DS Forums

 
 

Why since Crossroads have we never had a British soap set in the Midlands?


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 08-08-2013, 15:41
Beaconboof
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,209

The Midlands are, after all, the heart of the nation. The North and South of England are very much in their own defined worlds as demonstrated by the two dominant soaps of the past few decades. A good Midlands soap set in a fictional Midlands town would be an interesting premise because it would show England as is really is, without clear definition.
Beaconboof is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 08-08-2013, 15:55
wavlovr
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: USA
Posts: 3,290
Doctors is based in the Midlands area from the accents I detect. Although I know Doctors is technically a drama and not a soap.
wavlovr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2013, 15:56
Glendarroch
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Over the hills and far away
Posts: 12,540
There are lots of parts of the UK that don't have soaps or other tv programmes set in them, and never have had. The part of Scotland I live in has never had a soap, or as far as I know any other t.v. programme set in it. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't think the BBC is much interested in anything outside of London and its commuter belt. The other stations are much better at this but what they have is soaps that are now long running and can justify the money invested in them -maybe they're reluctant to take a chance on a new one?
Glendarroch is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2013, 15:59
Beaconboof
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,209
I've never seen Doctors as a soap, personally.
Beaconboof is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2013, 16:35
Cal2008
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: notts Uk
Posts: 2,026
The archers is set in the midlands and has been running for over 62 years.
Cal2008 is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2013, 16:37
Beaconboof
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,209
The archers is set in the midlands and has been running for over 62 years.
You know I wasn't referring to a radio soap
Beaconboof is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2013, 16:45
J-B
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Winter is coming.
Posts: 13,324
Midlands is pretty much North to us Southerners... So you've got Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Doctors, Hollyoaks, The Archers
J-B is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2013, 16:49
bornfree
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 13,434
The archers is set in the midlands and has been running for over 62 years.
You beat me to it I listen to the archers every day. Ambridge Extra is also very gripping. Why isn't there a thread for the Archers?
bornfree is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2013, 16:50
bornfree
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 13,434
You know I wasn't referring to a radio soap
Its still a soap.
bornfree is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2013, 16:52
Beaconboof
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,209
Its still a soap.
Well, let me rephrase - Why since Crossroads have we never had a British television soap set in the Midlands?
Beaconboof is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2013, 16:54
bornfree
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 13,434
Well, let me rephrase - Why since Crossroads have we never had a British television soap set in the Midlands?
Thank you for that correction
bornfree is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2013, 16:55
Glendarroch
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Over the hills and far away
Posts: 12,540
Midlands is pretty much North to us Southerners... So you've got Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Doctors, Hollyoaks, The Archers
In Scotland, many of us wonder why Manchester is referred to as 'the North' - it looks like it's in the middle of England to us (ducks to avoid bullets)! Now, Thurso, they could tell you about being in the North.
Glendarroch is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2013, 17:07
Cal2008
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: notts Uk
Posts: 2,026
You beat me to it I listen to the archers every day. Ambridge Extra is also very gripping. Why isn't there a thread for the Archers?
when did you start listening?
Cal2008 is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2013, 17:08
agatha_crispies
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Exiled Mancunian
Posts: 30,830
In Scotland, many of us wonder why Manchester is referred to as 'the North' - it looks like it's in the middle of England to us (ducks to avoid bullets)! Now, Thurso, they could tell you about being in the North.
It's more of a "political" north - that whole former industrial belt from Eastham Ferry to the Hull docks.

And Muckle Flugga is further north than Thurso Thurso are SO Southern it hurts.

Back on topic - new Brummie soap please! So many options - set it in the world of fashion and bring the city's landmarks into public viewing.
agatha_crispies is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2013, 17:12
Beaconboof
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,209
It's more of a "political" north - that whole former industrial belt from Eastham Ferry to the Hull docks.

And Muckle Flugga is further north than Thurso Thurso are SO Southern it hurts.

Back on topic - new Brummie soap please! So many options - set it in the world of fashion and bring the city's landmarks into public viewing.
Not Birmingham please. How about Northampton or Leicester?
Beaconboof is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2013, 17:22
Glendarroch
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Over the hills and far away
Posts: 12,540
I think that when tv programme makers are giving the green light to programmes being made, location is one of the things they consider because it will help to create a sense of identity about the programme.

People who have never been to these places can instantly call up a picture of a village in Yorkshire, a backstreet in Manchester, an East End square. It's probably an inaccurate picture, but there's something they can take hold off.

With the scottish soap 'Take the High Road' for instance - it was filmed on the edge of central Scotland, only about twenty miles from Glasgow, but although they never defined exactly where it was, the impression was that it was much further into the Highlands. Why? Because for a programme that was potentially going to be networked and sent abroad as well, the Highlands (even though the Highland is a vast and very varied area) is a place that they will have a pre-conceived idea about, and some recognition of.

The midlands probably suffers from the same 'prejudice' as the central belt of Scotland - it's been industrial,, and the communities are largely neither big cities or farming villlages (as opposed to industrial villages). It's too much of a mix, and not clearly defined as one thing. Also, there's a perception that 'industrial areas' are not beautiful, so there would be no interesting scenery and lovely countryside, which just isn't true.
Glendarroch is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2013, 17:25
Face Of Jack
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: N. Yorkshire
Posts: 7,096
I'd be quite happy to see repeats of Crossroads (1980 - 1988),which are NOT wiped-off! ITV 3 or Drama could show them twice daily.....instead of the perrenial Heartbeat, Last of the Summer Wine etc!:yawn:
Face Of Jack is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2013, 17:32
Glendarroch
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Over the hills and far away
Posts: 12,540
It's more of a "political" north - that whole former industrial belt from Eastham Ferry to the Hull docks.

And Muckle Flugga is further north than Thurso Thurso are SO Southern it hurts.

Back on topic - new Brummie soap please! So many options - set it in the world of fashion and bring the city's landmarks into public viewing.
The good people of Unst would no doubt agree - but Manchester would be the balmy tropics to them!

I have to admit, I know nothing about Birmingham or the midlands (apart from Crossroads) and I think in a way, that might be part of the problem, it's not really a place that people who don't know it have a clear image of, where people do have preconceived ideas about the East End, Manchester and Yorkshire (however unrealistic these may be). That's going to be a big hinderance when you're trying to get viewers interested in a soap.
Glendarroch is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2013, 17:37
JR_THELEGEND
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: The Mean Streets of Greenwich
Posts: 67,165
In Scotland, many of us wonder why Manchester is referred to as 'the North' - it looks like it's in the middle of England to us (ducks to avoid bullets)! Now, Thurso, they could tell you about being in the North.
Hahahaha this I've never understood why Manchester is classed as being in the North! To me the North is Newcastle, Sunderland, Carlisle and those surrounding places!

Manchester is just slap bang in the middle!
JR_THELEGEND is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2013, 17:38
Bleaney
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,131
As previously stated, Doctors is a soap and is set in the Midlands.
Bleaney is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2013, 18:44
SULLA
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Black Country lad in Yorkshire
Posts: 118,101
Crossroads was set in a motel. The motel was in the Midlands but it could have been anywhere.
SULLA is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2013, 18:50
Beaconboof
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,209
As previously stated, Doctors is a soap and is set in the Midlands.
but it's not really set in a community is it? We never see the town at large. It's more of a show with self contained episodes - not my idea of a soap at ALL.
Beaconboof is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2013, 19:28
J-B
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Winter is coming.
Posts: 13,324
In Scotland, many of us wonder why Manchester is referred to as 'the North' - it looks like it's in the middle of England to us (ducks to avoid bullets)! Now, Thurso, they could tell you about being in the North.
Heck if it's above the M4 corridor it's borderline...
J-B is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2013, 19:43
gboy
Guest
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 4,931
A Brookside-type soap set in a modern housing development and based in the Midlands would work.
gboy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2013, 19:50
djfunnyman
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Nottingham
Posts: 4,434
A Brookside-type soap set in a modern housing development and based in the Midlands would work.
Something in Nottingham would work, people have stereotypes of Nottingham and its gun crime. A show set in the Meadows or St Anns as a rough area would work
djfunnyman is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 13:39.