EXCLUSIVE

BBC's "ONE SHOW" SET TO RETURN FROM BRUM

22-09-2006

The Stirrer can reveal that BBC Birmingham's “One Show” is set to return for a 40 week run from April, after a successful four-week pilot.

Unofficially billed as “Nationwide for the 21st Century”, it was presented by local lad and Baggies supporter Adrian Chiles alongside Nadia Sawalha.

The show had a mixture of topical new items (eg Should public sector workers get subsidised housing?) with more fluffy, magaziney type features (Kate Humble goes in search of dolphins).

“Daytime telly in prime time” is how one insider unkindly described it, and reviews in the national papers were mixed, most of them rating the presenters but questioning the programme's remit.

That said, it achieved respectable if unspectacular audiences, pulling in around 18% of the telly-watching audience on most nights.

The 7 o'clock time slot has become progressively more difficult for the Beeb to compete with, following the growing success of Emmerdale of ITV and it's hoped that giving it a longer run will give the channel a launchpad to take on Corrie and build audiences throughout the evening.

There's been no confirmation yet from the BBC that the show will return, but The Stirrer understands that a number of possible locations are already being considered for the next run including the Bullring and their studios at the Mailbox.

Re-commissioning the show willtake some of the political heat off the BBC which faces accusations that Birmingham is becoming a broadcasting backwater compared to Manchester, which makes substantially more primetime drama and is due to become the home of Radio Five Live.