[This article was originally written for the BBC Vision intranet]
The BBC has a prestigious record of programming covering the issues of mental health, reflected by a sizeable haul at the 2006 Mental Health Media Awards. But such issues can be considered taboo; difficult to discuss and difficult to represent to the audience as a whole. Originally conceived as part of a wider mental-health season, Stephen Fry: The Secret Life Of The Manic Depressive had a curious development.
The idea was initially pitched by Stephen Fry's GP, Dr Tony Hughes, the form of the show was to be a mix of documentary and drama, with actors being used to illustrate the condition in its various forms. Ross Wilson, who directed and produced the programme for IWC Media (although he has since joined the BBC), wasn't happy with this idea and thought that such treatment might prove "silly" and lead the show down a route similar to Richard Gere's 1993 film Mr. Jones.
"I had no experience in filming issues surrounding mental health" said Ross, "but I do have an interest in people". It was this focus that would prove to be the programme's success.
Fry himself wasn't onboard with the programme immediately, but having met with Wilson and his team he agreed to bring his personal perspective to the programme. Soon after, a group of fellow bipolar sufferers had agreed to join the programme to share their perspectives. Among them were a host of celebrities, including actors Richard Dreyfuss, Carrie Fisher and comedian Tony Slattery. But was Wilson worried about having celebrities would detract from a sense of realism for the average viewer?
"Yes and no. I thought it was important to be able to show the connection between manic depression and creativity, how it can be an unusual driving force. For example, Rick Stein's story about his father committing suicide in full view of the family home had such an impact because in telling it Stein revealed a completely unknown side to his personality."
Documentaries of this type often follow a sufferer over a greater period of time, allowing for the illness to manifest itself for the audience. But with Fry demonstrating its effects on camera himself, as well as Fisher talking very quickly and Slattery constantly clenching his teeth, Wilson knew his film wasn't reeling back from any issues.
The programme was also complimented by an extensive online campaign, comprising message boards, a journal written by one of the bipolar sufferers featured in the show, as well as a booklet aimed at providing information and support.
Timuchin Dindjer, Learning Project Manager for F&L, helped orchestrate this campaign, but it wasn't without its own problems. As soon as the show was announced as part of the autumn's programming, the response was huge and the show was subsequently brought forward in the transmission schedule on three separate occasions. This caused BBC Radio Five Live to abandon their plans of providing supplementary programming around the topic, and suddenly created a deadline to have the booklet completed that required the writer to come back from his holiday in order to finish it.
Messages boards on the site were live for two weeks, and during this period two experts monitored the posts for an hour a day, providing support for the many people that needed to discuss issues or to seek diagnosis. Activity was so high in fact that a third expert was eventually drafted in to help out.
A community of well-informed visitors formed around the message boards; sufferers themselves, friend or relatives of those with the illness, or just curious individuals, the message boards provided a constructive forum. While it might not have directly solved all the questions raised, the anonymity of the internet provided an outlet and a direction for people's concerns.
Response to the programme wasn't all positive however. Many took exception to Fry's personal dislike of using drugs to stabilise the condition, and others thought that interviewees, celebrity or otherwise, weren't representative of sufferers as a whole.
But with viewing figures peaking at 3.1 million and over 250 pieces of feedback received, almost all positive, it clearly had an impact with audiences. Online it proved a success as well, with over 100,000 hits for the website and 50,000 downloads for the booklet. The previous benchmark for such a download was set by the March 2006 campaign - Planning A Good Death.
Wilson always thought the programme would prove popular with audiences: "It always triggered conversations with people. When we making it we knew we were touching a nerve. So many people would reveal that they or someone they knew suffered from bipolar disorder."
"When you're the pick of the day for television in both the Financial Times and Heat, then that's what you dream of doing."