Backstage
You've produced very successful dramas such as Spooks. What do you think is the secret to drama success?
Jane: There's no secret to drama success. You simply have to develop things you like, and always insist on the highest level of ambition from everyone involved. Even then, there's no guarantee the audience will agree with you, but I think strict quality control at every stage helps!
The main thing, as ever, is the script and if you can get the best work from the best writers (for example, Tony Jordan), you're over half way there. Then it has to be followed up with flawless collaborative team work - easier said than done!
Simon: I wish I knew the answer to that! Yes, Spooks has been hugely successful and won a BAFTA (British Film and Television Award) in 2003, but I'll have to keep on producing winners before I can claim to know "the secret".
My main strategy has been to make shows that I personally want to watch. The next step is to arm yourself with the best writers out there. I've been very lucky to work with the likes of Tony Jordan, David Wolstencroft (Spooks' creator and writer), and distinguished playwright Howard Brenton, and their brilliance can be quite awe-inspiring at times.
The script is the key - not least because it attracts the best talent. It enables you to surround yourself with brilliant directors, actors and crew and if they all bring their own sparkle to the show then you start to have something very special. It becomes a self-propelling unit because the excitement rubs off on everybody - you get to the point where everybody from the production runner in the office, to the standby chippie on set feel they have a real stake in the project and really want to make it the best thing out.
Then comes the boring bit - meticulous attention to detail at every level, from hairstyles, costumes, locations, selection of extras, to lighting, editing and music. I'm passionate about all these elements - too much, I'm sure some of some my colleagues probably think.
With Spooks effectively raising the bar - and so many shows imitating its quite pioneering style (for mainstream BBC ONE drama) - the big challenge will be keeping fresh and keeping ahead. I think Hustle does this.
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