Gareth Neame

In his one-hour interview, Gareth Neame talks about his early years and being part of a show business family. He describes his first years at the BBC as a floor manager, where he received invaluable training on such series as EastEnders. Neame recalls working his way up to head of independent drama at the BBC, which led to taking over Carnival Films (which was later bought by NBC/Universal). He discusses getting Julian Fellowes involved in what later became Downton Abbey, and speaks of his working relationship with Fellowes. He talks about the casting and production of the show, the global phenomenon it has become, and the challenges of losing actors and keeping storylines secret until the show airs. He concludes with advice for aspiring producers. Nancy Harrington conducted the interview on May 4, 2014 in Beverly Hills, CA.