Going straight to the top

TODAY I get to spend a couple of hours with John Yorke, the BBC's controller of drama production.
Unfortunately, it's not a one-to-one commissioning meeting. But it is a unique opportunity for close-up access to perhaps the single most influential man in British telly at the moment.
For those who don't know, Yorke had an illustrious script editing and producing career, culminating in the role of executive producer of EastEnders through its high-rating Kat and Zoe Slater storyline. He's also the mastermind behind Auntie's Writers' Academy, an in-house incubator for writers on shows such as Casualty, Holby City and EE itself.
So how am I getting to share a room with him (and 20-odd other people, but we won't count them)? Well, it's the first day of my new MA degree course in TV Scriptwriting at De Montfort University in Leicester, one of the best-regarded training grounds in the industry. And they've bagged Mr Yorke for the very first seminar. Not bad, huh?
Considering a one-day event earlier in the year had already put me in a room with Tony McHale (Holby exec prod) and Corrie assistant prod Gavin Blythe, inter alia, I'm guessing the networking possibilities alone are going to be worth the course fees.
Pearls of wisdom from the very top: I'll keep you posted...