Soothsayer's TV Dream comes true - Psychic detective to be 'the next Cracker'

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TRANSCRIPT from Bedfordshire on Sunday - 16 June 1996

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Soothsayer's TV Dream comes true
​Psychic detective to be the next Cracker

A 'PSYCHIC detective' from Leighton Buzzard is to have his life .story made into a television series.
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BBC bosses are staging talks with Chris Robinson with a view to making a police drama series out of his real-life adventures in his recent book The Dream Detective.

They predict 'The Dreamer' will rival Robbie Coltrane's Cracker in the popularity stakes.

Robinson, 45, shot to national fame after predicting two IRA bombs at the end of the ceasefire earlier this year.

In front of a Bedfordshire on Sunday reporter he correctly predicted that an IRA bomb had exploded on a double decker bus on a bridge on the night of the second bomb - even though he had no access  to TV or radio during a three-hour interview that night.

Robinson, whose other 'credits' include 'seeing' the fall of Margaret Thatcher, a fatal explosion on an airliner and various IRA atrocities including the murder of Tory MP Ian Gow, believes shooting on the series will start next spring.

He says he dreams 'symbols' of major events before they happen: He said: "I've been approached by three TV-making companies, one of whom is commissioned by the BBC.

"We have had a series of meetings; but nothing has been signed yet. But they seemed quite excited by it and if it gets the go-ahead, we hope it will be screened in autumn of next year.

"I think it would make good television because there are so many different detective series at the moment, I think television makers are looking for a new angle."

If the series does go ahead it is believed Robinson would become a salaried consultant commanding a large five-figure fee.

Robinson's eldest son, Paul, 25, could play a part in the series, Paul is currently taking a drama course in Hertfordshire and his father has asked show bosses to find a part for him in the series.

Former Bedfordshire Deputy Chief Inspector Alex Hall, who worked closely with Robinson on cases during his time in the force, said contractual agreements meant he could not comment.

But a friend said: "Alex has been approached to work as a consultant on the series, if it goes ahead, and he's really looking forward to it.''

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Notes
​​This article appeared with a photo of CR with the caption:
‘SEEING’ big money – ‘Dream Detective’ Chris Robinson
Another caption read:
‘I think TV makers are looking for a new angle’ – ‘Dream Detective’ Chris Robinson.

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Note: Update 15 March 2022:
As often happens in the world of TV and film, unfortunately, the producer who was keen on making this series left the production company just as the idea was progressing. Which meant it didn’t get made. But we're writing a script for The Premonition Man to mirror the forthcoming book of the same name, which we aim to publish in 2022, so there may be an update on a film or TV series in the future.