Mark Kershaw – What Was Pebble Mill?

The Long, The Short and The Tall – Andy Woodhouse

As part of my training in 1979, I was attached to the technical team of a couple of productions including a drama, a BBC Schools’ production of The Long, the Short and the Tall recorded over 3 days at Pebble Mill. The producer/director was Ron Smedley. Key acting cast is listed at https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b73aef97d. The episodes were subsequently transmitted as a single play. More details at IMDB https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13411812/?ref_=adv_li_tt. I can recall the lighting director was Barry Hill, the technical manger was Ron Irvine, the sound supervisor was Alastair Askham, and the vision mixer was Mark Kershaw.

The production was divided into 3 half-hour transmissions, each episode was allocated one studio day and recorded “live to tape” multiple times. Ron Smedley wanted the uninterrupted action from the stage play to be available in this TV production, enabling the actors to react better to the rapid dialogue segments. The production used a single set that occupied most of the floor area in Studio A, including a jungle setting at the rear of the hut. One shot in the programme needed a wide shot of that jungle and the entrance to the hut, but the camera shot would have included a lot of the lighting rig, so a glass shot was created to hide this unwanted area.

by Andy Woodhouse

Hut interior (right) and jungle (left). Floor at edge of hut is quite crowded with technical kit. Photo by Andy Woodhouse, no reproduction without permission

Multiple sound booms and camera cranes in use. Photo by Andy Woodhouse, no reproduction without permission.

Close positioning of the cameras and sound booms on the floor. Photo by Andy Woodhouse, no reproduction without permission.

Shows size of jungle area, and use of bounced light for the hut interior. Photo by Andy Woodhouse, no reproduction without permission.

Shows the camera at the left side, with the artist, Steve Mitchell, painting onto the glass to add the scenery extensions. The artists monitor showing the composited image is just to the left of centre. Photo by Andy Woodhouse, no reproduction without permission.

Cutout in the scene cloth, the glass in the frame, and the two artists at work. Photo by Andy Woodhouse, no reproduction without permission.

Detail of the painted glass. Photo by Andy Woodhouse, no reproduction without permission.

Lesley Weaver left the following comment on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Lovely to see this production pop up. I worked on it, I was assistant to the lovely Make-up Designer Carol Churchill, and I looked after actor Micheal Kitchen who I remember as being really nice.

Behind the scenes at Pebble Mill at One

This article is from the Pebble Mill at One book, 1986. Studio director, Mark Kershaw, describes the challenges of broadcasting from the foyer studio, as well as explaining how the show is created and what the following roles contribute: vision mixer, director, producer, researchers, designer, lighting supervisor, senior camerman, sound supervisor, production assistant, floor managers.

Mark Kershaw is seen directing in the top photo. It is possibly Roger Hynes up the ladder is the lower photo.

The following comment was left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Andy Frizzell: ‘The line drawing looks like it’s from when they raised the ceiling (a godsend for lighting) and removed the inside canopy over the front doors (not so great, we used that to put all the ballasts for the HMI lights.’

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The Terrace

Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

The Terrace was transmitted on BBC1 in the autumn of 1996 at 3pm in the afternoon.

Here is the Radio Times entry for the first episode of the DIY series, courtesy of the BBC Genome project http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/4825eb4df786444886a38f8c60168826:

“First of a new twice-weekly DIY and interior design series presented by ex-EastEnders star Mike Reid. Leaving the fictional dramas of Albert Square behind him, Reid experiences the real-life troubles of families living in a row of terraced houses in urgent need of repair in the heart of Birmingham. With Simon Biagi and Brenda Emmanus.”

The presenting team included Simon Biagi, who later presented Real Rooms, and Brenda Emmanus, who had presented on The Clothes Show.

Jane Lomas was probably the producer of this series.

Thanks to Ian Collins for sharing this titles grab, and to Nicola Silk for adding information.

Mark Westcott left the following message on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

‘Jane Lomas did produce this, I worked on this show. Out of Roger Casstles’ department, exec’d by Mark Kershaw. My first network Director credit. Sharon Fisher, Paul Venezis, Sarah Marshall too I think were all involved.’

Real Rooms – Children in Need special

These photos are of the Real Rooms team, during a makeover to coincide with Children in Need day. The show went out on Friday 21st November 1997, and was the last episode of that series. The makeover was of a centre used by special needs children, somewhere in south Birmingham.

Included in the first photo are left to right: back row, Elaine Walker, Jon ?, Richard White, John Gregg, Robert David, ?, front row Beverley ?, Leah ?, Kieran Kelly, Simon Biagi (presenter), Fiona Quigley, Dee Mortimer.

Working on Real Rooms was my first programme as a series producer, with Mark Kershaw as executive producer, and Roger Casstles as Managing Editor. We had an initial commission for 20 programmes, but the series proved very popular and it was recommissioned many times over. I worked on the first 80 programmes, before moving on to other series.

It was one of the first programmes at Pebble Mill to extensively use self shooting by researchers and assistant producers, on Sony VX1000s. Some of the quality was mixed, but it was only through self shooting that the programmes were cost effective. We used to have a full Beta crew for all presenter, Simon Biagi’s pieces to camera, and the opening and reveal, as well as the ‘inspiration’ and ‘shopping’ trips. The self shooting was reserved for the makeover happening in the actual room.

Vanessa Jackson

10 years since the beginning of the end for Pebble Mill

Photo by Philip Morgan, November 2004

Photo by Philip Morgan, no reproduction without permission.

Yesterday, saw the tenth anniversary of Radio WM leaving Pebble Mill. It was on the 4th July 2004, at 10am, that Radio WM signed on for the first time at the Mailbox.

The Pebble Mill building was emptied gradually during the summer of 2004, as programme runs ended, or logistics would allow. Former TV programme exec, Mark Kershaw, oversaw much of the removal process, particularly for Network Factual TV.

Thanks to Andy Walters for the reminder about this anniversary.

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

Becky Land: ‘Where has that decade gone? I remember discovering that the WM Newsroom was sandwiched between the toilets and canteen. In the early days,if the queue for lunch got too long it snaked passed the news booth and we used to ask people to pipe down as it would come out on air. Also people used to nick the chairs from that booth for others nearby meeting rooms. Nothing like running in for a bulletin and then realising that you had to do it standing up…’

Emma Taynton-Young: ‘My dad was a radio WM presenter, but left before they moved to the. Mailbox.’

Gregory Hallsworth: ‘I had the privilege of working on your Dad’s show at the ‘Palace of Broadcasting’ for five years before we were disbanded in the summer of ’96. He was a great guy and he’s very much missed!’