DUNCAN McALPINE

PROFILE

I trained at the BBC in Drama Series and Serials for five years up to Location Manager. I went free-lance when I had an idea commissioned by Channel 4 in 1990 and the chance to co-produce. I have been a free-lance producer and development producer ever since, having been a Head of Development three times and producer and/or director on over 400 programmes, mostly studio based with many locations around the UK and the world including America, France, India, Sweden, Japan, Dubai and Mexico.

My main interests and experience are in popular culture, lifestyle, science and history.

KEY SKILLS

Programme Development & Management: formatting programme ideas and series, shaping scripts and contributor/archive content. I have good relationships with many Commissioning Editors across most UK channels.
Live and As Live Studio: Day and Series producing.
Location Directing: single camera directing in UK, America and France.
Script writing/editing: a varied portfolio of studio and location scripts written: fast turnaround live to long-form heavily researched documentary
Sourcing: wide range of contacts to source contributors, celebrities, locations and specialist experts.
Casting: experience in casting for drama, interviewing and selecting contributors and contestants.
Task/Challenge inventing and how to script these succinctly.



INTERESTS/SPECIALISMS

I am interested in and have specialist knowledge about classic cars (I have three in various states of disrepair), antiques and furniture (family business still going after 50 years), science fiction (MA from Warwick in it), military history (collection of memorabilia), American and British comics (written 8 books on the subject), stand-up comedy (regular goer), theatre and its history, astronomy/space technology, cooking (big time! Attend courses), gardening (own an alottment), property (re-developed a seaside bungalow in Cornwall recently and a town house in Surrey), fine wine (small collection), choral music (in a choir for over 20 years), rock music backing singing (which I still do), music promos (did a Ray Davies Xmas single for example), ob doc people stories (followed some jet pilots in training, some home brew experts, some antique collectors etc), disabled children (work with local autistic charity.

My strongest interest is programme formats and development which I do all the time, especially keeping up with current trends and commissioners needs. I have excellent Commissioning Editor contacts.

I have business experience having owned/managed a West End store on Oxford Street in the mid 1990s. This expanded into several stores across the UK and I employed over 50 people.

CAREER HISTORY
+Series Producer Pink Llama Films 2023-2024
+ Producer Royal Television Society London Awards 2021-2025
+ Co-launcher of Ecoflix, a multi-million dollar wildlife web-site 2021
+ Producer Global Student and Teacher Awards for Fresh Start TV 2021
+ Producer Save Our Beautiful Bali documentary for BBC 2019
+ Head of Development Wilson Worldwide. 2018-2019

+Consulting Producer Mentorn Media throughout 2017 getting my ideas Inside London Fire Brigade for ITV and Cornwall Ambulance for Channel 4 away.

+ Creative Director Rareburg TV 2015-2016. Lunch on international trading website and producing hundreds of hours of filmed content from around the world.
+S
eries Producer. Trading Up. Discovery International. 2 x 6 x 60' ACROSS 2013 and 2014
The biggest factual entertainment series to come out of Discovery UK - real buying and selling classic cars around the world. Currently a top-rated digital tv programme. Complex filming including aerials in India, Japan, Mexico, USA, Sweden and Dubai. Considerable experience with foreign locations and fixers, legal processes and financial transactions, filming and aerial logistics, complex story-telling and edotorial drivers.

+Producer. Drop Down Menu. Channel 4.
Daily live cookery and celebrity chat show. VT inserts shot all over the UK. Fast turnaround and tight deadlines..

+ Series Producer. The Iconic Kitchen. 10 x 30'. The Food Network.
All location series with Tom Parker-Bowles presenting.

+Producer 3 x 30 Surprize Cafe. drama. BBC. Three pilot episodes for a new post-watershed drama and comedy series filmed at BBC Elstree.

*Producer/Director Resonance Films - a feature length documentary with private/commericial funding 1 x 90' on the discovery of the oldest books in the world.

• Series Producer - Destination Lunch, Sky. 125 x 60'
Daily celebrity 'as live' studio chat show with travel, food and wine. Hosted alternately by Judith Chalmers, Peter Purves, Toyah Willcox, Christine & Neil Hamilton. Celebrities and contributors sharing stories of their travels with appropriate food and wine experts; rota of TV chefs cooking a three course meal. VT insert packages from 15 regular worldwide destinations. Heavy scripting, tight deadlines, major sourcing of contributors and stories

• Series Producer - Head to Head, Sky. 44 x 60'
One hour studio show 'as live' hosted by Toyah Willcox featuring general public and celebrity guests comparing overseas property stories. Two chefs cook national dishes

• Series Producer - Property Kings, Sky. 48 x 30'
Weekly half hour interview studio show featuring general public guests with a story to tell. Finance expert on hand. Location inserts across the UK.

• Series Producer - High Spirits, UK TV Food. 13 x 30'
Weekly half hour all location UK/Europe presenter-led series exploring the manufacture of wines and spirits and the people behind those stories

• Series Producer - Jet Stream, Discovery Channel Europe. 8 x 30'
Weekly series telling the stories of pilots and their planes, both in combat and commercial aviation. All location UK.

• Series Producer - Ask The Property Experts, Sky. 48 x 30'
Weekly studio panel discussion show, hosted by John Daly, featuring four experts answering phone-in questions from the general public.

• Series Producer / Writer / Presenter - Sci-Fi Channel Europe. 9 x 30'
Won commission with own format "COMICANA" - all location UK/Europe/US series. Co-presented the show in studio and on location in USA and France

• Producer - A to Z of Star Trek, Sky One. 1 x 90'
A countdown style clips, contributors and archive celebration of the world's most famous sci-fi brand. Sourced, persuaded and interviewed big name cast, celebrities and fans

• Producer / Director - World's Greatest Comic Book Heroes, Discovery Channel Europe. 1 x 60'
Countdown style list show with movie clips, celebrity contributors, fans and archive. Filmed in UK and USA. Content for live vote web-site

• Associate Producer - Britain's Closest Encounter, BBC 3. 1 x 60'
Won own commission for Britain's Closest Encounter for BBC 3, the story of the UK's Roswell Incident in Rendlesham Forest in 1980 told through recollections, archive and dramatic reconstruction. Researching and writing, sourcing contributors and their stories. Bringing original US servicemen back to the UK location

• Associate Producer - Britain's Worst Driver, Five. 7 x 30'
Designed (and own) the format and Technical Producer for the car challenges. Sourced locations and car prizes. Camera operator on 2nd Unit.

• Producer / Director - The Big Crunch, Noel Gay Television. 1 x 30'
30 minute pilot for BBC 1 filmed in USA and UK for a proposed magazine show on science fiction culture and collectables

• Producer - The London Football Show, Zebra Television 10 x 60' (video on demand)
Presenter-led (Robby Earle) all location series telling behind the scene stories of professional and amateur footballers and their clubs

DEVELOPMENT

• Format Devisor - Britain's Worst Driver - Mentorn Group
Including two UK series; Celebrity Britain's Worst Driver (two UK series); World's Worst Driver; America's Worst Driver pilot and series; 14 other territories. Series consultant in situ to The Netherlands version. Negotiated own ongoing royalty payments, still arriving 10 years later!

• Head of Development - Leopard Films
Headed up team of Development AP's and Researchers. Brainstorming, writing and pitching to terrestrial and digital broadcasters. Three pilots commissioned & made

• Head of Development - BDP Media
Headed up team that won 50 hour out-put deal won with UKTV Food. Represented company at MIP

• Development Producer - TalkbackThames
Director/producer lifestyle 30' pilot programme for Channel 5 "House Healer"

• Development Producer - Mentorn Group
Part of team that brainstormed, wrote up and pitched ideas to all main terrestrial broadcasters

• Development Producer - Objective Productions
Development funding secured from Five - Stranger Than Fiction/Extraordinary People. Producer Channel 4 Comedy pilot "Tough Decisions"

• Development Producer - ZigZag Productions
Produced/directed.popular science taster tape for Discovery US News of the Weird, a quirky science show hosted by Jason Bradbury. Part of a team brainstorming, writing and pitching ideas to broadcasters and for MIP

• Development Producer - Fulcrum Television
Researched and wrote a reality series for C4 Learning. Stories aimed at teenagers based on World War Two experiences and modern day comparisons

• Development Researcher - Free At Last TV
Researched The Batman Story (1 x 60') for Channel 5

RADIO / ANIMATION

• Director Radio Drama - "Point of No Return". B7 Productions
International CD release and future BBC 7 transmission. A one hour 're-boot' adventure drama based on the characters of the BBC series Blake's 7. Starring Keeley Hawes, Colin Salmon, Craig Kelly

• Producer - Cryogenia. Eagle Peak Interactive, Brighton
Interactive game, securing Christopher Lee as host

OPERA

Directed The Plague at The Barbican, London in Jan 2010 with Paul McGann as The Narrator.

CONTACTS

3 Connaught Gardens, Muswell Hill, London N10 3LD.
Tel/Fax: (0208) 883 5992. Mob: (07966) 184 613 best contact
Home E-Mail: dmcalpine@totalise.co.uk

QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING

B.A. (Hons) English and Drama (Warwick)
M.A. Film Studies (Warwick)
Diploma (Drama Studio, Ealing): Film and Television

I live with partner Louise in Muswell Hill and we have two children. I am prepared to travel outside of London and film overseas