When Unspun, the election diary of Amanda Platell sent Conservatives in a spin over loyalty issues, it also marked a turning point for Glasgow-based Ideal World founded by Muriel Gray and Hamish Barbour. Best known until now for TV features like Driven and Location, Location, Location, the company has now shown it can also deliver current affairs programmes that can grab audience.

Recently Ideal moved into feature film production, their debut being the much acclaimed Late Night Shopping with director Saul Metzstein and writer Jack Lothian. Ideal will also work with the duo on a Northern Soul dance feature set in Blackpool, slated for a £3m budget for production next year to be released in 2003.

Film Ambitions

To top off current film ambitions Ideal is working on a Peter McDougall script for a western-style feature set in a borders town. In drama, they are working on Lazarus for BBC Scotland, the Lazarus of the title being a new detective created by Peter Rankin, creator of the Rebus detective novels.

All of this has seen the company’s turnover rise by 25% from £9m last year to £12m this year, making it Scotland’s largest production house.