With almost 25 years of experience in producer roles for the likes of the BBC, ITV, and the Food Network, Michael has spent the last ten years or so pooling resources for his namesake production company, which sees him offer up both his knowledge and services to the fellow television production companies in this space creating series based on food and drink. Aside from being a producer and an expert in his field, Michael is also a talented screenwriter and director, making him an invaluable asset to any production. Regardless of the scale or location of a project, what truly distinguishes Michael is his dual commitment to promoting a harmonious workplace and prioritising a collaborative effort. The result is that the content his company delivers is provided on time and on budget, whilst also reflecting the high standards that clients have come to expect from an individual who has worked on the UK’s biggest television networks and with some of its most acclaimed chefs – from James Martin to Gino D’Acampo and Gregg Wallace. Having met and collaborated with many celebrity chefs, cooks, producers, and presenters, Michael prides himself on sharing the stories of those passionate about good practices and ethical farming, and he has a successful track record across his portfolio of approaching these topics in ways that are both educational and entertaining in equal measure. This is something that Michel has largely taught himself to do by listening, learning, travelling, and dining out, all of which he is afforded plenty of opportunity with given his job. For example, just last year alone, Michael visited the Caribbean and a handful of locations across the US, including Oklahoma, the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, Charlston in South Carolina, and Savannah in Georgia. Each of these destinations is beautiful and unique in terms of the culture and culinary experiences it provides, and Michael has been fortunate enough to capture the essence of many of them through the TV shows he has made across the country, such as the several seasons he produced of Pioneer Woman, which has consistently been Food Network USA’s best-rated show. Even though he has successfully encapsulated the gastronomic zeitgeist of modern America through his shows over the past few years, something he plans to continue doing across further trips to the US in coming years, Michael is shifting his focus back to where it all started for him. He explains: “I’m keen to do more in the South of England, especially Sussex, where there are so many exciting chefs and restaurants.” Michael adds, “Brighton in particular has a fascinating food scene and I hope to make some inroads in that area.” Despite his extensive experience and enviable showreel, the state of the UK’s television industry at present means this will be no easy feat for Michael. The huge commissioning wave felt after the pandemic subsided has now long gone, and a lot of industry freelancers are Michael Connock, of the eponymous Michael Connock Ltd, is the owner of a television production company specialising in shows centred on food and drink. With a showreel consisting of the likes of James Martin’s Saturday Morning, Nadia’s Family Feasts, Hairy Bikers’ Cook Off, and many more, Michael has proven himself to be a talented executive producer and series producer, an individual whose comprehensive knowledge of food, and especially food programming, has resulted in some quality shows filmed in studios and on location across Britain and the US. Lifestyle & Entertainment TV Producer of the Year 2024: Michael Connock struggling to get work in this new climate. In fact, many have even taken up jobs in different industries. Exacerbating this is the rise in self-funded productions, as even the big channels no longer have the budgets to fund the series that fill their schedules, meaning that the money must come from elsewhere. Things are certainly not all bad though, and Michael is just one of many who remain entirely committed to the future of food and drink television. This is something that can be seen through the small kitchen studio space that he rents out for productions, offering discerning production companies a convenient way to create a show in a cost-effective environment and under the watchful eye of an undisputed veteran of lifestyle television. Named as the Lifestyle & Entertainment TV Producer of the Year 2024, Michael Connock continues to stand as a beacon of knowledge, experience, and collaborative excellence in a field where these elements are needed now more than ever. Contact: Michael Connock Company: Michael Connock Ltd Web Address: www.michaelconnock.tv
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