The Stage

Channel 4 seeks contemporary drama serial from Flannery

Published Friday 27 March 2009 at 16:43 by Matthew Hemley

Channel 4 is lining up The Devil’s Whore writer Peter Flannery to create a new contemporary serial for the channel.

The broadcaster’s head of drama Liza Marshall told The Stage she was hoping Flannery would write “a big contemporary piece”, and said she had been discussing project ideas with him.

“I think it will be brilliant. For writers like him – one of the best in the country – there is always a home for him here at Channel 4. There is creative freedom here in a way there isn’t on other channels,” she said.

However, Marshall admitted she was concerned about the state of drama production on the channel.

Earlier this week, Channel 4 head of programming Julian Bellamy said the broadcaster would like to commission more drama, but revealed there was no money in the budget to do so.

He said the 2009 programming budget for Channel 4 was around £450 million, compared with 2008’s budget of £510 million.

Budgets for 2010 have not been finalised, but Marshall said she was fearful that the drama budget could be cut more than it already has been.

“I am worried to be honest. We do such brilliant work and we do completely punch massively above our weight considering how little we make. I would love to have more money because we could make really great drama. Budgets for 2010 have not been finalised and I am hoping that we are not going to have more cuts. But who knows what is going to go on in the world economically in the next six months?,” she said.