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Playwright Gupta criticises Silver Street cancellation

Published Tuesday 24 November 2009 at 12:20 by Matthew Hemley

Playwright Tanika Gupta has lamented the BBC’s decision to axe long-running radio soap Silver Street, claiming the series provides a “training ground” for new writers and tackles issues other drama series avoid.

Her comments follow those of David Edgar, playwright and chair of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, who has said the BBC’s decision to end the BBC Asian Network’s soap next year would result in “a loss of opportunity for talented writers” as well as actors and producers.

Gupta, who wrote the first ever episode of the soap in 2004, said the move - announced by the BBC last week - would deprive writers of work at a time when there is already too much competition for jobs.

She also said Silver Street provides a place for new writers to develop their skills in preparation for bigger projects.

“There were a lot of writers who started out on Silver Street and it was a fantastic training ground for them. Even in the few years I worked on it, there were a lot of writers who came through it and went on to do other things. I am not sure those writers would have been given that opportunity [without Silver Street],” she said.

Announcing the decision last week, BBC Asian Network controller Andy Parfitt said the soap had been axed after an assessment of its “value and impact”, which had led him to conclude there was “a better way to deliver drama” to the station’s audiences.

The soap will be replaced with a new monthly drama offering, which Alison Hindell, head of radio drama at the BBC, said would cover “a broad selection of stories and styles designed to deliver a higher profile for the genre”.

However, Gupta said Silver Street had dealt with “hard-hitting” issues other dramas avoid, particularly on television.

“I think some of the things tackled on Silver Street were way ahead of their time. It reflects the society we live in and I never saw anything quite like that on the television in soaps we have,” she said.

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