Passion play

In a week in which the nation has contemplated the record of divisive figures, it seems BBC DG Lord Hall has been canvassing internal opinion on the return of Jay Hunt from Channel 4 to run BBC Television.

Raspberries aren't the only fruit, but the verdict means that Tony will have to search left-field now if he wants to bring in new faces to the Sanderson Commissioning Suite at Broadcasting House. Internally, the front-runners remain Peter Salmon, late fifties, standing on a diversity platform, and, in theory, with a family house to sell in Manchester; and Danny Cohen, edging to 40, reportedly in Cannes with drama commissioner Ben Stephenson. (Tony was 42 when he became Director of News).

Ben, who apparently flirted with a move from the BBC until Tony took him for a tour of the Royal Opera House, was previously tipped to fill a Cohen-shaped hole when Danny moved from BBC3 to run BBC1. Textual analysis suggests Ben is already close to the top level in creative speakak (copyright The late Erik De Mauny) and has now added "passion" - a Hall banker - to his armoury.  Here's something from his announcement of two new drama commissions yesterday...

"Quality and creative integrity are crucial to achieving international success. Co-production should be a means of achieving the scale of a writer’s vision, not a creative compromise. The best dramas translate internationally because they are driven by an ambition that goes to the heart of the piece."

"Both of these new commissions are passion projects for Jimmy McGovern and Tony Jordan - and are projects only the BBC would make."