Not Unusual to Investigate a Sex Crime

I often wonder exactly what the successful pitch used by producers to get a particular TV programme on the air was. Take City of Vice on Channel Four - how in God's name did they ever get that one commissioned? I'm not saying that it is a bad programme, or anything. I just can't imagine how you could sell it to TV executives: "Henry Fielding takes time off from writing Tom Jones to investigate murders in eighteenth century Soho, assisted by his blind brother." Hardly the most scintillating of scenarios. Perhaps it was the title which sold it - it makes it sound like some sleazy Channel Four documentary series investigating sex slavery in London. Actually, I can't help but feel that the whole Soho setting and sex trade angle sold this series - the Fielding brothers do seem to spend a lot of time in brothels interviewing prostitutes: "Yes, my dear, I know that the murder took place in Greenwich, but we like to be thorough in our investigations. Now take your clothes off while I perform an intimate body search..."

Sadly, of course, many viewers won't have a clue who Henry Fielding was, and probably think that Tom Jones is a leather-trousered Welsh crooner. Indeed, I can't help but feel that an approach along such lines could have made for a more popular programme. Have Henry Fielding as Tom Jones' manager and then set the pair of them to investigating sex crimes. Set the whole thing in swinging sixties London and end each episode with Jones performing a song inspired by the preceding investigation ("Sex crime, sex crime. You're my sex crime..."). Now, if that doesn't get the viewers in, nothing will! I can also guarantee that if you did pitch a TV show along these lines to British TV executives, there's a fair chance it would get commissioned! Now, where did I put Michael Grade's phone number...