... Three series on mystery and murder at the BBC By GILLIAN ROSE THE BBC is currently in production with three drama serials adapted from novels written by mystery writer Dorothy L. Savers. They feature the characters Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane. The serials will be shown on BBC- 2, probably in autumn 1987, and are being produced by Michael Chapman, whose producer credits include ...

... DIRECTORS GIVE ACTT BREAKAWAY ULTIMATUM 'Prove you are willing and able to represent us or we will quit union' By ANGELA THOMAS THE DIRECTORS Guild this week hit back at ACTT attempts to prevent the formation of a breakaway union of producers and directors, by challenging the ACTT to prove it was willing and able to represent all its members' interests. a This is the latest stage in the battle ...

... Birt gives way to his deputy BBC CHIEF John Birt's dramatic retreat to his deputy director general's position has fuelled speculation throughout the corporation that his con troversial policies towards jour nalism may well be over. Since his arrival over a year ago Birt has left tew areas of news and current affairs untouched and his departure last week from the everyday running of the ...

... LA Law is first UK casualty of American writers' strike BY STAGE REPORTER AS AMERICA'S writers' strike drags on, Britain's LA Law fans have become the first victims of the long running dispute. I names 1 V admitted that they were forced to bring the series to an abrupt end two weeks ago when their supply of episodes from the US ran out viewers will now have to wait until next year to catch up ...

... Making It--the Dance Competition ITV TELEVISION needs a regular dance competition comparable with the BBC's Young Musician of the Year. But so far the Corporation's two programmes, under the banner Eurovision Dancer of the Year, have failed to get to grips with the power of dance, with analysis of what it is that draws in its practitioners. Now Granada has taken up the chal lenge and made a ...

... Move It PREVIEW BBC 1 PRODUCER Chris Fear is concerned that television is not doing enough to encourage children to take up sport, and so his new seven-part series, Move It, is intended as a remedy. There is, however, something of an irony in presenting it on summer afternoons (Thursdays from June 30), just when sensible children ought to be outside playing games. Perhaps it is aimed at ...

... The Labours Of Erica THAMES EVERYONE ELSE seemed to be moaning in the opening programme of this new comedy series so I don't see why I shouldn't participate in the general wailing. Chance In A Million writers Fegen and Norris have written the show, which is about 39-year-old Erica Par sons realising on New Year's Eve that her life has been a comedy (or tragedy) of errors and at this late hour ...

... THE IBA has appointed two new members to the board of Channel Four. They are publisher Carmen Callil and Detta O'Cathain of the Milk Marketing Board. Their appointments take effect from July 1 and last five years. They replace Roger Graef, independent producer and director, and the Hon Mrs Sara Morrison, of the General Electric Com pany, who have completed their terms as members of the board. ...

... YORKSHIRE The Contract DIRTY TRICKS are well to the fore in this three-part thriller by Gerald Seymour, a tautly written piece with Ian Toynton directing a strong Anglo-German cast filmed largely on location in Berlin and along the East-West German border. Reagan and Gorbachey may have been talking peace and friendship, but television drama is still embroiled in the Cold War. This time ...

... CHANNEL4 It's a HuddHudd World ON THE pretext of celebrating Rov Hudd's fiftieth birthday this one-off show as dated as the Old Year or even those 50 years. It had a fatal flaw. Not the production standards. Nor the revue team. The material was as funny as acne and constructing a programme on the foundations supplied by a battery of writers meat it had no chance. In a running time of some 25 ...

... Chatterbox HTV THERE is no reason why young Aled Jones with the magic voice should also have the qualities of a chat show host and presenter. Musical talent even as enormous as his doesn't mean he is gifted in other areas. But, surprisingly, he makes a reason ably good job of it. Of course, the inexperience shows and if he does strumble over a name or two he is ready to admit it and in front ...

... Wipe Out GRANADA PROBABLY BEST described as a chiller-thriller, Wipe Out, Granada's latest five part series, takes that well loved fictional creation--the mad scientist and thrusts him right into the heart of our computer obsessed age. John Fairling is a psychologist who heads a hush-hush research project at a prison hospital, aimed primarily at controlling the minds of 'obstinate' patients. ...