BBC's Ben Stephenson To Keynote At MIPTV

PARIS, Jan. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- BBC Controller of Drama Ben Stephenson will take centre stage at MIPTV to throw light on the behind-the-scenes magic at the heart of the commissioner/producer creative alliance, during a MIPTV Creative Talk on Tuesday 9 April. Stephenson will also present the opening speech at MIPTV's 2^nd annual Drama Co-Production Summit on Monday 8 April. Organised by Reed MIDEM, MIPTV 2013 will take place in Cannes, April 8-11.

Appointed Controller of Drama Commissioning in September 2008 and in charge of the BBC's drama output, Ben Stephenson has carved out a reputation for risk-taking and originality in his efforts to bring a new generation of mainstream hits to the BBC channels.

2012 marked a string of successes, with the launch of the top BBC One drama series "Call the Midwife" and BBC Two's "Line of Duty." BBC Two's Shakespeare Season received huge critical acclaim and Stephenson also launched BBC One's returning series "The Syndicate," "The Paradise," "Prisoners Wives" and "Last Tango in Halifax." "Sherlock" and "Luther," both originally commissioned by Ben Stephenson, will also return in 2013.

Ben Stephenson is responsible for the re-emergence of drama on BBC Two, with a range of truly original programmes including "The Shadow Line," "United," "Eric and Ernie," "The Crimson Petal and the White," "Murder," and "Parade's End."

Forthcoming dramas include "Dancing on the Edge," "The Fall," "Frankie," "Mayday," "Mary and Martha," "Peaky Blinders," "Top of the Lake," "The Village," and "The White Queen."

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About MIPTV – Founded in 1963, MIPTV is the annual international market and creative forum for content on every screen. It brings professionals from the global TV and online content industry to Cannes, France, for four days of exhibition, conferences, screenings and networking. It is a key market for buying and selling content and early-stage content development. MIPCube constitutes a special programme exploring tech and creative approaches with the community re-inventing the content experience within MIPTV. The weekend prior to MIPTV, MIPDoc and MIPFormats constitute a two-day showcase for non-fiction and unscripted programming. In 2013, MIPTV celebrates its 50^th anniversary. www.miptv.com 

SOURCE Reed MIDEM