BBC's factual unit flourishing in the Mailbox
Mar 29 2009 by Anna Blackaby, Birmingham Post
BBC Birmingham’s factual unit based at the Mailbox has confirmed a number of specialist, documentary, current affairs and factual formats this coming financial year with a 29 per cent increase on the previous twelve months.
The unit, which employs 140 people based in the city, produces the long-running Countryfile, BBC One’s flagship rural affairs show which is moving to a new peak-viewing, early-evening slot on Sundays from April 5.
Now in its 21st year, Countryfile regularly achieves an audience of 2.5 million viewers with veteran presenter John Craven, who will now be joined by a new line-up including Julia Bradbury and former Blue Peter presenter Matt Baker.
BBC Head of Factual Birmingham, Nick Patten, said: “Our output is diverse and in monetary terms equivalent to a medium-sized independent television company. The Countryfile move to peak viewing is a crowning moment for the unit and is recognition of the show’s enduring popularity.
“It has become something of a much-loved institution and is a fantastic opportunity to probe in-depth issues that really matter to people who care about the countryside.”
Taking over Countryfile’s earlier 11 am slot will be Country Tracks. Ben Fogle and Ellie Harrison present this new rural affairs series – weaving in archive footage from Countryfile with newly-filmed sequences to create a different journey each week, bringing the past and present together in a celebration of the British countryside.
BBC Birmingham has this year become the broadcaster’s centre for horticultural programming.
Not only Gardeners World, which returns next month for a new series from a secret Birmingham location, but the Chelsea Flower Show is also set to return to the factual team, having initially been produced at Pebble Mill 20 years ago. Completing the horticultural line up, coverage of the flower shows at Hampton Court and Tatton Park near Liverpool this July will also be produced in the city.
Other long-running classics continue to be produced in Birmingham such as The Sky at Night, now in its 52nd year, and viewers’ voicebox Points of View, which has just started a new ten-week run presented by Jeremy Vine.
Mainstream favourites include the on-going daytime property show To Buy or Not to Buy now in its 11th series, which regularly achieves 25 per cent of audience share. The factual unit is currently producing series five of the BAFTA award-winning Coast and series four of Trawlermen, following the lives of Scottish fishermen.
A number of new documentaries have been commissioned including a one-off 60-minute special about the Open University. Following on from the Salman Rushdie 90-minute documentary Satanic Verses broadcast earlier this month, further thought-provoking programmes are underway including a documentary about skin-whitening and a one off 60-minute documentary about self-harming amongst young Asian women, presented by Birmingham actress Meera Syal.
