If you watch ITV1, have you noticed a trailer to the second Police drama (thriller?) series of D.I. Ray with a car chase across the Hockley flyover?
I streamed the first series on ITVx, and it was filmed all around Birmingham with some scenes in the Jewellery Quarter. Before the programme starts each time there is a warning about racist comments but I haven’t really noticed them as being truly racist but maybe more derogatory, defamatory, or discriminatory. Not sure which, maybe a bit of each but without giving too much away, especially the overall plot of the difficulties of an Asian female police officer – best to watch it yourselves.
Some of the ‘racist’ comments were more akin to ordinary people making conversation but with little thought about what they were saying.
As someone who walks the streets in the JQ regularly putting the magazine out I found the filming to be somewhat disorientating – sometimes the stars of the show are walking along a particular street then suddenly as the cameras change, they will continue to walk the same street but in the opposite direction. To most people this would not be apparent.
This also happens when they are driving around the JQ going along a particular street then suddenly, they are further back in the same street. Maybe this is standard practice for filming scenes, after all it is creative licence being a drama rather than a documentary.
If the programme makers wanted authenticity, then a scene should include me putting the magazine out in the background – now who said the drama is turning into a horror show! Anyway, it’s worth a look, you just might spot yourself going about your business in the JQ!
Mark
