TV director Simon Frederick believes respectable production companies like ITV should be doing more to educate viewers on racial matters.
The award-winning filmmaker, whose vital YouTube Originals series The Outsiders? launches today (October 4) revealed he had the opportunity of producing new content for ITV, but made it clear to bosses that he wasn’t interested.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk, Simon said: ‘I had a meeting with some execs from ITV, asking me to come up with ideas for new TV programmes, and I said, “no, I don’t.”
‘Let’s look at Diversity’s BLM performance on Britain’s Got Talent last year. The reason why the people in the UK were so disgusted by the performance was because they’re not used to seeing that on ITV. If they were, they wouldn’t have reacted in the way that they did.’
He continued: ‘So I don’t blame the reaction of the people, I blame the channel for not having enough diversity on their channel in the first place to encourage education within their audiences.
‘I sit in meetings all the time with people and they say we’re increasing diversity. We’ve got more people of colour on Coronation Street.
‘That is not diversity. Diversity means you have a diversity of programming, right across the sector. Different programming made by different people.’
Simon, who was hailed one of 2018’s 100 most influential black Britons in the category of Media, Publishing and Entertainment, has released a brand new docuseries called The Outsiders? which includes a stellar cast of black talent from around the world, and he believes this particular project couldn’t have come at a better time.
He said: ‘This documentary really is an inspiration to anyone who ever had a dream to do something, but was told that it’s not for them, that they don’t have the necessary experience, that they don’t have the right connections that they shouldn’t.’
‘I don’t think anyone should tell you that he shouldn’t if you could,’ he added.
Radio 1 DJ Clara Amfo, Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Sex Education’s Ncuti Gatwa take the lead in telling their version of events on a society that initially rejected them, fighting against social norms and overcoming adversity to become the leading light of their generation, and the director believes couldn’t be prouder of his new creation.
Simon added: ‘Right now we’re in a phase where black creatives are working more than they’ve ever worked before.
‘There are a lot of people that initially said yes, and we couldn’t make it on this one. So hopefully we’ll get them in series two.’
The Outsiders? premieres Monday 4th October 6pm on YouTube Originals.
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