BBC Asian Network launches Silver Street
- the nation's first Asian radio soap
Introduction
Silver Street starts 24 May 2004 and continues Monday to Friday,
with a weekend omnibus
Created by British Asian writers and producers
More than £1 million committed to the project
The UK's first daily Asian radio drama starts this month
on the BBC Asian Network.
Silver Street follows the lives of young Asians living
in a Midlands city and offers a fresh, fast-moving and topical portrayal
of modern Asian life.
The ambitious project has drawn together some of the
best British Asian talent in writing, production and performance, and
formed a new team in BBC Radio Drama.
Silver Street storylines tackle the issues and challenges
facing the British Asian community in a fresh and entertaining way.
Property developers, club promoters, a potential Asian
football star and families with hopes, ambitions and secrets feature
amongst the drama's characters.
Their stories are played out against the backdrop of
urban Britain - the municipal park, community centre and restaurants
with a strong soundtrack, featuring newly commissioned music
from prominent Asian artists Shri (of Badmarsh & Shri) and
Niraj Chag.
More than £1 million is being invested in the
project which provides five daily, ten-minute episodes, broadcast Monday
to Friday and repeated as an omnibus at the weekend.
The show airs twice a day, once during Sonia Deol's
popular morning talk show and then in Ray Khan's drivetime show.
Silver Street is a fictitious neighbourhood in the West
Midlands but could easily be Brick Lane in London or Belgrave Road in
Leicester; it is a street that has become synonymous with the whole
area around a pulsating high street of fabric shops and restaurants.
It's a place where new money is changing the make-up
of the community and regeneration is both an opportunity and a threat.
BBC Asian Network is available on DAB digital radio,
on Freeview channel 79, Sky Digital channel 869, NTL channel 867, Telewest
channel 912 and via the internet at bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork.
It is also available on medium wave in parts of the
Midlands, Yorkshire and Lancashire.
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