Studio A – Page 18 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Bird of Prey 2 – camera script front page

Thanks to Kevin Lakin for making this camera script available.

‘Bird of Prey 2’ was the sequel series to the 1982 conspiracy thriller of the same name. The series was written by Ron Hutchinson and produced at Pebble Mill, being transmitted in September 1984. It was a four part series about computer fraud, recorded in Studio A.

The series featured: Richard Griffiths as Henry Jay, Carole Nimmins as Anne Jay, Lee Montague as Roche, Jan Holden as Mrs Lucas and as Timothy Bateson as Mr Jorry, and Bob Peck as Greggory.

As you can see on the camera script, the series was directed by Don Leaver and produced by Bernard Krichefski.

Dawn Mears worked as an assistant editor on the series and remembers it well:

“It was my first break editing drama as Nigel Pardoe Matthews let me cut an episode all by myself! Andy Turley did the graphics which involved a computer game. Unheard of in those times . Ron Hutchinson was the writer I think. It was beautifully written, very clever. It was a studio drame with film inserts.”

Electrical Safety Sign – from Andy Frizzell

Photo by Andy Frizzell, no reproduction without permission.

This sign was salvaged from BBC Pebble Mill, before the building was demolished, and rehomed.

It used to hang on the wall between the inner and outer doors of studio A (airlock) nearest the Foyer. There must have been others at the other entrances.

Judging by the BBC logo it must have been there from the day the studios opened.

Olly’s Prison – Photos by Willoughby Gullachsen

Photos by Willoughby Gullachsen, no reproduction without permission.

‘Olly’s Prison’ was a three part drama series produced at Pebble Mill by Richard Langridge. The script was written by Edward Bond, and directed by Roy Battersby. It was transmitted in 1993, and was probably the last studio only drama to be recorded in Studio A at Pebble Mill. Dave Bushell was the lighting director, and Bob Jacobs the 1st A.D. and Ian Barber the AFM. Dave Bushell remembers it being a satisfying drama to work on, although not a bundle of laughs.

Mike Eastman remembers working on the series: “I had a small acting role in this production playing a prisoner, my filming days were just prior to Christmas 1991. It was the first time I had worked with Bob Jacobs as ‘first’, but went on to do lots more work with him later on.”

The BFI database http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/489433 includes this precis of the storyline:

Part 1: Tells the tragic story of Mike who sees his life crumble as his grip on reality becomes ever more tenuous. He shares a claustrophobic flat with his 16-year-old daughter, Sheila. Sheila is uncommunicative, like many teenagers, and Mike becomes increasingly frustrated by her silence. He resorts to violence.

Part 2: Bernard is serving a life sentence for the murder of his daughter. He attempts suicide but fails. His fellow prisoner Smiler uses his makeshift noose to hang himself.

(No precis of Part 3 is included)

‘Olly’s Prison’ featured Bernard Hill as Mike, Jonny Lee Miller as Smiler, Mary Jo Randle as Vera, George Anton as Frank, Bryan Pringle as Barry, Richard Graham as Olly, and Maggie Steed as Ellen.

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Dub 4 – Photos by Ben Peissel

Photos by dubbing mixer Ben Peissel, no reproduction without permission.

These photos show the building of Dub 4, between Dec 2002, and May 2003 at BBC Pebble Mill. Dub 4 was built in what had been Studio A’s Sound Gallery after Studio A was mothballed. The initiative to transform the disused Gallery was a ‘Making it Happen’ project, inspired by Greg Dyke’s vision of staff empowerment. Ben Peissel was instrumental in the plans to create a fourth dubbing suite, as the other three were fully utilised and it seemed foolish to have the space available and not use it. It was a drama dubbing suite which catered for ‘Doctors’ amongst others.

The Fall Out Guy – TX Card by Dave Bushell

TX Card from lighting director Dave Bushell.

“The Fall Out Guy’ was a spy thriller, produced at Pebble Mill by Caroline Oulton and transmitted in 1991. It was a studio drama recorded in Studio A.

The script was written by John Random, with Tony Dennis as script editor. It was directed by Phil Tickell, with Josephine Ward as production associate and Rob Hinds the designer.

The play featured Lou Hirsch, Amanda Boxer, Eugene Lipinski, Maria Charles, Joe Melia, Lex Van Delden, Nicolas Colicos, Mitch Webb, and James Tillitt.

The BFI database summarise the storyline thus:

“Raymond is an overweight, immature chemical engineer, aged 39 and still living with his parents. He is also a spy, and when the FBI begins to close in, he makes a run for it with Danica, a dental receptionist.”