Actor Stephen Graham blasted the BBC for axing Jimmy McGovern’s The Street and then pouring millions of pounds into reality dance shows.

“You can’t take money away from great drama like that and put it into people dancing,” he told the BBC. “I don’t mean to be disrespectful or anything, it’s my job and I’m very passionate about it.

“You shouldn’t take money away from a screen where we make great drama and watch people spinning around in a ballroom.”

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Sadly, this was the last episode of The Street, and it would appear that Jimmy McGovern has no plans to pen another series, given that it can’t be filmed in its historical home at Granada Studios.

The studios were axed as part of cost cutting measures, but it was a stroke too far for McGovern who told BBC’s Radio 4 ‘Front Row’ programme that he wouldn’t be interested in producing the drama elsewhere.

He said, “It’s finished now because ITV have closed down that drama unit. I’m sure that’s why Michael Grade left, because it was a content-led revival, he said, and they’ve closed down the producers of the best content.” Read more & comment »

Was anyone else blubbing like a girl by the end of last night’s The Street? Jimmy McGovern’s already powerful drama upped its game a tad last night I thought, as it incorporated domestic and local strife with the global crisis that is terrorism. It also addressed cultural and religious differences and how the army treats its injured soldiers. And as one might expect from a writer as gifted as he is, he did it with aplomb.

The story began with TA soldier Private Nick Calshaw calling home and getting the answering machine. As Nick spoke, there were panicked shouts in the background, a baby started to cry, and someone shouted, “Shoot her!” A massive explosion followed and then the line went dead.

Ellie, Nick’s sister, was the first one to hear it and she frantically called her parents, Alan and Kim, who rushed home, frantic with worry that they were listening to their son’s final moments. Nick’s fiancée Gemma, likewise ran out of the school where she was teaching on hearing the news and later, two Army officials called at the house to tell the Culshaw’s that there’d been an incident involving their son. He was alive but injured. Read more & comment »

The latest instalment of Jimmy McGovern’s The Street was every bit as believable and understatedly dramatic as we’ve come to expect.

It featured Anna Friel front and centre as struggling single mum Dee who, in a bid to pay a hefty mortgage which put her in the catchment area of a good school for her kids, worked as a prostitute at weekends. Her alter ego was called Ruby.

However, her secret double life was about to be turned upside down with the arrival in her life of unassuming plumber, Mark. He was determined to win her heart and he did, however, unbeknownst to them both, Mark’s dad was one of Dee’s massage parlour clients… Read more & comment »

Jimmy McGovern’s excellent drama was back last night for another series about what goes on behind the closed doors and net curtains of a Manchester street. And as always with McGovern, I expected something truly gripping and I wasn’t disappointed.

Some might argue that because of the moralistic overtone of the story, it was inevitably going to end with the baddie getting his comeuppance, but even suspecting that to be true throughout, nonetheless, it was quite a nail biter.

The plot followed mild mannered pub owner, and recovering alcoholic, Paddy – brilliant portrayed by the legend that is Bob Hoskins – who’d barred Callum for smoking in the loo. Callum was the son of local hard-man and villain Tom – equally wonderfully played by Liam Cunningham. So, Tom took exception to this and gave Paddy a public ultimatum; serve my son and I tomorrow at 3.30pm or I’ll batter you. Read more & comment »

Bob Hoskins stars as reformed alcoholic Paddy Gargan, landlord of The Greyhound, as a new series of The Street, Jimmy McGovern’s powerful, award-winning drama, begins.

The pub, which Paddy runs with his hard-working wife, Lizzie, is the hub of the community. But Paddy’s biggest-spending customer is local gangster Thomas Miller, who also finances The Greyhound’s football team.

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Jimmy McGovern’s emotionally powerful hit BBC One drama, The Street, continues to attract Britain’s finest film, television and stage talent as well as introduce newcomers in its third series which is currently filming in the North West of England and completes shooting March 2009.

To date The Street has scooped British television’s top industry awards for two consecutive years winning both the 2007 and 2008 BAFTA and RTS awards for best drama series.

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