Fantasy_World
Well-Known Member
Well we all knew it would happen didn't we? Yes Rough Diamond the recent BBC drama based on Irish racing has been cut after just one series.
In a story published in the Racing Post by Graham Green it said:
THE BBC has dropped Rough Diamond, the Sunday evening racing drama screened earlier this year, after just one series.
World Productions, makers of the six-parter filmed entirely on location in Ireland, on Tuesday admitted being very disappointed at the corporation's decision not commission any new episodes.
With no other television company preparing to step into the breach, it appears that 13 years on since Trainer failed to capture the public's imagination after two series, the latest dramatic vehicle based on the sport has suffered the same fate.
Rough Diamond, initially delayed a week to avoid a clash with Celebrity Big Brother and the return of Top Gear, saw viewing figures fall after attracting an opening audience of 4.9m, but the final instalment was watched by 3.9m, a significant improvement on the low point of 3.5m, and could have been even better but for the move forward to 7pm that caught many people by surprise.
The series was also not helped by having its run interrupted the previous weekend when the victim of a scheduling change involving a combination of
Comic Relief and live FA Cup football which forced viewers to wait a fortnight before learning how the story ended.
A spokeswoman for World Productions said: Rough Diamond has not been recommissioned by the BBC, and we are very disappointed. We are not quite sure why the decision was made, particularly as viewing figures seemed to be increasing and there were plot-lines for a second series, but it was, and that's that.
Rough Diamond was originally heralded as the new Ballykissangel, but the BBC quickly distanced itself from that claim, saying the advent of digital channels had created more choice for viewers, and made comparisons unfair.
A BBC spokeswoman on Tuesday confirmed the decision not to commission another series of Rough Diamond, but was unable to offer any explanation.
In a story published in the Racing Post by Graham Green it said:
THE BBC has dropped Rough Diamond, the Sunday evening racing drama screened earlier this year, after just one series.
World Productions, makers of the six-parter filmed entirely on location in Ireland, on Tuesday admitted being very disappointed at the corporation's decision not commission any new episodes.
With no other television company preparing to step into the breach, it appears that 13 years on since Trainer failed to capture the public's imagination after two series, the latest dramatic vehicle based on the sport has suffered the same fate.
Rough Diamond, initially delayed a week to avoid a clash with Celebrity Big Brother and the return of Top Gear, saw viewing figures fall after attracting an opening audience of 4.9m, but the final instalment was watched by 3.9m, a significant improvement on the low point of 3.5m, and could have been even better but for the move forward to 7pm that caught many people by surprise.
The series was also not helped by having its run interrupted the previous weekend when the victim of a scheduling change involving a combination of
Comic Relief and live FA Cup football which forced viewers to wait a fortnight before learning how the story ended.
A spokeswoman for World Productions said: Rough Diamond has not been recommissioned by the BBC, and we are very disappointed. We are not quite sure why the decision was made, particularly as viewing figures seemed to be increasing and there were plot-lines for a second series, but it was, and that's that.
Rough Diamond was originally heralded as the new Ballykissangel, but the BBC quickly distanced itself from that claim, saying the advent of digital channels had created more choice for viewers, and made comparisons unfair.
A BBC spokeswoman on Tuesday confirmed the decision not to commission another series of Rough Diamond, but was unable to offer any explanation.
