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| Acclaimed Producer, Charlie Hanson |
Charlie Hanson is a celebrated British
producer, having worked on the BAFTA award-winning film ‘A Way of Life’ and winning
a Golden Globe in 2008 for the ‘Extras Special TV Movie.’
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| Charlie Hanson produced Life's Too Short |
Charlie needs no introduction
from me, so with Derek on our screens and in our minds, here’s what he had to
say:
You’ve worked with Ricky on numerous projects to date, how did you meet
and form such a successful relationship?
We met very casually whilst he was
filming The Office and I was filming The Sketch Show at Teddington
Studios. Soon after I met him at a couple of Award Shows. Soon after,
Stephen Merchant played a chef in an episode of Garth Marenghi and a few months
later Ricky rang me and asked me to meet him and Stephen. We met in a cafe
and they told me their idea for Extras and asked me if I would produce it. Of
course I said yes. A few months later they sent me the first script and I went
to the BBC with it.
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| Extras - a Gervais/Hanson success (Image: BBC) |
After Life’s Too Short, Cemetery Junction and now Derek, is it fair to
say that you and Ricky share the same creative vision?
We both want to make the best quality
shows, but as a producer my role is to create the best possible environment for
Ricky's vision to come to life. This includes finding the best cast, crew,
locations. This is what I would do on all my shows. It just happens that I do
more with Ricky than most. He has a wealth of ideas he wants to make, and I enjoy
helping to get them made.We share the view that you have to surround yourself
with the best talent, work hard, but enjoy the work. We always have a happy
set. There's no point in suffering whilst making a show.
With the controversy that surrounded Derek, did you
ever question partnering Ricky on this project?
Never. Ricky was always clear what Derek
would be about. Of course we expected controversy, but Ricky would
never create anything that he wasn't prepared to defend. We took a lot of
care over making Derek and are very proud of the results.
What do you say to those people who still think it is made in poor
taste?
Taste is a very subjective thing. We can
only produce work that we like and find funny. Of course we can't expect
everybody to like it. There are plenty of comedy shows that I don't like, but I
wouldn't challenge anyone not to make them or show them.The sad thing is that
some people made their mind up about Derek before the pilot aired. Fortunately
it is building in popularity now, and those who don't like it can watch
something else.
Derek has received a huge amount positive press and encouraging reviews
since episode 1 and with the hotly anticipated episode 6, heavily promoted by
Ricky on Twitter as his crowning glory, can we expect to see a series 2?
We hope and expect to make a second
series, and certainly the reaction so far, after only two episodes, will
encourage that. And yes, episode 6 is an amazing finale to the first series,
with excellent performances from Karl, David Earl, Kerry Godliman and Ricky. I
can watch it over and over and am still very moved.
Getting the blend between original comedy and emotive drama must have
been a huge challenge. This is where the show succeeds very well and has earned
its acclaim. Was it difficult to get the tone just right?
This is what Ricky does so well. The scripts evolved over several months
and by the time we filmed them they were longer than we needed. A Channel 4
half hour is only 23.5 minutes. So the editing was a crucial time. The drama
and poignancy was always there, and there were plenty of funny moments. In a
sense it is a comic drama.
Were you surprised at how good an actor
Karl is?
No. Karl just
had to be natural. Again Ricky knows Karl so well, so he wrote a character that
suited Karl. At first Karl was nervous but as time progressed he began to enjoy
it more. He spent a lot of time watching the other actors too.
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| Karl Pilkington as Dougie (Image: Channel 4) |
Working with a group of comedy actors must be great fun, but can it also
be frustrating?
It is great fun. And I don't find it frustrating
at all. It would only be that if they didn't convince as actors.
How did you first get into comedy production, was it always your
aspiration?
I always wanted to direct and I was a
theatre director doing new plays for 5 years before I had a call out of the
blue from a Head of Comedy at ITV. That led to me creating a sitcom for Channel
4 called No Problem! and then to producing and directing Desmonds. I was
then asked to direct Birds of a Feather. Up till that point I had no
particular ambition to work in comedy, but I went on to work with
comedy performers like Harry Hill, Lenny Henry (Chef), Garth Marenghi...
Your career as an acclaimed TV and film producer has spanned more than
two decades. Is there a particular highlight you are most proud of?
I am fortunate to have had several proud
moments in my career. The success of Desmonds, the Extras Finale Special, my
first film "A Way of Life" when Amma Asante, who wrote and directed
it, won a BAFTA, and now Derek which I am very proud of.
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| Fans all love and remember hit Channel 4 comedy, Desmonds |
How have you managed to ensure that your productions are cutting edge
and current as entertainment culture evolves?
I go to see new writing in the theatre
and new comedy acts regularly. I have always believed that whilst I may be working
with well-known performers and hit shows, it is vital to be developing new
ideas with new talent. I really enjoy working with new talent too and it keeps
me fresh. Fortunately Ricky also recognises new emerging talent too and
likes to bring them on board.
You must be inundated with project proposals, how do you choose your
next?
It is always dependent on the characters
and script. That comes first for me. I can spend ages working with someone as
they develop drafts of the script. Once I believe the characters and like the
idea, you then need time to add layers.
Does the world of online piracy worry you with regards to the future of
the entertainment industry? What is the biggest issue affecting your work
today?
Of course piracy is a threat, but I just
get on and make content and rely on others to protect the work. The main
changes over the years are the layers of bureaucracy at places like the BBC
that slow down decision making. That affects newer talent breaking through more
than the likes of Ricky and I though.
After Derek, what can we hope to see from you next?
I start filming a one hour special of
Life's Too Short with Ricky and Stephen on Monday.
With such a fantastic catalogue of shows, what are your aspirations for
the future?
To continue making shows and films that I
like. I have a couple of film projects in the pipeline and they can take time,
but are rewarding once they get made.
I would
like to give my extra special thanks to Charlie for taking the time to answer
my questions and I wish him well with all his future projects.
© M. A. Sibson
TadpoleHitler.com
Email:
tadpolehitler@gmail.com
Twitter:
@tadpole_hitler
Facebook:
facebook.com/derekfansite
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