The enigmatic film industry has forever been the subject of fascination amongst both the public and the media as stars of blockbusters often achieve a heightened level of fame. With so many stories and cinema releases, the media requires a dedicated squad of writers and journalists to celebrate and chart the changing face of film and make worthy recommendations for what to watch. For the past three decades, writer and journalist James King has presided over the world of film, bringing a slice of showbiz to the BBC Radio microphone. Beginning his career in the late nineties on Radio 1, King became a regular contributor to Jo Whiley’s Lunchtime Social, discussing the latest releases which the 15-25 demographic would be interested in. This was the era of Trainspotting and Human Traffic whose soundtracks defined a generation and for a moment, music and movies became entwined in an explosion of culture.
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King, a graduate of Warwick University in Film and Literature which he managed to combine with a radio show called Jingus Smash Hits alongside a young Stephen Merchant, his love for cinema surrounded his early adult life. Following this up with an MA in Film and Television Studies from the University of Westminster, armed the young journalist with the tools to preside over the ever changing world of film. Joining BBC Radio 1 in the late nineties put James in the perfect position to oversee significant changes in entertainment.
Film journalism isn’t a new phenomenon with legendary figures including Pauline Keel presiding over the enigmatic world of Hollywood throughout the 1960’s. These pioneers were doing so much more than critiquing film and their work now provides a historical context to glean what was happening within a particular era. Today, James is more than aware that his words may be used for a whole host of platforms and therefore care is taken to shape his analysis in a way that is positive and punchy. As a journalist, it’s a rewarding feeling when your quote ends up on a billboard for a latest blockbuster and may possibly be the critic equivalent of playing the O2. For the past three decades, King has been honing a reputation as one of Britain’s leading film critics and therefore a quote from him has a certain worth.
The notion of going to the cinema has forever brought with it an elegant charm which is impossible to emulate with television. This, coupled with extensive budgets and cutting edge technology has cultivated the genre into the elite species. Movie stars have always been more glamorous and enigmatic compared to their small screen counterparts. However, now with the influx of streaming services including Netflix and HBO, the line between film and television is becoming increasingly blurred with most drama operating on a budget of a film. This has had a significant influence on the film industry but James strongly believes that there shall forever be a space where both mediums are able to work in harmony.
The substantial shift in our consumption habits was made obvious during the coronavirus lockdown of 2020 when the whole world diverted to a new normal. Indeed Disney chose to launch their own streaming service during the first week of lockdown and this became a supply and demand service. Many film distributors chose to premiere movies via this relatively new medium while the world was in an unprecedented state of uncertainty. This was a completely new era for the film industry and changed the trajectory of cinema with box office numbers still not fully recovered. However, this was just a natural evolution of our viewing habits which was brought to a head via a global pandemic.
King began his career in the era before social media when celebrities were unable to control the narrative surrounding their careers. In 2000 there were just two segments of entertainment news on Radio 1 per day. Joining the station in 1997, James vividly remembers the fallout from the death of Princess Diana which was very difficult to cover on a youth oriented network. Working on Jo Whiley’s Lunchtime Social, James was able to soak up all the excitement for the Britpop sound and its influences like Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting which defined a generation. The nineties was gold dust for entertainment journalism with so many protagonists dominating the headlines. From Ewan McGregor to the Gallaghers, for a journalist in London, this period was jammed with stars and stories that defined a generation.
On a youth orientated network, it was relatively easy to identify what the audience would be interested in. The playlist represented the demographic so the subject of films needed to reflect this. For a journalist like James, this clear brief made it easier to identify the listener and what they would be passionate about. This formula made journalists ruthless and selective about the stories that they would present. Devoid of personal taste or individual preferences, to obtain ten minutes of worthwhile content for the right demographic, there is an obvious criteria to follow that helped to hone James’s skills as a journalist.
Leaving Radio 1 in 2010, James was quickly reunited with the evergreen Jo Whiley for The Culture Club on BBC Radio 2 with a larger pool of subjects to discuss. Working with Jo for almost three decades has given James knowledge of her skill set which makes the conversation flow naturally. She may not be the biggest film buff but her passion for broadcasting and her natural warmth makes it easy for James to feel at home and his Wednesday evenings would now feel strange without this regular conversation with Jo. Now into their third decade on air, Jo and James’s chemistry feels like dropping in on two old friends chatting about film and some would say that this is the secret of perfect radio.
Beyond his glittering career in broadcasting, James’s proudest achievement is a podcast series from lockdown celebrating the James Bond movie No Time To Die. For an entertainment journalist who specialises in film, the majority of your work focuses on the new or next film. Franchises are often the only opportunity available for journalists to look back on a particular genre and identify trends and changes. This podcast allowed him to do just that and being a James Bond fanatic, he was in his element. Being able to bring all the aspects of his career together into this podcast series was a real pleasure and was able to remind him of why he entered this industry three decades ago. It was a great pleasure to welcome the great James King to Beyond The Title and may he continue to effortlessly preside over the ever changing face of film with his unique understated charm and eloquence.
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