Tara Prem – Page 2 – What Was Pebble Mill?

David Rose 1924-2017

David Rose 2009. Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

News has come through today that David Rose has sadly died. His death was apparently very peaceful.

David had a long and distinguished television career. He flew in Lancaster bombers during the WWII, joining the BBC in the mid 1950s. In the 1960s he produced Z-Cars and the spin-off series, Softly, Softly.

In 1971 he was appointed by director of programming, David Attenborough, as Head of English Regions Drama at Pebble Mill. His remit was to produce dramas which depicted life outside London. The era at Pebble Mill was a rich and creative one. David proved himself to be an inspiring leader, with an impeccable knack of putting together talented and innovative teams. He took creative risks and was responsible for bringing many new writers and directors to the television screen. Pebble Mill was incredibly productive under his leadership, producing many Plays for Today, as well as anthology series like Second City Firsts. The talent he worked with included: Alan Bleasdale, Willy Russell, Alan Plater, David Hare, Mike Leigh, Stephen Frears, Peter Terson, David Rudkin, amongst many others, as well as the staff team including Michael Wearing, Peter Ansorge, Tara Prem, and Barry Hanson.

In 1981 David moved to the newly formed Channel 4, where he was made Commissioning Editor of Fiction by Jeremy Isaacs. He was responsible for the development of Film on Four. It was during his time at Channel 4 that he won the Roberto Rossellini award for services to cinema in 1987, an honour he was incredibly proud of.

David Rose’s legacy at Pebble Mill is still evident in the BBC Birmingham Drama Village today, in the shape of some members of staff, and also in the innovative production practices.

David will be much missed, and we are unlikely to see his like again.

2-Opportunities from pebblemill on Vimeo.

I recorded this film in 2009, of David, Barry Hanson, Tara Prem and Peter Ansorge talking about English Regions Drama.

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Jack Flea’s Birthday Celebration

Here are some grabs from Jack Flea’s Birthday Celebration, a Second City First transmitted in April 1976. It is a very strange and disturbing play by Ian McEwan, about the oppressive relationships that both Jack Flea’s mother and partner, have with him. It was shown in April 2016 at the mac, as part of the Flatpack Film Festival.

Here is the entry from the Radio Times, courtesy of the BBC Genome project, http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/689430d99ef64c58a1b6c3c947b854fc

“A series of new plays from Birmingham
Jack Flea’s Birthday Celebration by IAN MCEWAN
Jack Flea finds himself living with a woman nearly twice his age, who decides to make him her fantasy child. It is a role our young hero cannot resist.
Script editor PEDR JAMES
Designer MALCOLM GOULDING. Producer TARA PREM. Director MIKE NEWELL

Cast:

Ruth: Sara Kestelman, David: David Wilkinson, Mrs Lee: Eileen McCallum, Mr Lee: Ivor Roberts”

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The Permissive Society

Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

Here is a grab from The Permissive Society, one of Mike Leigh’s first television dramas. It was broadcast on 10th April 1975, on BBC 2, at 10.40 pm. Here is the Radio Times entry, courtesy of the BBC Genome project:
“A season of new plays from Birmingham
The Permissive Society
Les’s sister is going out and his parents won’t be back for a while. What will happen when he’s finally left alone with his girl friend?”
Designer MARGARET PEACOCK ProducerTARA PREM
Devised and directed by MIKE LEIGH (Birmingham)
Contributors
Designer: Margaret Peacock
Producer: Tara Prem
Directed By: Mike Leigh
Les: Bob Mason
Yvonne: Rachel Davies
Carol: Veronica Roberts

http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/aaa18560d30d484191e683327e5b477f

The drama was part of the Second City Firsts series of half hour plays. It was shown at the Flatpack Film Festival in April 2016, at the Midlands Arts Centre, where Mike Leigh carried out some of his early improvisatory work with actors.

Club Havana

Here is a series of screen grabs from the Second City First, Club Havana. It features a very young Julie Walters as the barmaid, Terry, and Don Warrington (perhaps best know from Rising Damp), as a young man just arrived from Jamaica to go to university. It was produced by Tara Prem, and was shown at the recent Flatpack Film Festival in April 2016, at the Midlands Arts Centre, which Tara attended.

The transmission copy of the studio drama is lost, so the version shown was a rough cut. Which made for interesting viewing, as we saw when recording was stopped and picked up by the actors.

It was transmitted on BBC 2, on 25th October 1975, at 21.30.

Here is the Radio Times entry for the drama, courtesy of the BBC Genome project:

“Synopsis

A series of new plays from Birmingham
Club Havana by BARRY RECKORD
Mrs Jordan left her son behind in Jamaica. He’s finally arrived in Birmingham, after 12 years …
Script editor PETER ANSORGE Designer GAVIN DAVIES Producer TARA PREM
Director PAM BRIGHTON”

http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/9245b562ffef40a5a30209247ad65f83

Alison Steadman – early dramas

At the Flatpack Film Festival on Sunday 24 April 2016, at the Midlands Arts Centre, there was a screening of two of Alison Steadman’s early films. The dramas were both in the Second City Firsts slot of 30 minute films, which brought new talent to the small screen.

freeze frame from Girl

The first film was a studio drama, with an entirely female cast, and practically all set within a single room, which makes it feel quite claustrophobic. The copy was quite poor quality, presumably due to the transmission copy being lost. It tells the story of Jackie, played by Steadman, who is being discharged from the army due to being pregnant. She is portrayed as quite a vulnerable character, preyed upon by the predatory Corporal Harvey. The drama features the first lesbian kiss on British television. Below is the original entry from the Radio Times for 25^th Feb 1974:

“A season of six original plays from Birmingham 2: Girl by JAMES ROBSON
Jackie is leaving the Army. While waiting for the car she re-encounters Corporal Harvey , her previous lover …
Script editor TARA PREM Designer MYLES LANG
Producer BARRY HANSON Director PETER GILL

Contributors

Writer: James Robson
Unknown: Corporal Harvey
Editor: Tara Prem
Designer: Myles Lang
Producer: Barry Hanson
Director: Peter Gill
Harvey: Myra Frances
Jackie: Alison Steadman
Maggie: Stella Moray
Bailey: Eileen McCallum”

http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/df9338563bc143718869eb3742639393

Helen (played by Steadman), pops next door

Helen with Vinny

The second film was shot on location in Oldham. It was Alan Bleasdale’s first TV drama, and features the adulterous Helen, played by Steadman, who is brightening up her mundane life as a housewife, by enjoying some extra marital sex with Vinny, the young athletic next-door neighbour, who is about to leave for university.

Here is the original Radio Times entry for Early to Bed:

“A season of new plays from Birmingham Early to Bed by ALAN BLEASDALE
There’s Helen (top). She’s on her own in the mornings after Frankie (middle) goes to work. But young Vinnie (bottom) from next door comes calling …
The pupils of HiNBUY AND .RRAY GRAMMAR SCHOOL Designer Michael EDWARDS
Script editor William SMETBUttST Producer BARRY HANSON
Director LESI PEBLAiR ,i Birmingham*
Birmingham welcomes careful writert: see Jeature beginning page 13

Contributors

Unknown: Alan Bleasdale
Designer: Michael Edwards
Producer: Barry Hanson
Director: Lesi Peblair
Vinny: David W Arwicic
Helen: Alison Steadman
Mother: Patricia Leach
Frankie: Johnny Meadows
Mr Hughes: Clifford Kershaw
Postman: Ashley Thompson
Frankie’s mates: Charles Hatton
Frankie’s mates: Cliff Duncan
Diana Marina: Barbara Ruan
Musicians: Sylvia McPokald
Musicians: Jack McDonald”

[NB mistakes are in the Genome project entry]

http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbctwo/england/1975-03-20