BAFTA win for Solent alumni

Watched by more than 13 million people, Mr Bates vs the Post Office is a four-part television series, broadcast on ITV. It tells the story of sub postmasters in the UK, who were wrongly accused – and in some cases, convicted – of fraud.

The series’ impact has been widespread, leading to the introduction of new legislation by the British Government, and increased national awareness of the case. Solent alumni, Joe Williams, served as an executive producer on the series, which won Limited Drama at the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards.

Having studied in the University’s Department of Film and Media, it was at Solent that Joe first found an interest in producing and storytelling. He credits his time at university for helping him succeed in one of the world’s most competitive industries:

“So much in film and television involves learning on the job, and studying a creative degree at university enables you to hit the ground running in terms of your knowledge and experience.”

Joe began his career as a runner, before working in film development at Ridley Scott’s production company, Scott Free. He then transitioned to TV, working in development and script editing for the BBC, Netflix and, most recently, ITV Studios. Mr Bates vs the Post Office was Joe’s first executive producer credit. He says:

“It’s a tremendous honour to win a BAFTA, and to be recognised by your peers in the industry. We are proud of the drama and the impact it had – bringing the story of the Post Office Scandal to public attention and resulting in a change of the law. None of us who made the programme anticipated it would have such a reception.

“It’s important to say that the story is not over: the sub postmasters have still not received their full and final compensation and many of them have since passed away. The failure to compensate them after so many years is a scandal of itself.”

Through practice-led opportunities and collaboration with professionals from the sector, Solent empowers students to be bold with their creative vision, while equipping them with sought-after skills. For Joe, he is hopeful about the emerging talent coming through university today:

“The industry can only keep moving forward if it continues to produce exciting talent, and we look in hope to the next generation at university to help continue this work. At the same time, it’s up to the current generation of programme makers to do all they can to make the industry easier to access, and more open to people of different backgrounds, to ensure it is more reflective of Britain today.

“There has been progress in the past ten years but there is a lot more that can be done, which is both our responsibility and that of the generation coming next.”

Find out more about Solent's film, television and media degrees here.