Starting with this post I will once in a while write an English text.
“ITV is the biggest commercial television network in the UK“, or so they say. “Big“, not “well-known” or “popular“. Obviously this made the marketing people of ITV nervous and they came up with the fabulous idea of presenting new Awards. Obviously crime fiction is popular in UK and it was chosen as the means to satisfy ITV’s craving needs for publicity.
That sponsors want to glow in the aura of celebrates/ famous writers is nothing new and can be helpful for both sides. There where many critical voices when CWA (Crime Writers Association) made their deal with the Duncan Lawrie Private Bank. But it looks as if the Duncan Lawrie International Dagger was a good idea. Translators receive now a greater recognition.
Last week It’s a Crime !, mysteries in paradise, Sarah Weinman, and Euro Crime (among others) reported that ITV is launching new Crime Thriller Awards. To be honest, I am not sure that I understand the aim and the content of these awards.
Entertainment obviously: “[...] which promises to be a glamorous star studded occasion, celebrating crime and thriller fiction from film, TV and books”. with the focus on “the crème de la crème of crime fiction” (whatever that is).
Viewers of ITV can chose the winner of the “ITV3 Award for Classic TV Crime Drama“. Candidates for this award are “the six best crime writers working today“: Colin Dexter, Ian Rankin, PD James, Lynda La Plante, Val McDermid and Ruth Rendell - at least MarketingWeek had the grace to add quotation marks to “best”.
To say nothing else: This is hilarious. Each of this writers could make any cut but even under the British Sun no one can believe that all “six best crime writers working today” (not “best British crime writers“) are British and in this instand we don’t even know the criteria for the selection of these writers.
At the end one should not ignore that the Award gained by one of this noble British persons has no much to do with books but a lot with TV (”Classic TV Crime Drama“). Benefit of a doubt and all … no one should forget that the radio stars are already dead.
“An ITV spokesman says: This is about getting the ITV3 brand out there.“. Nothing less, but positive surprises would be welcome.
bernd
Over on my blog I questioned “best” too Bernd, even if only because I thought Colin Dexter (Morse author) had actually stopped writing. I saw somewhere a reference to the idea that ITV3 were going to refer to British and “international” crime writers but then there were no other references to them.
Yes Kerrie, I read your remark, I don’t know whether Colin Dexter is still writing but it looks as if ITV doesn’t know it either.
If I’m not totally wrong the whole statement of ITV is inconclusive. Obviously it is aiming at a British audience, but it will convey the ghost of cosmopolitanism.
And all the time they are talking of awards but don’t give (or refer to) any further informations about these.