Vertue blasts ‘money-wasting’ reality shows
BAFTA award-winning television producer Beryl Vertue, whose credits include Men Behaving Badly and Coupling, has criticised reality programmes as “a waste of money and time”, claiming they should be axed to make way for original comedy and drama.
The producer, who is the founder of Hartswood Films and executive producer of BBC1’s new drama Sherlock, claimed there were “too many” reality shows and said this left fewer slots for other genres.
She described some reality shows, such as The X Factor, as “wonderful”, but added: “There are other ones that I think are a waste of money and a waste of people’s time. Those should go to make room for some original drama and comedy. That is what I would like to see.”
Vertue, who was an agent for comedy writers including Spike Milligan and Eric Sykes before setting up Hartswood, and who received an OBE in the 2000 New Year Honours List for her services to independent television, also said actors struggled to get work because of the lack of drama slots on television.
“There is a shortage of work for them whatever age, because there is a lessening of drama and comedy, unfortunately. Reality has taken a lot of slots,” she said.
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