Martin Durkin (director)
Martin Richard Durkin is an English television producer and director who has been commissioned by Britain's
He has produced, directed and executive-produced programmes covering the arts, science, history, entertainment, features and social documentaries. He is a libertarian and was formerly connected to the now defunct Revolutionary Communist Party, and a number of his documentaries have caused controversies, including those critical of state spending [1] and environmentalism.[2] He has been described as "the scourge of the greens"[3] and "one of the environmentalists' favourite hate figures".[4]
Documentaries
Against Nature
In 1997, Channel 4 broadcast Durkin's documentary series Against Nature, which attacked the environmental movement as being a threat to personal freedom and for crippling economic development.
The UK's then broadcasting regulator the Independent Television Commission received 151 complaints from viewers and interviewees featured in the programme with four complaints upheld.[5][6] In its report on the series, the ITC rejected 147 complaints that mainly were concerned with fairness and misrepresentation, stating that "the programmes' line that green ideologies were, at least in some respects, open to criticism on both scientific and humanitarian grounds, was a legitimate approach". It stated that environmentalists had been permitted a fair chance to air their side of the story in the televised debates that followed the broadcast.[citation needed]
The ITC stated that four complaints were upheld because: "the programmes breached the Programme Code in respect of the failure to make the four interviewees adequately aware of the nature of the programmes, and the way their contributions were edited."[7] For these reasons, Channel 4 later issued a public apology on prime time television.[8] According to The Independent, Durkin "accepts the charge of misleading contributors, but describes the verdict of distortion as 'complete tosh'".[4]
Equinox
Durkin produced 2 documentaries for
The 1998 documentary on breast implants was originally developed for the BBC but was eventually produced for Channel 4 after the BBC declined to commission it; the BBC's in-house researcher concluded that Durkin had ignored evidence contradicting his claims in the programme.[6] Environmental activist and writer George Monbiot wrote "Neither Martin Durkin nor, extraordinarily, Charles Furneaux, the commissioning editor of the science series Equinox, has a science background. They don't need one, for science on Channel 4 has been reduced to a crude manifesto for corporate libertarianism."[6] The film later won awards from the British Medical Association and the American Society for Plastic Surgeons.
The Rise and Fall of GM
This documentary, which argues in favour of
The Great Global Warming Swindle
The Great Global Warming Swindle was a 2007
Carl Wunsch who appeared on the programme has since repudiated the film, and described it "as close to propaganda as anything since World War II".[13] Durkin responded that Wunsch had been told very explicitly the nature of the programme and now appeared to be back-tracking.
The film was praised by opponents of the
It later emerged that Durkin had fallen out with geneticist
Durkin responded by claiming that global warming had stopped, and concluded with, "Never mind a bit of irresponsible film-making. Go and fuck yourself."[18] Durkin later apologised for his language, saying that he had sent the e-mails when tired and had just finished making the programme, and that he was "eager to have all the science properly debated with scientists qualified in the right areas."[19]
The film was awarded the Best Documentary trophy at the
Britain's Trillion Pound Horror Story
This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (December 2015) |
In 2010 Durkin made a programme called Britain's Trillion Pound Horror Story for Channel 4. Ostensibly about Britain's national debt, the film makes a case for lower taxes, a smaller public sector and a free-market economy.
Brexit: The Movie
In 2016 Durkin made a documentary film called Brexit: The Movie, about that year's referendum on EU membership, arguing for a vote to Leave. The film had a budget of £100,000, funded by crowdfunding.[25]
As executive producer
Martin Durkin has executive produced a wide range of programmes. Productions include:
References
- ^ Harrison, Mr (3 January 2011). "Britain's Trillion Pound Horror Story". Retrieved 9 August 2019 – via Vimeo.
- ^ Lynas, Mark (11 May 2007). "The great Channel 4 swindle". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
- ^ Walker, Tim (12 October 2008). "The climate change unbelievers". The Independent. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2009.
- ^ a b Lean, Geoffrey (4 March 2007). "Global warming: An inconvenient truth or hot air?". The Independent. Archived from the original on 15 May 2009. Retrieved 11 May 2009.
- ^ Programme Complaints & Interventions Report, ofcom.org.uk; accessed 20 December 2015.
- ^ a b c d Getting your science from charlatans George Monbiot, The Guardian, 16 March 2000.
- ^ Independent Television Commission ruling on "Against Nature", ofcom.org.uk; accessed 20 December 2015.
- ^ "Why would Channel 4 attempt to discredit the environmental movement?". Greenpeace UK. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ^ Profile of Durkin Archived 2007-03-18 at the Wayback Machine, gmwatch.org; accessed 20 December 2015.
- ^ Joint letter to Channel Four Television and the Times newspaper Tewolde Gebre Egziaber
- ^ Durkin, Martin (17 March 2007). "The global-warmers were bound to attack, but why are they so feeble?". London, UK: Telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 March 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2008.
- ^ McKie, Robin (4 March 2007). "Why Channel 4 has got it wrong over climate change". The Guardian. London, UK. Retrieved 13 January 2008.
- ^ Goldacre, Ben; David Adam (11 March 2007). "Climate scientist 'duped to deny global warming'". The Guardian. London, UK. Retrieved 13 January 2008.
- ^ "The global warming film you mustn't watch". The Herald Sun. 12 March 2007.
- ^ Lawson, Dominic (2 March 2007). "Dominic Lawson: Here is another inconvenient truth (but this one will infuriate the Green lobby)". The Independent. London, UK. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
- ^ Milloy, Steven (18 March 2007). "Must-See Global Warming TV". Fox News. Retrieved 18 March 2007.
- ^ O'Neill, Brendan (9 March 2007). "Apocalypse my arse". Retrieved 16 March 2007.
- ^ Email correspondence between Armand Leroi, Simon Singh and Martin Durkin, ocean.mit.edu; accessed 20 December 2015.
- Times Online. Retrieved 13 January 2008.
- ^ "Kodikara and Smith and SKY Network Television Ltd - 2008-077". Broadcasting Standards Authority. 25 November 2008. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
- ^ "Ofcom Broadcast Bulletin" (PDF). 21 July 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 February 2010.
- ^ Ofcom comments regarding Durkin, monbiot.com, 21 July 2008.
- ^ Last night's TV: Britain's Trillion Pound Horror Story and Misfits, The Guardian, 12 November 2010
- ^ Rallying cry, James Delingpole, The Spectator, 13 November 2010
- ^ Haslett, Emma (26 February 2016). "Brexit: The Movie crowdfunding campaign hits its target".
- ^ Royal Television Society - Programme Archived 2006-09-25 at the Wayback Machine, rts.org.uk; accessed 20 December 2015.
External links
- Martin Durkin at IMDb
- Geoffrey Lean, "Global Warming: An inconvenient truth or hot air?", The Independent, 4 March 2007.
- Britain's Trillion Pound Horror Story · Watch on 4OD · Play on 4OD Player
- Robin McKie,"Why Channel 4 has got it wrong over climate change", The Observer, 4 March 2007.
- Profile of Martin Durkin on GMWatch.org Profile of Martin Durkin, GMWatch.org; accessed 20 December 2015.
- "More digs at Durkin", The Guardian, 22 March 2000.
- Friends of the Earth press release, foe.co.uk, 2 April 1998.
- Independent Television Commission ruling on "Against Nature", ofcom.org.uk; accessed 20 December 2015.
- "Why does Channel 4 seem to be waging a war against the greens?" The Guardian, 22 July 2008.
- Brexit - The Movie web site