Apologies if this duplicates material from the BBCPA
Roger Bunce
Researching my memoirs for the BBCPA, I felt the need to talk about John Birt’s silly scheme to convert all the BBC’s regions into "Centres of Excellence". (Don’t Laugh!) This must have been somewhere between 1986 and 1993 – before the whole thing was reversed by "Producer Choice". (Which was no laughing matter either!) I just wanted some examples of which programmes were sent where. I know that Drama and Daytime went to Birmingham; while Religion and ‘Yoof’ went to Manchester, and I think Children’s went to Newcastle. But what happened to Education, Schools, Quizzes, etc? All memories gratefully received.
Clifford White
Good luck with your project – it sounds fascinating.
I can’t really help with where the programmes went, but I can tell you where a lot of them came from – BBC Bristol!
We were home to TV Features, which covered a whole rag-bag of programmes across a very wide spectrum. Here’s just a few of many examples:-
Animal-based Children’s Programmes, like “Animal Magic” with Johnny Morris, and “The Really Wild Show” with Terry Nutkins.
Other Children’s Programmes like “Vision-On“ and “Take Hart“, starring the late, great Tony Hart.
Schools Programmes like “Words and Pictures“, presented by Janet Ellis.
Health-based Programmes like “The Health Show”, with Terry Wogan and Dr Miriam Stoppard, and “Looking Good, Feeling Fit”, presented by Richard Stilgoe.
Science-based Programmes like “Take Nobody’s Word For It”, starring a young Carol Vorderman, and “Think Of A Number“, produced by Albert Barber and presented by Johnny Ball.
Quiz-type Programmes like “Puzzle Trail”, produced by Clive Doig and presented by Davy Jones (of The Monkees fame).
Then in 1992, John Birt, in his infinite wisdom, decided that Bristol Studio A should be closed down, which left our TV Features Unit with the rump of Natural History Programmes, which now had to be commissioned from Independent Production Companies, and “Antiques Roadshow” which, although the production team remained in-house, now had to be made using freelance directors and technical crews, and edited in Post-Production Facilities Houses.
When one of our famous presenters was told that John Birt was doing this to turn Bristol into a Centre of Excellence, the presenter said “What the f…..g h..l does he think it has been so far"?!
Roger Bunce
Interesting that you should mention Clive Doig and Albert Barber! (ed: as they are Tech Ops history contributors.)
The "Centres of Excellence" wheeze was John Birt’s second cunning plan for the BBC Regions.
His first, under the "Resources Review" was to shut them all down and move everything into London.
When the Governors told him this would be politically unacceptable, he did a 180 degree change of mind, and decided to move things out of London to the Regions, to create those "Centres of Excellence". This would have been about 1987-ish, when he was Deputy Director General. It sounds as though Bristol was doing fairly well at that time.
His third cunning plan, of course, was "Producer Choice", about 1993. Inevitably, when London-based productions were allowed to ‘choose’ where they made their programme, they chose to move back into London!
It has all been a mad yo-yoing back-and-forth – into London, out of London, into London, out of London – culminating in the insane ‘Move to the North’ and closure of TV Centre. I think they’ve even brought back the phrase "Centre of Excellence", in order to justify moving dramas to Cardiff. – Not to mention moving News out of Broadcasting House to TV Centre – then back to Broadcasting House.
Geoff Fletcher
Never mind – it was all a good waste of Joe Public’s money.
Roger Long
Before TV Features was born, it was the General Programme Unit. We were asked in the Club for a more suitable moniker and I suggested the Average Programme Unit. This was not taken up…
The General Programme Unit was the rump of John King’s many various programme strands featuring Antiques, but John (father of Simon) also did drama short stories on film with the Bristol Film Unit: this became the basis of many Screen Ones and Twos when Sally Head revitalised Design Dept and enabled grand productions like “Edge of Darkness” and “Monocled Mutineer” – London Drama serviced by Bristol: we had these for about 10 years.
We also had the Anthropology Programme with Chris Curling which ventured to far flung locations for “Under The Sun” and Barry Gavin’s wonderful Music and Arts Strands, not to mention all the Nat Hist Attenborough block busters, “World About Us”, “Wildlife on One” etc etc.
The spectrum of work was truly fabulous.
“Casualty” was the beginning of the end for the Film Unit, disbanded in 1992.
Single plays on film out, continuing drama on tape in, docos by self shooters on Sony PD150s via the Community Affairs Unit: the slow demise of proper docs.
It’s a mere ghost of a Centre of Excellence now.
Bill Jenkin
I recall, when being presented with the ‘Centres of Excellence’ wheeze by John Birt at an NJC meeting, commenting that I presumed this meant that London was to become a centre of mediocrity as it was clearly not a centre of excellence. I don’t think there was a response.
But what about Leeds nowadays (2016) …
Tony Nuttall
Who needs TV Centre?
It seems as though there IS a NEED for large TV Studio Space; even in YORKSHIRE!
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Mike Jordan
Interesting as they are based on what was a WWII airport called “Leeds East”. This explains why the building looks like an aircraft hanger. I hope there are no flights now or it is well soundproofed! Their website says “Victoria” is the first programme to be filmed (sic) there.
Nick Ware
I always regarded Leeds as a centre of excellence. Some of my fondest memories are of working there, and on the Harewood Estate. I hope the Church Fenton runways aren’t still active! Can’t say I’ve noticed any aircraft noise on “Victoria”, so I assume not.
