Liverpool Mayor Criticizes Crime Drama Portrayal of City

Steve Rotheram, the metro mayor of the Liverpool city region, has said he would prefer TV dramas set in his home city to highlight the "warmth" of its people, rather than "drugs, organised crime and criminal activity". Rotheram made the comments after watching the second series of the BBC One drama This City is Ours, which is filmed across the Liverpool city region and in Spain. The drama follows the fortunes of the fictional Phelan crime family.

While Rotheram praised the drama's "cinematic, film-like" quality and "top-notch" acting, he said that overall it was not the portrayal of Liverpool he wanted to see. He felt that characters were often reduced to negative stereotypes. Last month, stars of the crime drama defended it against claims it showed the city in a negative light and glamourised a life of crime.

Earlier this year, Liverpool-born producer Jimmy Mulville questioned whether a focus on crime drama shaped the city's wider reputation and whether it reflected the reality of life in Liverpool. The first series of This City is Ours generated around £9m for the local economy, according to the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. The production spent around 17 weeks filming during 2024, and generated or sustained about 300 jobs and introduced about 17 apprentices to the film industry, according to an impact report by the Liverpool Film Office.

Rotheram said he wants to see dramas that focus on the "warmth of their welcome, their friendliness, their humour", which he believes is what the Liverpool City region is really about. He also commented that he thought "some of the Scouse accents were a bit dodgy".