Carl B Harrison
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Breaking NewsBreaking News
Another sad day for NE TV as Drama Axed
The North East television industry has taken another blow as a major prime-time series produced and filmed entirely in the region is axed.
Wire in the Blood, produced by Robson Green and Sandra Jobling’s Newcastle based production company, Coastal Productions – the only independent production company producing primetime network television in the North East - has not been re-commissioned by ITV.
After 6 years of successful filming, the last episode of Wire in the Blood was screened in the autumn of 2008 and was watched by more than 4.5m people. The series has sold for millions world wide and consistently employed almost 100 crew when filming in the region. On average, a production such as Wire in the Blood would spend around £750,000 on an hour long episode.
Tom Harvey, chief Executive of Northern Film & Media, says: “This is a very sad day for North East network TV…an absolute tragedy. Coastal Productions have done a fantastic job of securing prime time drama for the North East. They have provided much needed jobs for local crew and ensured that North East locations have appeared in front of national audiences. It is hard to under estimate how important Coastal Productions, Sandra and Robson, are to the North East. That is why Northern Film & Media has been working hard with Coastal Productions to play its role in helping to find a long term solution to current difficulties through our Network TV Investment Fund.
“Northern Film & Media’s warning that the North East could disappear from national TV screens is fast becoming a reality. We can not simply allow this to happen. We have been working closely with the BBC, a number of other broadcasters and the region’s MP’s to find a positive deal for the North East’s film and TV industry.
“Culturally, it is vital the North East is represented on national screens. Without our people, our stories and our locations on network TV the North East becomes invisible. The economic impact of this lack of production is also very serious. With no production in the region we miss out on filmmakers spending their budgets on regional cast and crew and facilities companies, not to mention money that would be spent in local hotels, restaurants, shops and bars. The number of locally-based TV professionals on Northern Film & Media’s database has gone down from 300 to 200 in the last 18 months as work has dried up. Many have migrated to centres of production such as London or Manchester. If this continues and we lose our talent base, the North East becomes an even less likely choice for a commission.”
Sandra Jobling of Coastal Productions and Executive Producer Wire in the Blood and Place of Excecution, released a statement saying: “After a very productive 2008 which included the sixth series of Wire in the Blood, and the highly successful Place of Execution, naturally we at Coastal are very disappointed. We are especially sad for the creative talent in the North East who have contributed to Wire’s longevity. However, Coastal continues to work closely with ITV and other broadcasters on developing new projects.
Michael Chaplin, successful North East based writer, says: “This is obviously very bad news for Coastal, TV professionals in the region and the film and TV industry as a whole. Given the great success of the series here and abroad, it is also a decision that is very hard to understand. We have just lost the last remaining returning TV series produced in the region and the consequences are obvious and serious.
Wire in the Blood has shot extensively across the North East and there has been much reaction across the region.
Dave Anderson, MP for Blaydon, says: “We have a long track record of producing high quality TV programmes in the region and this news comes as a tremendous blow to the area, both in terms of how the rest of the world sees us and the effect upon our local economy. I personally fear that this all part of part of ITV’s drive to cut costs and compete with other broadcasters on a lowest common denominator basis. I urge them to have a rethink and for OFCOM to urgently look into this matter of our region disappearing from national screens.
Peter Atkinson, MP for Hexham, said: “This is hugely disappointing news for our region. To lose this jewel in the crown, which is filmed and produced in Newcastle and Northumberland, is a sad example of the gradual decline of support for network TV production in the North East.
“I hope that today's announcement acts as a catalyst for local action in support of Northern Film & Media's campaign to bring more TV production to our region.”
Gareth Williams, Location Manager on Wire in the Blood and many other TV series, says: “have reached a critical sparseness of commissioning in the North East now that threatens to kill off any prospect of a recovery. There are a couple of hundred highly talented and very experienced TV and Film professionals living in the region and many more hundreds of talented, educated and enthusiastic young hopefuls who can help. But every time we have an immodest gap in commissioning we lose half of our skills base. It takes ten years to replace them.
Northern Film & Media have arranged a special meeting for all concerned with North East network television to be held at the Live Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne, on Monday 16 February 2009 from 6pm. This meeting is aimed at industry professionals, or those linked to the industry, concerned about the current lack of production in the region.
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