Latest news with #LouiseThornton
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BBC Axing One Of Its Longest-Running Shows But Ploughing More Money Into Scottish Drama
One of the BBC's longest-running shows is being axed in Scotland but nearly £100M ($130M) will be spent on drama in the nation over the next three years, an increase of around 25%. Soap River City, which has aired since 2002, will end next fall, the BBC has just announced, with actors union Equity and Directors UK reacting angrily to the news. More from Deadline Former Paramount Strategy Boss Heading To BBC BBC News Presenters Settle Three-Year Dispute Over "Sham" Hiring Process 'Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone' Gets Hundreds Of Complaints Amid BBC Investigation Into Hamas Links But with the criticism that canceling long-running shows attracts front and center of its mind, the corporation has already said that its investment in Scottish drama will rise to more than £95M cumulatively between 2026 and 2028, an average of at least £30M per year. A spokeswoman for BBC Scotland said this figure has been around the £25M mark for the past five years. BBC Scotland content boss Louise Thornton has already unveiled three new dramas: darkly comic thriller Grams from Line of Duty producer World Productions, The Young Team adapted from Scottish author Graeme Armstrong's debut novel and Counsels, which is being co-created by Skins creator Bryan Elsley. 'River City has been a wonderful adventure and of course we'll all be sad to see it go,' said BBC Scotland Director Hayley Valentine. 'The team have done a brilliant job and I know they have some big plans for the finale next year. But as viewing patterns change and competition intensifies, this is the right time to invest in the next generation of high-impact drama series from across Scotland showcasing storytelling across the UK.' Created by Stephen Greenhorn and produced by BBC Studios, Scottish soap River City has aired since 2002 and is set in the West End of Glasgow, following a cast of entertaining characters and winning a wealth of awards down the years. 'A disaster for Scottish television' The move to axe River City follows recent cancelations of long-running BBC dramas Holby City and Doctors, both of which attracted criticism. Regardless of the BBC's rising Scottish drama spend, Equity and Directors UK reacted immediately with annoyance. Equity General Secretary Paul Fleming called the cancelation 'short sighted' and 'a disaster for Scottish television.' 'Axing River City would have a devastating effect on acting and production roles for Scottish talent,' he said. 'There is simply no equivalent to a regular soap for getting your foot in the door of this notoriously cutthroat industry, especially for the many aspiring actors from working class backgrounds. The regular opportunities and wages simply do not exist in other show formats.' Directors UK boss Andy Harrower said the move is a 'killer blow to our members based in Scotland for whom the last couple of years have been really challenging in terms of having enough work to sustain a living.' 'The BBC has indicated that the money saved will be reallocated to other Scottish production,' he added. 'This must happen, and it must translate into work opportunities for Scottish talent. We will hold the BBC to account on this.' Scottish TV production has been in the spotlight of late over The Traitors, after the BBC and producer Studio Lambert were accused of painting a 'truly shocking picture' when it comes to the number of people working on the show who are based in Scotland. The accusation from a local director sparked a major debate. Best of Deadline Epic Universe: The Latest Images Of The New Universal Orlando Theme Park Which Colleen Hoover Books Are Becoming Movies? 'Verity,' 'Reminders Of Him' & 'Regretting You' Will Join 'It Ends With Us' The 25 Highest-Grossing Animated Films Of All Time At The Box Office
BBC News
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
River City to come to an end in 2026 as BBC plans next generation of drama production in Scotland with three new titles
BBC Scotland will be saying a fond farewell to long-running drama series, River City and the residents of Shieldinch next year after more than 20 years on screen. The drama, which has entertained audiences since 2002, will air its final series in Autumn 2026. Reflecting a significant change in audience behaviour away from long-running series and towards shorter runs, the BBC will make a considerable boost in major drama productions set across Scotland, moving the River City investment, starting with three new series – Counsels, Grams and The Young Team. As well as these new titles, popular drama Granite Harbour will return for a third series, filming in Aberdeen and Glasgow in the coming months. Also making a return is Shetland for its tenth series and Vigil for a third series, while the previously announced eight-part drama, Mint, is filming in Scotland. Combined, these dramas will bring a greater range of stories written by Scots, about Scotland and made in Scotland for a UK-wide audience. Forming part of the single biggest investment in drama from Scotland in the past decade, these new dramas - along with existing commissions - will create new opportunities across the independent sector. Total investment in BBC drama from Scotland over the next three years is expected to rise to over £95m cumulatively (2026-28). Counsels, Grams and The Young Team were ordered by Louise Thornton, Head of Commissioning for BBC Scotland and Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama. The BBC will also work with industry partners on a new talent training plan in Scotland. A new framework for training will build on River City's successful training academy and the ongoing work on other series to elevate individuals in to senior creative roles as well as supporting and developing production crews. Further details will be announced in the autumn. Hayley Valentine, Director, BBC Scotland says: 'River City has been a wonderful adventure and of course we'll all be sad to see it go. The team have done a brilliant job and I know they have some big plans for the finale next year. But as viewing patterns change and competition intensifies, this is the right time to invest in the next generation of high-impact drama series from across Scotland showcasing storytelling across the UK. Our goal is to grow Scotland further on the global drama map – with a slate of world-class productions that set the standard not just here but internationally too.' Louise Thornton Head of Commissioning at BBC Scotland: 'We are incredibly proud of River City and it is with great sadness that we have come to this difficult decision. I want to thank the River City team in front of and behind the cameras for their dedication to the show over the years, past and present. For more than two decades, River City has brought drama to life on screen as well as offering industry training at grassroots level, and we know that fans of the programme will be really sad to see it go. The show leaves a tremendous legacy behind and the new productions we've announced will offer further opportunities. 'However, the media landscape is changing at pace and, as audience viewing habits change, it's vital we respond to this. Our three new dramas, alongside the returning drama favourites, reflect the increasing shift in audience demand for series rooted in Scotland which play to audiences across the UK…and beyond. We're delighted to be working with such great production teams and remain steadfast in our commitment to invest in Scotland's creative industry.' The new Scottish drama titles are: Counsels (Balloon Entertainment) 8x60' – BBC iPlayer / BBC One / BBC Scotland Counsels is an original high-stakes legal drama co-created by Scottish writers Bryan Elsley (The Crow Road, Skins) and BBC Writers' Drama Room graduate Gillian McCormack. Set and filmed in and around Glasgow, Counsels follows five young lawyers who once trained together at one of Scotland's elite law schools but are now scattered across the profession and find themselves facing each other in the courts of Glasgow. Some will rise to the top, while others risk losing everything as their careers teeter on the edge when they lock horns in their biggest cases yet. The ambitious lawyers must navigate a legal battlefield where their friendships begin to fracture, love affairs crumble, and the fight for justice threatens to tear them all apart. Read more: BBC announces new Glasgow-set legal drama Counsels Grams (World Productions) 6x60' – BBC iPlayer / BBC One / BBC Scotland Grams is a darkly comic thriller created, written and directed by the RTS award-winning James Price (Dog Days, Boys Night), Grams is set in Springburn, Glasgow, where James was born and still lives. Following the death of her beloved grandson Michael, widowed Glaswegian Thana becomes the target of a violent local gang, who Michael apparently crossed. Thana finds salvation in the form of Connor, a volatile friend of Michael's with serious anger issues. Grams will see Thana and Connor form an unlikely partnership, as they seek the truth of what really happened to Michael. Read more: BBC commissions new drama Grams from award-winning writer and director James Price The Young Team (Synchronicity Films) 6x60' – BBC iPlayer / BBC Three/ BBC Scotland The Young Team is the scripted debut from one of Scotland's most exciting voices in literature, Graeme Armstrong. The series is adapted from Graeme's best-selling and award-winning debut novel of the same name and is set and filmed in North Lanarkshire. Fifteen-year-old Azzy Williams and his pals roam the streets of Airdrie on a Friday night, bottles of Buckfast in hand and techno playing from tinny speakers. Azzy is ready. Ready to smoke, pop pills, drink wine and fight. He longs to become fully initiated into local gang the Young Team Posse (YTP). But when Azzy, determined to prove himself, makes a bold move, a brutal gang conflict ensues with Azzy very firmly at its heart. The Young Team will follow Azzy on his journey from boyhood to manhood as he and his mates become postcode warriors in a toxic cycle that threatens to consume them. An unflinching look at the realities of addiction and gang violence, this ambitious series will tell a powerful, visceral story about the realities of life for young, disenfranchised people and the fight for a different future. Read more: BBC commissions new drama The Young Team adapted from Graeme Armstrong's best-selling novel Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama says: 'Audience habits are changing and we are responding to that with these plans for three brilliant new dramas made in Scotland. BBC viewers love truly authentic stories and we are committed to creating high-impact content from across the UK, so that we can better reflect and represent every part of the country. The success of the long running Shetland, coupled with the return of Vigil and Granite Harbour, is a testament to the strength of talent we have in Scotland and we look forward to seeing our three new shows come to life alongside these hugely popular returners.' These new commissions will build on the BBC's strong track record in drama production in Scotland including award-winning series Guilt and Mayflies, and ratings hits Rebus and Nightsleeper. Richard Gadd's new series Half Man has also started shooting in Scotland while the psychological thriller The Ridge starring Lauren Lyle will hit screens later this year. Filming on the new titles is expected from later this year and into 2026, with casting to be announced in due course. Plans are underway to ensure River City goes out on a high next year, celebrating the show's legacy. River City is a BBC Studios Drama Production. JM2 Notes to Editors River City launched on 24 September 2002. The interior and exterior sets are based at the Dumbarton Studios, just outside Glasgow. The lease for the Dumbarton site comes to an end in September 2026.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New BBC Lockerbie documentary will ‘honour the memory of those lost'
A BBC documentary about the Lockerbie crash is set to shine a light on the family and friends who lost loved ones in the crash and their stories. The film Lockerbie: Our Story is announced as the BBC and Netflix have a six-part drama on the investigation into the bombing of Pan Am flight 103, and how the community in Lockerbie came together in the aftermath airing later this year. In the documentary, the new stories of six people who died in the terrorist attack will be covered, with loved ones explaining why 'they were on the plane that day' as well as wondering 'whether they should have been warned not to be'. Louise Thornton, head of commissioning at BBC Scotland, said: 'The impact of the tragic events of the Lockerbie disaster in December 1988 continue to be felt today. 'It was an atrocity which shocked the world and changed lives forever. Our documentary will honour the memory of those lost, and tell the stories of those left behind, with the greatest of care.' Those covered in the 60-minute film include Olive Gordon, a 25-year-old hairdresser; Greek shipping titan Minas Kulukundis, 38; Tim Burman, a 24-year-old banker; Terri Saunders and Billy MacAllister, a couple; and Helga Mosey, a 19-year-old promising musician. Clare Sillery, head of BBC commissioning, documentaries, said 'Nearly 40 years on from the bombing of Pan Am 103, this film shines a long overdue light on some of the people and personal stories behind the bombing.' On December 21 1988, the plane exploded killing 270 people, 11 of whom were locals to the area, 40 minutes into its flight from London to New York. Victims were of 21 different nationalities, and 190 were American. Abdelbaset al-Megrahi is the only man ever convicted of the atrocity, while another man is due to stand trial in the US this year in relation to the attack. A Libyan suspect of the Lockerbie bombing, Abu Agila Masud, who is alleged to have helped to make the bomb, is to go on trial in the US in May. Al-Megrahi died in 2012 in Libya after controversially being granted compassionate release in 2009 following a terminal cancer diagnosis. In December 2023, a memorial took place to mark the 35 years since the Lockerbie bombing, and last year the Princess Royal visited the site of the Garden of Remembrance, laying a wreath. Earlier this year, Sky drama Lockerbie: A Search For Truth – starring Oscar-winning actor Colin Firth as Dr Jim Swire, who has been campaigning for justice since his daughter Flora died – aired. The BBC and Netflix show has SAS Rogue Heroes actor Connor Swindells, Ozark actor Peter Mullan, Mary & George star Tony Curran, Back To Black actor Eddie Marsan, and Karen Pirie actress Lauren Lyle among the cast. The series will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One later this year, followed by Netflix. Lockerbie: Our Story will be on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and BBC Scotland.
BBC News
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
BBC to share personal stories of Lockerbie victims in new documentary Lockerbie: Our Story
A new documentary for BBC One, BBC Scotland and iPlayer, Lockerbie: Our Story, tells the personal stories of six victims of Britain's deadliest terrorist attack. On 21st December 1988, passenger jet Pan Am 103 was blown up over the small Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing all 259 passengers and crew and 11 people on the ground. It became the UK's largest crime scene and to this day remains the deadliest terrorist attack on British soil. For nearly forty years the bombing has been mired in criminal investigations, controversy and conspiracy theory – overshadowing the stories of the people who lost their lives. Instead, this powerful and emotional documentary focuses on the passengers. The film tells the personal stories of six people who boarded the plane that day, never to come home. For the first time, family and friends describe their lost loved ones in intimate detail - who they were, what they were like in life, their hopes and dreams for a future that never came. They tell us why they were on the plane that day and wonder whether they should have been warned not to be. Olive Gordon, a hairdresser, was 25 when she died. Greek shipping titan Minas Kulukundis, died aged 38. Tim Burman, a banker died aged 24. Terri Saunders and Billy MacAllister, a couple, died and were buried together. Helga Mosey, a promising musician was only 19 when she died on Pan Am 103. Now their family and friends pay tribute to them and tell us the painful, touching and often joyful memories of their lost loved ones which they treasure to this day. Clare Sillery, Head of Commissioning, Documentaries, said 'Nearly forty years on from the bombing of Pan Am 103, this film shines a long overdue light on some of the people and personal stories behind the bombing.' Louise Thornton, Head of Commissioning BBC Scotland said: 'The impact of the tragic events of the Lockerbie disaster in December 1988 continue to be felt today. It was an atrocity which shocked the world and changed lives forever. Our documentary will honour the memory of those lost, and tell the stories of those left behind, with the greatest of care.' Alan Clements, Managing Director and Executive Producer, Two Rivers Media, says: 'We feel extremely proud that the families in this film have given Two Rivers such open access to their stories, many of them speaking for the first time. We feel passionately about honouring human and individual experiences in our work, whether in films like Last Musician of Auschwitz, Marine A or this film, ensuring that voices and issues continue to be heard.' Lockerbie: Our Story (1 x 60) is produced by Glasgow based Two Rivers Media for BBC One, BBC Scotland and iPlayer. The film is produced and directed by Stephen Bennett (Dunblane: Our Story) and the Executive Producer for Two Rivers is Alan Clements. The film was commissioned by Clare Sillery, Head of Commissioning, Documentaries and by Louise Thornton, Head of Commissioning, BBC Scotland. Aisling O'Connor is Commissioning Editor for Documentaries and David Harron is Commissioning Editor for BBC Scotland. As previously announced, the BBC and Netflix have commissioned World Productions (Anne, United) to produce a six part drama about the investigation into the bombing of Pan Am flight 103, and how the community in Lockerbie came together in the aftermath. The series will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One later this year, followed by Netflix in the UK and globally. DH4
