16 2GM Tuesday July 28 2020 | the times
News
Line of Duty is one of most popular
shows on television attracting
audiences in excess of ten million, but it
seems that not everyone at the BBC can
spot a hit.
Jed Mercurio, the show’s creator, has
revealed that his idea for the drama
series was initially rejected by BBC One
because the police corruption subject
matter was deemed “problematic”.
Mercurio, who went on to write
Bodyguard, another BBC ratings block-
buster, complained that senior execu-
tives at the corporation were not
accountable for their mistakes. He said
that there were some commissioners to
whom he still did not pitch ideas
because he did not believe they appre-
ciated his talents.
“I’m very grateful for the support I
get from some people within the BBC. I
feel a certain sense of loyalty towards
them and I enjoy collaborating with
them,” the producer and scriptwriter
told Radio Times. “But there are plenty
of people within the BBC who aren’t
fans of my work, and people I wouldn’t
take material to.”
Line of Duty ran for three critically
acclaimed series on BBC Two from- Ratings were so strong that it was
“upgraded” to BBC One for its fourth
series in 2017 and fifth last year.
Mercurio suggested that a number of
executives were complicit in the deci-
sion to keep the first series of Line of
Duty off BBC One, but singled out one
influential controller. “That particular
controller never had to justify her
decision. It didn’t affect her career, that
she turned down something that went
on to be the biggest BBC One drama
currently returning,” he said. “There’s
selective amnesia about things likeA senior police officer who faced
homophobic and sexist abuse over her
hairstyle has been put forward to
become a chief constable.
Rachel Swann, the Derbyshire depu-
ty chief constable, shut down her social
media profiles after trolls attacked her
for her short, spiky hair with a blonde
streak dyed through it.
Fellow officers defended her yester-
day after Hardyal Dhindsa, the local
police and crime commissioner, select-
ed her as the preferred candidate to
lead Derbyshire constabulary. Ms
John Simpson Crime Correspondent constable prompted a new wave
of abuse, officers across the
country praised her.
Pam Kelly, chief constable of
Gwent police, tweeted: “Rachel
is a true professional, a fantastic
person dedicated to policing...
this is richly deserved.” In
response, one user by the handle
@susiejmoon wrote: “This
doesn’t look like a ‘true pro-
fessional’. What she does
No penalty for TV chiefs who fail
in their line of duty, says writer
Matthew Moore Media Correspondent
that. Everybody, and every TV commis-
sioner or TV executive, who was in-
volved in rejecting Line of Duty now
pretends that it didn’t happen.”
Mercurio declined to name the target
of his ire. Jay Hunt, who was controller
of BBC One from 2008-10, around the
time the idea was being developed, is
now creative director at Apple TV. The
BBC declined to comment on whether
she was responsible.
Mercurio claimed that he had several
promising dramas knocked back by
BBC One about the same time. Filming
of the sixth series of Line of Duty,
starring Vicky McClure, Adrian Dun-
bar and Martin Compston, has been
halted by the pandemic. The first series
will be repeated on BBC One from
Monday to fill a gap in the schedule.
Lorraine Heggessey, who ran BBC
One from 2000 to 2005, recently re-
vealed that some executives sneered at
Strictly Come Dancing, believing that the
celebrity show would prompt headlines
about “dumbing down”.
Officer abused for her hairstyle could be chief constable
Swann was first attacked over her hair
when she appeared on TV while lead-
ing the emergency evacuation of
Whaley Bridge in August after a dam
wall was damaged. She eventually
decided to leave social media, saying in
November that she could “take a bit of
banter” but that the sexist and
homophobic attacks had “really hurt”.
“Yes, I am a woman. Yes, I might have
a slightly different hairstyle. Yes, I am
quite small,” she said. “The bit that
astounded me was I could not believe
that my mere existence could cause
such a depth of feeling.”
Yesterday, as her selection as chiefwith her hair in her own time is up
to her but looking like this as a
very senior police officer, is un-
professional & improper.”
Announcing the selection last
week, Mr Dhindsa said: “Rachel’s
depth of experience and proven
leadership will ensure Derbyshire
constabulary continues to go
from strength to
strength.” Her appoint-
ment awaits formal
confirmation at a
hearing to be held by
Derbyshire’s police
and crime panel.Widow sues
BBC over
actor’s death
Emma Yeomans
The widow of an actor who died of
cancer is suing the BBC for £800,000,
claiming that he was poisoned by asbes-
tos while filming shows as a child.
Graham Fletcher-Cook, the brother
of Dexter Fletcher, the director, had
roles in films including Bugsy and The
French Lieutenant’s Woman. He died in
May last year, aged 55, from the asbes-
tos-related lung cancer mesothelioma.
Jeanette Monero claims that her hus-
band was regularly exposed to asbestos
on BBC sets as a young actor.
The BBC suggests instead that Mr
Cook may have been exposed while he
was a pupil at Creighton School, in
Muswell Hill, north London, during the
1970s. The corporation is fighting the
claim at the High Court.
Michael Rawlinson, QC, claims in
court papers: “The sets were often
constructed from fireproof insulation
board containing asbestos dust.”
The BBC accepts that he worked for
it as a child and young actor between
1974 and 1986, but that he was self-em-
ployed and his roles were “irregular”.
The defence team also argues that sets
were almost all made of wood and tim-
ber, with asbestos in minimal use.
A trial date is to be set after the brief
pre-trial hearing last week.Panorama
breached
standards
Matthew Moore
A Panorama investigation into the
supply of PPE should have identified
one of the doctors interviewed as a
former Labour Party candidate, the
BBC’s own complaints unit has ruled.
The programme, broadcast in April,
featured contributions from NHS med-
ical staff critical of the government’s
handling of the pandemic. It subse-
quently emerged that several were
political activists, prompting Tory MPs
to accuse the BBC of playing “unbal-
anced left-wing party politics”.
The BBC said it was not surprising
that doctors who spoke out tended to
have a campaigning background.
Three months on, the BBC’s Execu-
tive Complaints Unit (ECU) has ruled
that Panorama did breach editorial
standards by failing to inform viewers
about the political affiliation of one
contributor, Sonia Adesara. Dr
Adesara, who spoke of her colleagues’
fears about going to work unprotected,
is a Labour member and former pro-
spective party candidate.
“The ECU agreed that Dr Adesara’s
political affiliation might have been rel-
evant... insofar as it was critical of the
government, and that it was a breach of
the BBC’s editorial standards not to
have given viewers appropriate infor-
mation about it,” the ruling stated.
“The ECU also judged that her criti-
cism was in keeping with what might be
expected from a doctor with experience
of inadequate PPE provision.”
The ECU did not formally uphold
viewers’ complaints. No further action
will be taken. How Panorama intro-
duced five other contributors, includ-
ing John Ashton, a public health expert
and Labour member, and Irial Eno,
member of the group Docs not Cops,
did not breach editorial standards.All aboard The Jacob Collection, which includes a Lionel standard gauge model train set and some pristine Dinky Toys, will go under the hammer at Bonhams tomorrow
MALCOLM PARK/ALAMY LIVE NEWSLine of Duty was
said to have been
initially rejected
by BBC One
because of its
problematic
subject matterws
Rachel Swann suffered
attacks on social media
after appearing on TV