The region’s film and production sector is buzzing with anticipation at the rumours that a Colin McKeown/Jimmy McGovern pilot has emerged as favourite in a trial to replace Neighbours in BBC1’s future schedule.
Neighbours is leaving the Beeb next summer following a recent announcement from its Australian producers that they’d accepted a significantly higher offer from Channel 5.
Colin McKeown, who owns Liverpool based LA Productions, was one of the creators of Brookside, has written for Emmerdale and Grange Hill and was a producer on both Brookside and Liverpool One.
McGovern
He is understood to have enlisted the support of award wining writer Jimmy McGovern, who also started out as a writer on Brookie before achieving international recognition with Cracker.
Should LA Productions win the pilot, McKeown would base the operation at the former St Lawrence School in Kirkdale.
McKeown told the Daily Post: “I think this is a great opportunity and we are very hopeful that we will be given the programme. It will mean a lot to Liverpool, particularly in the year that it is celebrating European Capital of Culture, to be the location of a soap that reflects the changing face of our major cities.
McKeown
"It would certainly mean the recruitment of a lot of people, with lots of spin-off work in the service sector. This is a real window of opportunity for us.
"We need to attract more film and programme making to Liverpool. I had been hopeful that government measures about tax-breaks for the film industry would help us on Merseyside, but it has not turned out like that.”
The BBC press office told How-Do that “if it did happen it would be excellent news for the region but in fact no decision has been reached”.
Commenting on the rumours, trade magazine the Stage said it believed the story had more to do with McKeown publicising his pitch.
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