ID08 swings it for indie television interest.

When Whizz Kid Entertainment chief executive Malcolm Gerrie hooked up with his one-time Chiswick neighbour Alison Wenham for a drink earlier this year, they could not have imagined they would be on their way to creating a series of documentaries for Channel 4 about the indie sector.

Wenham has long harboured ambitions - almost since Aim was created nine years ago - to get a TV programme made about the sector. But she concedes without something obvious like an awards show "we were lacking a hook". ID 08 provided the story.

She told Gerrie about the plans for an album and an auction of indie memorabilia and it dawned on them that it would make riveting television. "It's a dead simple idea. Here is the indie sector saying, `We are in rude health and want to celebrate that.' I wanted to get involved straight away," says Gerrie.

Excited by the concept he pitched the idea of a TV show at a breakfast meeting with Neil McCallum, head of music at Channel 4 TV. After the coffee and croissants, McCallum commissioned a series of three programmes on the spot. McCallum recognised a real chance to "celebrate the scene". He explains that indie music is a perfect fit for the TV station and believes a series of ID programming can be scheduled for future years.

In addition to filming The Charlatans at Cargo, show producer Andy Wood at Whizz Kid/Tough Cookie has also got live footage of Infadels, Phil Campbell, Feeder, Roots Manuva and Katie Melua in the can interspersed with interviews with Mills, Wenham et al and a very rare and exclusive interview with Island founder Chris Blackwell. The whole package is presented by Rob da Bank. ...