Monthly Archives: December 2010

‘Fighting Back’

Fighting Back

This photo of the 1986 drama serial ‘Fighting Back’ was given by Maggie Humphries (Film Unit), although I don’t know who the photographer is.  No reproduction without permission.

The serial was written by Gareth Jones, produced by Chris Parr and directed by Paul Seed.  It follows the story of Viv Sharpe who leaves her drunken husband in Liverpool, with her two children, and returns to her native Bristol.  She finds out that her mother has died and no one wants to help her.  Her children end up being taken into Care, and Viv ends up in s squat, before emerging as a street leader.  The drama stars Hazel O’Connor, Derek Thompson, Malcolm Frederick, Cheryl Maiker and Tony Carney.

Please add a comment if you can add more information.

‘Boys from the Blackstuff’ – video of film editor Greg Miller

‘Boys from Blackstuff’ – Greg Miller from pebblemill on Vimeo.

In this video, film editor Greg Miller talks about the editing of the ‘Boys from the Blackstuff’ series.  Greg edited ‘Yosser’s Story’ on film, whilst the other four episodes were recorded on lightweight video cameras and edited on 2″ videotape. Bernard Hill played Yosser.

Philip Saville directed the series, and Michael Wearing was the producer. The series was produced at Pebble Mill and went out in 1982.

\’Jobs for the Boys\’

Smart – photos by Lynda Kettle

Photos by Lynda Kettle, no reproduction without permission.  Lynda Kettle was a Production Designer at BBC Pebble Mill, working on factual, entertainment and drama shows in studio and on location.  The photos were taken as records of the Sets.

Smart was a children’s art show which was hosted by Pebble Mill, and recorded in Studio A.  The producer was Chris Tandy and the director Jason Garbett.  The series was presented by Mark Speight, amongst others like Jay Burridge and Zoe Ball.  The series went out between 1994-9, although I don’t know which series were recorded at Pebble Mill – please add a comment if you can add more information.

Production Designer, Lynda Kettle also worked as a theatre designer and an artist, and now runs courses from her art studio http://www.lynda-kettle.com.  She is a member of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, Birmingham Water Colour Society. Midland Pastel Society and Birmingham Art Circle . She exhibits her paintings several times a year at selected galleries.

Lynda Kettle

Philip Donnellan – Greg Miller & Oliver White

Philip Donnellan from pebblemill on Vimeo.

In this video film editors Greg Miller and Oliver White talk about working with the documentary producer, Philip Donnellan, at BBC Pebble Mill.  They discuss editing ‘Gone for a Solider’ (1980), ‘The Big Hewer’ (1974) and ‘The Fight Game’ (1973).  ‘The Big Hewer’ and ‘The Fight Game’ were adaptations of radio ballads.

If you are interested in finding out more about Philip Donnellan then check out these links:

http://philipdonnellan.posterous.com/

http://paullong.posterous.com/33608194

‘Reaching for the Skies’ – photos from Maggie Humphries

Photos from Maggie Humphries (Film Unit).

‘Reaching for the Skies’ was a 12 part documentary series for BBC 2 about the history of aviation, produced at Pebble Mill.  It was transmitted in autumn 1988.  The series was a co-production with CBS TV, John Gau Productions and the BBC.  The producers were Tony Salmon, and Dennis Adams, executive producer: John Gau, series producer: Ivan Rendall, and Anthony Quayle the narrator.  Peter Gower, Gregg Miller and Michael Duxbury edited the series. John Bland cut a small part of episode 1 before Peter Gower took over from him.  Peter cut ‘Pioneers’, ‘Rivals over the Atlantic’, ‘Giants of the Air and ‘The Adventure of Flight’. Because all the Pebble Mill cutting rooms were full, temporary ones were set up at Edgbaston Cricket Ground, along with a production office.  The rooms used at the cricket ground, like Pebble Mill, have since been demolished!

The photos include the F15, from the ‘Fighter’ episode, the Harrier, from ‘Vertical Flight’, the F18, also from ‘Fighter’.  The fourth photo is the P82 Twin Mustang, based on the P51 Mustang (thanks to Paul Hunt for the identification).

The episodes were:

  • Pioneers
  • The Aeroplanes Goes to War
  • Trailbazers
  • Lighter than Air
  • Bombers
  • Quest for Speed
  • Giants of the Air
  • Rivals over the Atlantic
  • Fighters
  • Vertical Flight
  • Victory over the Sea
  • The Adventure of Flight

Harrier: Vertical Flight