June 20, 2007
Guru blog devotees will remember a post from several weeks back, which referred to a TV breakthrough. The BBC had actually commissioned and broadcast a show all about human resources. So much so, in fact, that they called it HR.
HR doesn't get much prime-time television exposure (except on the news, when it's making 3,000 people redundant), so it's good to see Guru's fellow blogger Mark Crail at Xpert HR researching television's top 5 HR characters.
Mark's list is as follows:
1. Joanna Clore (Pippa Haywood), The Green Wing (pictured)
2. Philippa Moorcroft (Celia Imrie), Dinnerladies
3. Mr Thorneycroft (Roger Brierley), The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin
4. Sam (Nicholas Le Prevost), In a Tight Spot: HR (see above)
5. Lance Bennett (Don Gilet), Dr Who: The Runaway Bride
Mark includes a wildcard entry from a French art house film: Frank (Jalil Lespert) in Laurent Cantet's Human Resources.
Strange - Guru has watched a lot of French 'art' films, but doesn't recall this one.
Meanwhile, this week's Personnel Today reports about more HR on the box:
Our beloved profession has come under attack from an unexpected source. The Guardian's TV critic Zoe Williams was scathing of HR in her review of ongoing ITV drama Talk to Me.The story sees "passionate and driven HR professional" Claire (Laura Fisher) seduced by her husband's best friend (Max Beesley).
Williams said the storyline of a "passionate HR officer" failed to ring true. "Which is the passionate bit?" she asked. "Giving people the sack, or explaining their healthcare entitlements?"
Guru is sure Ms Williams will soon encounter the "passion" of Guardian Media Group HR director Carolyn Gray, who will both give her the sack and explain the withdrawal of her healthcare entitlement.
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