Laura Fraser stars as Cat
I am cheap. Danny Cohen, the upwards-ly mobile boss of BBC Three entertained journalists at a dinner last night, advertising a host of forthcoming programmes, some of which I can remember. Or rather I can remember Lip Service, a lively sounding drama which covers “the lives and loves of a group of 20-something Glasgow lesbians” made by the high-grade Liz Murdoch-owned production company Kudos.
BBC Three always divides opinion; journalists are often hostile because so many of its shows are easy targets for anybody who wants to criticise the BBC for straying off its public remit. However, the BBC Trust seems to think unlike BBC One/Two and Four that BBC Three is doing so well it barely merits criticism. And over a third of BBC Three’s viewing comes from repeats of EastEnders and the like – although you can’t deny there is plenty of new stuff on the channel. Lip Service, though, is the kind of programme that might attract more critical comment than positive write-ups though.
Now those who had asked for any promotional pix of the show – due sometime in the autumn – were politely told this morning ’there were none ready’. Which is curious because we were all shown a few clips from the programme last night, and there was certainly plenty of bare flesh on view. But attracting too much attention to what is described as an “irreverent, sexy six-part series” is not the sort of thing BBC Three and the ambitious Mr Cohen would want right now.
Hang on, though, wait, there is a picture, I am told. Apparently, the Beeb misunderstood my original request — they did release one today, it was just they thought I’d asked if there were any more without saying that one had already been put out. We’ll put it right here, so you can look at these ordinary women.
Anyway, the BBC man has refused to apply for the job as Channel 4′s programming supremo, although some believe that means he simply wants C4 boss David Abraham to ring up and beg him to take the position. He is also talked about as a future boss of BBC One, amid growing talk that Jay Hunt the boss of that particular channel is coming under mounting pressure as her top stars walk out of the door to ITV. So who wants too much talk of all-girl dramas right now…
Still, the viewers will find it if they want to.
PS An alert viewer directs me to this clip from Nina’s Heavenly Delights, which also stars Laura Fraser:
