Why is that some TV programmes find an audience, catch people’s imaginations and become not just watched but loved? Most of course do not. Having been making TV since my late 20s and been involved in a number of “first” series that ended up being the only series, I am painfully aware of that. If producers knew in advance which shows would be hits, there would be no flops, as the industry cliche goes.
Producers and presenters are lucky if, during our careers, we get to be involved in a single show that makes that rare transition from being part of the schedule to part of people’s lives. Almost a decade ago, while we were filming the first series of A House Through Time for BBC Two, I was not at all convinced that this was a show that had the potential to break through.
