Prolific British scribe James Graham will ask “why television has a problem with the working classes” in the Edinburgh TV Festival MacTaggart lecture this year. Graham, whose credits include Sherwood, Dear England, Brexit: The Uncivil War and Quiz, will deliver the 49th address in two months time, an agenda-setting speech that has been helmed down the years by the likes of Michaela Coel, Kevin Spacey and three Murdochs. The British playwright and screenwriter will “explore why television has a problem with the working classes and how drama can shape the political agenda,” posing questions over how the push for greater representation can more confidently include social class and regionality.
Related Stories News 'Sherwood': First Look At David Morrissey & Co In Second Season Of James Graham's BBC Drama News John Leguizamo Calls On TV Academy To "Embrace Change" In NYT Open Letter Ahead Of Emmys Voting Across a 20-year career, Graham’s oeuvre has repeatedly addressed these topics and recent works include a theater version of Alan Bleasdale’s Boys from the Blackstuff and political thriller series The Way with Michael Sheen and Adam Curtis. He has won an Olivier Award and been nominated for two BAFTAs and an Emmy. He is widely regarded as one of the hardest working British writers out there and once had three plays on at the West End at the same time.
In a moving BBC interview several months ago, he spoke of his struggles with workaholism , describing the addiction as.
