BBC Three boss would "love" to launch new soap showcasing "modern Britain"
Fiona Campbell offered some ideas about setting and casting for a BBC Three soap as the channel returns.
Despite the BBC's future currently hanging in the balance amid reported plans to abolish the TV licence fee, BBC Three returns as a traditional broadcast channel on 1st February.
The previously online-only channel will be available to watch on Freeview, Sky, Virgin and Freesat from Tuesday 1st February, broadcasting every night from 7pm and also on iPlayer.
RuPaul spin-off RuPaul's Drag Race UK Versus the World will kick off the launch as the channel aims to draw in a younger audience. But could a soap also be on the cards for the revived channel's future?
BBC Three boss Fiona Campbell was more than keen on the idea during a chat with RadioTimes.com and other press, and even shared some ideas about potential setting and casting.
"I think [a BBC Three soap] would be a great opportunity to showcase modern Britain, somewhere very specific in modern Britain," she said. "You know, it could be Derry, or Belfast, it could be Aberdeen, it could be Newcastle. I'd want to put it somewhere like that and then showcase a locality like that in all its glory."
More like this
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Campbell added: "When we did [Meet] the Khans we got a lot of feedback about how good Bolton looked and people from Bolton were really proud of how we portrayed it, so I'd like to do that within a soap."
Campbell also explained how she would go about casting it, saying: "I'd like to provide a platform for it and the cast of the future within that. You know, you can see how many stars of the future came out of early EastEnders so that would be completely amazing."
When asked what a BBC Three soap could offer that other soaps can't, she said the channel's tone of voice and social media presence were "very specific" and would allow for an alternative approach.
She said: "I would do some casting on Instagram from social and I would just approach it from a different way than these things are classically done. I'd have a pipeline for new young writers at scale, and a writers room at scale, and again use social so it's easier to get people in, because it's bloody hard work to get into, to try out in that kind of world."
If you’re looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide.
