pro- viding notes for the BBC on an episode of Clocking Off.”
So not much change out of 24 there. Shindler now lives 45 min- utes from the office at Bolton and goes home to see her parents at least once a week. Her first baby is due in March.
As for relaxation, did she see Tipping the Velvet? “Wasn’t for me. I don’t want to be rude about it, but I don’t like adapta- tions. I don’t like voice-over - and that woman’s voice was just too annoying to listen to. And I’m not really into period drama... but I’m sure that won’t worry them.”
On the other hand: “Nothing would make me miss an episode of The West Wing, Sex in the City or The Sopranos
Nicola Shindler, who runs Red Production Company from the heart of Manchester, talks to John Morrell about championing writers and why wild horses wouldn’t keep her away from Sex In The City and The Sopranos.
Ken Stott’s
six of the best
Industry personalities hand out their very own BAFTAs
She warms to the theme: “I understand story. I set out to tell good tale in an interesting way. don’t find things shocking that many people find shocking so when people say I set out to shock, not true. I don’t think like that... you can’t. That would be just too cynical.”
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Above all, Shindler is a writer’s producer. Russell T Davies (Queer as Folk, Bob And Rose), Paul Abbott (Clocking Off, Linda Green) Peter Bowker (Flesh and Blood) Sally Wainwright (Sparkhouse) are all harnessed to Red.
One senses that a 24 hour day is too short for Shindler. In the pipeline, a 10-parter for BBC by Matt Greenhalgh, Burn It. She enthuses: “It’s about three normal Manchester boys who grew up in the 80s; blew away the 90s and now find themselves at 30 without
Award for Artistic Integrity
Katrin Cartlidge gets this (posthu- mous) award because she never, even in very difficult times, com- promised her work.
Guardian Angel Award
Goes to David Blair. Nurturing tal- ent need not be solely the con- cept of helping young people to establish themselves in the busi- ness. There are periods in many actors’ careers when they are crying out for a helping hand. David is not interested in reputa- tion, his attitude to casting is fear- less and he has never been a fol- lower of trends.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Goes to Ian Holm, one of our finest actors. Seemingly effortless ability often belies hard work and dedication.
The History and Kultur Award
Goes to Howard Goodall, maker of exciting, innovative and un- deconstructed views of history.
Best Caterer Award
An army marches on its stomach. We spend inhumanly long hours at our work. We appreciate a caterer who puts the same atten- tion to detail into his work as we do ours. Fresh ingredients and a little inspiration need not be expensive. In recognition of this, the award goes to Guy Cowan of Reel Food.
Michael Gambon Award
Goes to Michael Gambon.
Edinburgh-born Ken Stott, a veteran of stage and screen, has recently been filming roles in Mike Hodges’ latest, I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, and the ITV drama, Promoted To Glory, directed by Richard Spence. He’s perhaps best known for playing tough, idiosyncratic cops in Messiah and its sequel, as well as the long-running series, The Vice, for which he was a popular BAFTA nominee.
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