BBC bosses plot soap rival for struggling EastEnders to reflect 'modern Britain'
The BBC are said to be working on a brand new 'modern' soap with a cast of actors being scouted on Instagram as ratings for EastEnders continue to slide
BBC execs are plotting what has been dubbed a new "woke soap" to provide a competition for struggling EastEnders.
They want it to reflect a "modern Britain" as the long-standing programme's ratings continue to slide.
Bosses could even hand-pick its stars from social media and it would be set in either Ireland, Scotland or northern England.
Plans are being put into place and BBC Three boss Fiona Campbell has even shared some ideas about potential setting and casting.
They are looking into the new soap despite the BBC's future currently hanging in the balance amid reported plans to abolish TV licence fee.
It would reflect the channel's focus on "how tough it is to be in your teens and early 20s today".
She said: "I think a BBC Three soap would be a great opportunity to showcase modern Britain, somewhere very specific in modern Britain.
"You know, it could be Derry, or Belfast, it could be Aberdeen, it could be Newcastle. I'd want to put it somewhere like that and then showcase a locality like that in all its glory."
They could go for the younger audience - and it could even star influencers.
She said: "I would do some casting on Instagram from social and I would just approach it from a different way than these things are classically done.
"I'd have a pipeline for new young writers at scale, and a writers room at scale, and again use social so it's easier to get people in, because it's bloody hard work to get into, to try out in that kind of world."
A third of people already believe the BBC is too woke, a study suggested last year.
Almost half complained that it is not in tune with people outside London.
The poll last March, conducted by Savanta ComRes, found that 51 per cent of British adults think the national broadcaster is bad value.
Even 30 per cent of people even describe it as ‘very bad value’ - with only one in five respondents saying it is ‘good value’ and just eight per cent giving it a ‘very good’ rating.
Rebecca Ryan, campaign director of Defund The BBC, believes the damning poll showed how out of touch the BBC was.
A BBC spokesman said: "The BBC is the most used media brand in the country, with 91 per cent of adults coming to us each week.
"We are committed to serving all parts of the UK with brilliant content our audiences love."
