Northwest Drama to Expand

JUST a few weeks into his reign as the BBC’s new Head of Drama in Manchester, there’s no doubting Phil Collinson’s high ambitions. “The sky is the limit!” he says. “We have got to try and get some big shows coming out of Manchester again, so I’m not just paying lip-service - I want those commissions!”

Indeed, returning to the city where Phil started his television career has made him even more determined to make his mark. He’s already got credits on Northern-produced Emmerdale, Peak Practice, Born And Bred and Linda Green II - but now he wants even more.

“Fortunately, I also have a direct route in to the commissioners so we will make new drama in this region,” he promises. But that doesn’t just mean Manchester will benefit.

“I’m Head of Drama in Manchester but that’s only where I’m sitting, there are no geographical limits because in this industry people travel to where the work is. So we’re looking everywhere - Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, we intend to look all around for new ideas.”

Phil’s appointment reflects the BBC’s commitment to growing its drama slate across the UK, with the former Cardiff based Doctor Who producer determined Manchester-backed drama will already have made its mark prior to the broadcaster moving in to Salford’s MediaCity: UK.

“At the moment we are keeping the department deliberately small but we have high hopes of growing a bigger empire,” explains Phil, who has already set up production of Debbie Horsfield’s new series, a Manchester-based drama about rival choirs and is working hard developing a new ongoing series for BBC3.

“The choir drama was always planned to come out of here, Debbie Horsfield is very insistent about that, and with the time scale it made sense for me to take that on as exec producer,” says Phil.

“On a practical level it’s also great that I’m immediately immersed in the talent pool up here and I’m reminded about what’s on offer.”

Hoping to help Phil and his colleagues rediscover the crew and facilities on offer is Edward Pugh, Talent Base Manager for Northwest Vision and Media, which works on behalf of the TV, film, radio and digital content industries to grow a world-class media economy in England’s Northwest.

“We already work with our fellow screen agencies across the north to highlight the production talent based up here,” explains Ed. “We have an incredible mass of talent in the north, we’re the second largest production base outside London, so I’m delighted Phil is as committed as we are to exploiting that talent.”

Meeting with Ed recently, Phil agreed he shared similar views. “Manchester has always been an amazing centre for excellence in drama production, which is why the chance to establish a formal BBC drama base here is incredibly exciting. I definitely want to build on the massive range of local talent,” he adds.