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Post by Black Orchid on Mar 9, 2023 16:34:36 GMT
Fleetwood Mac - Oh Well (part 1)
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Post by GC on Mar 21, 2023 19:05:37 GMT
Oliver Arkinstall-Jones:
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Post by GC on Apr 22, 2023 17:02:41 GMT
Anyone fancying seeing Spearhead from Space in glorious black and white get yerself down the BFI cos you're in are luck...
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Post by Black Orchid on Jul 30, 2023 23:07:13 GMT
Derrick Sherwin interview 2010:
Quite when it was that I decided to become a writer I'm not sure, but I do remember my English teacher at school telling me to forget any such ambition since I could hardly write my own name, let alone produce something that was half-way acceptable as creative prose.
I had great pleasure one day when returning to my home town of High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire and seeing my old English teacher in a coffee bar, telling her to watch BBC Theatre 625 that week, to see my first TV drama. It starred Emlyn Williams and Bill Frazer and was entitled Yob & Nabob. It was judged second most popular play after Unman, Wittering and Zigo. I don't think the English teacher recovered her poise as I paid for her coffee and left with a smug smile on my face. Ever since that moment in my life, I have taken the opinions of those whom I have little respect for with a pinch of salt, including my bosses at the BBC. I remember having one hell of a battle with Paul Fox, the then head of BBC One, who refused to let me call a series Baker's Dozen, even though it comprised 13 thrillers and was introduced by a character named Baker. He believed that the public wouldn't know what a Baker's Dozen was.
After my auspicious launch as a TV dramatist, I began the slow and sometimes tedious learning curve of becoming a commercial writer. I was still an actor, writing in my spare time, of which there was a great deal. I took on a job in a soap opera United! playing a famous centre forward (not bad for a rugby player) until, having suffered the ghastly scripts for six months, I took to re-writing episodes and eventually left to become a full time writer on the series. Having become used to the regular pay cheques and having bought my first family home I went on to join the team of writers on another auspicious series, Crossroads. Whatever, these two soap operas were a wonderful training ground and when I left I was approached by the BBC to join as an assistant story editor on Doctor Who.
My experience of Who up to that point was comforting my kids who watched it religiously from behind the sofa as did most young fans of the time. Peter Bryant was the story editor at the time, but with Innes Lloyd (then the producer) looking to move on, Peter was looking to take over as producer. Although I had no experience of script editing at the time, I was at least a fairly experienced as a writer. Peter had no such experience at all since he'd come from producing Mrs Dale's Diary on radio.
When I took over script editing the programme and Peter moved into the chair as producer, the series was in one hell of a mess. The scripts, both existing and commissioned, were dreadful and getting the authors to follow a re-write brief was impossible since writing for Doctor Who was considered at the time to be as prestigious as cleaning the gents toilets on Shepherd's Bush Green. I therefore had to assume the sergeant major role and crack the whip. Egos were bounced around my office and ended up bruised but, in the end, compliant (since writers, despite their egos, enjoy their pay cheques and, unless they do the work, they don't get paid). Certain scripts turned out to be winners and the mood of the entire crew blossomed. Now all we had to do was to get the premise of the programme back on course.
As a series based upon the adventures of a hobo in space (this was creator Sydney Newman's description of what he thought the series should be about), it was far from being realized. It was in fact a series jumping from space and time travel through adventures with an historical background (which was credibly difficult since history couldn't be tampered with or changed) or adventures with wobbly jelly monsters. The series never had clothes that fitted or that anybody was comfortable wearing. No wonder the writers hated scripting for it. There was no clear story direction, no series premise. But there was a certain something.
By 1969, and under these circumstances, Patrick Troughton was getting fractious as the leading actor because his workload had become impossible. Eventually, he cracked. I had already decided to ease his burden by introducing UNIT as a secondary storyline participant. It was about this time that Patrick decided that he'd had enough and had a big row with Peter, who bid him farewell. I was a little bit relieved because Patrick was quite a handful, and I had my work cut out trying to reform the series to include UNIT more permanently and turn the series into something more acceptable, like the Quatermass stories.
It must have been something in the air because everything that could go wrong at this time did. Peter Bryant left the series to take over Paul Temple and I succeeded him as producer. It was also at the point that Jon Pertwee was cast and joined as the new Doctor. It was an inspired piece of casting which we finally agreed on having ploughed through Spotlight (the actors casting journal) several times. Jon Pertwee was nervous because he had never done a virtually live TV studio based show before.
I also had the problem of the series changing from black and white into colour and, on top of all this, the BBC technicians decided to go on strike, which meant that our studio dates had to be cancelled. So what to do? Only one thing for it: take the whole bloody thing, put it on film and shoot it outside London. This would make Jon feel easier since filming was a series of one shot takes and that pleased him, and it would take it out of the influence of the cussed unions. It was a monumental reorganization as far both I and the series was concerned but fun. We completed the filming successfully on time and on budget. Jon's first appearance was superb and I managed to persuade him to inject a little comedy into his performance here and there.
Peter, meanwhile, had been grappling with the task of placating the co-producer, a German company, about the series he was to rework. Not an easy task since Francis Durbridge had written Paul Temple as a radio series way back before television was even invented. The stories were set in a time that just didn't translate to the now of the seventies. When Peter took it over there wasn't one workable script and a decidedly upset co-producer who had invested a lot of money in this epic. Peter, charming soul that he was, just couldn't cope with this kind of situation, mostly because he was creative in that way.
I was just getting my feet comfortably under the table as producer of Doctor Who when Peter asked the powers that be if I could be persuaded to take over as script editor of Paul Temple. At first I refused, partly because I knew that Jon Pertwee would be disappointed to lose the one person he could bounce his ideas and concerns off. I did, however, agree to meet with the German co-producer, Nils Nilson, a charming man and a desperate one. I had to be blunt with the head of department in saying that given my expertise with script writing, while it could improve, the series needed more than that. And besides, having just become a producer myself, this would be a step down. I was subsequently persuaded by a joint producer agreement and set about the task of breathing some life into an otherwise dead but vitally important production. It was the first major co-production of the BBC. So in 1970 I moved from producing Doctor Who across to work on Paul Temple.
Doctor Who, on my leaving, had been put into the hands of my fellow writer Terrance Dicks, whom I had persuaded to join me as script editor. Barry Letts took over as producer. I don't think they fully appreciated what I was trying to do with introducing UNIT and, in my opinion, the series regressed from then on, except for a short time when Tom Baker gave it spirit as one of the replacement Doctors.
Years later, in late 80's, I had started my own company and heard that the BBC (in its infinite wisdom) had decided to can Doctor Who. I was furious because, despite all of the trouble I'd had with the series, I had grown attached to it. I offered the BBC a deal whereby I would take it over as an independent production, pay for the production through sales and pre-sales (it had by this time a considerable following which in the right hands could be persuaded to back it financially) and I would simply give the BBC the series free to air. It refused.
Then I heard that it had been set up to be done in Wales with big co-production money from Canada. I was relieved but somewhat pissed that my offer had been passed over and the BBC had gone elsewhere presumably because it could retain editorial control, something it always insisted upon while receiving a cash injection for the coffers.
While the series from Wales went into production, I semi-retired to Thailand, thoroughly disenchanted with the TV scene in London, which seemed to be developing into a chewing-gum-for-the-eyes business, imitating the worst of the rubbish coming out of the USA. I was sent copies of each new series and was impressed that the extra cash from the co-production had happily seemed to have ended up on the screen. I liked some of the stories but not those that traveled back in time into history something I thought should never have been tackled for the obvious reasons. History is history: don't tamper with it. But if the new producers want life breathed into the old series, they've only got to ask.
Now I have started my own company again in New Zealand I have decided to write a TV series using all of my experience (the good kind) from my time with Doctor Who. My new series is called We and yes, it involves adventures in space, and a family, but also a unique android copy of the lead character. It could be fun.
From waleshome.org, Sunday 14th March 2010.
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Post by dsjr on Jul 31, 2023 15:46:36 GMT
Wasn't old enough to have been watching either Auton story at the time, but if I had, no doubt it would have made going to the shops terrifying from there on in. Am glad that at least one Classic story was made completely on film just to see what could have been. Whipped through this one yesterday and just mopping up the extras tonight. I thought I was going to dislike Jon Pertwee as I did at first originally until I'd got used to him, but in actual fact watching this for the first time in many years, I thought he nailed it from the off. I think he became the 'father figure' once Jo Grant was installed as a companion but got to say I enjoyed this one and 'companion' Liz Shaw is just fine in the role and a far cry from the dolly-birds Pat had had with him.
Very different vibe of course, but hugely enjoyable for me and I look forward to the next one
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Post by profh0011 on Nov 1, 2023 19:09:46 GMT
My very first exposure to Jon Pertwee was seeing him in THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD, teamed up with Ingrid Pitt. Her, I found interesting. Him... irritating. Decades later, I heard they'd wanted Vincent Price but AIP refused to loan him out. Of course, now, I can't imagine anyone else in that role. He was so arrogant and egotistical.
So about a year or two later, I saw in TV GUIDE that DOCTOR WHO as a TV series was actually coming to America for the first time. And they listed the lead actor: Jon Pertwee. And I can still remember my reaction: "Oh, NOT HIM!"
Channel 17 in Philly began running it, 5 episodes a week at 7:30 PM, beginning with... "The Silurians". I spent the next 6 or 7 stories trying to figure out, what connection did this series have with the 2 Peter Cushing movies. No kidding. I didn't really start to like The Doctor until "Day of the Daleks". He seemed to begin mellowing there. But, wouldn't you know, that was the LAST one channel 17 ran.
A year or two later, I happened across reruns of the show, Saturday mornings at 11:30, where they were running ONE episode per WEEK. Which was agony, to watch it that way, as a kid. Typically, I had no idea it was on until I stumbled across it by accident... halfway through "The Claws Of Axos". I'd already missed half the episodes of "The Silurians" and half the episodes of "The Ambassadors of Death", but seen all the remaining ones after that (so "Inferno", which I NEVER liked, over time became the story I probably saw the most times, for a very long while). But with the 2nd run, I missed at least HALF the stories!
It wasn't until May 1979 that I read an article about the show that explained the several different actors who'd starred in the show over the years, and I realized that the Peter Cushing movies were actually remakes of 2 stories that had originally starred William Hartnell. I had seen him in a movie once, but had totally forgotten it. Ditto for Patrick Troughton. Heck, I'd even seen Tom Baker, whose run began on PBS that month, but DID NOT CONNECT that this "loony" (that was my first impression of HIM) had been the villain in that incredible SINBAD movie.
I got to like Baker from the first episode of "Robot". The next week, I got my best friend over to watch part two, and HE got hooked from then on, as well.
My favorite character on the show in the 70s from the start was The Brigadier. I also liked Liz Shaw quite a lot. Jo Grant took some time to grow on me. But The Master... DAMN. I found him more charismatic than The Doctor. When an evil, scheming, homicidal maniac is more interesting than your show's hero, something's not "right"! I actually modelled one of my own home-made comic-book heroes on Roger Delgado. It always bugged me that i only did 4 stories with the guy back then... but evetually, decades later, I started writing more.
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Post by profh0011 on Nov 1, 2023 19:24:45 GMT
So... in November 1983, my best friend and I went to Philly to the Walnut Street Theatre to an early "Dr. Who Convention", where the 2 guests were JON PERTWEE and LIS SLADEN. What a charge to see her on stage! I absolutely adored her from mid-1979 on. Jon Pertwee also proved to be a LOT of fun. I don't believe I'd seen him on the show since the mid-70s by then. The highlight for me was the moment when some brave, foolish fan in the back, during question-and-answer session, stood up and had the NERVE to say to Lis Sladen:
"I think you're the most beautiful actress in the world, and I was wondering what my chances would be with you."
She sat there, stunned, unable to answer at first, when Pertwee stood up and came to her rescue.
"You'll have to ask her HUSBAND, he's sitting there in the back row!"
There was an uproad of laughter, and when it died down, she finally replied.
"You have very good taste."
It's true: at that moment, I was glad SOMEONE ELSE had done it.
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Post by profh0011 on Nov 1, 2023 19:41:22 GMT
So, soon after the mini-convention (there was barely any room in the theatre lobby for a few vendors to set up tables to sell things), " The Five Doctors" was broadcast, giving me my first-ever view of Patrick Troughton as The Doctor. And soon that, PBS began running all the COMPLETE FULL-COLOR Jon Pertwee stories that were available... beginning with " Inferno". OY. It wasn't until at least a year (or was it two?) that PBS got ahold of all the remaining Pertwees-- the ones entirely in B&W (" The Silurians", " Ambassadors", " Autons", " Mind of Evil"), the ones where they had 5 episodes in color and 1 in B&W, where they infuriatingly SKIPPED the sole B&W episodes " Planet of the Daleks", " Invasion of the Dinosaurs"). AND, " Spearhead From Space", the only one done ENTIRELY ON FILM. Naturally, they started that run of Pertwee with that story. AT LEAST a decade late. I'm trying to remember, but it's possible they got these the SAME year they also got the existing Hartnell AND Troughton stories (AND Colin Baker's 1st season!), so my first view of " Spearhead" may have come right after seeing " The War Games" (run in "movie" format over 2 consecutive Saturday nights). It's a weird thing. Most early 6-parters always feel like they're too damned long (and those 7-parters, even worse). But that 10-parter... that seemed to fly by. I guess it's because the structure of the story kept evolving as it went, so it never got boring. Not even in the 2nd half! As long as it took Pertwee to grow on me, I loved "Spearhead" IMMEDIATELY, the first time I saw it! It starts out with The Brigadier & Liz, both of whom I liked SO much. But then Pertwee arrives, and to my SHOCK, he's NOTHING like he was in "Silurians"! He's actually FUNNY-- and LIKABLE! And he hits it off with Liz RIGHT away. It's a shame that both Pertwee & Terrence Dicks have gone on so often about Liz "not being a good fit", because she's always been one of my favorite WHO girls.
I didn't realize for some time what happened behind-the-scenes-- that the show CHANGED production teams between "Spearhead" and "Silurians" (JUST as it did between "Robot" and "Ark in Space"), or that Pertwee was known and hired for comedy, but took advantage of the change in teams to change his whole direction, but what struck me watching it that first time was... he went through the entire 4-parter "DOING" Patrick Troughton!
It's clear The Doctor hoped he wasn't really stuck on Earth. When he realized he was, he only reluctantly agree to help the Brig.
In the 70s, Channel 17 was running the show CUT (even as PBS was for its first 2 years or so). When the B&W print of "Silurians" turned up, I got to see an early scene that had NEVER been seen in Philly before-- Liz talking with the Doctor as he tunes up his brand-new car, "Bessie". It was played very light-hearted. It was the LAST time Pertwee's Doctor was light-hearted for MANY episodes. My first view of him in the 70s was the next scene, where he arrived at the underground research complex, and immediately began bossing people around and acting dismissive toward everyone, since, as was obvious to me by the 80s, he DIDN'T WANT TO BE THERE!
I'm currently watching my favorite TV show from the 70s, McCLOUD, on DVD for the first time, and I can't escape the similarities between these 2 shows from different countries, that originally aired in the SAME era. Incredibly, BOTH feature a hero who's stuck somewhere he doesn't want to be, an "authority" figure he drives crazy because he NEVER follows procedure or tells the guy what he's up to, a smart, classy lady, a laid-back, friendly Sergeant, and, later, a blonde who's a bit ditzy. That's one really wild "coincidence"-- if it is one.
The Doctor -- Sam McCloud The Brigadier -- Chief Clifford Liz Shaw -- Chris Caughlin Sgt. Benton -- Sgt. Broadhurst Jo Grant -- Phyllis Norton
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Post by GC on Jul 7, 2024 13:34:45 GMT
Would've been ol' Pert's birthday today...
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Post by markhev1966 on Jul 22, 2024 1:16:55 GMT
I clearly recall being distraught at the end of The War Games, and "not wanting him to go". I remember being scared of the dinosaur in the cave in Doctor Who and the Silurians. I have absolutely no memory of watching Spearhead on the original or repeat transmission.
I first saw it at a local group meeting on the first Saturday in September 1984. The sound quality on the recording was awful but I was transfixed. The screening started with Episode 10 of the War Games and I sat there as memories flooded back. I was sure that watching the first pertwee would give me the same experience but No, nothing.
I have always loved this story, the production values and the themes are unique. In a way I wish like Dixon of Dock Green at the time that the team had moved to 16mm film for more episodes. Certainly tales like Spearhead through to Mind of Evil would all have looked great as film originated episodes. It certainly would have made next March's Season 7 box set a lot easier to do!
The actors in this are all great - Pertwee is brilliant in three episodes' worth of performance, whilst Courtney and John ably carry some of the story in his absence. This season has its own feel and how I wish it had continued.
I look at the pap that passes for Doctor Who now and realise that I am a dinosaur. This era is wayyyyy in the past and belongs there and so do I.
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Post by GC on Jul 22, 2024 20:54:01 GMT
I clearly recall being distraught at the end of The War Games, and "not wanting him to go". I remember being scared of the dinosaur in the cave in Doctor Who and the Silurians. I have absolutely no memory of watching Spearhead on the original or repeat transmission. I first saw it at a local group meeting on the first Saturday in September 1984. The sound quality on the recording was awful but I was transfixed. The screening started with Episode 10 of the War Games and I sat there as memories flooded back. I was sure that watching the first pertwee would give me the same experience but No, nothing. I have always loved this story, the production values and the themes are unique. In a way I wish like Dixon of Dock Green at the time that the team had moved to 16mm film for more episodes. Certainly tales like Spearhead through to Mind of Evil would all have looked great as film originated episodes. It certainly would have made next March's Season 7 box set a lot easier to do!The actors in this are all great - Pertwee is brilliant in three episodes' worth of performance, whilst Courtney and John ably carry some of the story in his absence. This season has its own feel and how I wish it had continued. I look at the pap that passes for Doctor Who now and realise that I am a dinosaur. This era is wayyyyy in the past and belongs there and so do I. So Season 7's next then?. March seems such a long way off.
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