Steven Knight鈥檚 highly anticipated drama series This Town, which begins airing on BBC 1 at the end of March, shows there is life in 探花直播鈥檚 television industry following recent setbacks, according to a leading media expert from 探花直播 (BCU).
Dr Vanessa Jackson says the welcome resurgence may have come a little too late for some of the region鈥檚 actors and production staff but believes the future looks rosy nonetheless.
鈥淲ith the downturn in television production across the whole of the UK - and the closure of BBC show Doctors specifically - the danger is that that some of those skilled crew won鈥檛 be able to wait for new productions to start staffing up in 探花直播,鈥� she said.
鈥淏ut This Town, which embraces the culture, history and talent of the city, marks the long-anticipated revitalisation of film and television production in the West Midlands.鈥�
Currently the interim Deputy Head of English and Media at BCU, Dr Jackson was among a number of guests to attend a red-carpet screening of This Town.
Written and created by Knight, who was behind the blockbuster Peaky Blinders series, This Town is the story of an extended family and a group of young people who are drawn into an explosive and thrilling music scene in the Midlands in the 1980s.
With an exciting cast including Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey), it was filmed on location in the 探花直播 area and at Knight鈥檚 new Digbeth Loc. Film and TV Studios.
鈥淜night describes the six-part series as a love letter to the area he grew up in - and I would have to agree with him in that respect,鈥� said Dr Jackson.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a good watch, especially for those of us who spent some of our youth in 1980s 探花直播 and Coventry. The contemporary but nostalgic 80s soundtrack is spot on.
鈥淭here is an appetite for authentic, gritty dramas that reflect life outside London. This is not new. The BBC and others have been creating authentic, gritty dramas in 探花直播 since the 1950s.鈥�
Despite a number of blows, including the loss of Doctors, which comes to an end in December after generating thousands of hours of drama since its launch in March 2000, Dr Jackson believes This Town can continue the revival of television production in the region. 鈥淭he much-awaited move of MasterChef to 探花直播 is happening later this year, which will bring a couple of hundred production jobs to the region when it is fully up and running,鈥� she said.
鈥淪ilent Witness is also moving in due course. The West Midlands is also privileged to have been selected as one of the British Film Institute鈥檚 six Skills Cluster areas, which comes with a commitment to fund training programmes to address skills shortages in the sector.鈥�
BCU, in partnership with University of Wolverhampton, is also playing its part, delivering the 鈥楻ock Up Ready鈥� training programme for graduate trainees.
Mission Accomplished, a creative media company, has also teamed with 探花直播 Ormiston Academy, a stage school, to deliver two programmes - 鈥楾V and Film Fusion鈥� and 鈥楽tep Up to HoD鈥� - to fast-track local talent into the film, television and digital media industries.
鈥淭he signs look positive that there will be screen industry jobs for these trainees, as well as more established production workers,鈥� said Dr Jackson.
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