Form book 18

Lord Grade: “I think the BBC has become too bureaucratic. I commissioned The Singing Detective in the loo.

“I bumped into Jonathan Powell, the head of drama. He said ‘I’ve just had a meeting with Dennis Potter. He’s got a thing called The Singing Detective.’

“I said, ‘OK, we’ll do it.’ That was it. What’s missing today, to a certain extent, are people’s instincts. You’re not allowed to trust your instincts."

Lord Grade, 69, is 66/1 for next DG with Ladbrokes.

In other market moves, Caroline Thomson's publicity push has not paid off yet at the bookies. Three now give George Entwistle the shortest odds. Paddy Power stick with Caroline, with George and Ed Richards as joint second favourites. No board price yet for Lionel Barber of the FT, despite apparent overtures from Lord Patten via the press. Meanwhile, the Evening Standard, which started the Barber story, is now worried that their tip is a Europhile - which could be seen as a bad political pairing for Lord Patten.  Caroline Thomson's friendship with Lord Mandelson apparently is evidence of a similar problem.