“We’ve produced a week of programmes on Islam, including a two-hour documentary exploring the Quran and its impact on the world, and a lavish series called The Seven Wonders of the Muslim World – which takes in incredible places such as Jerusalem, Mali, Istanbul and Mecca and explores the basic beliefs of a faith we know so little about.
Our latest challenge is to get multicultural commissions that are not religious, and that can work at 9 and 10pm. The bar will be high, and the projects will have to compete with what’s already in the schedule. Look at the schedule, think about how you can compete story-wise and casting-wise and we can talk.
Channel 4 Religion is more inquisitive, more diverse, and we keep religion at the core of our output rather than try to hide it. We don’t wallow in historical nostalgia nor do we shy away from tough areas. Priest Idol, Cult of the Suicide Bomber and Make Me a Muslim sound obvious commissions when they’re a success, but were all major risks. The output has to stay in primetime or it will die in the long run: we have to market it and make it accessible. This is real risk: it’s not just the subject matter; it’s also about sending out the signal that we care enough to get behind the output.
Being in primetime makes working with new talent more difficult, but it doesn’t stop me trying. We have to be prepared to fail. We’ve given young directors a break, and Robert Beckford and Tazeen Ahmed are two on-screen successes I’ve broken on the channel – but they had to be given a chance to flourish. To anyone who thinks they’re the next talent, on or off-screen, get in touch: my door is open to any suggestions.”
Aaquil Ahmed: Commissioning Editor, Religion, Channel 4
