Twenty Questions: Elliot Reed

WHAT GETS YOU OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING?

My hyperactive cocker spaniel, Kenny. Even after two years, he still spends time in a crate because he wouldn’t go to sleep otherwise. Once I’ve dealt with him, I drive my daughter to school. She’s 18. To be fair, the school is half an hour away, and she’s under considerable exam pressure at the moment.

WHAT KEEPS YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT?

Work stress. I run my own company, so I’m constantly thinking about everything from editorial, compliance and legal issues to practical stuff like personnel and accounting. I should delegate more.

WHAT WERE YOU DOING IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THIS INTERVIEW?

Coaching Anne Robinson [for his new show, You Be the Judge: Crime & Punishment], which is almost impossible. She’s a journalist at heart and doesn’t suffer fools gladly. But once you get to know her and she trusts you, she’s warmer, sweeter and softer than you’d imagine.

FAVOURITE DRINK?

I drink tea all day - builder’s or English breakfast with almond milk, no sugar. In the evenings, I enjoy a Negroni, which is essentially pure alcohol.

HOW MANY HOURS A WEEK DO YOU WORK?

Around 60-70. Running a remote business from home, it’s easy to forget there are ‘working hours’. I worked at Love Productions for many years and was clocking even more [hours] than I do now.

WHO GAVE YOU YOUR CAREER BREAK? 

A man called Basil Comely gave me a job as a runner at the BBC on a brilliant arts show called One Foot in the Past. But a turning point in my career came when Charlotte Moore invited me to become a commissioning editor at BBC Three.

WHY DID YOU SET UP GOOD TV?

When I left the BBC in 2017, I could have taken the route of becoming a senior figure at a major production company, but I had ambitions to strike out on my own. I initially tried partnering with someone, but when that didn’t work out, I began pitching ideas solo. Once some of those ideas were accepted, I founded Good TV. I don’t have any backers, so we’re truly independent. You get to forge your own path, and that can be very satisfying.

WHAT IS GOOD TV KNOWN FOR?

So far, true-crime documentaries with a bit of format. Out first big hit was HMP Wakefield: Evil Behind Bars. I wouldn’t say I’m massively proud of making films about crime, but it’s a fascinating area. Crime and justice are compelling and dramatic. We try to shine a light on the victims’ stories, too. I’ve also made films about storms and hurricanes, so I am attempting to diversify.

HOW HAS THE FILM/TV DROUGHT AFFECTED YOU? 

It wasn’t great. It followed the lockdowns, which were a dark period for a lot of us, but I’m fortunate that the past three years have been busy. We’ve been in production more than in development. I’m maybe not as ambitious as some people or that bothered about rapid growth, but I’m happy that we’re set to turnover £1.2m-1.5m

HOW ARE YOU USING AI IN YOUR WORK?

Not at all. I recently tried to use Canva to create a flyer on my own but it was a disaster. I’m a bit of a relic. I feel like I’m making programmes in an old-fashioned way.

WHAT’S THE KEY TO WINNING A COMMISSION? 

I’ve learned that firing off 20 emails with 20 ideas and getting 20 rejections is demoralising and not a realistic win. Push an open doors - pitch to people you’ve worked with successfully before and have a human relationship with.

ADVICE FOR SOMEONE STARTING OUT?

Don’t be exploited, but work very hard and stand out as much as possible. Don’t moan and always show enthusiasm. I took my son on a couple of shoots but even he wasn’t someone I would have rehired.

BIGGEST TV-RELATED LEGAL PICKLE YOU’VE GOT YOURSELF INTO?

I’m followed around by legal and compliance complications, mainly because of the types of programmes that I make. I was researching a celebrity recently and received a threatening letter from their legal team. I showed the letter to Abbas Media Law, and they dealt with it swiftly and brilliantly. We pushed back on everything and threatened to report them to their regulator, who was trying to crack down on such letters. We’ve not heard a peep from them since.

“While up a mountain in China with S Club 7, one of them demanded a cheese sandwich with chips”

ANY CELEBRITY RUN-INS?

I used to work on Top of the Pops amd other music shows. I was sent to Tokyo to capture some behind-the-scenes footage of Britney Spears. There were two minibuses - one for her security staff and one with her, me, and a few others. I pulled my camera out and asked her some questions. She was friendly but at the first stop, when I came back to the bus, I wouldn’t say I’d been kicked off, more that I was politely moved to the other one.

EXPERIENCED ANY DIVA MOMENTS?

While up a mountain in China with S Club 7, one of them refused to eat the local cuisine and demanded a cheese sandwich and chips.

DREAM DINNER PARTY GUESTS? 

Robin Williams, Bob Mortimer, Jo Brand, Alan Carr, Katherine Ryan - all make me laugh out loud.

ANY TV/FILM REGRETS?

Yes. On my first visit to NYC, I was sent to do a behind-the-scenes shoot with Atomic Kitten and Blue. I was staying at a hotel on West Broadway when my cameraman called and told me he couldn’t get to Midtown, and to turn on the news immediately. It was 9/11. Everyone was panicking. I got dressed quickly, ran downstairs, and saw smoke pouring out of the towers. I watched them fall before my eyes. It was incredibly moving. I filmed some of it, but regret not making a proper film about the situation while I was there.

LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

I ran the London Marathon this year to support the Healthy Minds charity for Bristol University. I’ve run marathons before, but this year people were holding signs and calling out my name, and I became overwhelmed with emotion.

DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN FIVE WORDS 

Determined, restless, enthusiastic, self-effacing and playful.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW? 

A new series about famous trials, except this time we’re not focusing on serious crime; we’re looking at celebrity and royalty. I’m thinking about making something on the hypothetical trial of Prince Andrew.