Evolving Television with Gayani Wanigaratne
Television has evolved far beyond the original vision of its creators. From simple evening entertainment to daytime soap operas, the twenty-four-hour news cycle, and reality television, TV has repeatedly shirked any imposed definition. Still, it has one common thread; television has become a companion for so many of us. Gayani Wanigaratne has an affinity for television because it connects so many of us to each other while being there for those who feel unconnected. She’s played a key part in many modern productions like the BAFTA awarded I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here, Britain’s Got Talent, and others. Talent searches, physical challenges, and morning conversation have all fallen into her area of expertise. Gayani’s talent can be an empowering tool for an eclectic range of programs. As a member of the team at UK’s ITV, she has continually helped bring fresh ideas while molding current productions into their best forms. The hours are demanding but when you’re doing what you love and millions embrace it, Wanigaratne concedes that it’s not as tough as one might think to be a workaholic.
A morning TV program like ITV’s This Morning Summer is a staple. It’s how people start their day informed and entertained. Wanigaratne was the series editor who led a huge team to produce this two-hour five-day per week show. Hosted by Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford, and guest hosts like Spice Girl Emma Bunton, This Morning Summer covered a range of topics that included news, topical items, showbiz, style and beauty, home and garden, food, health and real life. It’s the type of program that feels like welcoming a friend into your home for morning coffee. It’s also the kind of program that critics respected, as evidenced by it reception of a National Television Award (Most popular Daytime), a TRIC award (Best TV Daytime), and a BAFTA Special Award. Her responsibilities on the show were varied and immense but Gayani reveled in them stating, “It was SO rewarding seeing mine & my team’s work going out every day to millions of viewers. It was a joy to see the new on-screen talent do well and flourish. I loved having creative control over a show which I love.”
Wanigaratne’s work on the BAFTA award-winning Love Island involved commissioning the stories to feature and liaising with the edit. A dating reality show has a vastly different tone than that of This Morning Summer. Wearing the multiple hats of Gallery Producer, Story Producer, and Edit Producer, Gayani was able to see storylines from inception to final format. Love Island has become such a phenomenon that it is making its US premier on CBS in the States next month. To ensure its American presentation retains the same successful tone, Gayani has been included in the production team once again. This is no surprise as Wanigaratne’s notoriety in the industry has become international. Becca Walker, Executive Producer of Paradise Hotel (currently airing on Fox), enlisted her specifically because of her contributions to Love Island and I’m A Celebrity Get me out of Here. Paradise Hotel is a reality show in which a group of singles inhabit an exclusive hotel resort, competing to stay in the hotel the longest. Each week the contestants pair-up into couples and must share a hotel room together. With a history of incredibly successful reality programs populating her resume, Gayani is enthusiastic about an American bent to her recent work. She relates, “The Process itself is pretty similar; everyone just works really, really hard to make an entertaining show. I’ve been loving working with Americans and meeting new people. I’ve been able to use my skills learnt from other reality shows I’ve worked on in the past and transferred them to a new show, hopefully enabling certain processes to run smoothly. The accents are different! I love the American accent though. Although I think some people have been finding it difficult understanding some of the things I say.”
