Award-winning producer Gub Neal returns to the University of Exeter

An Emmy-award-winning television producer has paid a special visit to the University of Exeter to meet students seeking to follow in his footsteps into the creative industries.

Gub Neal, creator of the acclaimed television drama The Fall, spent time with postgraduates on one of the University’s flagship film degrees, and students who devote their time to supporting the radio and television stations within the Xmedia societies.

Gub, whose extensive credits also include iconic series Prime Suspect, Cracker and Queer as Folk, additionally met with academics in the Department of Communications, Drama and Film, and took a tour of the acclaimed Bill Douglas Cinema Museum.

It marked a happy return for Gub to the university where he earned his degree in English Literature and American Studies during the 1980s.

“My invitation to visit the University was a wonderful opportunity to witness a striking transformation in faculties and resources in both learning and teaching Film, Media and Communications,” he said. “I was hugely impressed by the quality of facilities and the width and breadth of courses on offer.”

The visit began with Gub meeting undergraduates and touring the XMedia guild offices, before travelling to the Exeter Phoenix to meet the Director of Screen Devon, where he learned about its partnership with the University.

Returning to campus, Gub spoke to postgraduates enrolled on the MA International Film Business degree, which has run for more than a decade in partnership with the London Film School. There then followed a discussion with Jezz Vernon, Associate Professor of Film, who is leading eXeFilm, the new film distribution spinout company launched by the Department, and understood to be the first of its kind in higher education.

The following day, Gub held an interactive session with some of the students producing content for XTV and XpressionFM. Together, they discussed his career, how far the University and Department have developed in the years since he graduated, and their experiences of producing shows and engaging with audiences.

Gub began his career in street theatre, both working with the London International Festival and Theatre, and writing, directing and producing his own shows. A move into television appeared a natural fit for his talents, and so it proved as he rapidly rose through the ranks of the BBC.

Later, as an independent producer, Controller of Drama at Granada, and then Head of Channel 4’s drama department, he worked on Cracker, Band of Gold, Shackleton, and Jimmy McGovern’s 1996 film, Hillsborough. He also retained close links with the BBC, and created dramas Gunpowder, Treason and Plot, Sweeney Todd and The Wind in the Willows for the corporation.

The founder of several production companies, most recently Ringside Studios, where he is Creative Chair, Gub’s productions have received multiple awards and nominations, including the Prix Italia awarded to Sunday in 2022.

“It was a delight to talk to both undergraduate and graduate students and catch up with the rich and varied interests of the teaching staff,” he said. “I was immensely proud to see how far my Alma Mater had progressed in maintaining both contemporary and relevant studies in an ever-changing global media universe. Bravo Exeter!”

Mr Vernon, co-founder of eXeFilm, added: “Gub spoke brilliantly to the students about the modern TV industry, outlining the challenges but also accentuating the opportunities. He offered an extensive and valuable insight on his career and left our students feeling inspired, which is a fantastic tribute to the impact that graduates can have when they return to their university and share their experiences with those starting on that journey.”