HoE in the Radio Times
Nov. 3rd, 2011 08:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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house_of_eliottThere was a brief snippet about it on the letters page this week, in the 'You ask us' column:
"I've been thoroughly hooked on the daily repeats on ITV3 of House of Eliott. However, there only appears to have been three series, with no resolution at the end of the third. Why was it terminated so abruptly?"
RT tracked down Jeremy Gwilt, who produced all three series (originally shown on BBC1, 1991-94). He told us: "The BBC wanted a fourth series but I felt we'd covered as much ground as we could. Also Stella Gonet and Louise Lombard wanted to do other things. I'd hoped that we might get a Christmas special to tie up some loose ends, but it never materialised and when you lose momentum, it's hard to pick it up again. Every so often the idea of a remake gets mentioned and all I'd say is never say never, but it's not something I'm actively thinking about."
"I've been thoroughly hooked on the daily repeats on ITV3 of House of Eliott. However, there only appears to have been three series, with no resolution at the end of the third. Why was it terminated so abruptly?"
RT tracked down Jeremy Gwilt, who produced all three series (originally shown on BBC1, 1991-94). He told us: "The BBC wanted a fourth series but I felt we'd covered as much ground as we could. Also Stella Gonet and Louise Lombard wanted to do other things. I'd hoped that we might get a Christmas special to tie up some loose ends, but it never materialised and when you lose momentum, it's hard to pick it up again. Every so often the idea of a remake gets mentioned and all I'd say is never say never, but it's not something I'm actively thinking about."
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Date: 2011-11-04 12:29 pm (UTC)So the BBC *did* want another series, all the rumours seemed to say it was the BBC that pulled the plug, in fact isn'that what Jean Marsh said? Hmmmm.
That doesn't explain why there were only 10 episodes and it ended so abruptly, I really wish we had an answer to that.
"Never say never" is great, but a 'remake' rather than a 're-visit' is about the worst thing I can imagine, the whole success of the show is Stella, Louise, Aden, Cathy etc., not just new actors in the same parts! Unless I've mis-read that and he means making the series again.
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Date: 2011-11-05 08:52 pm (UTC)No, it doesn't really explain, but since he doesn't mention a big fire, I'd assume that they cut it down to 10 eps to reduce the cost over a series - that often happens with things. And it sounds from this - although it's hard to tell - as though they left the cliff-hanger to be rounded up in a Special that never happened.
But it was a while ago, and often there are different things going on. You'd kind of assume Jean Marsh as creator, and this guy as producer would know, but, hey...
I wonder if by 'remake' he's thinking of Upstairs Downstairs? Which is kind of both. It'd be hard to imagine that working so well with HoE, though.