As the co-creator of Berkeley Square, it's very exciting to see all the great reviews. Thank you for all your kind words. I loved coming up with the idea and we had a great time making the series.
I do want to set the record straight on two points: Lyndahayes-1 commented that the broadcast dates were chopped and changed at the Controller's whim. That's certainly true and it drove us absolutely insane.Yet amazingly, in spite of this vicious rescheduling, the ratings were excellent, I believe they were consistently above a 30% market share, which is pretty bloody amazing. (Thank you, Lyndahayes-1 and everyone else, for sticking with us as best you couid!)
So why wasn't the series picked up for another season? Debbie Cook and I had some great stories in the works and Victoria Smurfit and the other leads did a remarkable job. However, the BBC is a beast unto itself and often casts aside common sense. A show that got terrific reviews across the board and which despite all the odds, was a great success? Shall we commission a second season? Hmmm...
Perhaps it's somewhat different now, but at the time it was possible for a head of department to more or less independently make such a decision, without little regard to the show's quality or ratings. There were a lot of voices calling for a second season as well. Thank God the BBC isn't an American network and doesn't have to be so entirely ratings-driven, but still...
As I recall, we got a new head of series around this time. Being inherited (for show and staff) is always tricky, new people want to put their own stamp on things. Perhaps it didn't feel masculine enough for him...who knows?
But it makes me very happy that people are still enjoying the show. Thank you!
I do want to set the record straight on two points: Lyndahayes-1 commented that the broadcast dates were chopped and changed at the Controller's whim. That's certainly true and it drove us absolutely insane.Yet amazingly, in spite of this vicious rescheduling, the ratings were excellent, I believe they were consistently above a 30% market share, which is pretty bloody amazing. (Thank you, Lyndahayes-1 and everyone else, for sticking with us as best you couid!)
So why wasn't the series picked up for another season? Debbie Cook and I had some great stories in the works and Victoria Smurfit and the other leads did a remarkable job. However, the BBC is a beast unto itself and often casts aside common sense. A show that got terrific reviews across the board and which despite all the odds, was a great success? Shall we commission a second season? Hmmm...
Perhaps it's somewhat different now, but at the time it was possible for a head of department to more or less independently make such a decision, without little regard to the show's quality or ratings. There were a lot of voices calling for a second season as well. Thank God the BBC isn't an American network and doesn't have to be so entirely ratings-driven, but still...
As I recall, we got a new head of series around this time. Being inherited (for show and staff) is always tricky, new people want to put their own stamp on things. Perhaps it didn't feel masculine enough for him...who knows?
But it makes me very happy that people are still enjoying the show. Thank you!