tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924459477821042822.post8054027033012113064..comments2018-03-13T06:42:38.437+00:00Comments on The Amateur Cynic: Sirens (C4): TV ReviewCaitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12350496031005229207noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6924459477821042822.post-86032297026862883312011-07-22T17:16:48.549+01:002011-07-22T17:16:48.549+01:00Thanks for the post - interersting stuff. I haven&...Thanks for the post - interersting stuff. I haven't seen Sirens, but I was interested in your question - 'Why don’t we have great drama which looks at the NHS in the same way as the Wire looks at journalism, education, politics, and the police?'<br /><br />I believe that there are 2 interlinked reasons for this, one economic and one political. Economically, no independent filmmaker(s) could invest the time and money that HBO invested in The Wire and hope to recoup their investment solely on British TV screenings - the advert market is too small. Therefore they'd have to plan for international sales, and is there an international market for a series about the NHS? I doubt it.<br /><br />Politically, the only people with the clout to do something similar are the BBC and they're too scared of upsetting Govt to make such a series, in the sense that it would inevitably result in exposing corruption, incompetence, penny-pinching, hypocrisy, etc. They've done it in the past, I know (eg Our Friends in the North) but things have changed. The result is wishy-washy make-believe (compare Waterloo Road to the education series of The Wire) and/or safely-exportable costume dramas.<br /><br />Keep up the good work!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com