Neil Nightingale

Neil Nightingale is a senior producer at the BBC's Natural History Unit, the largest wildlife film-making production unit in the world,^[1] and was its Head from February 2003^[2] until January 2009.^[3] In November 2009 his successor, Andrew Jackson, appointed him to the new position of creative director of BBC Earth, alongside his programme production rôle.^[4]

Career

Nightingale attended the University of Oxford and graduated with a first class degree in zoology. After working as a freelance science journalist for New Scientist, he joined the BBC in 1983 as a researcher and assistant producer in a variety of television genres, including current affairs, regional programmes, science and education.^[5]

His first natural history production credits were for a number of programmes in the Wildlife on One series. He later moved on to the challenges of engaging audiences with series on fossils and plants, both collaborations with veteran broadcaster David Attenborough.

In 1995, Nightingale took on the role of Series Editor for The Natural World, BBC Two's long-running flagship natural history series. Under his editorship, The Natural World's programmes won awards at every major international wildlife film festival as well as the Royal Television Society award for Best Documentary Strand.^[6]

He went on to produce several series in the Continents strand for BBC Two, including Wild Africa and Wild Down Under, before replacing Keith Scholey as Head of the Unit in 2003.

Under his leadership, the Unit developed its reputation for innovative and ambitious natural history broadcasting. He oversaw well-received television series including Planet Earth (2006), Springwatch (2005) and Wild China (2008) as well as the Unit's largest-ever radio production, World on the Move (2008) which followed migrating animals.^[7] He also moved the Unit into the field of feature films with Deep Blue (2003) and Earth (2007), both spin-offs from successful television series.

In January 2009 the BBC announced that Nightingale was to stand down after six years as Head of the Unit to return to programme making. He was succeeded in the rôle by Andrew Jackson.^[8] He is currently producing Great Barrier Reef, a three-part series for BBC Two due to air in 2012.^[9]

Nightingale is a co-founder and the current vice chairman of the BBC Wildlife Fund, a conservation charity established in 2007. Its first appeal raised £1.7 million for endangered species conservation, and it has funded almost 50 projects in the UK and around the world.^[10] Nightingale is also a trustee of Wildscreen, a charity which organises the biennial wildlife film festival of the same name in Bristol. Its ARKive project aims to create an online database of all the world's species.

Defending criticism

As Head of the Natural History Unit, Nightingale faced down criticism over the issues of viewer deception and value for money for licence fee payers. In 2007, because of a lower than expected licence fee settlement, the BBC announced major cutbacks across its factual production departments, including budget and staff cuts at the Natural History Unit.^[11] This move was criticized by veteran broadcaster David Attenborough, a long-time collaborator with the NHU.^[12]

The following year, Nightingale defended the Unit against accusations of profligacy with regard to the production costs of the Big Cat Live series. According to newspaper reports, a production team of 94 people was based in a luxury hotel in Kenya during three weeks of filming.^[13] The budget for Big Cat Live has not been made public.

Film techniques used by the Natural History Unit came under close scrutiny in 2008 following a number of scandals in which other programme-making departments in the BBC were revealed to have deceived viewers. Examples of the use of tame animals ( a red fox in The Nature of Britain) and studio sets (deep sea life in The Blue Planet) to simulate footage from the wild were brought to light.^[14] Nightingale rebutted accusations of misleading viewers, arguing that it is almost impossible to film certain sequences in the wild and that the Unit is open about its methods.^[15]

Natural history TV and film credits

• Great Barrier Reef (in production) - executive producer
• One Life (2011) - executive producer
• Unnatural Histories (2011) - executive producer
• The Meerkats (2008) – executive producer
• Wild Down Under (2003) – executive producer
• Wild New World (2002) – executive producer
• Wild Africa (2001) – executive producer
• Congo (2001) – executive producer
• Wild Battlefields (2002–2003) – executive producer
• BBC Wildlife Specials – executive producer

Episode "Elephants: Spy in the Herd" (2003)

Episode "Gorilla: On the Trail of King Kong" (2002)

Episode "Grizzly: Face to Face" (2001)

Episode "Lions: Spy in the Den" (2000)

Episode "Tiger" (1999)

• "Dive to Shark City" (1999) – executive producer
• Natural World – series editor (1996–2001)
• "Restless Year" (1996) - producer
• The Private Life of Plants (1995) – producer
• "New Guinea: An Island Apart" (1993) - producer
• "Portrait of a Planet" (1990) – producer
• Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives (1989) - producer
• Wildlife on One – producer

Episode "Lost Lakes of the Pacific" (1996)

Episode "Babies Beware" (1992)

Episode "Parrot Fashion" (1989)

Episode "The Tale of the Pregnant Male" (1988)

References

1. ^ "Directory of Production Companies". The International Association of Wildlife Filmmakers. http://www.iawf.org.uk/directory.aspx?page=5&dcatid=1000. Retrieved 2009-01-20. 
2. ^ "Neil Nightingale appointed Head of BBC Natural History Unit". BBC Press Office. 2003-01-27. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2003/01_january/27/neil_nightingale.shtml. 
3. ^ "Neil Nightingale stepping down as Head of BBC Natural History Unit". BBC Press Office. 2009-01-23. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/01_january/23/nightingale.shtml. 
4. ^ Rushton, Katherine (2009-11-19). "NHU head Jackson makes mark with key exec changes". Broadcast magazine. http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/people/nhu-head-jackson-makes-mark-with-key-exec-changes/5008318.article. 
5. ^ "Biographies: Neil Nightingale, Head of the Natural History Unit". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/controllers/neil_nightingale.shtml. Retrieved 2009-01-20. ^{[dead link]}
6. ^ "RTS Award Winners 1998". www.rts.org.uk. http://www.rts.org.uk/Info_page_two_pic_2_det.asp?art_id=6115&sec_id=3485. Retrieved 2009-01-20. 
7. ^ "Experience the World On The Move live on Radio 4". BBC Press Office. 2008-02-04. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/02_february/04/move.shtml. 
8. ^ "BBC's Natural History Unit Head Neil Nightingale to return to programme making for the BBC". BBC Press Office. 2009-01-23. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/01_january/23/nightingale.shtml. 
9. ^ "BBC Worldwide secures Australian and US co producers for landmark natural history series". BBC Press Office. 2010-04-19. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/bbcworldwide/worldwidestories/pressreleases/2010/04_april/great_barrier_reef.shtml. 
10. ^ "BBC appeals raise £113m for charity". The Press Association. 2009-01-08. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5j7-RmW8r-Hc_MFKZDxEGFiQRmy9Q. 
11. ^ Byrne, Ciar (2007-10-26). "BBC flagship Natural History Unit to be cut by a third". London: The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/bbc-flagship-natural-history-unit-budget-to-be-cut-by-a-third-395352.html. Retrieved 2010-05-20. 
12. ^ Plunkett, John (2008-01-21). "Attenborough: BBC nature shows at risk". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/21/bbc.television2. Retrieved 2010-05-20. 
13. ^ Vidal, John (2008-12-31). "BBC defends cost of Big Cat Live production". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/dec/31/big-cat. Retrieved 2010-05-20. 
14. ^ Hewlett, Steve (2008-01-21). "Media FAQ - Is it ok for natural history programmes to use 'fake' footage?". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/21/2. Retrieved 2010-05-20. 
15. ^ ""As Nature Intended", Letters, MediaGuardian". London: The Guardian. 2008-01-28. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/28/5. Retrieved 2010-05-20. 

External links

• BFI TV & Film Database - Neil Nightingale Filmography
• Neil Nightingale at IMDb.com
• Interview with Neil Nightingale from BBC Training & Development

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