BBC orders new Scottish drama

[gingercat]

Digital Spy

The BBC has commissioned prime-time drama Hope Springs, which follows a group of female ex-cons attempting to start a new life.

The eight-part series features four friends who use £5 million stolen from one character's gangster husband to fulfill their dream of living in Barbados.

However, they find themselves hiding out in the tiny Scottish village of Hope Springs when their plan goes awry.

Shed Media, the production company behind school drama Waterloo Road, will make the new show, which is described as "vibrant, thrilling and funny".

BBC Scotland's head of drama Anne Mensah, who also acts as executive producer, likened it to "Northern Exposure with a delicious Shed twist".

Shed Media CEO Eileen Gallagher said: "Hope Springs is an exciting drama and excellent new brand for BBC One. We're confident [it] will be extremely popular with viewers and is a potential long-runner for the BBC."

Filming will begin in the Scottish Highlands in the summer, with the show expected to air at the end of the year.


Wouldnt this be a good one for Mandana..especially with the Shed connection ;D

[coolbyrne]

Just once I'd like to hear a producer/writer/actor/CEO come out and say, "You know, if we're lucky, it will be an exciting drama and excellent new brand for BBC One. We're basically rehashing old dramas and story ideas, but if the public doesn't catch on, this could be a real winner. We've got our fingers crossed that it will be extremely popular with viewers and hopefully, a potential long-runner for the BBC. Mainly though, we're just hoping it makes us lots and lots of money."

[topcat]

gingercat said:

Wouldnt this be a good one for Mandana..especially with the Shed connection ;D

Not sure I agree, to be honest. It would be far too similar to Bad Girls for her. In fact, like Coolbyrne says, it just seems a way for Shed to rehash BG stories. It would have made more sense if ITV had commissioned it and it was an extension of Bad Girls. Oh wait. They killed that gangster's wife off.....

It also sounds like a complete rip off of Widows written by Linda La Plante during the 80's. That was about 4 friends who plotted to carry out a million dollar raid that their husband's bodged and, supposedly, died during the crime. They turn up very much alive in a later series where they try to get the money back from their wives - who are living the high life in Spain. In fact, I always suspected Linda Henry had based Yvonne on Dolly Rawlins.

[coolbyrne]

BBC Scotland's head of drama Anne Mensah, who also acts as executive producer, likened it to "Northern Exposure with a delicious Shed twist".

"...delicious Shed twist"? Let's be honest- when has Shed really had a "delicious twist" in their writing or ideas? They caught lightning in a bottle with Bad Girls, and really, that was largely due to the wonderful chemistry between MJ and SL. They've done nothing original since that series ended. (It could be argued that they stopped doing anything original while that series was still airing!) And if you can use the phrase "it's like... [insert show here]", then it's not really original, is it? Don't get me wrong, I know there are only so many story ideas out there; it's up to the writers to make it "their own", so to speak. Shed's just not up to it, in my opinion.

And I've always wondered how the relationship is between Mandana and Shed. Not that anything has been said outright, but I think top mentioned it once- that Shed seems to have hired just about everyone from Bad Girls for their other shows... except MJ and SL. (Though I doubt SL would want to dredge up the Bad Girls questions if she started working for Shed again.)

I spoke with RomanMachine about this- I think we've pretty much seen the last of MJ on our screens. Partly due to the apparent disinterest of her agents to find her work, but also partly due to the apparent disinterest of Mandana. She's never appeared to have that compulsion to be an actor that keeps one in constant work. And really, all the power to her if that's her decision. I'll just be over here weeping quietly while watching my MJ DVDs.

[gingercat]

I think I was just clutching at straws & wishing for anything workwise for MJ.

[topcat]

gingercat said:

I think I was just clutching at straws & wishing for anything workwise for MJ.

I understand ginger. I think we are all getting to the straw clutching phase in terms of MJ returning to work.

I see that elsewhere, this news has been greeted with excitement. I have always been astounded how some people seem to think Shed's writing is supreme. The writing for series 1 was good. Good character build up etc etc but everything else??? Footballers Wives and Waterloo Rd bordered on soap opera, as did later series of BG. Bombshell was that good it never got shown!

I think their writing does have mass appeal. It's that 'trashy' but watchable style that we can all secretly enjoy at times. It reminds me of that quote Mandana made where she said that everyone enjoys trashy magazines like Hello above a novel like War and Peace. I think Shed shows fill a niche like that. You don't have to think very hard and it passes an hour if you are at a loose end. They just don't stay in your thoughts very long.

It's just this belief in some quarters that they are so deep and meaningful that I don't get - that every piece of music or every set accessory had to have a reason to be there. You never see anyone analyse why Mandana as Nikki had to say 'huh' about 3 times an episode......

And I've always wondered how the relationship is between Mandana and Shed. Not that anything has been said outright, but I think top mentioned it once- that Shed seems to have hired just about everyone from Bad Girls for their other shows... except MJ and SL. (Though I doubt SL would want to dredge up the Bad Girls questions if she started working for Shed again.)

To be fair, Mandana has supported Shed since leaving in that she has never, ever openly criticised them as SL has - the comments about being told to lose weight and not thinking the scripts were very good etc - and she must have accepted an invitation to the Musical gala performance. But, you are right, Shed have used many of their leading performers from one drama in other work. Mandana, Simone, Linda and Debra are the very big exceptions.

I doubt Simone would work with them again. If I had been told to lose weight and then been sidelined for another actress, I think I would tell them where to go! Mandana, who knows? I get the impression that, unless work is on her door step, she won't consider it at the moment.

[topcat]

Apparently, Shed are also working on another drama. This is from a recent article:

But for their next trick, the team will return south again, for a drama about the lives and loves of Notting Hill Tories – possible title, Dirtysomething. "It will have as much to do with politics as Footballers' Wives did with football – our template being that Dallas never featured any oil production," laughs Park.

Ms Jones as a Tory MP anyone?? Notting Hill shouldn't be more than a cab ride

[gingercat]

Anything Topcat just anything

[coolbyrne]

topcat said:

Apparently, Shed are also working on another drama. This is from a recent article:

But for their next trick, the team will return south again, for a drama about the lives and loves of Notting Hill Tories – possible title, Dirtysomething. "It will have as much to do with politics as Footballers' Wives did with football – our template being that Dallas never featured any oil production," laughs Park.

Ms Jones as a Tory MP anyone?? Notting Hill shouldn't be more than a cab ride

Now that? I could definitely see.

[Nikkhele]

Hey all

I haven't posted in a while but I suddenly started thinking about Mandana again as we approached her birthday (and now it's here! ;D)

Anyway, I'm of two minds on this issue. On the one hand, it would be nice to see Mandana working again, but on the other hand, should she be doing such crap as what Shed puts out? I lean towards her getting any work she can, at least to get her face back out there. If I had a vote, I'd vote Yes, and also for the Tory role.

Having said that, I just wanted to comment on that Footballers Wives show. My gawd, how ridiculous was that? I recently had a chance to watch all five series and all I kept saying to myself was "this show is totally crazy!!".

What I don't get is why Shed, a company run by lesbians, is so shallow in writing lesbian storylines (at least in the case of Footie Wives). They had a main lesbian character but we didn't actually see her being a lesbian. She was single and never dated. The only "evidence" was when she shagged Tanya in the beginning, then it was dropped, and in her last show, she takes off with a new/old grrlfriend. But the 20 episodes in between? Nada.

The other lesbian storyline just wasn't developed (a "straight" woman who had a boyfriend, then a husband and had an ongoing affair with a single lesbian). They would jump from point A to point B without explanation. Then the grrlfriend leaves out of the blue. :::sigh:::

FW jumped the shark in the first series and kept jumping over and over again, so I just had to go with it and not think at all or else I'd injure my brain. The worst was S5 as huge chunks of it were unwatchable. Even BG got like that sometimes after S3. So Shed aren't exactly the greatest writers/producers.

Which I guess leads to another question. When did BG jump the shark? Despite some of the story lines up to and including S3, I didn't think the show jumped until Fenner ran around naked (whatever series that was). Or maybe I'm not remembering the show clearly. I've seen the first 3 series several times and don't think so, but anything after that, I've only seen once.

But back to Mandana and roles, one role that has gone by the wayside is Sarah Waters' Affinity. I read the book, which was very well-written even if I didn't like the ending, but I would have loved for Mandana in the lead role. And if wishes came true, I'd chose Tilda Swinton as the prisoner . In any case, I'm sure it has already been cast but I'm not sure when it airs on BBC. It is being directed by the same guy who did a good job with Fingersmith.

[topcat]

Hey Nikkhele, nice to see you back!

FW jumped the shark in the first series

I thought it jumped a Great White to even get commissioned! Dreadfully written and terribly acted and it was a crime to see costumes from BG being used like some second hand store. Helen's red jacket appeared on one character. Nikki's clothes regularly got an outing on Chardonnay and her awful dressing gown turned up on Josh

When did BG jump the shark?

IMO when Shell started doing impressions and Debra Stephenson's cabaret act became part of a character she was playing. That was the first moment I really thought 'this is too much' and that it was no longer a serious drama and that the writers would do anything to gain an audience. This was closely followed by the Denny/Shell escape and playtime at Bodybag's. I didn't see it as disturbing. I just saw it as a show losing the plot.

[topcat]

I understand the new Shed offering Rock Rivals started last night. According to the BBC message boards it has already been renamed Rock Rubbish!!!

What? Michelle Collins in a drama about a reality tv show (based on X Factor/American Idol) where the viewers vote to decide the ending each week and the winning 'act' will release a record to hopefully get a real chart hit. Not interested?

It sounds like Shakespeare. I am so pleased that Shed have remained making high quality products that are not remotely based on lining their pockets as quickly as possible. Can't wait to see the defence of this turkey in cyberspace......

BTW haven't actually seen it, so shouldn't really comment ;D

[coolbyrne]

Next up for SHED, a television version of Choose Your Own Adventure. (Sorry, that's just the next logical step after Rock Rubbish Rivals.)

Don't worry, top. Someone will write a wordy thesis about the evolution of reality shows on television and how Shed is on the pulse of the next curve, where the audience, no longer happy with choosing a "winner", will now want to choose the storyline to go along with it. It's all quite deep and thought-provoking, you know? ... even if Shed doesn't realize it themselves, because, as you know, the viewers know better!

[gingercat]

I have watched about half of it Topcat...it was dreadful..but then I dont like MC either..I will watch the rest later.

[coolbyrne]

Oh dear. I've checked out a few forums to see what people are saying. Here's some that made me laugh, nod, or simply do this:

-Whoever came up with the concept needs shooting, frankly.

-Personally, I blame Michelle Coliins. For eveything. Ever. And am happy to do so.

-I managed about 10 minutes of this mind numbingly sh1te program before turning over.

-After 10 minutes I gave up the will to live.

-Oh dear god. It's a bit of a disaster really, isn't it?

-Before we started to watch RR, I told my OH that it was made by the same people as BG (which he hated). During it he said that he wished that BG hadn't have been axed as it might have meant that the crap that is RR wouldn't have been made.

-it looked like the moment when TV ate itself

-Another ITV programme flopping? Whatever next.

-The promo clips are supposed to make you watch a show. With Rock Rivals the promo clips actually put me off watching it.

-The Rock Rivals idea reeks of desperation, as such I'm not surprised it flopped.

and my favourite:

-Simon Cowell, how wrong you were. He claimed this show was a car crash two weeks ago. It's not. It's far worse than he ever thought possible. Rock Rivals is 500 cars playing M6 chicken, driving at each other in opposite directions on a foggy night with no headlights

Looks like Shed's going to have to find another way to pay for the financial blackhole that was "Bad Girls: The Musical".