MIDLANDS TV production company is seeing its first BBC commissioned programme air this evening (Friday, June 23).

Kingswinford-born Paul Barnett’s GOSH! TV has been behind ‘Invented in The Midlands’, a show which tells the story of Black Country inventor Thomas Parker, who is credited with building the world’s first practical electric car in 1884.

The show will also reveal unique transport innovations from the region.

Paul, who has produced and directed shows including Come Dine With Me, Coast and Embarrassing Bodies, was inspired to pitch the programme idea after reading about Thomas Parker’s achievements.

He said: “The more I found out about Parker, the more I wanted to tell his amazing story.

“It felt incredible that so few people knew about him – he was a local genius who was commuting back and forth to work, over 130 years ago, through the streets of Wolverhampton on his electric car.”

The programme is led by BBC Two’s Coast presenter, Professor Brendan Walker, who said: “Thomas Parker was way ahead of his time, and it’s amazing to discover that this spirit of world-class innovation and panache continues to thrive in the heart of the Midlands.”

Brendan also filmed with local inventors, including John Parry in Cradley Heath, who invented the Parry People Mover.

His company is the brains behind the Stourbridge Shuttle train, which uses an ingenious, eco-friendly, flywheel technology to whisk passengers between the town’s two stations.

Also featured in the programme is the proposed £25 million Very Light Rail Innovation centre being built in Dudley, which will be used to test the trains of the future and put the area at the forefront of environmentally friendly rail transportation.

Another surprising transport innovation is taking place at Westfield Sports Cars in Kingswinford, where Brendan met its CEO, Julian Tuner, who revealed the futuristic, autonomous vehicle technology, now being developed by the company.

‘Invented in The Midlands’ is due to air on BBC1 at 7.30pm.