Flying Start (1)

Synopsis

North West businessmen and women from small firms compete to prove that they have the promise to make a go of it in the commercial world. Each week, the managing director tries to convince a panel that their company can provide jobs in Granadaland and are deserved of the cash prize.

Ideas in the first series included cross-shaped folding boomerangs, a glass engraver, and someone who made precision scale models of yachts. Each had to convince a panel of independent experts that their business was most worthy of a cash boost. Resident judges were joined by guest stars - including Richard Branson of Virgin Records, and razor man Victor Kiam.

The company had to be based in the Granada region, have no more than 50 employees, and have a limited turnover (£500,000 a year in 1983, rising with inflation to £3 million by the late 90s).

The final show was a black-tie awards ceremony where the overall winner was awarded a trophy and the cash.

Part of the thrill was watching the businessmen squirm under the questionning - one reviewer noted, "They couldn't look more uncomfortable if they were in a room with the Gestapo".

After a fast turnover of hosts in its early years, Flying Start became most associated with Anthony Wilson, himself an entrepreneur with Factory Records. "He got the value of the entrepreneur to our society way before it became fashionable," said Granada's David Liddiment. "That's a little bit of Granada and an awful lot of him." Long before Dragons' Den or The Apprentice, Flying Start talked about cashflow and business plans with a clear head.

By the time it came off air in 1997, Flying Start had redistributed almost £3 million to small businesses, the seed money coming from public and private sector donations. A piece in 1997 cited Flowcrete as Flying Start's biggest success, originally a concrete flooring specialist in Sandbach, now operating across Europe - and still trading when we looked in the 2020s.

"As much a community instutition as a TV show" said the Manchester Evening News in 1997. They didn't know that the final episode was transmitted the night before.

Inventor

After riots in Liverpool in 1981, Michael Heseltine was appointed a "Minister for Merseyside". David Plowright, the MD of Granada, promised at a dinner with Heseltine that his company would fund regeneration projects, both by making television and putting up a chunk of prize money. The full story is described at Granadaland.org.

Trivia

The top prize was £25,000. It was the biggest prize in television at the time, because it wasn't cash to an individual but an investment in a company, and hence had a social purpose.

Other awards were handed out during the grand final, including accolades for Young Business Achiever, Innovation, Good Business Practice in the Arts and Business Personality of the Year amongst others.

Sponsored by the North West Local Enterprise Agency Trust.

Flying Start generally had some heats, fewer semi-finals and the black-tie final. The 1986 series was five self-contained episodes, but 1987's run had 25 episodes spread through the year. Episodes were shown one weeknight at 6.30 until 1989, then usually at 7.30 afterwards, but the 1994 and 1995 series went out in a late-night slot.

Granada used "Flying Start" as a brand for occasional enterprise festivals and jobfinder events. An artwork commissioned by Wilson's Factory Records was allocated one of their fabled catalogue numbers, FAC 318.

We're not entirely sure who hosted the series in 1985 and 1986 - if you can help, do get in touch.

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