Why axe waking the dead

So, as I stood by to welcome them back, the crew flew into action like the last five minutes of an episode of Changing Rooms , using fly spray, vacuum cleaners and dustpans and brushes.

This was one occasion where we weren't able to say that "no animals flies have been harmed during the making of this film. There are brief references to Mel Silver , Stella Goodman and Boyd's son Luke, not in a reverential way, but as a way of prompting audience memories. Do you remember Boyd buying an enormous yellow model aeroplane in series five - Towers of Silence - when Grace's back was turned? When we see Boyd's home for the first time this series, I suggested the yellow plane should be evident.

It's great working on such a highly regarded show. It's the producer's job to galvanize a film crew of 60 people. I try to provide an environment where the writers and the crew feel empowered to create compelling stories with dark locations, great sets, stylish costumes, authentic looking corpses and atmospheric lighting set-ups. My job has been made so much easier because the quality you see on your television screens, in turn, attracts high calibre actors and crew year after year.

Quite simply, quality stems from quality. The decision was made to finish and it certainly feels that we're finishing on a high, having not outstayed our welcome.

Would you agree? You can judge for yourselves if we've got it right. I hope you'll let me know as I'd be very interested to hear. Colin Wratten is the producer of Waking The Dead.

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The plane has been knocking around the prop store for five years. British Broadcasting Corporation Home. Post categories: bbc one , drama , producer.

We have just delivered 10 hours of primetime drama to BBC One - the final ever series. It's been a lightning five years since I started on series six and my mind turns to what I'll take away from the experience of working on a forensic crime drama.

In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions. For a start, I could probably kill someone 20 different ways now and have an above average chance of getting away with it. It's good for you to see the different ways your licence fee goes to work, I think. Oh wait, I've just thought of a downside.

With the amount of gruesome script research I've done on my BBC computer, I'm probably on every government, police and Ministry Of Defence watch list, so maybe not a good idea after all. Danger lurks at every turn.

This series we have a scene where a corpse has a distinctive imprint on its skull. Eve works out it's where the head hit a manhole cover after the victim was run over. After researching this element of the story, I will certainly think twice before putting the word 'manhole' into Google again, I can tell you.

One of my abiding memories from my time on the show is the day we filmed a scene in a mansion that involved a naked decomposing prosthetic corpse suspended upside down from a first floor balustrade. The victim's silicon skull had been filled with jam to encourage the maggots to stay put maggots love jam, apparently - who knew? In addition, the fly and maggot wrangler yes, it's a real job released hundreds of blowflies as the camera manoeuvred its way through the hallway, avoiding the dead taxidermal dog lying on the floor.

It was at this point I was told the owners of the house were coming home early in the hope of meeting Trevor Eve. Now, we are always completely upfront with potential location owners about our intentions.

However, I wasn't convinced they'd be prepared for the harsh reality of the situation when they returned home. So, as I stood by to welcome them back, the crew flew into action like the last five minutes of an episode of Changing Rooms , using fly spray, vacuum cleaners and dustpans and brushes.

This was one occasion where we weren't able to say that "no animals flies have been harmed during the making of this film. There are brief references to Mel Silver , Stella Goodman and Boyd's son Luke, not in a reverential way, but as a way of prompting audience memories.

Do you remember Boyd buying an enormous yellow model aeroplane in series five - Towers of Silence - when Grace's back was turned? When we see Boyd's home for the first time this series, I suggested the yellow plane should be evident. It's great working on such a highly regarded show. It's the producer's job to galvanize a film crew of 60 people. I try to provide an environment where the writers and the crew feel empowered to create compelling stories with dark locations, great sets, stylish costumes, authentic looking corpses and atmospheric lighting set-ups.

My job has been made so much easier because the quality you see on your television screens, in turn, attracts high calibre actors and crew year after year.

Quite simply, quality stems from quality. The decision was made to finish and it certainly feels that we're finishing on a high, having not outstayed our welcome.

Would you agree? You can judge for yourselves if we've got it right. I hope you'll let me know as I'd be very interested to hear. Colin Wratten is the producer of Waking The Dead. For further programme times, please visit the upcoming episodes page.

Sign in or register to comment. I am truly miserable when I think the Waking the Dead will be no more after this series. It has become compulsive, nay, obsessive viewing since the first episode. The cast is brilliant and the stories suitably gripping and sometimes gruesome but always believable. Will I get over it? I doubt it Complain about this comment Comment number 1. I am very much looking forward to the final series of Waking the Dead - as part of a small on-line community of borderline obsessive fans, I think I speak for all of us when I tell you how excited we are!

Thank you, Colin, in advance for what looks to be a really gripping final series! Complain about this comment Comment number 2. I have harbored a wish for a while now that Peter Boyd might run into Leo Dalton and the rest of the team from Silent Witness someday, all in the line of duty of course. The stunning potential of a joint storyline involving the writers, producers and characters of both shows could, in my opinion, have the potential of producing one of the greatest TV drama events in the history of British television, especially if the storyline spanned a complete series.

Complain about this comment Comment number 3. I'm completely gutted to hear that this is the last ever season. That being said, it does sound like it's going to go out with the proverbial "bang" and I for one can't wait till it happens.

I will miss this show immensely, and although I'm not happy that it's ending, I'm happy that I've had the chance to watch such an amazing show from start to finish. Complain about this comment Comment number 4.

Back in the day I worked in telly for 10 years and now am a trainee Media teacher! It has, without a doubt, the best best cast, fantastic story lines, unbelievably brilliant twists, Trevor Eve and Sue Johnston are as good a actors and top calibre talent as the Beeb will ever get and we are amazed that the bleeding top execs refuse to take a minor paycut perhaps? Shame on you guys upstairs but thank you all the others who have made this our favourite ever programme and to really transform our Sunday nights and for what is such a brief time make worth watching again Complain about this comment Comment number 5.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first episode and can't wait for tomorrow. I noticed a couple of things.. I wondered if the two older people..

As soon as I saw them, my mind went straight there! Loved it. But mainly, was there a small homage to David Lynch in there!?

That shot with two elderly people gardening, bright red flowers in the back ground and a water hose spraying everywhere Blue Velvet anyone!? Complain about this comment Comment number 6.

Trough out the years Waking The Dead has made it mark on BBC for the show to end like this is sad on the ninth season of the show Trevor Eve has done a great job with Waking The Dead it is a pleasure for me to watching the show from the start and this final show and I watched every single show thank you to you the BBC for put this on tv and I wish Trevor Eve all the luck in the world because with Trevor Eve they will be no Waking The Dead and he done the well because I have watched dramas in the past but Waking The Dead and Trevor Eve is the best , I wish the rest of the cast good luck for the future I love Trevor Eve and his cast in the show you are the best so thank you all very much and finally you are breath taking to watch on TV.

Complain about this comment Comment number 7. I only became aware of this show about two years ago, since then I have seen every episode, some more than once. This is one of the smartest shows on TV, and as an American living in "TV wasteland", it was a welcome breath of fresh air, nothing was ever solved in 42 minutes on this show the way it is on US crime dramas.

I'm going to savor every episode of this final season, I pray it's as good as the last eight. Complain about this comment Comment number 8. I've been an avid viewer of Waking the Dead since Series 3, and regard it as being one of only a small handful of truly high calibre television dramas on our screens today: brilliantly written, superbly acted particularly by Trevor Eve and Sue Johnston , visually top-notch.

As an undergraduate student hoping to make a career for myself in television production, Waking the Dead is a show I consider to be a masterclass in quality, and as such I'm currently building my DVD collection of each series up to series 3- will be buying 4 and 5 with the next student loan!

I'm genuinely saddened that it's time is coming to an end, and wish to congratulate all cast and crew on what has been, for me, one of the most valuable and enjoyable television dramas I've ever had the pleasure of watching. Complain about this comment Comment number 9. Great to see the series return, but get the detail right please.

And was the uniform right for Sussex Police? Complain about this comment Comment number Love the show - shame it's the last series. But I couldn't take my eyes off Sue Johnston's face.

I don't know how much work she's had done on her face but she now looks like she's got cotton wool stuffed in her cheeks, and upper lip. Every time she talks she sounds like she's got a mouth full of doughnuts! Sorry Sue, love you as an actor, but please don't ruin your naturally beautiful features with cosmetic surgery eh I have never posted on anything like this before - but have watched Waking the Dead for many years.

I have to say that I was disgusted to see Munchausen by Proxy being used as a factual condition in the story line. Professor Meadows - who 'discovered' this condition has had his work totally discredited by the GMC but has clawed his way back in on a technicality.

Several women were falsely imprisoned only to be later released and exonerated of murder, many people had their children taken away from them only to have the Judges involved subsequently retire early 'to spend more time in their gardens' etc.

A little more research and consideration for those who have been falsely accused would not go amiss. Parents lives have been totally ruined by false accusations - many of the children have grown up traumatised or worse. An announcement at the beginning of the next programme is called for stating that Munchausen by Proxy is a medically discredited condition.

Did anyone else notice the mistake made in this weeks episode of waking the dead? When the characters referred to Peacehaven they said it was in West Sussex. Surely the writers could at least get these sort of details right.. I ignored the fact that when they chased the criminal from a house in Peacehaven across some sort of lake or water course.. We don't have anything like that in Peacehaven and used poetic liecence to show a nice little bungerlow in a leafy street..

Stylishly rubbish. I'm surprised that actors of such calibre can bear to perform such warped material that has the potential to dangerously mislead the public.

I absolutely loved 'Harbinger' - the darkly intense twists and turns were vintage Waking the Dead; the way we as viewers were led in one direction in the first part, only to have everything catapult in a different one in the second part was brilliant.

However, all that aside, I thought this episode was a phenomenal start to the series and it just compounds the pain for me that this wonderful show will soon be over! When it was filmed in Newcastle it was also full of inaccuracies but does it matter???

I will miss this fantastic show, it's such a shame they have to finish it it's one of the few good shows on the BBC. Why is this series being cancelled?

US series seem to run for season after season, but this very good drama is coming to an end too soon. The first two plays in the new series, were very disappointing.

Too many loose threads leading to loose ends and nowhere. Having seen previous series in German we were looking forward to English. We will try one more time and hope that it is much, much better. Intelligent, well acted, well scripted and bloody entertaining - of course it's going to come to end, just like Fawlty Towers, Blackadder, etc. Luther was a brilliant new series, the Italian one 'Zen' was dire.

It's great that the BBC are investing in new talent but when such flops as 'Outcasts' are openly mauled and even costume dramas North Riding are described as 'ITV'ish especially when ITV excel with Downton Abbey you have got to ask are you really sure you want to cancel quality when you are unsure of what will replace it?

Very large shoes to fill. Only just found this, and it's the last series! Have enjoyed it a lot but we my partner and I have a problem with the total incomprehensibility of dialogue uttered by Eva Birthistle. I do sometimes have a problem hearing dialogue but the rest of the characters are perfectly clear to me.

A mumbled Irish accent with incomplete pronunciation has made this difficult to follow at times. On the matter of boggart, quoted as being of Scottish origin int he latest episode: the OED 'boggart or boggard,a word inpopular use in Westmoreland, Lancashire, Cheshire, Yorkshire and the north Midlands and of occasional appearnce in literatuire since c '.

Graeme Fife. I am miserable too to think it will be no more. Why is one of the most popular BBC Dramas being cut again, Waking the Dead has been thoroughly enjoyable and this series especially.

Why waste money on other junk, we want Waking the Dead! Please listen to your community and commission another series. PS We really should of had this series available in HD. As I have already said on the points of view site, by killing off this series the BBC does itself no service. At a time when the quality of British TV is ever decreasing; the demise of programmes such as Waking the dead make no sense.

Is there nothing that can be done to rescue the situation? This week's episode, 'Solidarity', was utterly, utterly brilliant - although I always enjoy alright, am obsessed by! I have always loved Grace so it was wonderful to see her past fleshed out a little more It was beautiful to watch and I just hope we see some more of this before the series comes to its premature end.

This show is the embodiment of the reason why I will never mind paying my lisence fee. I do get a bit miffed when you include political diatribes that have no relevance to the plot. It struck me as somewhat obvious that Sue was the commentator as I have followed her on the BBC for some time. Still it is a good drama and Monday night is all the better for the programme!

I'm really annoyed yes, that is the right word at waking the dead being cancelled. I didn't enjoy the story line with Boyds son last year but apart from that the show has been gripping from start to finish - there are very few decent dramas on TV these days, most of the prime time being taken up with reality TV shows or dance competitions.

So waking the dead was, in a strange way, a breath of fresh air. I think the decision to cancel it is a mistake as the BBC has nothing to replace it with, Waking the Dead and Spooks were their two best programmes. Waking the Dead was one of the few programmes I always looked forward to returning. While it couldn't have gone on forever, I still feel it is a shame that this series is the last. I have enjoyed the recent episodes very much, so I am glad, at least, to think it will go out on a high note.

Will definitely be keeping an eye out for that yellow aeroplane! I really can't believe that another one of the BBC's best drama series is coming to an end. I know all good things come to an end but surely in this competative climate where viewing figures are of prime importance the BBC they should have kept it on our screens for more series than this. Another of my all-time favs as 'Lark Rise' and against public opinion this has been ended 'in its prime.

Do viewers' opinions matter as there are quite a number of us? What a superb programme waking the dead is,just wanted to say how much me and my family really enjoy it. Superb cast and stories that keep you guessing all the way,what a pity this series is nearly over. I haven't seen all of the episodes of Waking the Dead but what I have seen has been brilliant.

I very rarely watch television because most of it is complete trash, however Waking the Dead is one drama I refuse to miss. Myself and many others I know are extremely disappointed to see the BBC cancel a great drama and replace it with some other rubbish drama. Such a shame and a massive disappointment. Why oh why is this the last series of Waking the Dead? I'm probably wrong and there is no connection, but it seems strange that it is happening alongside the news that the FSS?

Ah well, c'est la vie. I have watched this series of Waking the Dead with the same compulsion that I have watched all the series since Each series is better than the last with excellent and convincing characters and unpredictable storylines, congratulations to all the actors, writers and directors. It seems foolish of the BBC to cut this programme when it is so popular and both me and my family will be sad to see Waking the Dead axed.

Thank you to everyone for taking the time to post a comment on this blog. We can't wait for you all to see next week's story. It's clear from this blog that the end of this series will leave a big hole in the schedules for many of you - since the beginning all Trevor, Sue, Wil and the production teams have wanted to do is make a show that is distinctly different from other crime shows, that keeps the audience guessing and that continues to deliver high production values on a returning basis.

If that is what the show is remembered for then 'job done'. Do let us know what you think of Waterloo, the series finale, and thank you for taking an interest in Waking The Dead.

I watch WtD and that's it, apart from a couple of other programmes that might take my fancy usually disappointing. So I'm really sorry that this is the last series.

There's only one carp there had to be one and that is the increasing use of lingering shots of torture and extreme violence reprised throughout an episode.

Yep, I got it the first time, thanks. I stopped watching Wire in the Blood when it went the same way, but it's now academic with WtD. Both started off with fascinating glimpses into the world of psychology, forensics, criminal profiling and other methodology not usually seen in cop programmes and both intelligently acted and directed. A cast of fine actors and a strong storyline - particularly the most recent WtD two-parter 'Conviction' - don't need this kind of repetitive beefing up.

Well, that's the mini-rant over. I shall miss WtD loads. One of its greatest strengths has been the developing interaction among the actors so you could truly believe they are a melded team. My thanks to the cast, past and present, and to all involved with this captivating series. Missing you already. I am looking forward to watching Waterloo with mixed feelings, excitement for what I'm sure will be an amazing finale, and sadness that WTD will be no more. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Colin and all the team for what has been, and to wish each and every one of them success for the future.

I was shocked to hear that there will be no more episodes, as "Waking The Dead" has been essential TV viewing right from the start. Over the years the quality of episodes has been outstanding, as has the parts played by all the cast members. Thank you for giving us this wonderful part of TV history.

This is one occasion when I can honestly say that I will look forward to repeats! As most of the people in England I, from Holland, am shocked to hear that this series is coming to the end. I sincerely hope that it'll be repeated as there are a lot of people in the Netherlands who are fans of this series and even remember Trevor in one of his first TVshows: Shoestring I think it was called. But tribute to all the actors and other people who worked on these series! I think that the decision that Waking the Dead series was cancelled because someone somewhere thinks" that the show is getting tired" is a misjudgement of the decade because the quality of the programme is a constant value even from the very beggining.

It would be very interesting to see what were the arguments used for this infamous decision. If the actors were fed up, many personal changes of the actors team already have been made without any damage to the quality of the series. The production team already includes many writters and directors, thus that cannot be problem at all. If we compare many other crime series: A touch of Frost, Trial and retribution, The Sommervil murders, Spooks, it is obvious that some of them were produced for even 16 seasons and are still going strong.

The same is situation with Waking the dead. If I was a person on a position in BBC, I would rather cancel all those who insisted that Waking the Dead should be cancelled, than the series itself because this series represent the peak of the decade long tradition of BBC series quality. Like the other public, I have not seen the finale, and there is only two ways to finish the series: either to kill all the members of the cold cases unit, or to disband it due to costs for example.

If someone in BBC think that the public opinion is important, surely the series would be continued, at least for some specials , for Christmass or something like that. How unfortunate! Please reconsider the end of Waking the Dead, it is a fantastic show, with a great cast and brilliant writing. The viewing figures speak for themselves.

It's been one of the best programmes they've produced in recent years, and I'll miss it a lot. Thanks to everyone involved for all those riveting storylines - they made my Sunday and Monday evenings all the better.

I'm afraid the BBC has decided to devote its financial resources elsewhere, thus it is hopeless. It saddens me greatly that the BBC does not care to explain thoroughly and unambiguously what drives the "creative" and budgetary cuts decisions of its "top managers" when it kills excellent programs.

I 'm aware Trevor Eve is not the easiest person nor most diplomatic one to deal with but his Boyd character is much more credible than the one he just came up with in Kidnap and Ransom I found it rather "unbelievable" and I'm a fan It is hard to find gripping drama on TV that does not fall short as all the American series do, except for Dexter or Breaking Bad for example.

I must give 5 stars to The Danish thriller "the killing" and impatiently await the second series to come to our screens too. The last episode starts now Please forgive me if this is incoherent - I am literally in the aftermath of 'Waterloo', Part 1 and I am absolutely buzzing.

In every possible way imaginable. The storyline is brilliant albeit exceptionally disturbing , the acting is superb I am incredibly conflicted about tomorrow night's conclusion - I'm desperate to see how it all gets resolved if indeed it does! This finale has compounded my feelings that I am so not ready for it to be over. However, what an episode to go out on! I'm sure I will be back on here to heap praise once again on Part 2. My sincere thanks to everyone who has been involved with 'Waking the Dead' since its conception - you should all be exceptionally proud.

Most television programmes play to the lowest common denominator and are trivial, cheap to produce, not interesting or exciting and are badly acted. I suppose she says reluctantly there is room for something for everyone. There are far too many brainless programmes such as: who can sing, dance and act, who can stay in a room the longest with a group of morons or who can eat insects in a jungle etc. Then there are the usual dismal 'soaps' and the constant house and cookery programmes which keep being turned out in a different format.

So please keep: the programmes showing how beautiful our country is, the interesting ones about the universe etc, the lovely filmed period dramas and the exciting and well acted dramas such as 'Waking The Dead' for the people who like to be kept on the edge of their seats!

This is the first time i have ever commented on a bbc tv programme but felt compelled to do so as I am so gutted that this wonderfull drama is comming to a final end The actors in this drama are all so talented and have worked so well togerther, what with the fantastic writers to put an end to this drama is a move in the WRONG direction.

Waking the Dead has always been amazing. I've never been so loyal to a show or so captivated by everyone in it. The actors are great alone, but amazing together. The writing is fantastic.

No other programme on TV compares with it. What a shame to see it finish. The latest episodes have been the most troublesome and moving for me and I can't believe they are planned to be the last. I have never seen such a well researched and realistic dipictation of the lives in and around Residential Care in the late '70's, early '80's; homelessness and the police in and around Leicester Square and Piccaddilly at the same time, and as one episode said, pre "child protection" laws.

Thank you for your bravery and for acknowledging in the unconftable truth that for so long was denied. I was fortunate enough to not be a resident, but aged 13 some contemporaries were passing through this system, even ending up in that place Haut de la Gorren without paper work. Islington still wont'give over the records if they ever had any.

Truth is often stranger than fiction, but in this case you've married the two. Thank you again especially to the writers and researchers and everyone as well as obviously the wonderful cast. I am really sad, as this is the last episode on right now as I am typing this I just can't believe that the one show that I really love on television is finished for good? There is nothing else As the show is not finished yet, I obviously don't know the outcome of it yet but right now I am really, really hoping that there will be some spin off or one off specials in the mix?

Good Bye. What an amazing finale to the last series of Waking the Dead. Heartbroken that it's not continuing, such an incredible and gripping creation. Just seen that Body Farm is coming along Well done BBC for these last few years of top-class entertainment this is the sort of drama it's worth paying the licence fee for!!!! I'm stunned that the BBC should be cutting this series from its output. They ought to be ashamed! A very sad loss to the schedules. I have just watched the final of Waking the Dead.

This was truly an exceptional 2 episodes. I have never posted on a site before but this was so so good in every respect.

Casting, acting, script, production-- fantastic. I am an not avid T. Thank you to all involved. Waking the dead has been a flagship drama for the BBC. Whilst it is sad that this evening was the last ever episode i feel the timing and method in which it was ended was right. Congratulations to all the team involved in producing the show. Thank you to all those who have taken part.. Trevor Eve superb, as Boyd.. I am devastated it is over.

What a fantastic show.