BBC Three boss teases a new soap could be on the cards

BBC Broadcasting House in Central London - home of BBC Three.
Could the BBC see another soap in its schedules? (Image credit: Vuk Valcic/ SOPA Images via Getty Images)

BBC Three boss Fiona Campbell has teased that a brand new soap could be on the way to the new TV channel. 

When asked by members of the press, BBC Three controller Fiona Campbell seemed enthusiastic about launching another soap opera to represent modern Britain. She said: "I think [a new 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."

She added: "When we did [Meet] the Khans we got a lot of feedback about how good Bolton looked and people from Bolton were really proud of how we portrayed it, so I'd like to do that within a soap."

Janine Butcher asks Mick Carter for a favour in EastEnders

Could 'EastEnders' soon have another soap joining it on the BBC? (Image credit: BBC)

She also talked about how she would approach casting the new show, saying: "I'd like to provide a platform for it and the cast of the future within that. You know, you can see how many stars of the future came out of early EastEnders so that would be completely amazing.

"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."

When asked why BBC Three would be a great place to launch a new soap, Campbell explained the channel's voice and online presence on social media were "very specific", allowing the channel to have a different approach.

BBC Three returns as a traditional UK TV channel on Tuesday, Feb. 1, airing from 7 pm every night. RuPaul's Drag Race: UK Versus the World is among the shows that will be available to watch on launch night.

Martin Shore
Staff Writer at WhatToWatch.com

Martin is a Staff Writer with WhatToWatch.com, where he produces a variety of articles focused on the latest and greatest films and TV shows. 

Some of his favorite shows are What We Do In The Shadows, Bridgerton, Gangs of London, The Witcher, Doctor Who, and Ghosts. When he’s not watching TV or at the movies, Martin’s probably still in front of a screen playing the latest video games, reading, or watching the NFL.