North East

Noisy from Newcastle: Geordie Shore's success

Charlotte Crosby (Credit: MTV)

The tale of boozy, sexed-up Geordies – “I’m fit, I’m flirty and I’ve got double Fs”, as one of the cast memorably declared – has come a long way in a short time.

Geordie Shore – based on the US series Jersey Shore – first hit UK screens in May 2011 and has racked up 163 episodes. The MTV reality show has also sold abroad to more than 80 territories.

On the eve of its 18th series, Geordie Shore was put under the microscope at an RTS North East and the Border “Anatomy of a hit” event in mid-October.

Graeme Thompson: Our friend in the North East

You wait years for big news about TV in the regions. And then in quick succession at the Nations and Regions Media Festival in Salford, along comes not one, but two major announcements about production outside London.

First Sharon White from Ofcom talked about the challenging quotas she was imposing on the BBC in her new role as the corporation’s regulator.

Julian Bellamy's speech to the RTS

Good evening. I’d like to start with an apology to Monica and Karen, our two signers tonight.  They maybe from Signpost - our multi-award winning Gateshead-based signing business -  but I bet they’ve not signed Anglo Saxon before….until tonight. Standby for a speech that can link Ant and Dec to the West Germanic version of Old English…yes, really.

Our Friend in the North: Graeme Thompson

Graeme Thompson

Here in the North East, it doesn't take long to detect a growing appetite for culture and the creativeindustries. After years of eye-watering investment in regeneration, manufacturing and infrastructure, civic leaders are prioritising design, content production and interactive digital media.

And young people are queuing up in their thousands to gain the skills and qualifications to pursue creative careers.