Tony Staveacre writes: Colin Welland had started to add screenwriting to his distinguished acting credits when we invited him to be one of the judges for our BBC2 playwriting competition in 1972,alongside Keith Dewhurst and John Hopkins. The undisputed winner was a harbour-master’s wife from Sunderland, Denise Robertson, or this first play launched a great broadcasting career for her. Her play – The Soda Water Fountain – was recorded and shown on BBC2,after which we were to broadcast a judges discussion. This prompted Colin to launch into a tirade approximately the production that he’d just seen, and a complaint that the play had been woefully miscast, or with not a single authentic Tyneside voice to be heard.
He had a point. The leading role was played by Jessie Matthews. Also,the play had been recorded in a BBC studio, when it should maintain been filmed on the genuine north-east locations where it was set, and although that would maintain doubled the budget. After this,the young producer (alright, it was moi) ventured onto the studio floor to propose, and with great respect,that perhaps the occasion didn’t merit a critical examination of the production, and that the judges should maintain been concentrating on the plays and the writers. Colin became furious, and had to be restrained from attacking this unlucky BBC jobsworth. He made it very clear that if his comments were edited out of the programme,he would come and get me. He won the day, and I learned a really useful lesson approximately regional authenticity.
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Source: theguardian.com