Ben Stephenson
Encyclopedia
Ben Stephenson is an English television executive, who has been controller of drama commissioning at the BBC
since September 2008.
before studying at Manchester University.
as a script editor on the television series Heartbeat
. He went on to edit scripts for London's Burning
and Blood Strangers. Stephenson then worked at Channel 4
for over two years, on shows such as No Angels
, later moving to Shed Productions
and Tiger Aspect.
He joined the BBC in 2004 working as Head of Development for Independent Drama, later becoming Head of Development for Fiction. Stephenson then took the roles of Head of Drama Commissioning at the BBC.
Stephenson's work in drama at the BBC has had mixed results, with programmes such as Being Human
being very well received, whereas productions such as Bonekickers
were panned by critics.
newspaper in response to criticism's of the BBC's drama output in which he stated:
The comment caused controversy as it was considered to be a breach of the BBC's Royal Charter
which obliges the organisation to be impartial in its output. Jeremy Hunt
, shadow culture secretary at the time called for Stephenson to make "an immediate retraction and apology", stating "no journalist or editor should be following a political agenda, let alone someone as senior as a controller" with his concerns also echoed by Peter Whittle
and Jonathan Isaby. Critics such as Stephen Glover also suggested that rather than being idio-syncratic, Stephenson "is part of the status quo
, conforming to the Leftist beliefs that predominate in the BBC." Stephenson later denied that he had meant his comment to have a political meaning, likening it the the phrase "left-field".
with his partner, writer Tom Rob Smith
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
since September 2008.
Early life
Stephenson attended The Hewett School in NorwichNorwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
before studying at Manchester University.
Television
In 1999 Stephenson worked at GranadaGranada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
as a script editor on the television series Heartbeat
Heartbeat
Heartbeat may refer to:* Cardiac cycle of the heart* Heart sounds* Pulse* The interval for keeping alive a push e-mail connection* Heartbeat , a British police drama* HeartBeat Heartbeat may refer to:* Cardiac cycle of the heart* Heart sounds* Pulse* The interval for keeping alive a push e-mail...
. He went on to edit scripts for London's Burning
London's Burning
London's Burning was a British television drama programme produced by London Weekend Television for the ITV network that focused on the lives of members of the London Fire Brigade, principally those of the Blue Watch at a fictional fire station called Blackwall.It was broadcast between 1986 and...
and Blood Strangers. Stephenson then worked at Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
for over two years, on shows such as No Angels
No Angels
The No Angels are an all-female pop trio from Germany, consisting of band members Lucy Diakovska, Sandy Mölling, and Jessica Wahls. Critically acclaimed, the band has won dozen of awards and prizes since their establishment in the early 2000s, including three ECHOs, a World Music Awards, a NRJ...
, later moving to Shed Productions
Shed Productions
Shed Productions, part of the Shed Media Group, is an independent UK television production company, specialising in contemporary, original drama programming and content...
and Tiger Aspect.
He joined the BBC in 2004 working as Head of Development for Independent Drama, later becoming Head of Development for Fiction. Stephenson then took the roles of Head of Drama Commissioning at the BBC.
Stephenson's work in drama at the BBC has had mixed results, with programmes such as Being Human
Being Human
- Plot :The film portrays the experience of a single human soul, portrayed by Williams, through various incarnations. Williams is the only common actor throughout the stories that span man's history on Earth....
being very well received, whereas productions such as Bonekickers
Bonekickers
Bonekickers was a BBC drama about a team of archaeologists, set at the fictional Wessex University. It debuted on 8 July 2008 and ran for one series....
were panned by critics.
Controversies
In July 2009 Stephenson wrote a blog article in The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper in response to criticism's of the BBC's drama output in which he stated:
The comment caused controversy as it was considered to be a breach of the BBC's Royal Charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
which obliges the organisation to be impartial in its output. Jeremy Hunt
Jeremy Hunt
Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt is the British Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport.He is the Conservative MP for South West Surrey.-Early life:...
, shadow culture secretary at the time called for Stephenson to make "an immediate retraction and apology", stating "no journalist or editor should be following a political agenda, let alone someone as senior as a controller" with his concerns also echoed by Peter Whittle
Peter Whittle
Peter Whittle is a mathematician and statistician, working in the fields of stochastic nets, optimal control, time series analysis, stochastic optimization and stochastic dynamics...
and Jonathan Isaby. Critics such as Stephen Glover also suggested that rather than being idio-syncratic, Stephenson "is part of the status quo
Status quo
Statu quo, a commonly used form of the original Latin "statu quo" – literally "the state in which" – is a Latin term meaning the current or existing state of affairs. To maintain the status quo is to keep the things the way they presently are...
, conforming to the Leftist beliefs that predominate in the BBC." Stephenson later denied that he had meant his comment to have a political meaning, likening it the the phrase "left-field".
Personal life
Stephenson is gay and lives in Central LondonCentral London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
with his partner, writer Tom Rob Smith
Tom Rob Smith
Tom Rob Smith is an English writer. The son of a Swedish mother and an English father, Smith was born and raised in London.Smith studied at St. John's College, Cambridge, following his graduation in 2001 he received the Harper Wood Studentship for English Poetry and Literature and continued his...