Bob Chaplin – What Was Pebble Mill?

Anna of the Five Towns – Publicity Card

Anna of the Five Towns was transmitted from 9 Jan 1985 on BBC 2.

Promo card inside cover

Promo card inside

Promo card back page

Pickwick Papers

John Rees on Pickwick Papers. Photograph by Albert Sheard, no reproduction without permission

Pickwick Papers, Phil Hawkins, Frank Manning, Kevin Priestly, John Rees, photo by Albert Sheard, no reproduction without permission

Thanks to Albert Sheard for sharing these photos from the 1985 adaptation of Dickens’s Pickwick Papers. The location was in Ludlow, Shropshire. Here is the entry from the Radio Times, courtesy of the BBC Genome project:

Synopsis:

by Charles Dickens dramatised in 12 episodes by Jack Davies
starring Nigel Stock as Mr Pickwick with Clive Swift as Mr Tupman, Jeremy Nicholas as Mr Winkle, Alan Parnaby as Mr Snodgrass and Colin Douglas as Mr Wardle, Patrick Malahide as Mr Jingle
Charles Dickens was still only 24 when, in his own words, “I thought of Mr Pickwick…”
The Pickwick Papers soon became a national craze. Mr Pickwick, his friends Tupman, Winkle and Snodgrass, and his cockney servant the immortal Sam Weller, have been among the most popular characters in fiction ever since.
This week they begin their travels through the England of stage-coaches and coaching inns – in a new version of Dickens’s first and most-loved bestseller.
(Nigel Stock visits “Pebble Mill at One” tomorrow)

Contributors
Author: Charles Dickens
Dramatised by: Jack Davies
Music composed and conducted by: Carl Davis
Lighting Director: Bob Chaplin
Script Editor: Terrance Dicks
Designer: Myles Lang
Producer: Barry Letts
Director: Brian Lighthill
Narrator: Ray Brooks
Mr Pickwick: Nigel Stock
Mr Tupman: Clive Swift
Mr Winkle: Jeremy Nicholas
Mr Snodgrass: Alan Parnaby
Sam Weller: Phil Daniels
Mr Wardle: Colin Douglas
Mr Jingle: Patrick Malahide
Mrs Bardell: Jo Kendall
Cab driver: Barry Linehan
Waiter (Bull Inn): Russell Denton
Doorman: Michael Godley
Mrs Budger: Mary Maxted
Dr Slammer: Gerald James
Lt Tappleton: John Patrick
Boots: Peter Richards

Rachel and the Roarettes

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Above is a press release for Rachel and the Roarettes, which was transmitted on 13th June 1985, at 22.10 on BBC2. It was a musical play, set in a pub, with the time period switching between the 18th Century and the present day. It was Josie Lawrence’s first TV appearance.

Below is the entry from the Radio Times, care of the BBC Genome project:

“A musical play by JUDE ALDERSON continues this
Summer Season of new drama.
A rollicking fantasy with songs and robberies, motorbikes and stagecoaches. A story of wild women in the 18th century and where they are now … !
Musicians RICHARD WOLFSON
ANDREW SAUNDERS
DAVID ADAMS. JULIA PALMER
SIANED JONES
Music by JUDE ALDERSON
Choreography by STUART HOPPS Sound IAN RAE
Lighting BOB CHAPLIN
Script editor CAROLINE OULTON Designer SALLY ENGELBACH Producer ROGER GREGORY Director ROB WALKER BBC Pebble Mill”

http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/bc24e3d464f74a429200613ab3f300da

Thanks to Roger Gregory for sharing the press release.

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Nanny – script front page

This is the rehearsal script front page for series 2, episode 4 of the 1981 drama series: Nanny. The series starred Wendy Craig as the nanny. The producer of the drama was Guy Slater and the director, David Tucker.

You’ll notice that the crew would be filming the winter sequences of this script on New Year’s Eve 1981 – that’s dedication!

Thanks to film editor, Oliver White, for keeping the script safe all these years.

The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook Page:

Helen Wheatley: ‘I loved this programme with all my heart and told my parents I wanted to change my name to Artemis as a result of watching…’

Lynne Cullimore: ‘Loved it. I remember talking to Wendy Craig in the canteen and she was worried about which salads contained onion, as she was recording in the afternoon and did not want to breath onion over her fellow actors. I thought that was so nice of her. Loved Butterflies too but we did not do that one.’

Belinda Essex: ‘I remember temping while I was still at college for the Beeb early 80s and Wendy Craig was the first celeb I ever saw there, in the lift up to the canteen – I was very impressed.’

Roy Thompson: ‘Remember showing Wendy how to operate the tea machine, wonderful times.’

David Copperfield

This BBC serial of Dickens’s novel David Copperfield, was transmitted in 1986. Barry Letts was the director, with Terence Dicks the producer. Bob Chaplin was lighting director, Gavin Davies the production designer, Ann Arnold the costume designer, Maggie Thomas the make-up designer, Nigel Evans was the VT editor, and Alastair Askham the sound supervisor.

David Copperfield was played as a child by David Dexter, Nolan Hemmings, when slightly older, and as an adult by Colin Hurley. Jeremy Brudenell played Steerforth, Reggie Oliver played Mr Mell, and Simon Callow played Mr Micawber.

Thanks to the BBC Drama Village for sharing the photo.