Dear independent television companies...

... it must be funding round time again, and you've found this blog. Well done - Google is amazing. Well, don't assume that the many folk like me who know a few things about Ulster-Scots heritage (and others know loads more than I do) are sitting here full of excitement awaiting a phone call or email from a junior researcher so we can have our 'brains picked'. That's got very tiresome.

Most of us know by now you're only looking for us because of the money, it's like the smell of blood in the water and the sharks are circling again. I'm picky about who I waste my time with. If you're serious about doing a good job, about treating the subject with respect, and about presenting it with some empathy then maybe I'm interested. But otherwise, believe me, I'm not interested in being pillaged for knowledge which you won't understand and which you'll then probably butcher and mangle and pump into the public domain.

This knowledge is our cultural crown jewels. You wouldn't hand your car keys to a monkey, would you? So just pause for thought. If you want to pump out the same-old same-old then fire away and get on with it. But if you're genuine, then take some interest outside of the commissioning and funding round deadlines. Invest time to understand what you're seeking to portray,  and we might invest some time with you in return.