The BEST episodes directed by John Morton
#1 - Equestrian Controversy
Twenty Twelve - Season 1 - Episode 6
The decision to hold equestrian events in Greenwich Park is one of the most controversial choices made by the Olympic authorities. Among the many groups of people who are against it are local residents, led by self-styled maverick film director Tony Ward. Given that it's now over thirty years since he made his one and only successful film, Ward has had a lot of time on his hands to think about how angry he is and to plan his campaign of protest. It starts with the arrival of an enormous pile of horse manure on the pavement outside the Olympic Deliverance Commission offices and climaxes with a live head-to-head debate with Head of Deliverance Ian Fletcher on Radio 4's Today programme. Meanwhile in Ian's personal life, manure of a different kind finally hits the fan. Fortunately his ever-loyal PA Sally is on hand and completely ready to pick up the pieces.
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#2 - The Photographer
People Like Us - Season 1 - Episode 5
Will Rushmore is a Winchester-based freelance photographer. He has given up a safe job in town planning to devote himself to his art. It's a struggle and today could be make or break when he goes for an interview at a smart London art gallery. Could this at last be the start of something big?
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#3 - Cultural Curator
Twenty Twelve - Season 1 - Episode 5
There are only three applicants for the post of Curator of the Cultural Olympiad, so how difficult can it be to select the best candidate? As Ian Fletcher and his team find out, it's almost impossible. As if that wasn't enough, their ultimate boss, Sebastian Coe, has decided that it would be good for the profile of Twenty Twelve if members of the team entered the London Marathon. As the pressure on Ian as Head of Deliverance gradually increases, the cracks in his marriage are starting to get wider and wider. Could this possibly mean that the secret hopes of his ever-loyal PA Sally might one day move closer to fulfilment?
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#4 - Episode 3
W1A - Season 1 - Episode 3
A month into his job as head of values and Ian Fletcher is still trying to find somewhere to sit. But there are more important issues to get to grips with - not least the director general's desire to shape the debate as to what the BBC is really for. Anna Rampton already knows what it's for and, in a thinly veiled move to further her own career, advocates moving Songs of Praise to radio, thus freeing up a prime slot for her own series, Britain's Tastiest Village. The debate about the future of the BBC is not helped when Ian Fletcher's salary comes under intense scrutiny in the press - why should the BBC's head of values be paid more than the prime minister? Neil Reid, current controller of current affairs, is having to deal with the fallout from a blunder in BBC News coverage of the Syrian crisis when a photo of Trudi Styler was used instead of Asma Assad. Intern Will Humphries is given something important to do by the object of his desire, Izzy - a task he is keen to get right. And producer Lucy Freeman goes in to pitch Home Truth, a script she's been developing over several years with writer Dan Shepherd. But it's Siobhan Sharpe and her team at Perfect Curve that find themselves with the biggest challenge when they are asked to refresh the BBC logo and come to the conclusion that the problem with the current logo is that it has too many letters.
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#5 - Boycott (1)
Twenty Twelve - Season 2 - Episode 1
This week the Algerian Olympic team threatens to boycott the Games after discovering that the Shared Belief Centre does not face Mecca.
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#6 - The Mother
People Like Us - Season 2 - Episode 2
Jenny Gardner is a new mum. As well as dealing with her new son, her return to work and a badly over-loaded washing machine, she must also deal with Roy, who really doesn't like needles, but has a fondness for a small squeaky toy.
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#7 - The Bank Manager
People Like Us - Season 2 - Episode 5
Roy is at the Swindon branch of the First Nat Standard bank. Alan the manager has seen it all in the banking trade and is suitably unmoved by the changes in the industry. His bossy and ambitious assistant Elaine wants his job. Tom, a cashier doesn't want Alan's job, in fact, he doesn't even want his own job.
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#8 - Episode 2
W1A - Season 1 - Episode 2
BBC Head of Values Ian Fletcher has only been in the job a few weeks and already finds himself at the centre of a media storm. Spotlight South West presenter Sally Wingate believes she has been discriminated against because of her age and so Ian is on a mission to take the sting out of what has become known as 'Wingategate'. As he journeys North to Salford for his first big interview in the job - live on air with Jenni Murray on Woman's Hour - he finds himself unhelpfully joined by brand consultant Siobhan Sharpe, who is in serious tweeting mode. Meanwhile, things are getting complicated for the Britain's Tastiest Village production team. Having wooed and won Carol Vorderman as Clare Balding's replacement to co-present with Alan Titchmarsh, they have discovered at the very last minute that Clare Balding is unexpectedly available and she is keen to do the show. The problem is that no-one has told Clare that they were moving on and she unhelpfully turns up for her first production meeting at the same time as Carol Vorderman is leaving.
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#9 - Episode 4
W1A - Season 3 - Episode 4
Following on from an item on BBC Breakfast about plans to close the BBC Big Swing Band, the damage limitation team under Ian Fletcher is under huge pressure to limit the damage. A twitter campaign led by Jools Holland, #JeSuisBigSwingb and #boycottBBC, is gathering support from music royalty such as Sir Bob Geldof, Sir Tom Jones and Bono. And as the much-loved Big Swing bandleader Ray Fredericks is both black and 75, there are a growing number of accusations of discrimination and ageism. BBC News outlets are keen to report the latest developments but exacerbate the problem when Syncopatico, the new News subtitling software, continues to systematically misspell the names of the key players involved - including Jools Holland. It is felt that an appearance from one of the BBC senior management team on the News at One would be a helpful way of clarifying the BBC's position - but when head of better Anna Rampton unexpectedly rules herself out, it falls to Ian Fletcher to face the music. Meanwhile, the campaign to launch new online platform BBC Me continues and ex-intern Will Humphries is still standing at his station in reception trying to persuade passing celebrities to record themselves saying 'me' into his phone.
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#10 - Episode 1
W1A - Season 1 - Episode 1
With the London games of Twenty Twelve successfully delivered, Ian Fletcher starts a new chapter in his life as head of values at the BBC. Ian's first challenge on arriving at New Broadcasting House, on his brand new and much-improved folding bike, is to find somewhere to sit in a building aggressively over-designed around the principle of not having a desk. Ian finds himself holding the hottest of hot potatoes when Mebyan Kernow activist Nigel Trescott complains that Cornwall, and the Cornish, are shamefully under-represented on the BBC. Things get worse when BBC Spotlight South West presenter Sally Wingate goes public with her feeling that her failure to progress to a national presenting role might be part of the BBC's institutionally anti-Cornish bias. Ideas of how best to limit the damage lead to PR company Perfect Curve's Siobhan Sharpe suggesting Sally should do something on Snog, Marry, Avoid or some kind of Bake Off. Meanwhile, producer Lucy Freeman is having meetings with head of output Anna Rampton and entertainment format creative David Wilkes about a forthcoming new flagship show - Britain's Tastiest Village - which, according to David, is 'kind of Britain's Got Talent meets Countryfile with a bit of The One Show thrown in just in case'. Anna wants a progress report and there's good news and bad news. They've virtually got Alan Titchmarsh on board now, but the very bad news is that it looks like they've lost Clare Balding - 'words you never ever want to hear' - as the dates of How Big Is Your Dog, a new show she's doing for ITV, have changed at the last minute.
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#11 - Episode 2
W1A - Season 3 - Episode 2
Cross-dressing ex Premier League footballer Ryan Chelford's appearance on a late-night, midweek edition of Match of the Day did not go well. Host Gary Lineker and pundit Alan Shearer were literally lost for words. But the BBC in general and in his role as head of values Ian Fletcher in particular are under pressure to find an on screen role for Ryan as quickly as possible. A summit meeting is arranged to include heads of football, inclusivity and a late curved ball in the shape of head of diversity to try and find a solution to a problem that is getting increasing attention on social media. To complicate matters, Fiona Craig, the senior civil servant with responsibility for charter renewal negotiations, is visiting the BBC to see what a normal day in the life of the corporation looks like. Meanwhile, the campaign to launch user-generated content platform BBC Me gathers pace with David Wilkes still keen to take ownership of the idea he originally borrowed from ex intern Will Humphries.
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#12 - Episode 3
W1A - Season 3 - Episode 3
Having dismissed the idea of losing gardening programmes as a way of saving money, the Renewal Team propose that getting rid of the BBC Big Swing Band might be an option - but it turns into a PR disaster. Meanwhile, Siobhan decides to create a launch trail for BBC ME that will go viral, with Will delegated to stand in the main reception of New Broadcasting House to try to persuade various celebrities to contribute selfies for it
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#13 - Boycott (2)
Twenty Twelve - Season 2 - Episode 2
It is the second half of a very long day. The Algerians issue a deadline of midnight for a solution to their demand for a Shared Belief Centre which faces Mecca, while the French threaten to pull out of the Games if a separate mosque is built. The team have to come up with an idea that will please everyone.
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#14 - Loose Ends
Twenty Twelve - Season 2 - Episode 7
Ten days left to try to tie up loose ends before the Deliverance Team finally hands over to the Live Team. Issues include what to do when it's discovered that the fireworks planned for the Opening Ceremony will trigger all the ground to air missiles that are in place for the Games; how to respond when the environmentally sound charging stations installed for the official Olympic electric cars turn out to charge so slowly that the entire fleet will quickly become plugged in, unable to move; and how handle a much publicised competition to compose a special peal of church bells to ring in the dawn of the Opening Day but which so far has attracted only two entries. On a personal note, newly divorced and soon to be redundant Ian has some loose ends of his own, including what to do with the rest of his life and what to do about Sally.
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#15 - History Man
Absolute Power - Season 1 - Episode 1
Prentiss McCabe client, Nigel Harting, is a celebrated presenter of television history programmes, who specialises in revealing sensational facts. But he has a secret. Newspaper editor, Marcus Payne, has discovered that Nigel plays fast and loose with his sources. A letter in Latin proving that Anne of Cleves was actually a man is an outright fake. Marcus agrees to shelve this career-destroying revelation if Charles can dig up some shocking and rather more tabloid-compatible filth about Nigel's private life. Meanwhile, Prentiss McCabe is saddled with Big Brother contestant Teresa, recruited as a client because she stripped in the shower. She is now revealed as a bully and a bore and demands that Martin supervises the promotion of her huge and appalling novel.
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#16 - Clarence House
Twenty Twelve - Season 2 - Episode 3
A decision must be made about the future of the Olympic Stadium, and Clarence House has asked the ODC to look at ways of linking the 2012 Olympics with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee - is 'Jubilympics' the perfect branding solution?
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#17 - The Rapper
Twenty Twelve - Season 2 - Episode 4
Siobhan's team design a major sexual health campaign, complete with a rap song "Get It On", which may upset the Catholic competitors.
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#18 - Episode 1
W1A - Season 3 - Episode 1
It is the year of charter renewal and a critical time for the BBC. The renewal group under head of values Ian Fletcher is tasked with identifying what the BBC does best and finding more ways of doing less of it better. A new challenge comes in the shape of a Channel 4 documentary about a cross-dressing ex-Premier League footballer Ryan Chelford, which alleges that the BBC rejected Ryan as a potential pundit on Match of the Day because of his unconventional private life. The fact is he was auditioned and it turned out he was not very good. In the face of a huge groundswell of public support for Ryan Chelford and the need for the BBC to appear inclusive, Ian and his team have to find a presenting role for Ryan while not forcing the hand of the BBC's flagship sports show. Over in the Perfect Curve PR office, things have changed. They have been bought by media giant Fun Media, who are keen to come up with new ideas for their BBC account. Siobhan Sharpe is equally keen to take credit for the result of their latest brainstorming - the idea for a new online platform called BBC Me - a new home for user-generated content. After all, according to Siobhan, conventional television is dead. Meanwhile, newly promoted junior development producer Will Humphries' idea for a new interview format On Your Bike is in danger of being appropriated by commissioning editor daytime factuality David Wilkes and pitched to the head of TV output as The Great British Bike Off.
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#19 - Episode 4
W1A - Season 1 - Episode 4
A national paper has not only published details of Ian Fletcher's salary but followed up with a story of how he took Sally Owen, his PA at the Olympic Deliverance Commission, on holiday to Italy. So the BBC can either stand by their man or get him to pre-empt potential criticism by persuading him to cut his own salary. Meanwhile, a female Newsnight presenter has been accused of wearing clothes that are inappropriately watchable. When her legs get their own Twitter account there is a feeling something should be done about it. Flagship series Britain's Tastiest Village has lost all three of the big name presenters who were attached to do the show - so the search continues. And brand consultant Siobhan Sharpe and her team unveil their barnstorming idea for a new BBC logo.
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#20 - Visitors from Rio
Twenty Twelve - Season 1 - Episode 2
A visiting group of dignitaries from Rio (Olympic hosts in 2016) is in London for the week. For Head of Deliverance Ian Fletcher and his team the mission is simple. All they have to do is to meet the Brazilian delegation and take them by coach to the Olympic Stadium where they will meet Head of LOCOG, Lord Sebastian Coe. What can possibly go wrong? As it turns out just about everything, from language difficulties through satellite navigation issues to burst water mains and phantom punctures. For the team it's a lesson in the importance of staying positive and focused even when you are literally travelling in completely the wrong direction.
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#21 - Pope Idol
Absolute Power - Season 1 - Episode 2
Martin and Jamie sense that the world of PR is changing. The profession has developed such a bad reputation that it could do with a bit of spin-doctoring itself. To show that they can make a good impression as well as making money, Prentiss McCabe takes p
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#22 - Catastrophisation
Twenty Twelve - Season 2 - Episode 5
Thirty two days to go, and with Head of Deliverance Ian Fletcher chairing the final ever meeting of the Twenty Twelve Security Committee's Special Catastrophisation Unit, it emerges that someone has been caught converting official Olympic starting pistols to fire live rounds. With the US Security Forward Team about to arrive to review security arrangements for the Games, the challenge is to find a way of handling this piece of news that doesn't involve shooting themselves in the foot. Meanwhile Kay Hope continues her one woman quest to find a Sustainable use for the Stadium post Games, and Siobhan Sharpe and her team at Perfect Curve take on the task of re-branding the Twenty Twelve Travel Advice Pack in such a way that no-one will ever have to read it.
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#23 - Inclusivity Day
Twenty Twelve - Season 2 - Episode 6
Having been shot in the foot with a doctored starting pistol, head of deliverance Ian Fletcher discovers that he is also shortly to be without a PA as current PA Daniel Stroud has been offered another job. Back over at the offices of the ODC they try to work out how to launch Inclusivity Day in London on the same day that Seb Coe is launching Diversity Day in Oldham, when even though both Boris Johnson and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson have agreed to take part, no-one knows what Inclusivity Day is. Meanwhile over at PR company Perfect Curve, Siobhan Sharpe and her team devise a viral campaign designed to change the face of women's football without mentioning women's football following catastrophic ticket sales. The clock ticks on.
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#24 - Countdown
Twenty Twelve - Season 1 - Episode 1
Will Twenty Twelve website designer, Barney Lumsden learn to spell in time for the website re-launch on 1000 day day and the unveiling of the countdown clock?
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#25 - The Journalist
People Like Us - Season 2 - Episode 3
Tony Gerrier is the editor of the Ashton Gazette. Whilst he's full of regret about life as the editor of a local newspaper, young journalist Helen Meredith is full of enthusiasm to break a big story about the Mayor. She's less enthusiastic about stories concerning stolen wheelie bins and guinea pigs.
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#26 - Roman Remains
Twenty Twelve - Season 1 - Episode 3
It's another challenging week for Head of Deliverance, Ian Fletcher, and his team. Roman remains of potentially national significance have been discovered on the site of the aquatics centre, forcing them to contemplate radical last minute modifications to the design of the building. It's a matter of asking the tough questions. What would happen if they made the diving pool shallower? Will it matter if athletes have to go through the cafeteria to get from the changing rooms to the pool? Head of Brand, Siobhan Sharpe, has decided that the 2012 games should have their own unique audio logo. Head of Infrastructure, Graham Hitchins, is grappling with the sensitive issue of civil aviation flight paths during the period of the games, and Head of Sustainability, Kay Hope, is faced with recording her own video blog at the Olympic site itself.
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#27 - Crash and Burn
Absolute Power - Season 1 - Episode 6
A hugely lucrative golden handcuff deal is jeopardised when one of Charles' most successful clients, the stand-up comedian Alan Boardman, is caught on CCTV camera beating up his girlfriend in the Ikea car park. The strategy Charles proposes to save his career is, even by Prentiss McCabes' shoddy moral standards, as unethical as it is shocking. An apocalyptic end seems inevitable for the sultans of spin. Meanwhile in an attempt to sex up their image, the Tory party have approached Prentiss McCabe to launch a youth-led campaign - should they choose as their anthem I Have A Dream by Westlife, It's OK by Atomic Kitten or Blue's All Rise?
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#28 - Tory Woman
Absolute Power - Season 1 - Episode 3
How does one go about re-launching a junior shadow spokeswoman who has been marginalised in the Tory party? She referred to her leader as ""pork bum"" and her last ditch attempt to stay in the mainstream of politics is to sponsor a 'Right To Retire' campaig
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#29 - Country Life
Absolute Power - Season 1 - Episode 5
Successful novelist Roddy Growse orchestrates the appointment of Prentiss McCabe to represent The Real Country Union, a pressure group that has decided to launch itself as a political party. The group is the brain child of Lord Harcourt who in Charles' ju
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#30 - Mr. Fox
Absolute Power - Season 1 - Episode 4
When Health Secretary Simon Wellington wins an injunction preventing newspapers from reporting an incident on Hampstead Heath in which he was allegedly mugged by two men, Charles agrees to help Wellington keep his job. But the survival strategy is threate
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#31 - The Actor
People Like Us - Season 2 - Episode 4
Roy is following young actor Rob Harker as he auditions for parts and records a voice-over, which leads to a rather embarrassing moment when a microphone is left on.
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#32 - Raising the Bar
Twenty Twelve - Season 1 - Episode 4
Dave Wellbeck is an ex-athlete, double Olympic silver medallist and, in theory, a natural choice as brand ambassador for Raising the Bar - a scheme to get young people inspired by Olympic ideals. He's hard-working, conscientious and loyal, but the truth is that he has about as much charisma as a dimmer switch and his busy schedule of presentations in schools around the country is having the effect of switching young people off in their thousands. Ian and Siobhan have different views on how to deal with the problem. Head of Sustainability, Kay Hope, is forced to stand her ground in light of the discovery that there may not after all be enough wind to power the much-vaunted Olympic Park wind turbine.
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#33 - The Managing Director
People Like Us - Season 1 - Episode 1
Roy Mallard travels to Nottingham to spend a day with Peter Wilson, Managing Director of Zenotech, a company fighting to keep afloat in the stimulating environment of Surface Mount Technology. In other words, it manufactures Thick Film Hybrids for the computer industry. Zenotec is a typical example of the high tech infrastructure that has sprung up in the last 30 years all over Nottingham. Managing director Peter Wilson gives Roy an insight into his inept management skills when he is forced to fire delivery driver Dean Trussler in the face of a new corporate strategy to radically simplify the transport system—by not having one. Roy reports: ""Being cruel in order to be kind is never easy. As Peter is not doing this to be kind, his task of being cruel is even more of a challenge."" But not everything goes to plan and Roy ends up with less of a fly-on-the-wall presence than he'd like. The rest of the staff seem just as incapable as Peter. The sales director, who has a background in oil rig
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