ClearStory

ClearStory Ltd is a British independent television production company. It was founded in 2010 by the film-makers Russell Barnes and Molly Milton.

In 2011 it produced Gypsy Blood, an award-winning[1] observational documentary, directed by photographer Leo Maguire, about gypsy fathers and sons for the True Stories strand on Channel 4. Broadcast in January 2012, the film won critical praise[2] but also drew complaints from animal rights activists for its depiction of alleged animal cruelty perpetrated by the some of the film’s characters.[3] In March 2012 Ofcom dropped these complaints, stating they did not raise issues that warranted investigation.[4]

In 2012 ClearStory produced Sex, Death and the Meaning of Life, a three-part series presented by the evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, transmitted by Channel 4 television.[5]

In 2013 it produced Sex Box, a one-hour formatted studio show and series of short programmes broadcast on Channel 4 as part of its Real Sex season. In Sex Box couples had sex in a specially constructed box in a TV studio, then emerged to talk about what happened and their sex lives more generally with agony aunt Mariella Frostrup and a panel of experts - Phillip Hodson, Tracey Cox and Dan Savage. The programme provoked controversy and debate in both the British and international press[6][7] though several reviews of the programme were positive, praising the sincerity of the programme's aims.[8] [9] [10] According to The Times: 'If you put aside your preconceptions, ignore the surrounding brouhaha and watch this programme with an open mind, it becomes difficult to criticise and impossible to condemn'. An American version of Sex Box was piloted successfully by Relativity Television and nine episodes are currently in production for WE tv channel.[11] [12]

ClearStory’s history series, Long Shadow, was broadcast on BBC2 in September and October 2014.[13] Exploring the legacy and meaning of the First World War and presented by David Reynolds, the series received widespread and favourable press coverage and reviews.[14][15]

References

  1. ↑ "Grierson Trust". Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  2. ↑ Wollaston, Sam (19 January 2012). "Guardian Review". The Guardian (London).
  3. ↑ "Gypsy Blood sparks 289 complaints".
  4. ↑ "Gypsy Blood complaints top 1,000". Broadcast.
  5. ↑ Channel 4: Sex, Death and the Meaning of Life
  6. ↑ "Huffington Post".
  7. ↑ Murfitt, Nikki; Knowsley, Jo (28 September 2013). "Daily Mail". London.
  8. ↑ "Timeout".
  9. ↑ "The Guardian".
  10. ↑ "Televisual".
  11. ↑ "The Daily Beast".
  12. ↑ "Hollywood Reporter".
  13. ↑ "BBC Website".
  14. ↑ "The Telegraph".
  15. ↑ "The Independent".

External links