Coronation Street is now a top quality sitcom, but that is what it is. The only things missing are the laughter track and the "You have been watching" at the end.
In coming weeks, the Dobbs and Tinker clans are going on a camping trip where they will run into a "wilderness explorer" played by Paddy McGuinness, who had never acted until his mate, Peter Kay, cast him the sublime Phoenix Nights, and who is best-known for presenting a game show.
Of course, Corrie has always been rich in humour. But this is something else. This is about the centralisation of ITV. To the London media, "the North" means two things: Manchester and comedy.
Thus, Channel 4 billed the superb recent police procedural No Offence as a "comedy drama", when in fact it contained no more jokes or funny situations than would occur in real life, and much of it was very dark indeed. Brilliantly so, in fact.
How about a competition to find the best idea for a one-off drama, and the best idea for a one-off documentary, from within the working class, most obviously defined as the social groups C2DE, in the area covered by each of the 12 ITV regions? It is just a pity that there is only one ITV region in Wales.
The winners would be broadcast in two regular primetime spots, one for drama and one for documentaries, over 12 weeks. Not necessarily on ITV. But that network does happen to have the regional boundaries in place, and, apart from the Welsh thing, those do happen to be singularly suitable to this task. It would certainly put the BBC to shame.
This exercise could be repeated annually. As could be a competition to find the best idea for a one-off drama, and the best idea for a one-off documentary, from within the rural communities in the area covered by each of the 12 ITV regions. The ITV London region extends well into the Home Counties, so this would be perfectly feasible.
Again, the winners would be broadcast in two regular primetime spots, one for drama and one for documentaries, over 12 weeks.
How about a competition to find the best idea for a one-off drama, and the best idea for a one-off documentary, from within the working class, most obviously defined as the social groups C2DE, in the area covered by each of the 12 ITV regions? It is just a pity that there is only one ITV region in Wales.
The winners would be broadcast in two regular primetime spots, one for drama and one for documentaries, over 12 weeks. Not necessarily on ITV. But that network does happen to have the regional boundaries in place, and, apart from the Welsh thing, those do happen to be singularly suitable to this task. It would certainly put the BBC to shame.
This exercise could be repeated annually. As could be a competition to find the best idea for a one-off drama, and the best idea for a one-off documentary, from within the rural communities in the area covered by each of the 12 ITV regions. The ITV London region extends well into the Home Counties, so this would be perfectly feasible.
Again, the winners would be broadcast in two regular primetime spots, one for drama and one for documentaries, over 12 weeks.
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