The woman in charge of the BBC’s documentary programming has stated that Netflix’s Harry and Meghan would never have found a place at the BBC.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s standpoint to the Netflix blockbuster series, according to Clare Sillery, would be inappropriate for a public broadcaster that “cannot relinquish editorial control.”
While speaking to Dealine, Sillery stated documentary commissioning is a question of trust and what viewers expect from them, while also acknowledging that in today’s world, people have complete control of their own narratives.
“But the question for the viewer is what you are paying your license fee for,” she said. “[The viewer] expects us to maintain the editorial standards that we have.”
The level of editorial control held by the subjects has been a significant topic of discussion surrounding last year’s documentary series. Co-produced by Archewell Productions, founded by the former royal couple, the series was part of their multi-million dollar contract with Netflix.
According to Ian Rumsey – who was responsible for the separate Prince Harry ITV Interview -believes that Harry and Meghan was somewhat overshadowed by the discussions surrounding their participation in the project.
