Scilly is like Ambridge at its best, according to the producer of new series An Island Parish.
‘People seem to keep an eye on each other, look after each other, help each other out,? Nigel Farrell told ScillyNews.
He likened Scilly to the home village of long-running radio soap The Archers when we caught up with him ahead of the programme’s start on Monday.
And he let us know what we can expect from the show.
‘We’ve followed a broad range of Island stories: the appointment and arrival of the new Chaplain, Father Guy Scott, and his departure from his old parish of Mullion on the mainland, and the work of retired priests Donald and Margaret Marr who have been ?holding the fort? in his absence,” he said.
‘Also, the crisis caused by the departure of the Island vet Rick Barrowman; the arrival of the new bobby WPC Nikki Green; the problems of accommodation for young people on the Isles; trawlerman Martin Bond’s attempts to bring in enough high-quality fish to supply St Mary’s restaurants and pubs’..and lots more.”
The crew, from production company Tiger Aspect, started filming at the gig championships in May and have been on the Islands for several days a month thorughout 2006.
They will finish after Father Guy’s induction service on St Mary’s on January 25.
The series is a spin-off of A Seaside Parish, which followed the Bishop of Truro, Bishop Bill, as he travelled around his diocese in 2005.
Nigel said: ‘Bishop Bill became involved in two issues on his remotest parish. The appointment of Andrew Penman as the new head of the Five Islands school; and the departure after ten years in the job of Julian Ould, the Chaplain to the Isles.
‘At the beginning of 2006 the search began for a new Chaplain which seemed to form the perfect narrative for a spin-off series, which in time became An Island Parish.?
He admits he was enchanted by Scilly and its similarity to Ambridge.
‘For example, I was struck by how the entire population of St Martin’s turned out for Kenny Goddard’s funeral back in August, along with a lot of folk from other islands of course. Later we filmed a wedding on St Agnes ? every single islander was invited,? he said.
‘Obviously there’s a down side to this in the sense that everyone knows everyone else’s business ? but on balance, it’s a strong, old-fashioned sense of community which is very aspirational for people looking in from the mainland.?
An Island Parish
Monday BBC2 8.30pm
The Archers (a story of everyday country folk) Daily R4 2pm and 7pm.