Masterplan to ‘turbo charge’ TV production

STV is to roll out a string of drama series set in Scotland for the first time since the demise of Taggart seven years ago.

It is bringing in one of Britain’s leading producers to help “turbo charge” its development of drama over the next few years.

STV is joining forces with Elaine Collins, who brought Vera and Shetland to the small screen, and has previously worked with both BBC and ITV.

Channel chiefs say they are planning “a raft of projects set in Scotland” under a new commitment to “distinctive, high-quality, writer-led shows”.

STV Productions, which previously made Rebus and Taggart, is already working on a brand new legal drama for BBC One. The Victim, a four-part drama set in Edinburgh, is billed as a gripping, contemporary thriller which will offer a “constantly surprising and twisting perspective on who is really the victim”.

Sarah Brown, head of drama at STV Productions, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Elaine on this exciting new venture. She is hugely respected in the industry thanks to her fantastic writer relationships, terrific development brain, and impeccable taste.”

Ms Collins, previously an executive producer at ITV Studios and creative director at BBC Drama, said: “I’m very much looking forward to teaming up with Sarah and STV Productions. Our shared ambition to work with the very best screenwriting talent, provide a home for the most original novels, both historical and contemporary, and our passionate commitment to producing top quality work from Scotland and beyond, makes it feel like the perfect home for me.”