Nice to be back at the
BBC and doing an audience
show.
I’ve only got a
couple of lines to say
but it’s good to see
John Kilby again.
We done a lot of work
over the years when he
was a production manager.
This episode must be one
of the last of this
series so it was nice to
be aboard.
I meet lots of people I
know in the canteen and
they ask me how the
shop’s going.
I tell them fine. (I
don’t want to lose
face).
KING
AND CASTLE…Producer
Peter Duguid…Thames
TV…
Cast Inc…Nigel
Planer…Derek
Martin…
I’m cast as a
publican and have a few
words to say to Derek in
one scene.
We chat later on about
old times and Nigel looks
a lot different than the
last time I busted him in
The Young Ones.
THE
DIARY OF ANNE FRANK.....Director
Gareth Davies...BBC TV
(I
appear as a vegetable
seller about 2 minutes
in)
BRUSH
STROKES…
BBC TV… Carl
Howman…
I get a call from the
production office to see
if I would do one nights
public liaison work on
this episode. (Beggars
can’t be choosers
and I say yes)
I phone up Gypsy Dave and
Bill Burns (two big lads)
and head off to Earls
Court Station to look
after the crew for the
night.
The director wants to do
the shot at 11pm with a
cast of two and a
watching crowd of 500.
(Mainly Aussies). To say
it was hard work is
putting it mildly.
The majority of the crowd
were alright and watched
the filming in silence as
the actors went through
their dialogue scenes.
But there was one
(there’s always
one!) that wants to add
words to the scene. Gypsy
Dave was non too
pleased... I’m asked
by the production manager
if I would have a quiet
word with him.
(That’s what
I’m there for)
"Excuse me sir, but
do you see my mate over
there?" pointing out
all six foot two of big
Gypsy Dave.
"Yeah, what of
him?"
"Well, he’s
thinks you’re a pest
and he would like to have
a word in your shell like
because you're keeping
him from his
bed....."
I felt a rush of wind as
he fled past me,
disappearing into the
night! The rest of the
onlookers clapped as I
took a bow and the rest
of the night’s work
was a piece of cake.
We received a nice letter
from the production
department about a week
later, thanking us for
the cool and controlled
way we handled the crowds
that night, promising us
lots more work if we
wanted it. I don’t
think so, do you?!
CASUALTY…Director
Michael
Brayshaw…Producer
Garaint
Morris…BBCTV…
My friend from Hideaway
is now directing and he
carts me off to Bristol
to do this episode. I
play a sleazy newspaper
editor and I get a phone
call from a friend (Tony
Selby) who asks me for a
favour..
Now it’s funny how
we film these scenes
because Tony is nowhere
near me when I get to do
my dialogue on the phone.
Instead the young A.F.M.
is sitting under my desk
feeding me Tony’s
lines.. I think we got it
in one take.
INSPECTOR
MORSE…
Working as a plain
clothes cop for a week
but to watch the word
perfect John Thaw work is
like sitting in the
theatre.. (Top man)
1987 Is a
very quiet time for me
but I managed to get odd
days here and there as
you should have read in
my full list as compiled
by Scott V Palmer.
I probably fitted some
odd days on EastEnders
but spent most of my time
trying to get out of the
shop.
One day a production team
came in the shop and ask
me if they could film in
there for a day and they
would pay £500.. (A
months rent..)
"Of course you
can!" I said.
On the day they filmed I
had more crew in there
than I would have had
customers and the next
day the customers were
back to ask me what they
were filming.
So I survived another
month.
THE
BILL... I'm out on this
show to find a woman of
the night but make a huge
blunder.. See 2:30
minutes into clip...Some
you win....
