Date: 02.02.2009
From: coolbyrne
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Subject: No 7th season of WitB?
Digital Spy rumour has it that ITV is cutting costs, and one of the casualties will be "Wire in the Blood". (Cutting costs, despite paying £160m for Champions League airing rights, on top of the £275m for the FA Cup and England internationals.) The Bill is getting cut down to one episode a week from two. Heartbeat and The Royal have gotten the axe. Is Wire in the Blood next? Val, do you have any word on what's happening?
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Date: 03.02.2009
From: Chrinda
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Subject: Re: No 7th season of WitB?
The last I had heard from Robson's website was Coastal would be shopping it around. They have four scripts, two treated and the other two in the works. Shooting was supposed to have begun last November, 2008. But you know things can change from one moment to the next in that sort of business. One just never knows for certain until it happens.
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Date: 05.02.2009
From: Sean
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Subject: Re: No 7th season of WitB?
I really hope there will be a 7th season! If there is a 7th season, I really hope DI Alex Fielding is still in it, it looked like she was going to disappear at the end of season 6 :( and I didnt really like the new smart alek DI.
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Date: 05.02.2009
From: Absolute_Tash
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Subject: Re: No 7th season of WitB?
Article from this morning says it has not been renewed: http://www.newsguardian.co.uk/latest-news/Sad-day-for-north-east.4952131.jp
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Date: 05.02.2009
From: Sean
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Subject: Re: No 7th season of WitB?
Now Im going to be grumpy for at least a month :( Thanks for the info. Lets all hope that the economic situation everywhere improves so they can bring it back!
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Date: 06.02.2009
From: Lisa
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Subject: Re: No 7th season of WitB?
It's just been confirmed by Teletext, I'm gutted.
More boring reality show's I expect!
Come on BBC make some use of our license fee and buy it..Please
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Date: 07.02.2009
From: Val
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Subject: Re: No 7th season of WitB?
I'm sorry to confirm that the press announcements are right on the money. ITV have failed to recommission the series. After Coastal single-handedly restored ITV drama's status (The Times headline in September: 'Quality Drama Returns to ITV) this is how they are treated. Sandra Jobling, the executive producer, has sweated blood to bring this series in at high quality on a budget that was, in real terms, shrinking year on year and this decision is a slap in the face to her and to anyone committed to making classy TV drama. We had the audience numbers, the audience share and a committed audience who made an appointment with the show, not just watching it because there was nothing else on. We appear on 120 channels world-wide. We've just been shortlisted for an Edgar award by the Mystery Writers of America, up against such competition as The Wire, The Shield and Damages. But apparently we're not good enough for ITV.
It's not jusst about Coastal, though. The story is wider and deeper that that. Take a look at this story to get the fuller picture.
http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2009/02/06/wire-in-the-blood-axed-from-itv-61634-22867794/
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Date: 07.02.2009
From: Charlotte
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Subject: Re: No 7th season of WitB?
I am so disappointed to hear this. I am a big wire in the blood fan but am also sadden by the impact it will have on the already neglected North East. Hats off to Val for illuminating the bigger picture here. Anyone know where letters of complaint can be sent to ITV?
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Date: 07.02.2009
From: Lisa
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Subject: Re: No 7th season of WitB?
If you go to Robson's website www.robsongreen.com (you will need to register)there are some contact details to send complaints.
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Date: 07.02.2009
From: Karen S
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Subject: Re: No 7th season of WitB?
bah humbug... i think it's awful that there will be no 7th series of WITB...It's an awesome show and deserves it's time slot on ITV. Shame on ITV for selling themselves out in order to buy more rubbishy reality TV shows!
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Date: 08.02.2009
From: Kelly
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Subject: Re: No 7th season of WitB?
There goes my brit tv watching. How could they kill the best show on their channel (and the best show coming out of the UK)?
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Date: 08.02.2009
From: One-Eyed Jack
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Subject: Re: No 7th season of WitB?
Why does it have to be ITV, or even ITV1? With so many other channnels to choose from why does it have to be only ITV/ITV1 as the broadcaster? The alternatives include BBC (3 channels at least), Channel 4, Channel 5, and any of 3 SKY channels. And of course ITV2, ITV3 & ITV4. In the meantime, for a balanced view on this issue it would be good to see a statement from the decision-makers at ITV. According to The Guardian, "Ratings for the drama have declined over recent years from a high of 8.1 million for its first show in 2002, to an average of 5.4 million last year." That's a big drop - 2.7 million or 33%. "ITV1 said it had decided that after six years it wanted to try something new. However, the axing of the drama will also save ITV money and comes off the back of the dropping of a new adaptation of A Passage to India and cutting The Bill from twice weekly to weeklyl, while Heartbeat and The Royal have been 'rested'." I don't know any more significant details than that, but I would suggest that since the overwhelming majority of British companies are forced to cut costs in the current economic climate just to survive, why should ITV be any different? My guess is that advertising revenues have taken a dive over the past year, and ITV depend on those revenues very heavily. And while WITB may have enjoyed international success in the past, there's no guarantee that this will be as much of a sure-thing in the future; after all, the savage recession we are entering is of a global nature and it follows that foreign TV stations will have had to cut their budgets back too. To be honest (and selfish) it's Val's books that really matter to me. The day that she stops writing will be the saddest day of all. The TV series started off very well but if I am candid it's not (IMHO) as good as it once was and the viewing figures reflect that. Robson Greene is excellent in the role of Tony Hill but with no Carol Jordan to sound off, a crucial personality we still enjoy reading in the books is missing from the screens - and Simone Lahbib (or maybe just her fictional character) is no substitute, devoid of the charisma that Hermione Norris brought to the series. If I'm even more forthright and unequivocal, the most recent stories in WITB6 possessed the most diluted form of Val McDermid's literary DNA to date; if it hadn't been for the presence of Robson Green it would have appeared as 'just another TV crime series', with the plots and storylines sometimes lacking Val's guile and intelligence. In any case, nothing lasts for ever and to run for six years has to be regarded as an outstanding success. I worry that had there been a seventh in the series it might have been a commercial flop and it would not have been able to bow out with its head held as high as it currently can.
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Date: 09.02.2009
From: Lisa
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Subject: Re: No 7th season of WitB?
Here is an address to send your complaints;
Laura Mackie
Director of Drama
ITV plc
200 Gray's Inn Road
London
WC1X 8HF
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Date: 09.02.2009
From: Tam O'Shanter
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Subject: Re: No 7th season of WitB?
What a shocking way ITV have treated Wire in The Blood. It's one of the very few things I watch on ITV. I've sent off my feelings to them
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Date: 10.02.2009
From: Coral
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Subject: Re: No 7th season of WitB?
Thanks Lisa, I will be doing the same.
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Date: 12.02.2009
From: Stephanie
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Subject: Re: No 7th season of WitB?
This country used to be really patronising about its TV - "we had class, American TV was trashy". Now it seems to be the other way round. All British TV seems to be interested in is celebs doing "interesting" things, talent(less) shows and documentaries about people who are in love with buildings! American TV however has become the "must-see". Classy writing, well cast, wonderful production values. They have even started working their magic on our only standby - the costume drama - and we could lose out there too. There is a literate, intelligent audience out here that want to watch well-written and produced drama - be it series or one off dramas. TV planners - get your acts together and get your fingers out!
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Date: 04.03.2009
From: One-Eyed Jack
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Subject: Re: No 7th season of WitB?
Anyone who saw or heard the news today about ITV's drastic slump in advertising revenues can surely be in no doubt that WITB hasn't been unfairly de-selected; the whole company is in serious difficulty and is making cutbacks across the board.
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Date: 19.07.2009
From: Molly Marcum
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Subject: Re: No 7th season of WitB?
I love WITB and get the DVD's as soon as they are available. (I'm an American and live in the USA) I'm so sad the hear it will not be back.
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Date: 25.07.2009
From: Joyce Haines
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Subject: Re: No 7th season of WitB?
7/26/09 Please tell us it isn't so! WE LOVE WIRE IN THE BLOOD, and are really sorry to hear we won't be seeing more of it. We are Americans and have lousy tv...all stupid reality shows.
TV PLANNERS CHANGE YOUR MINDS.........
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Date: 24.03.2010
From: Lisa Coote
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Subject: Re: No 7th season of WitB?
I think it really disapointing that they
axed wire in the blood last year all the acting
and writing has gone to waste, and robson green acted his heart out for that role.You would never
see another tony hill ever again.
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Date: 07.04.2010
From: Sam Cook
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Subject: Re: No 7th season of WitB?
Hi Val, I was just wondering if there is any chance that Wire In The Blood will be taken to another broadcaster? Surely the BBC or perhaps even one of the channels on Sky would happily pick up the series? This can't be the end - it isn't fair!
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