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John Yorke (producer)

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John Yorke
Yorke in 2021
Born
John Roland Clifford Yorke

(1962-07-09) 9 July 1962 (age 62)
Stepney, London, England
Alma materNewcastle University
Occupations
  • Television producer
  • script editor
Years active1994–present
EmployerBBC / Channel 4
TelevisionEastEnders

John Roland Clifford Yorke (born 9 July 1962)[1][2] is a British television producer and script editor, who was head of Channel 4 Drama 2003–2005,[3][4] controller of BBC drama production 2006–2012[5] and MD of Company Pictures (2013–2015).[6]

Yorke wrote Into the Woods: How Stories Work and Why We Tell Them (2014), a screenwriting guide that proposes a five act structure to film and television narrative.[7]

Education

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Yorke attended Newcastle University.[8]

Early career

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Yorke joined the BBC in 1986, working initially in radio as a studio manager and then as a producer on BBC Radio 5.[9]

In 1994, Yorke moved to television, working as a script editor on EastEnders before becoming the storyline consultant on Casualty. In 1999, after a brief period as producer on Sunburn,[10] he took on the executive producer role on EastEnders.[11] He axed the majority of the Di Marco family characters, and helped introduce the Slater family.[11] In what Mal Young described as "two of EastEnders most successful years", Yorke was responsible for ratings successes such as "Who Shot Phil?", Ethel Skinner's assisted death, Jim Branning and Dot Cotton's marriage, abusive Trevor Morgan, and Kat Slater's revelation to her daughter Zoe that she was her mother.[11] Yorke was also responsible for Kim Medcalf being cast in the role of Sam Mitchell in January 2002, after Danniella Westbrook's drug addiction left her unsuitable for the role.[11]

Career

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In May 2002, Yorke left the soap for a senior position under Mal Young in the BBC's in-house Drama Series team, but soon after left to work for Channel 4 as the Head of Drama in 2003.[12] At Channel 4, he commissioned Shameless, Sex Traffic and the film Omagh.[citation needed] In 2005, it was announced he would return to the BBC, taking over Young's position as Controller of BBC Drama Series, and, in addition, Co-Head of Independent Drama Commissioning.[12] One reason he returned was to restore the fortunes of EastEnders, which had been receiving lower ratings than in the past. The results were mixed.[12]

In 2005, Yorke founded the BBC Writers Academy, a year-long training scheme for aspiring television writers.[13] In 2009, he was made controller of the newly formed BBC Drama Production – a merger of Continuing Series and Series and Serials.[citation needed]

In 2010, Yorke's job title was changed to that of Controller Continuing Drama Production Studios. He was the executive producer of the Internet spin-off EastEnders: E20 and BBC daytime drama, Land Girls.[14]

In March 2012, Yorke became acting editor of radio soap The Archers while Vanessa Whitburn took long service leave.[15]

He left the BBC again later in 2012. In 2013, he was an executive producer of Truckers and Skins, and the following year, The Missing.[citation needed] Yorke was a regular writer on Red Rock, writing six episodes between 2015 and 2016.[citation needed]

In June 2017, it was announced that EastEnders executive producer Sean O'Connor had stepped down and would be temporarily replaced by Yorke as executive consultant.[16] Yorke announced that he would be staying with the show for a year, longer than his original three months he was contracted to.[17] Under Yorke, EastEnders won its first BAFTA for Continuing Drama in three years – and the last one to date.[18]

TV shows commissioned

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Waterloo Road was commissioned by Yorke on his arrival at the BBC from Channel 4.[19] Briefed to find a new returning pre-watershed drama, Yorke approached Shed Productions – makers of Bad Girls and Footballers Wives who had never before had a show on the BBC.[20] During conversations Yorke hit on the idea of a School Precinct and Anne McManus and Maureen Chadwick wrote a pilot episode. After the first series Yorke asked Anne Mensah – then assistant commissioning editor – if she would take over, and under Mensah the show moved to BBC Scotland.[21] The show aired from 2006 to 2015. In September 2021, it was announced that Waterloo Road was to be revived after six years.[22]

The initial idea for Father Brown, a series based on the books by GK Chesterton, came from Yorke after he heard a Radio 4 programme on Chesterton's creation the previous evening.[23][24] Liam Keelan, then controller of BBC Daytime, commissioned the first season and Yorke asked two of his former BBC Writers Academy students to create the show.[25] It aired in January 2013 on BBC One and Yorke stayed as Executive Producer for the show for two seasons. With a ninth series in production for 2022, it is the second longest-running daytime drama series broadcast on BBC Television.[26]

When Yorke became head of Channel 4 Drama one of the first shows he wanted develop was Life on Mars, but according to show writer Ashley Pharoah, broadcasters had been 'very anxious about it as a concept'.[27] Although Yorke redeveloped the original script over 18 months so it became less violent and with a greater emphasis on 'story of the week', it was ultimately turned down by director of programmes Kevin Lygo.[28] Yorke eventually left Channel 4 to become controller of BBC Drama Production where the show was green lit by Julie Gardner, BBC Wales Head of Drama. Yorke acted as joint commissioning editor for the show's entire run (2006 – 2007).[29]

References

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  1. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  2. ^ "John Roland Clifford YORKE - Personal Appointments (free information from Companies House)". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk.
  3. ^ "Abbott recasts C4 drama at cost of £100k". the Guardian. 16 June 2003. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  4. ^ "BBC head moves to Channel 4". 12 February 2003. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  5. ^ "BBC - Press Office - John Yorke to be Controller, In-House Drama". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  6. ^ "About John Yorke". John Yorke Story. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  7. ^ "The Book". John Yorke Story. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  8. ^ News - English Literature, Language and Linguistics - Newcastle University Archived January 31, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "Team - John Yorke". John Yorke Story. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  10. ^ "My First Television Drama Commission – Composing for TV - Sheridan Tongue". Sheridan Tongue. 1 June 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  11. ^ a b c d Lindsay, Duncan (24 June 2017). "10 storylines which prove that EastEnders will be in great hands with John Yorke after boss Sean O'Connor leaves". Metro. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  12. ^ a b c "BBC - John Yorke, Former Controller of Drama Production and New Talent - Inside the BBC". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  13. ^ "Curtis Brown". www.curtisbrown.co.uk. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  14. ^ "Mobilising Land Girls". Writers' Guild of Great Britain. 24 September 2009. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  15. ^ Davies, Keri (29 February 2012). "Acting Archers editor". bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  16. ^ "EastEnders confirms producer is leaving immediately". Digital Spy. 23 June 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  17. ^ Mitchell, Bea (23 May 2018). "EastEnders boss John Yorke extends contract with soap". Digital Spy. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  18. ^ "BAFTA Awards Search | BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  19. ^ "BBC commissions new classroom drama". the Guardian. 24 August 2005. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  20. ^ "Shed Productions". www.mandy.com. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  21. ^ "BBC switches Waterloo Road production to Scotland". BBC News. 23 August 2011. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  22. ^ "Waterloo Road: High school drama to be revived after six years". BBC News. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  23. ^ "BBC Radio Scotland - The Mystery of Father Brown: Ann Widdecombe Investigates". BBC. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  24. ^ "Father Brown – the 'making of' blog". Rachel Flowerday. 5 October 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  25. ^ "Tahsin Guner". www.bafta.org. 27 June 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  26. ^ "BBC daytime's Father Brown returns to filming for the ninth series". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  27. ^ "An interview with screenwriter Ashley Pharoah". John Yorke Story. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  28. ^ "Strange genesis of hit BBC drama Life on Mars". the Guardian. 8 April 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  29. ^ "BBC - Press Office - Life on Mars press pack". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
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