91Èȱ¬

A bit like the buses.... you wait for ages and then two come along at once!

The brand new series of Inside Out starts on Monday 17 October 2011 19:30 BST (more on this in my next blog), but the evening before we are bringing you a bonus documentary marking 25 years of the .

has taken me into his confidence to reveal exactly how he managed to convince reluctant councils, big-wig retailers and financiers to join an adventure that gave the North East the lead in Britain's shopping revolution.

It turns out Sir John even nicked the concept lock, stock and barrel from our North American cousins.

As you can see in this preview of the show, the entrepreneur and his wife weren't averse to some sneaky industrial espionage.

What's incredible is how much of the Metro Centre really is identical to the Woodbine Center - its Canadian forerunner - right down to the colour scheme, fixtures and fittings.

Kick back and relax this Sunday evening and rummage around 25 years of archive and revelation about the shopping centre that put us on the map.

Metro Man: An Inside Out Special is broadcast on Sunday, 16 October at 22:40 BST on 91Èȱ¬ One North East & Cumbria and nationwide on 91Èȱ¬ iPlayer.

As BOGOF (buy one - get one free) offers go, it's a real bargain!