Cardiff & the BBC
Last week, The Guardian ran an article about the surge in television production in Cardiff, Wales. Starting with the success of Doctor Who, a vibrant community of industry professionals has emerged, making Cardiff now the #2 center of production in the UK, after London. Other BBC programs filmed in Cardiff include Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Casualty, Being Human, a remake of Upstairs, Downstairs and our very own Sherlock.
Hywel Thomas, spokesman for the marketing agency, Cardiff & Co., explains the situation as follows:
“The creative industries are thriving in Cardiff… The success of Doctor Who provided a platform to develop the skills and experience of local people within the industry and then attract further productions to the city [and] region. The diversity of the landscape is also a significant factor, with beaches and mountains within half an hour of a modern capital that has changed beyond recognition.”
Thomas’ evaluation of the situation seems right on – and right in line with media scholar Michael Curtin’s notion of media capital. Hartswood films, producers of Sherlock, estimate that their production alone will employ over a hundred people in the area!
Oddly, though, it seems that all of the production companies working in Cardiff are producing programs for the BBC – when is ITV going to get in on this fast-growing competitor to the London production scene?
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