Celyn Jones, co-writer of the upcoming Grange Hill movie, gives us an update on the state of the planned movie.
It’s been about a year now since we’ve had some solid information on the planned Grange Hill movie, that’s been in development for the last couple of years. Based on the iconic BBC children’s drama series, the film is being co-written by Sir Phil Redmond – who created the show – and Celyn Jones.
We learned a year or so ago that former cast member Sara Sugarman will be directing the movie, and Jones too also appeared on screen as Mr Green in the programme.
Jones has recently released his directorial debut, The Almond & The Seahorse, an absorbing drama that’s currently in cinemas. You can find out more about that, and book tickets, here.
He chatted to us for the latest issue of Film Stories magazine about that film,...
It’s been about a year now since we’ve had some solid information on the planned Grange Hill movie, that’s been in development for the last couple of years. Based on the iconic BBC children’s drama series, the film is being co-written by Sir Phil Redmond – who created the show – and Celyn Jones.
We learned a year or so ago that former cast member Sara Sugarman will be directing the movie, and Jones too also appeared on screen as Mr Green in the programme.
Jones has recently released his directorial debut, The Almond & The Seahorse, an absorbing drama that’s currently in cinemas. You can find out more about that, and book tickets, here.
He chatted to us for the latest issue of Film Stories magazine about that film,...
- 5/22/2024
- by Simon Brew
- Film Stories
Stuart Organ, the longest-serving actor in iconic BBC children’s show Grange Hill, has died. He was 72.
Organ died earlier this week, his reps confirmed to the BBC. They said he “died peacefully at home after a short illness.”
Organ was the longest-serving cast member in Phil Redmond’s Grange Hill. He joined in 1988 and played Mr Robson, a Pe teacher. In 1998, he landed the headmaster’s job, but he left the series in 2003 soon after production of the show transferred to Liverpool.
Grange Hill has made the careers of many a British star. It ran for 40 years virtually uninterrupted on the BBC and ended in 2008. Redmond is now forging a film version helmed by Sara Sugarman.
Organ’s other credits included Brookside, Doctor Who, The Bill and London’s Burning. He moved into theater in later life, landing roles in An Englishman Abroad and The Comedy of Errors.
According to the BBC,...
Organ died earlier this week, his reps confirmed to the BBC. They said he “died peacefully at home after a short illness.”
Organ was the longest-serving cast member in Phil Redmond’s Grange Hill. He joined in 1988 and played Mr Robson, a Pe teacher. In 1998, he landed the headmaster’s job, but he left the series in 2003 soon after production of the show transferred to Liverpool.
Grange Hill has made the careers of many a British star. It ran for 40 years virtually uninterrupted on the BBC and ended in 2008. Redmond is now forging a film version helmed by Sara Sugarman.
Organ’s other credits included Brookside, Doctor Who, The Bill and London’s Burning. He moved into theater in later life, landing roles in An Englishman Abroad and The Comedy of Errors.
According to the BBC,...
- 2/23/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
UK TV presenters Ant and Dec are remaking Byker Grove, the show that made child stars of them three decades ago.
Late Late Show indie Fulwell 73 is developing the project with the I’m a Celebrity host’s Mitre Studios.
Originally broadcast between 1989 and 2006 on the BBC, Byker Grove became a household favorite as it told the story of a youth club in Newcastle. Celebrated for its handling of hard hitting and controversial storylines, the program ran for 18 series and launched many famous faces both in front of and behind the camera, including Ant and Dec as fun-loving duo Pj and Duncan. The pair have often credited the show with launching their careers.
The producers said the reboot, which isn’t attached to a broadcaster, is aimed at a primetime audience and will “engage with a new generation of teenagers navigating the different challenges faced by young adults today.”
Fulwell...
Late Late Show indie Fulwell 73 is developing the project with the I’m a Celebrity host’s Mitre Studios.
Originally broadcast between 1989 and 2006 on the BBC, Byker Grove became a household favorite as it told the story of a youth club in Newcastle. Celebrated for its handling of hard hitting and controversial storylines, the program ran for 18 series and launched many famous faces both in front of and behind the camera, including Ant and Dec as fun-loving duo Pj and Duncan. The pair have often credited the show with launching their careers.
The producers said the reboot, which isn’t attached to a broadcaster, is aimed at a primetime audience and will “engage with a new generation of teenagers navigating the different challenges faced by young adults today.”
Fulwell...
- 7/4/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: UK production company Mad As Birds (Mab) — best known for pics such as Six Minutes to Midnight, Poms, The Vanishing, and The Almond And The Seahorse — has landed a major cash injection from a private investor as it sets out a diverse slate of projects for the Cannes market.
We understand the investment is around the seven-figure mark. The investor, whose identity has been kept private, approached the UK-based indie headed by Celyn Jones, Andy Evans, and Sean Marley with the unique deal, which is set to supercharge the company’s work across film and TV, with several Mab projects heading to the Cannes market this week.
New Mab film projects hitting the market include:
Call Girls
Directed by veteran British filmmaker Catherine Morshead, the film comes from a screenplay by writers Paul Coleman and Brennan Reece. Coleman is the BAFTA-winning writer behind the BBC comedy Car Share,...
We understand the investment is around the seven-figure mark. The investor, whose identity has been kept private, approached the UK-based indie headed by Celyn Jones, Andy Evans, and Sean Marley with the unique deal, which is set to supercharge the company’s work across film and TV, with several Mab projects heading to the Cannes market this week.
New Mab film projects hitting the market include:
Call Girls
Directed by veteran British filmmaker Catherine Morshead, the film comes from a screenplay by writers Paul Coleman and Brennan Reece. Coleman is the BAFTA-winning writer behind the BBC comedy Car Share,...
- 5/15/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Series creator Phil Redmond has teamed up with Sara Sugarman to make a big screen version of the hit BBC drama and they promise that TV favourites will return
Nearly half a century after it first aired on BBC One, a film adaptation of the classic children’s drama series Grange Hill has been confirmed – with the original cast making a surprise return.
The series, which ran from 1978 until 2008, portrayed life in a typical British comprehensive school in the fictional London borough of Northam, and broke new ground over the years with storylines that covered racism, drug addiction and mental health.
Nearly half a century after it first aired on BBC One, a film adaptation of the classic children’s drama series Grange Hill has been confirmed – with the original cast making a surprise return.
The series, which ran from 1978 until 2008, portrayed life in a typical British comprehensive school in the fictional London borough of Northam, and broke new ground over the years with storylines that covered racism, drug addiction and mental health.
- 4/27/2023
- by Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent
- The Guardian - Film News
Exclusive: Sir Phil Redmond is moving forward with his Grange Hill film adaption and filmmaker Sara Sugarman (Save the Cinema) has signed on to direct a story in part based on the character she played in the hit BBC kids show.
The film will be written by original series creator Redmond, with Sean Marley (The Almond and the Seahorse) and Celyn Jones (Six Minutes to Midnight) producing for Mad As Birds alongside Redmond’s production company Mersey Film. Phil and Alexis Redmond will EP. Redmond originally planned for the movie to launch this year and he said scripts are “pretty close.”
Plot is being largely kept under wraps, but Redmond told Deadline that the story will, in part, be based on the character Jessica Samuels, who was the rebellious head of the Grange Hill student action group in the TV series. The idea was inspired by Sugarman, who played Samuels...
The film will be written by original series creator Redmond, with Sean Marley (The Almond and the Seahorse) and Celyn Jones (Six Minutes to Midnight) producing for Mad As Birds alongside Redmond’s production company Mersey Film. Phil and Alexis Redmond will EP. Redmond originally planned for the movie to launch this year and he said scripts are “pretty close.”
Plot is being largely kept under wraps, but Redmond told Deadline that the story will, in part, be based on the character Jessica Samuels, who was the rebellious head of the Grange Hill student action group in the TV series. The idea was inspired by Sugarman, who played Samuels...
- 4/27/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
1964: Primetime soap opera Peyton Place premiered on ABC.
1988: Santa Barbara's Eden Capwell was raped.
2009: Guiding Light's Alan Spaulding died.
2010: As the World Turns' Carly and Jack married one last time."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1964: Primetime soap opera Peyton Place premiered on ABC. Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by a 1957 film adaptation. Peyton Place ran for 514 total episodes with the series finale airing on June 2, 1969.
In the first episode, Dr. Michael Rossi...
1988: Santa Barbara's Eden Capwell was raped.
2009: Guiding Light's Alan Spaulding died.
2010: As the World Turns' Carly and Jack married one last time."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1964: Primetime soap opera Peyton Place premiered on ABC. Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by a 1957 film adaptation. Peyton Place ran for 514 total episodes with the series finale airing on June 2, 1969.
In the first episode, Dr. Michael Rossi...
- 9/15/2019
- by Unknown
- We Love Soaps
1974: CBS aired the final episode of The Secret Storm.
1978: UK serial Grange Hill premiered.
1977: Ryan's Hope's Frank was devastated over Jill.
1995: Days of our Lives' Sami and Lucas had sex."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into d ifferent and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1955: On Love of Life, Ben gave Judith (Virginia Robinson) a warning, and Paul (Richard Coogan) received pressure to marry Judith from her father.
1974: After a 20 year run, the final episode of The Secret Storm aired on CBS.
1977: On Ryan's Hope, after an emotional confrontation,...
1978: UK serial Grange Hill premiered.
1977: Ryan's Hope's Frank was devastated over Jill.
1995: Days of our Lives' Sami and Lucas had sex."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into d ifferent and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1955: On Love of Life, Ben gave Judith (Virginia Robinson) a warning, and Paul (Richard Coogan) received pressure to marry Judith from her father.
1974: After a 20 year run, the final episode of The Secret Storm aired on CBS.
1977: On Ryan's Hope, after an emotional confrontation,...
- 2/8/2019
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
1990: Steve Johnson died on Days of our Lives.
1995: British soap opera Hollyoaks premiered.
2001: As the World Turns' Bryant Montgomery died.
2006: Atwt's Oakdale learned Hal Munson was dead."The best prophet of the future is the past."
― Lord Byron
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1978: On Another World, Rachel Cory (Victoria Wyndham) cut off Jamie's (Tim Holcomb) allowance after finding out he had married Blaine Ewing (Laura Malone).
1981: On General Hospital, the residents of Port Charles wanted Luke (Anthony Geary) and Laura (Genie Francis) to have a big wedding.
1990: On Days of our Lives, Steve Johnson (Stephen Nichols) died, or so Kayla and the...
1995: British soap opera Hollyoaks premiered.
2001: As the World Turns' Bryant Montgomery died.
2006: Atwt's Oakdale learned Hal Munson was dead."The best prophet of the future is the past."
― Lord Byron
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1978: On Another World, Rachel Cory (Victoria Wyndham) cut off Jamie's (Tim Holcomb) allowance after finding out he had married Blaine Ewing (Laura Malone).
1981: On General Hospital, the residents of Port Charles wanted Luke (Anthony Geary) and Laura (Genie Francis) to have a big wedding.
1990: On Days of our Lives, Steve Johnson (Stephen Nichols) died, or so Kayla and the...
- 10/23/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
1964: Primetime soap opera Peyton Place premiered on ABC.
1988: Santa Barbara's Eden Capwell was raped.
2009: Guiding Light's Alan Spaulding died.
2010: As the World Turns' Carly and Jack married one last time."The best prophet of the future is the past."
― Lord Byron
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1964: Primetime soap opera Peyton Place premiered on ABC. Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by a 1957 film adaptation. Peyton Place ran for 514 total episodes with the series finale airing on June 2, 1969.
In the first episode, Dr. Michael Rossi (Ed Nelson) arrived from New York City to set up practice in town.
1988: Santa Barbara's Eden Capwell was raped.
2009: Guiding Light's Alan Spaulding died.
2010: As the World Turns' Carly and Jack married one last time."The best prophet of the future is the past."
― Lord Byron
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1964: Primetime soap opera Peyton Place premiered on ABC. Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by a 1957 film adaptation. Peyton Place ran for 514 total episodes with the series finale airing on June 2, 1969.
In the first episode, Dr. Michael Rossi (Ed Nelson) arrived from New York City to set up practice in town.
- 9/15/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
1974: CBS aired the final episode of The Secret Storm.
1978: UK serial Grange Hill premiered.
1977: Ryan's Hope's Frank was devastated over Jill.
1995: Days of our Lives' Sami and Lucas had sex."Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results."
― Machiavelli
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1955: On Love of Life, Ben (David Lewis, who later won a Daytime Emmy Award for his...
1978: UK serial Grange Hill premiered.
1977: Ryan's Hope's Frank was devastated over Jill.
1995: Days of our Lives' Sami and Lucas had sex."Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results."
― Machiavelli
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1955: On Love of Life, Ben (David Lewis, who later won a Daytime Emmy Award for his...
- 2/8/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
Feature Jason D'Allison 17 May 2013 - 07:08
Grange Hill. The only school kids ever seemed to be interested in. Us included…
At your school, did anyone die in the swimming pool? Did you have to contend with vicious bullies (and we’re talking about the teachers!)? Did everyone have London accents coarse enough to strip the paint off the classroom doors? Yes? Flippin’ ’eck, you must have gone to Grange Hill!
If you grew up in the 1980s but don’t have a fondness for Grange Hill, there’s probably only one explanation: you were banned from watching it. Yep, for those of us who could get away with it, this rites-of-passage drama series about the pupils of a north-London comprehensive was must-see television, but by parents and teachers it was generally despised. It all started in 1978, and continues to this day (just about), but its golden age was undoubtedly the 1980s.
Grange Hill. The only school kids ever seemed to be interested in. Us included…
At your school, did anyone die in the swimming pool? Did you have to contend with vicious bullies (and we’re talking about the teachers!)? Did everyone have London accents coarse enough to strip the paint off the classroom doors? Yes? Flippin’ ’eck, you must have gone to Grange Hill!
If you grew up in the 1980s but don’t have a fondness for Grange Hill, there’s probably only one explanation: you were banned from watching it. Yep, for those of us who could get away with it, this rites-of-passage drama series about the pupils of a north-London comprehensive was must-see television, but by parents and teachers it was generally despised. It all started in 1978, and continues to this day (just about), but its golden age was undoubtedly the 1980s.
- 5/16/2013
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
The Nixon director's new American history series sees him follow in the footsteps of Alfred Hitchcock, David Lynch and Steven Spielberg
The title of Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States, the 10-part documentary series that starts its UK run this Friday (Sky Atlantic, 9pm), is carefully calculated to maximise on the celebrity of the film director, possibly surprising viewers at finding such a big-screen name in the small-screen listings.
Stone's attempt to correct what he sees as Us-centric teaching of 20th-century history in American schools is full of arresting connections – sauerkraut was renamed liberty cabbage in the Us during the first world war and french fries became freedom fries during the "war on terror" – and the British screening of his series is subject to its own intriguing connection: this week's announcement that the American drama Bates Motel has been bought for broadcast in the UK by the Universal Channel.
The title of Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States, the 10-part documentary series that starts its UK run this Friday (Sky Atlantic, 9pm), is carefully calculated to maximise on the celebrity of the film director, possibly surprising viewers at finding such a big-screen name in the small-screen listings.
Stone's attempt to correct what he sees as Us-centric teaching of 20th-century history in American schools is full of arresting connections – sauerkraut was renamed liberty cabbage in the Us during the first world war and french fries became freedom fries during the "war on terror" – and the British screening of his series is subject to its own intriguing connection: this week's announcement that the American drama Bates Motel has been bought for broadcast in the UK by the Universal Channel.
- 4/17/2013
- by Mark Lawson
- The Guardian - Film News
Bay TV Liverpool has been awarded the licence to provide a local TV service in Liverpool, and will now serve around 890,000 homes in the city on Freeview.
Media regulator Ofcom awarded Bay TV the Liverpool licence over rival bids, including Phil Redmond's Our-tv, Irish outfit Made TV, and Birmingham's YourTV.
The Bay TV Liverpool channel will now be able to broadcast using dedicated spectrum on digital terrestrial television, reaching its audience on Freeview channel 8.
Bay TV started broadcasting local programming over the internet in 2011. It is chaired by former Liverpool Chamber of Commerce chief executive Jack Stopforth, and backed by former Liverpool Fc star Robbie Fowler and radio personality Pete Price.
The new television channel will serve homes in Liverpool, along with Halton, Wigan and parts of Cheshire, with locally made programmes covering news, politics, current affairs, music, entertainment and features.
Bay TV Liverpool's schedule will include more than ten hours of local programmes,...
Media regulator Ofcom awarded Bay TV the Liverpool licence over rival bids, including Phil Redmond's Our-tv, Irish outfit Made TV, and Birmingham's YourTV.
The Bay TV Liverpool channel will now be able to broadcast using dedicated spectrum on digital terrestrial television, reaching its audience on Freeview channel 8.
Bay TV started broadcasting local programming over the internet in 2011. It is chaired by former Liverpool Chamber of Commerce chief executive Jack Stopforth, and backed by former Liverpool Fc star Robbie Fowler and radio personality Pete Price.
The new television channel will serve homes in Liverpool, along with Halton, Wigan and parts of Cheshire, with locally made programmes covering news, politics, current affairs, music, entertainment and features.
Bay TV Liverpool's schedule will include more than ten hours of local programmes,...
- 2/21/2013
- Digital Spy
Brookside would be celebrating its 30th anniversary on screen tonight had Channel 4 not wielded the axe nearly a decade ago. The Museum of Liverpool will be staging a memoriam with creator Phil Redmond as well as popular cast members Claire Sweeney (Lindsey Corkhill) and Dean Sullivan (Jimmy). Better still, Channel 4 will be releasing a DVD at the end of the month celebrating the hard-hitting soap opera's best moments following a gruelling campaign headed by fans. Real-life residents now live in the Brookside Close (more)...
- 11/2/2012
- by By Paul Millar
- Digital Spy
Brookside will be remembered by the Museum of Liverpool this weekend as the soap celebrates its 30th anniversary. The hard-hitting soap opera, which was axed by Channel 4 in 2003, will be celebrated this coming Sunday (November 4) with special guests including creator Phil Redmond. Claire Sweeney (Lindsey Corkhill), who recently claimed that Brookie should never have been cancelled, will also attend the all-day event, as well as her on-screen dad Dean Sullivan (Jimmy). Finally, Brookside's most senior writer Peter Cox, who penned 227 episodes between 1986 and 2003, will join the lineup. Redmond, who is now the chairman of National Museums Liverpool, has released a statement saying: "It's quite unbelievable that it's been 30 years since Brookside came (more)...
- 10/31/2012
- by By Paul Millar
- Digital Spy
Claire Sweeney has said that Brookside should have never been cancelled. The Liverpool-set soap ran from 1982 to 2003 and Sweeney played Lindsey Corkhill from 1991 to 2001, before returning for the final episode. "I don't think it should ever have been decommissioned," the actress told Digital Spy of the show. "It was groundbreaking drama. You get new controllers who come in who want to make their name and it got dropped, which was such a shame." Asked if she was proud of her work on the show, Sweeney added: "Oh God yeah, really proud. "[Creator] Phil Redmond - he was fantastic. His work and the team of writers he had on board, like Jimmy McGovern. And wonderful actors and writers on board. I'm so proud to have been part of it." Asked if any of her character's (more)...
- 9/17/2012
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
Anna Friel in Without You
Kieran Kinsella
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on Twitter.
Click here to read the review of Without You episode two.
Anna Friel and Marc Warren are two of the best British actors of my generation and I guess we should thank TV producer Phil Redmond for introducing us to their talents since both of them got their first big breaks in Redmond produced shows. Friel in Brookside and Warren in Grange Hill. Episode one of ITV’s Without You was all about Friel though as she took on the role of a grieving widow whose husband was seemingly killed while conducting an extra-marital affair.
Much of the first episode consisted of slow moving but necessary scenes of Friel mourning her husband and interrogating his friends, colleagues and relatives about his alleged infidelity. We saw a few...
Kieran Kinsella
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on Twitter.
Click here to read the review of Without You episode two.
Anna Friel and Marc Warren are two of the best British actors of my generation and I guess we should thank TV producer Phil Redmond for introducing us to their talents since both of them got their first big breaks in Redmond produced shows. Friel in Brookside and Warren in Grange Hill. Episode one of ITV’s Without You was all about Friel though as she took on the role of a grieving widow whose husband was seemingly killed while conducting an extra-marital affair.
Much of the first episode consisted of slow moving but necessary scenes of Friel mourning her husband and interrogating his friends, colleagues and relatives about his alleged infidelity. We saw a few...
- 12/16/2011
- by admin
London -- Longtime U.K. children's producer Phil Redmond has called for a merger of BBC and Channel 4 in a bid to protect children's television, while delivering the opening keynote at this year's Royal Television Society conference.
Redmond, the creator of such British generational classics as seminal high school soap "Grange Hill," longtime Channel 4 access primetime soap "Brookside" and teen soap "Hollyoaks."
"The best way to protect and keep children's television as a public service -- is to keep TV as a public service -- is to consolidate our public assets into one public service provider," he said. Redmond said that a merged BBC/Channel 4 should form a single public service provider that would be underwritten by the BBC license fee and supplemented by Channel 4's advertising and sponsorship income. Redmond argued that BBC1 and BBC 2 should be "freed from the tyranny of ratings" and "act as the cultural R&D incubator for new ideas,...
Redmond, the creator of such British generational classics as seminal high school soap "Grange Hill," longtime Channel 4 access primetime soap "Brookside" and teen soap "Hollyoaks."
"The best way to protect and keep children's television as a public service -- is to keep TV as a public service -- is to consolidate our public assets into one public service provider," he said. Redmond said that a merged BBC/Channel 4 should form a single public service provider that would be underwritten by the BBC license fee and supplemented by Channel 4's advertising and sponsorship income. Redmond argued that BBC1 and BBC 2 should be "freed from the tyranny of ratings" and "act as the cultural R&D incubator for new ideas,...
- 9/16/2009
- by By Mimi Turner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
London -- The lofty spires of Kings College Cambridge will play host to a U.K. TV sector in turmoil this week, with the future of Channel 4 chief executive Andy Duncan in question and the mounting possibility that former BSkyB boss Tony Ball will take over as CEO of ITV set to dominate a three-day conference, at which the future role of the BBC will likely also be put under the microscope.
As the industry's elite gather for the Royal Television Society's biennial policy debate, speculation that Channel 4's Duncan will announce his resignation has been mounting to fever pitch.
As recently as two weeks ago, Duncan told journalists at the Edinburgh Television Festival that he had no plans to quit the broadcaster.
"It is rumor, speculation and gossip...there has been rumor and speculation for the last five years. There is nothing to tell, there has been no board...
As the industry's elite gather for the Royal Television Society's biennial policy debate, speculation that Channel 4's Duncan will announce his resignation has been mounting to fever pitch.
As recently as two weeks ago, Duncan told journalists at the Edinburgh Television Festival that he had no plans to quit the broadcaster.
"It is rumor, speculation and gossip...there has been rumor and speculation for the last five years. There is nothing to tell, there has been no board...
- 9/15/2009
- by By Mimi Turner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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