BBC Birmingham – Page 2 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Scarlet Pimpernel – publicity card

‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’ was a 3 part BBC 1 drama starring Richard E Grant in the title role. It was transmitted in January 1999. Elizabeth McGovern played Grant’s character’s wife, with Martin Shaw as Chauvelin, the head of the revolutionary French police, and the Scarlet Pimpernel’s chief adversary. It also featured Christopher Fairbank, Anthony Green, Ronan Vibert, Emilia Fox, Denise Black, Gerard Murphy, James Callis, Peter Jeffrey, Suzanne Bertish and Jerome Willis.

The director was Patrick Lau; with producer, Julian Murphy.

The production was a co-production between BBC Birmingham and London Film Productions, and the Arts and Entertainment Network.

Thanks to John Greening for making the publicity card available.

Save BBC Birmingham Campaign

Staff of BBC Birmingham were protesting this lunchtime on the steps of the Mailbox against the closure of factual television and radio network production. Flagship series like ‘Gardeners’ World’, ‘Coast’ and ‘Countryfile’, are scheduled to move from BBC Birmingham to Bristol from August 2012. Production staff face redundancy or relocation, whilst post production staff look likely to be made redundant, as BBC Bristol does not have its own post production facilities.

The number of staff and programmes made at BBC Birmingham has been being run down since the move from BBC Pebble Mill in 2005, and the commissioning guarantee from London has been quietly forgotten, eroding the production base.

When Pebble Mill was at its height there were around 1,500 staff. The number now at BBC Birmingham is only a couple of hundred.

Future of BBC Birmingham

Mark Thompson, Director General of the BBC announced today that factual network television production at BBC Birmingham is going to cease, with programming being moved to BBC Bristol, beginning in summer 2012. Factual network radio production will also move, and there will be cuts in local radio.

I have copied here some of the Twitter comments made by people today:

‘The systematic dismantling of BBC Birmingham is a disgrace. it’s what happens when a city has no leadership.’

‘Saddened to hear the news about #bbcbirmingham, but on the other hand, I am pleased to hear #bbcdoctors is staying’

‘All BBC Birmingham heritage of last 50yrs counts for nothing in #dqf world, all about geography and economics’

‘Thoughts going out to colleagues at #BBCBirmingham-hoping that the news of complete closure is not true :(‘

‘Sorry but the BBC are an absolute joke when it comes to Birmingham & The Midlands’

‘Seems Archers will stay in Brum but all factual and radio to move-what will that leave besides Midlands Today?’

‘BBC network production in Birmingham axed in one sentence by the DG.’

‘So BBC factual production stopping in Birmingham. Sad times for the region. Hopefully Drama won’t be affected.’

‘Gutted for all my friends in BBC Birmingham today – I’m in France but back to share in the misery soon. Awful.’

Studio C – Walkway Sign

Studio C Walkway Sign

This sign used to hang on the walkway at the back of Studio C at Pebble Mill. Studio C was originally the entrance foyer, which was then converted into the studio for Pebble Mill at One. It was later used for Good Morning with Anne and Nick. At the back of the foyer was a corridor which led to Studio A, Make Up and the dressing rooms. This corridor had to be closed when Studio C was being used, so that people weren’t walking through the back of shot. When the Studio was in use only the top sign was displayed, with the lower one being taken up and down, depending on whether you were allowed to walk through or not.

The sign was rescued by James Patterson from Pebble Mill before it was demolished and is now proudly displayed in the Post Production area of BBC Birmingham, in the Mailbox, next to the sink and the drinks machine!