The corporation is bringing £25m to the region over five years, including spending on new programming and talent.

Production companies have been encouraged to pitch, putting the North East at the heart of their concepts. Representatives from successful commissions sat on the RTS panel, alongside the BBC commissioning editor Helen Munson.

Munson said: “These are network programmes that we’re making, and they absolutely stand up with the other programmes that we have on BBC daytime. There is no denying the quality is here.”

Among the winners were: Andrew Eastel, creative director at Middlechild Productions; Antonia Hurford-Jones, MD of Twenty Six 03; and Gareth Deighan, creative director at Signpost Productions. They discussed how their commissions hit the brief, and how they found the production crew in the region to make them happen.

Deighan said local talent was the key to screen success, adding: “It’s more about your attitude and how hard you work than anything else. You can have all the qualifications in the world, but it might not fit. We want people to love it, go for it and that will get you further in work.”

Hurford-Jones wanted to establish the region as a hub for creative talent: “We’re all helping each other. It’s up to us to work together, think bigger, and to be optimistic for the North East.”

Munson added: “We need to make sure that, if companies are coming into the region, they are making things from the region with people from the region.”

Eastel, whose production company, Middlechild, is opening a permanent North East office following the commission of its 10-part series Northern Justice said: “If we [want to] get other companies to move from the South to the North East, they need a reason to do that.

“It’s about making the foundations encouraging and attractive for other production companies to come, then they will bring hours of television, jobs and money.”

Learning from these successful commissions is the first step to growing a sustainable TV sector in the region. “This is a great start and if everyone… continues to have ambition and drive to make it happen, then we’re in a good place. It’s up to us, it’s not going to come overnight,” said Deighan.

“Carpe diem: seizing the daytime”, celebrating local skills and uniting North East industry professionals, was held in November at The Biscuit Factory, Newcastle, and hosted by journalist and TV presenter Chris Jackson.