Actor and presenter Robson Green will be turning the national spotlight on his home region in a new TV show for BBC2.
The local favourite - star of Granchester and Extreme Fishing - this time will be filming a series entirely in the North East and it will, he says, celebrate the best of the region. The show, whose working title is Robson Green's Dirty Weekends, is a collaboration - the fourth - between the star's own company Rivers Meet Productions and Signpost Productions, which is also locally based.
The series has been commissioned for BBC2 and Green, from Northumberland, said: "I’m over the moon that we’re going to be co-producing this great series for BBC2 with Signpost productions. This series will showcase the best the North East has to offer."
Set against the backdrop of some of the region's most stunning scenery, it is promising "some good, clean fun", said the BBC, involving Green and some famous friends - whose identities are currently under wraps - which will see them celebrate everything that is great about the location.
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Helen Munson, the commissioning editor for BBC Daytime and Early Peak who announced the news of the series, is also from the region. She said: "There is so much talent here in the North East, both on and off-screen and this series will absolutely reflect that. Robson is a firm favourite with the audience and I’m looking forward to seeing this wonderful series get under way.”
The commission is the result of a search to find possibilities for making a factual series in the North East. Rivers Meet Productions, of which Green is director, is committed to the region and to developing local talent. Similarly, Signpost, a production company which developed out of an access services provider, has won several awards for its focus on diversity and inclusion.
Its creative director Gareth Deighan said: “We’re delighted to get filming this great series with Robson Green and friends. We want to make sure we’re contributing to putting the North East on the map.”
The commission is part of a commitment by the BBC to spend £25m in the North East over the next five years. At the BBC's recent Comedy Festival, which made its debut in Newcastle earlier this May, the channel also unveiled a new partnership with the region, involving Northern Film and Media, which aims to create more local comedy for the screen.
Northern Film and Media called the latest announcement "great news for the region" and in response to the BBC's Twitter message about it, one response said: "The North East is a beautiful place with lovely people. A hidden gem."
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