After casting his eyes over the current media landscape, Nik Johnson felt moved to tweet:
Hey! You know what ITV do REALLY, REALLY well? Fucking nothing.
Well now, I think that’s a bit harsh. The new series of Jimmy McGovern’s The Street began last night, and although it is broadcast on BBC1, I noticed yesterday that it is in fact made by ITV Productions. The bigwigs at ITV presumably feel that their own schedule is so choc-full of quality that they can let this one go to the Beeb.
Anyway, talking of choc-full, I think that after three series of The Street they must surely be running out of homes on that eponymous road to house all of those famous actors, each with an agonising hour-long dilemma of their own (or more than one, if you’re Timothy Spall). Perhaps that’s the reason for the building work that featured in last night’s episode; is an extension being built to the street, in order to squeeze six more stars into six new-builds, so they can tackle six more tortuous moral issues in series four a year from now?
Jimmy McGovern himself discussed The Street with Mark Lawson on Radio 4’s Front Row yesterday. I’ve not listened to the programme yet, but today’s Guardian reports on the interview. I wonder what Jimmy had to say?
The current series of the BBC1 drama The Street will be the last, because of cuts in ITV Studios’ Manchester base, according to its creator, Jimmy McGovern.
McGovern, the award-winning creator of The Street and other dramas including Cracker, said on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row last night that he would not take the drama to another producer when ITV’s Manchester drama department is scrapped as part of the latest round of cuts at the broadcaster.
This means that the third series of The Street, which started on BBC1 last night, would be the last.
He said: “It’s finished now because ITV have closed down that drama unit. I am sure that’s why Michael Grade left because it was a content-led revival, he said, and they have closed down the producers of the best content.”
Oh. Right. Hmm. Looks like those builders can down tools. And it’s as you were then, Nik.
The Obscurer 