There’s a joke in Oxford that goes “How many Oxford
dons does it take to change a light bulb?” the answer of course is… “Change?!”
Founded in 1320 by Roger Mortimer, Wigmore College is one of Oxford University’s
most ancient Colleges, seeped in history and proud of its traditions. Wigmore sits on the banks of the River
Cherwell, where generations of straw-boatered gentry have whiled away their
afternoons punting when they were supposed to be in a tutorial. Academia was never a strong-point – the traditional
Wigmorian was a chap who knew how to address the natives of far flung corners
of the Empire and the correct attire to wear to a boar hunt. But this could not last forever.
This antiquated ecosystem is struggling to
survive in the twenty-first century. The
college gardens lie untended, portraits of former dons have been pawned at the
betting shop and the college silver was long-ago replaced with tin foil dishes
from Lidl.
The college is run by the insane Prof. Monty
Emeleus, a crusty academic hanging onto his position by virtue of strong wits
and Machiavellian people skills.
This is where Edward Long comes in. Long has accepted the role of Bursar and must
now seek funding and donations from a dried-up source of alumni who are mostly
now staying at Her Majesty’s Pleasure in various establishments around the British
Isles.
Long’s background is dubious, an ex-conman in
his mid forties but now trying to be on the straight and narrow and seeking
gainful employment. Long has recently
discovered he has a daughter, Vivian, born out of a long extinguished
affair. Vivian has been accepted as a
student at the college and Long has accepted the position in a last ditch
attempt to get to know her.
Edward has a strong code of ethics; his
former career involved infiltrating rich corporations, not fleecing the everyday man on
the street. When he comes up against the
corrupt dysfunctional college faculty, staff and students, he finds he has met
his match. On top of this, the faculty
have split into factions, the traditional Oxford
academics versus a bloke from Sheffield
Hallam University
who’s determined to modernise the establishment and encourage more students
from underprivileged backgrounds to attend.
Can Edward reverse the College’s
fortunes? Can he win the acceptance of
the College community and bring peace to the Senior Common Room? And furthermore, can he shake off the demons
of his own past, make a new start, and find happiness for himself and his
daughter?
Those dreaming spires
is an
8-part TV comedy drama series which will follow the challenges of Long trying
to do his job while all around him seem intent on hindering his every move. Weekly episodes will explore Long’s changing
relationships with his colleagues and, most importantly, his daughter. Each episode will feature a ‘story of the
week’ centred on a member of the College community, exploring issues specific
to College life.
Throughout the series we’ll meet the characters who’ve
kept this bizarre institution afloat on a sea of debt, corruption and
vice. Twists and turns in character’s
story arcs will be exposed in each episode to keep viewers tuning in as their
own alliances change with the characters.
The clash of the old guard and the new order will be central to the
humour, along with characters taking themselves too seriously and refusing to
admit that outside of the College walls their status means nothing. The series is intended for the Sunday night ‘Ovaltine TV’ slot,
aimed primarily at the family and ABC1 audiences, with cross-over into the
16-25 year old market due to the young and old cast.
Because
dons in ivory towers shouldn’t
throw stones…