Director attacks BBC for Dickens of a festive snub
THE director of A Christmas Carol has accused the BBC of “hating” its directorial talent after not being invited to take part in a promotional event for his own series.
Nick Murphy was behind the camera for the moody festive adaption of the Charles Dickens novella, which takes a darker look at a more youthful Ebenezer Scrooge.
LA Confidential star Guy Pearce plays the main role, and the series has been written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.
Mr Murphy claimed that the BBC “doesn’t give a s---” about directors, after hinting he was snubbed in favour of his celebrated colleagues.
He cited being sidelined from a Q&A session about the drama he directed.
The director also pointed towards marketing material for A Christmas Carol, which did not include his name.
The BBC has offered assurances that it values the work of its directors.
Mr Murphy took to Twitter regarding a press event complaining: “I went to a premier screening for A Christmas Carol earlier this week and wasn’t invited to take part in a Q&A about the making of the show because I was only the director. Now this #BBCHatesDirectors.”
The “now this” was a piece of marketing material which neglected to include Mr Murphy’s name, although it did credit his colleague Steven Knight. It is understood it was mistakenly released.
The director continued on Twitter: “Either I’ve changed my name or the BBC doesn’t give a s--- about directors.”
Mr Murphy has since deleted the tweets, and is understood to have spoken with the BBC about his grievances.
Australian star Pearce leads the cast in the latest Dickens adaptation. He and other members of the creative team have been involved in promoting the programme, which is set to air across consecutive nights from tonight to Christmas Eve.
Within the television and film industry it is often the illustrious cast members of productions that are put forward for press interviews. The BBC screening and Q&A event in London was believed to be in the same vein.
It is understood that the marketing material Mr Murphy took exception to was not ready or intended for release, and appeared as it did due to human error. The BBC is thought to have spoken to their director about this issue. The corporation commented on the controversy, and said it is not indifferent to its directors.
A spokesman said: “The BBC is hugely proud of the range of talented directors that we work with and their role on every show is highly valued.
Mr Murphy said: “The BBC has been amazing on this show … The set-up of the Q&A for A Christmas Carol was a misunderstanding and a tweet-storm in a tea cup that is now forgotten.”