Producer Cara Warwick on Displaying Greatness with America as the Backdrop
Your image of a television producer might be that of someone in formal business attire in high pressure meetings or immersed in a chaotic control room during filming. While this stereotype has some basis in reality, producers like Cara Warwick have proven the inverse to also be true. This UK native with a long resume of successful shows has furthered her career by being on-the-go and in the field, reveling in the opportunity to experience the world first-hand through her profession. It’s this approach which ensures that those whom she collaborates with can do their jobs without hindrance and which manifests the ideal moments that are captured for welcoming audiences across the planet. Diverse doesn’t begin to describe the body of work that Cara has amassed but the positive response to each is understandable with only a single viewing. On a daily basis, Cara Warwick establishes that the professional life of a producer can be a perfect blend of vital decisions and new experiences; far from sterile and mundane meetings of those who are never truly on the frontlines of the industry.
Eddie Eats America is a North One Television production airing on Dave (UKTV) which allows viewers to travel alongside the 2017 World’s Strongest Man winner Eddie Hall as he samples foods and takes part in physical challenges across the United States. As Producer, it was Cara who established the locations and challenges while keeping this mobile production on point as they travelled to places like New York, Philadelphia, Texas, and Florida. Each episode saw Eddie travelling to a new city and visiting an establishment to witness the making of their signature regional dish, then competing in a physical challenge to be followed by an eating challenge. Cara’s solitary four-week location scout across the US gave her a great admiration for its people. She relates, “I’d lived in NYC for a couple of years, which made things quite easy when creating the logistics for the production but driving across a state as expansive as Texas was undiscovered territory for me. Across Texas, Florida, and in Northern places like Philadelphia, I found the people so friendly. They all had a unique bit of culture that was really intriguing for our UK viewers.”
Paul Goes to Hollywood shares the idea of trekking across America and discovering food with Master Baker Paul Hollywood, known for his many television programs such as the multiple BAFTA Award-Winning series The Great British Baking Show. Paul rides his motorcycle from New York to Los Angeles, stopping at culinary locations inspired by some of the most iconic films and celebrities. The 3000-mile tour also features Hollywood guest stars like the legendary actor Brian Cox, Golden Globe nominated actress Lisa Kudrow, and Golden Globe winner Terri Hatcher. While celebrities appear in this four-part series, the essence is Mr. Hollywood’s love of food and motorcycles. As the show’s producer Cara concedes that one of the essential parts of the show was unexpectedly demanding as she reveals, “It’s obvious by the respect that everyone from chefs to celebrities shows Paul, he has an authenticity that is appealing. He loves his motorcycle and insisted on riding it across America…that’s not put on for the show. Because our crew was riding along on a bus, it was hard to keep up with Paul at times. While he was untethered to a certain extent, I had a crew to keep fed and comfortable. There was much more to the ‘journey’ aspect of this show than we could put into the final version; I’m looking forward to a second installment where we can explore this even more.”
Warwick helped display exploration of a vastly different type in the show Homestead Rescue for Discovery Channel, home of such multiple Primetime Emmy Award Winning shows as Deadliest Catch. As Story Producer, Cara was central to communicating the drastic changes these families experienced as well as what it taught them. She informs, “A key element to shaping the story in this series was not only to highlight the plight on each homestead and to find a solution but to emphasize how these changes would benefit the family on a long term basis; how these measures can drastically make a difference to their livelihood, day to day living and serve them well to ensure they can remain on their homestead for the future. Many people chose the homestead life because they wanted to escape the ‘rat race’ of modern society. There are many different reasons for choosing this but sometimes it is not both people in a couple who want this as a preferred lifestyle. In these cases, the story must be kept sympathetic to the reasons why but then highlight how they have adapted such drastic changes and how the Raney’s help can convince them that homesteading is a way of life worth keeping.” The participants of Homestead Rescue had the benefit of mentorship from craftsman and survival expert Marty Raney, his daughter Misty (a farmer), and (hunter and fisherman) son Matt. This trio attempts to teach participating families the essential skills on how to survive and thrive in the wilderness.
In spite of the differences in all of these productions, the common element is the adventurous spirit of modern day people. Whether pushing their own physical limits, exploring a vast land in their preferred mode of transport, or pushing the reset button on a way of life, these stories all depict the numerous choices we all have to direct the course of our own lives. In spite of a lack of CGI or flying superheroes, these tales attest that there is a greatness we can all strive to achieve; telling these stories in such a compelling manner as exhibited by Cara Warwick is its own type of greatness.
