Birmingham Grand Central Station ?

[Bertone]

I had to smile watching the ITV police drama DI Ray last evening, as a “person of interest” was reported to have been seen in “GRAND CENTRAL” Station.
As the series is set in Birmingham and the scene clearly at NEW STREET, I wonder why the the station was referred to as GC for the drama.
OK, I understand that there is an adjacent shopping precinct called Grand Central, so presumably it was literary license regarding the station name.……or am I behind the times

 

[Fidelis]

I had to smile watching the ITV police drama DI Ray last evening, as a “person of interest” was reported to have been seen in “GRAND CENTRAL” Station.
As the series is set in Birmingham and the scene clearly at NEW STREET, I wonder why the the station was referred to as GC for the drama.
OK, I understand that there is an adjacent shopping precinct called Grand Central, so presumably it was literary license regarding the station name.……or am I behind the times

Whilst using Birmingham as a background it was not called that in the show. The Police were labelled as West Central Police not West Midlands. Similarly Peaky Blinders whilst set in Birmingham but whose outdoor scenes are apparently filmed several miles north. I particularly enjoyed the fugitives using a lift labelled Platforms 8&9 but emerging on Platform 10 perhaps this is a short cut I could use next week.

 

[Royston Vasey]

Whilst using Birmingham as a background it was not called that in the show. The Police were labelled as West Central Police not West Midlands. Similarly Peaky Blinders whilst set in Birmingham but whose outdoor scenes are apparently filmed several miles north. I particularly enjoyed the fugitives using a lift labelled Platforms 8&9 but emerging on Platform 10 perhaps this is a short cut I could use next week.

Presumably a passage via Platform 9 & 3/4!

 

[gg1]

I had to smile watching the ITV police drama DI Ray last evening, as a “person of interest” was reported to have been seen in “GRAND CENTRAL” Station.
As the series is set in Birmingham and the scene clearly at NEW STREET, I wonder why the the station was referred to as GC for the drama.
OK, I understand that there is an adjacent shopping precinct called Grand Central, so presumably it was literary license regarding the station name.……or am I behind the times

My guess is a clueless writer.

Wouldn't be the first person to wrongly assume the redeveloped New Street had been renamed "Grand Central", someone I worked with a few years ago thought that.

 

[DarloRich]

My guess is a clueless writer.

or alternatively the producers were told that they could not use actual names and so changed them in order to explain to viewers where the programme was set and retain credibility.

 

[gg1]

or alternatively the producers were told that they could not use actual names and so changed them in order to explain to viewers where the programme was set and retain credibility.

Why would they not be allowed to use a real station name, plenty of other films and TV series use them?

 

[DarloRich]

Why would they not be allowed to use a real station name, plenty of other films and TV series use them?

happens all the time for all kinds of reasons. Seems based on above posts the name of the local police force was not used. It may be the "owners" of the name are not happy to be associated with the themes or content of the programme.

 

[gg1]

happens all the time for all kinds of reasons. Seems based on above posts the name of the local police force was not used. It may be the "owners" of the name are not happy to be associated with the themes or content of the programme.

Good point about the police force, I missed that.

 

[dggar]

Whilst using Birmingham as a background it was not called that in the show. The Police were labelled as West Central Police not West Midlands.

Similarly Peaky Blinders whilst set in Birmingham but whose outdoor scenes are apparently filmed several miles north.

I particularly enjoyed the fugitives using a lift labelled Platforms 8&9 but emerging on Platform 10 perhaps this is a short cut I could use next week.

Quite a lot in the Castlefied area of Manchester in the last series

 

[Bertone]

Going slightly off on a tangent, I noted recently in the last episode of Grantchester, that the Vicar chased his lady love to a station sign-boarded “Cambridge”.
However, this was a single track platform and when the train arrived it was headed by a GWR pannier tank.
I recognised it as being Chinnor in Bucks, not too far from where I live.
It would have been much better for the production department to have named the station Grantchester (doesn’t exist in real life) as that would have fitted the storyline.
Am I being too pedantic?
In episodes in earlier series, Horsted Keynes was Cambridge.
I must get out more!

 

[JamesT]

happens all the time for all kinds of reasons. Seems based on above posts the name of the local police force was not used. It may be the "owners" of the name are not happy to be associated with the themes or content of the programme.

Similarly Line of Duty used 'Central' and 'East Midlands' police forces.

Going slightly off on a tangent, I noted recently in the last episode of Grantchester, that the Vicar chased his lady love to a station sign-boarded “Cambridge”.
However, this was a single track platform and when the train arrived it was headed by a GWR pannier tank.
I recognised it as being Chinnor in Bucks, not too far from where I live.
It would have been much better for the production department to have named the station Grantchester (doesn’t exist in real life) as that would have fitted the storyline.
Am I being too pedantic?
In episodes in earlier series, Horsted Keynes was Cambridge.
I must get out more!

I think this is one of the reasons for using completely fictional locations or organisations, if you use 'real' ones then viewers that know them get jarred out of their disbelief when they recognise it's not correct.

 

[swt_passenger]

Similarly Line of Duty used 'Central' and 'East Midlands' police forces.

IIRC the whole Morse series used Thames Valley (as did the books), but later Lewis shows referred to a fictional Oxford Police. So maybe they annoyed someone along the way…

 

[yorksrob]

IIRC the whole Morse series used Thames Valley (as did the books), but later Lewis shows referred to a fictional Oxford Police. So maybe they annoyed someone along the way…

Yes, I read about this, the Lewis series couldn't get permission to use Thames Valley police for some reason. I put it down to some over-officious clerk creating problems.

In terms of Birmingham, isn't the shipping centre called "grand Central" hence perhaps the confusion regarding the station name ?

 

[duncanp]

In terms of Birmingham, isn't the shipping centre called "grand Central" hence perhaps the confusion regarding the station name ?

The tram stop adjacent to the station is called Grand Central (for New Street station).

Trams in Birmingham - Oh yes I remember them....

 

[SCDR_WMR]

In terms of Birmingham, isn't the shipping centre called "grand Central" hence perhaps the confusion regarding the station name ?

Indeed, formally known as Palisades Shopping Centre. Now Grand Central.

However, the line where the one ends and New St starts is rather blurry now. Used to be the shopping centre was directly above the station, accessed via stairs/escalators or the well know ramp.

Now it is all open with shops and eateries on the ground floor level (who's address I believe is Unit XX, Grand Central), presumably only the parts through the gates and below count as the station.

 

[Western Sunset]

I saw the series and really enjoyed it. I too wondered about Grand Central. But they used "real" names for most other places, eg Centenary Square correctly used in the first episode.

 

[P Binnersley]

"Grand Central" was (briefly) the name for New Street station.

The original station was, for a short period of time, termed 'Navigation Street' and even 'Grand Central Station', only assuming the title 'New Street' with the opening of Stephenson Place. The latter becoming a short cut to both the station and Queen's Hotel from New Street thoroughfare, some 60 yards distant.

Birmingham New Street Station

 

[D821]

Yes, I read about this, the Lewis series couldn't get permission to use Thames Valley police for some reason. I put it down to some over-officious clerk creating problems.

In terms of Birmingham, isn't the shipping centre called "grand Central" hence perhaps the confusion regarding the station name ?

It's pretty standard - I can't think of any TV series set locally where they've used the name 'Merseyside Police', for example. I've seen things such as 'Liverpool City Police' or 'Mersey Police'. The Martin Freeman drama that came out this year used 'Mersey Police', or something similar, even though they used similar police colours on logos and vehicles.

 

[Delenn]

Don't forget there was a proposal to build a new station east side (connected to Moor St) to be a big hub, with both New Street and Snow Hill lines crossing there, Digbeth Coach Station and the bus stations would have moved and the Metro would have come. A once in a lifetime opportunity and the council blew it. And it would have been named Grand Central. The name was taken by the shopping centre later (probably to try to detract from the way they missed the opportunity).

 

[gg1]

Don't forget there was a proposal to build a new station east side (connected to Moor St) to be a big hub, with both New Street and Snow Hill lines crossing there, Digbeth Coach Station and the bus stations would have moved and the Metro would have come. A once in a lifetime opportunity and the council blew it. And it would have been named Grand Central. The name was taken by the shopping centre later (probably to try to detract from the way they missed the opportunity).

Yes, I remember reading about that proposal when it was released by Arup, I thought at the time it would have been brilliant for the city and my opinion hasn't changed.