Tag: Sue Robinson

Doctors – end of an era

 

On 14th November 2024, the final episode of the continuing drama, Doctors, was transmitted. Doctors began it’s life at BBC Pebble Mill, and moved, when the building was demolished, to a new site in Selly Oak, the ‘BBC Drama Village’ at the University of Birmingham.

Here are the comments from a few of people who worked on it, or had affection for it, taken from the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Clive Payne: I’ll miss being in it as a supporting artist for 12 years plus. It’s a unique family unit and a great joy to be a tiny part of.

Janet Collins: Lovely to have two characters, Bev Dartnall & Carson Black in the last programme. A nice tribute to former producers.

Andy Bentley: I remember when it started and the last episode at Pebble Mill when they did the explosion. A lot of people cut there teeth on this, Emilia Clarke had her first TV appearance on it.

Julie Hill: Why did they kill off Doctors? I just cant believe the appalling decisions that continue to be made by the BBC going back to when they flogged off Pebble Mill without even a backward glance.

Caroline Feldon: You might be interested to know that in my current role as a psychotherapist I advised on some of the scripts for Jimmi. So I was involved from a distance. Sad to see it go.

Sue Robinson: I caught the last episode today by accident. My ears pricked up when I heard one of the characters was called Bev Dartnall. What a lovely tribute. I then watched the documentary afterwards and it was lovely to see both Dave Farline and Andy Payne on camera in the early days of Doctors. Fabulously talented people taken way too early. Well done Doctors for a great legacy and a reminder of a fantastic place I and many others had the privilege to work in.

James Patterson: To be fair, a great and underrated series. When it took over Studio A and other areas in the Crush bar it seemed like the Pebble Mill era had come to an end, but Doctors moved on to the Drama Village and thrived. Hope everyone is well and can find work.

Luisa Prosser: Having worked as a floor assistant at Pebble Mill, I was so excited to be in an episode and to know most of the crew. I’ll always remember Sally from make up, saying ‘Well, this is weird!’ Sad to see this programme come to an end.

Anne-Marie Palmer: When we finished derigging the Drama Village and getting rid of everything it felt like the final demise of Pebble Mill.

It was all so sad, it stated a type of bereavement.
When I watched yesterday I couldn’t stop crying, it was probably also the loss of Pebble Mill 20 years ago coming out as well, as this didn’t really come to an end we just moved premises.
The freelance world is a rocky road to walk (particularly currently) and some of my Doctors colleagues have taken the decision to retire, I have managed to get occasional work and every job I’ve been on my wider Doctors family has been there and we’ve all carried our Doctors (and Pebble Mill) ethics with us of making it a friendly atmosphere to work in. Everyone is important, everyone counts, we work better together.

Opening of BBC Club

copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

This photo is from the opening of the new BBC Birmingham Club circa 1982. The original club at Pebble Mill was on the second floor of the office block. That become programme offices when the new Club building was built across the bridge over the Bourne Brook.

The photo includes:

Phil Sidey, Phil Thickett, cameraman (back row striped shirt), Gail Everett, PA (nee Herbert, back row, to the right of Sue), Brian Johnson next to Gail, Freddie Foster right, Stuart Miller (striped shirt), Peter Skinner, Assistant Accountant (extreme right middle row) Keith Jones, Building Engineering Services Manager, Colin Spears, Sue Robinson (front pink dress), Lesley Sleigh next to Sue.

Julie Hill added the following memory on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

“Ah such happy memories of the BBC Club! I used to take the Minutes of the Club meetings for extra money! Remember the crazy squirrel who used to attack us on the bridge? Highlights include watching harrier jump jet land on the grass and the whole building shook. And being tasked with stopping Larry Grayson drink. I failed….”

 

House Trap

Gordon Whistance, Royston Horsley tucked behind Gordon, Craig Phillips. Photos from Suzie Curtlin, no reproduction without permission

Kate Hillman and Caroline Feldon Parsons, Dick Sharman in the back of shot

Esther Povey and Sam Beer

Contributors on the left, Suzie Curtlin and Robbie Williams on the right handside

Robbie Williams

Kate Hillman, Sarah Stokes

Kate Hillman and Caroline Feldon Parsons

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Suzie Curtlin for sharing these photos of the BBC1 makeover show, House Trap. The team were ‘locked’ in a house for a week and had to makeover a different room each day.

The presenters included Gordon Whistance and Craig Phillips, shown in the top photo.

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

Sue Robinson: ‘I directed this and Rosemary Edwards was the Producer. I can’t remember the year but about 2000 ish sounds about right. It was a house somewhere in Hall Green.‘

Caroline Feldon Parsons: ‘It was freezing I remember. And I was actually able to walk to work as I lived in Hall Green at the time! Can’t really remember much about it now other than stressing about a kitchen reveal involving a stainless steel splashback, and Kate Hillman getting trapped in the bedroom during a live segment and having to dive down beside the bed to get out of shot!’

Kate Hillman: ‘It was probably 2001, as I’d had my first baby. This is also the only explanation as to why I’d cut my hair off and dyed it dark brown. Not really any recollection of that! It was definitely winter as we were using power tools outside in the dark and frost. Andy Payne’s fleece definitely caught fire in the bathroom, as I wasn’t sure whether to flap my clipboard or beat the flames with it! It was over the closing of the live show and he stayed steady to the end! The presenter was Charlotte someone from Watchdog. It was hard work because after we’d finished the show, before the paint was dry, we moved everything into that room to prep the next room. All presenters in sleeping bags locked in the house. Seemed like a good idea at the time!!’

Nigel Mercer: ‘Pretty certain it was after 2002, as I gave Craig the fleece he’s wearing on a Carlton TV show called Renovation Street in 2001 and I was working with the lovely Gordon Whistance on Changing Rooms in 2002.’

Going for a Song – titles

Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

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Going for a Song was a long running popular quiz show about antiques. The original series went out between 1965-77, and was made in Bristol. John King directed on the original series, and it was him who was responsible for reinventing the show and bringing it to Pebble Mill, when he was executive producer of the Entertainment Department. The relaunch was between 1995-2001 for BBC1 Daytime, with presenters Michael Parkinson (1995-9), Anne Robinson (2000), and Michael Aspel (2001). Eric Knowles was the antiques expert.

The show was recorded in Studio A.

Sue Robinson directed many of the shows, with Helena Taylor being one of the series producers, as well as Claire Hobbs. Vicky Jepson and Kate Southcott (now Hillman) worked on the series, as did gallery PA, Jane Mclean.

Thanks to Ian Collins for making this titles grab available.

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

Dave Bushell: ‘I had the pleasure of not only working on the Pebble Mill series but also the original when it was produced in Bristol Studio A in the late 60s/early 70s.’

Mike Hayes: ‘There was an incident with a hand wound electrical generator that some guest put his finger in, his partner then just wound it up giving a shock and a good laugh for everyone else.’

Sue Johnson: ‘I did the autocue for this and remember Dave brazier telling us how happy Michael P was with the production team – very fond memories.’

Helena Taylor: ‘I was the Series Producer and great fun it was too and a great team both in front and behind the camera.’

Michael Wood: ‘First TV show I ever saw get recorded – Anne Robinson was presenting. Made me realise I really wanted to work in telly!’

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