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Q&A: Marc Pye, "Act Of Grace" Movie

Regular readers of this blog will no doubt recognise the name Marc Pye from this, this and this post. As he’s a prolific Bang2writer, I’ve read lots of Marc’s work now and as a veteran of UK TV drama, Marc has written on numerous shows like River City, The Street, Holby Blue and Echo Beach. In fact, he’s so busy all the time (damn him), it’s wonder Marc has time for anything but writing TV… But he manages it somehow and I’m pleased to announce that Marc, along with co-writers Max Kinnings and Alan Field, have managed to get their… Read More »Q&A: Marc Pye, "Act Of Grace" Movie

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Weekend Round Up

I’m working like a beeatch at the moment and feel like one of those wobbly head dolls you get in tacky souvenir gift shops… Only if I stand still long enough, I think my head will actually fall off and go rolling down the street like Vivien’s in The Young Ones, so better make this quick. First off, there is a winner of The Red Planet Prize – A Miss Joanna Leigh! Well chuffed a laydee has claimed the prize and beaten all those fellas back with a pen in the eye and a high heel on the back of… Read More »Weekend Round Up

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Let’s Hear It For The Boys

Our fellow Scribes have been busy-busy lately! Christopher Stack, the half-brother of our own Danny Stack* (only he was spirited away at birth to LA, yet still leads a curiously parallell life involving movies to the Irish brother he never knew he had until the advent of The Scribosphere) has put his marvellous short An Exercise In Vigilance up online for all to see. He’s even inviting comments. I watched all seven minutes this morning and was impressed: the production values are great! The website too has some interesting info on how it was shot etc, so those of you… Read More »Let’s Hear It For The Boys

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10 On TV Drama: 3 of The Best – Science Fiction

DISCLAIMER: I’ve no idea if “Science Fiction” is still allowed as a term around here or even if it’s applied to the shows I’ve listed below. If not, shake your heads in incredulous wonder at my lack of skillz man. I thank you. Oh: ans the usual SPOILER ALERT applies, natch. This will come as a shock to you. Are you sitting down? I like Science Fiction. Okay, SF. Futuristic stuff. Whatever it’s called these days. I don’t know loads about it, I haven’t even watched ALL of the series around and I’ve never laid eyes on Battlestar Galactica because… Read More »10 On TV Drama: 3 of The Best – Science Fiction

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Comedy and Team Writing

Many thanks to the enigmatic JB who had this to say in the comments thread of my last 10 on TV Drama post about Moving Wallpaper and Echo Beach: “It has got me thinking about the benefits of the US system of writing teams, especially for comedy, where many minds are likely to be better than one in ramping up the laughter count…What do you think?” I am undecided about the benefit of team writing, though other bloggers have written about their own experiences of it (thanks James Henry) and others have been vocal in their support or dislike of… Read More »Comedy and Team Writing

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Skillset Funding – Screen Bursaries

Did I mention Adrian Mead and Clare Kerr are running a course on adaptation in Edinburgh in March? Oh that’s right, I did. (Click on the links here, here and here if you want more info on the course and why it’s a good idea to learn more about adaptation). I also mentioned then that I would only be going if I could secure funding from Skillset. Well good news! I’ve got some. So I will definitely be there. I know some of you out there are going too: I called no less than three B&B’s in Edinburgh yesterday who… Read More »Skillset Funding – Screen Bursaries

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Stephen Moffatt In Moviescope!

I know lots of you out in www.land loved Stephen Moffatt’s episode of Dr. Who, “Blink” recently, so you may be interested to know that Moviescope Magazine have an interview with Moffatt in the new issue. You can read excerpts on their website until the issue wings its way to our sweaty little hands next week. Other articles of note include Sweeney Todd’s John Logan on writing and Sanctuary, an internet-only SF wedisode series, a sure must for all those interested in our Digital Future as writers. Talking of Dr. Who, Torchwood starts tonight on BBC2 at 9pm. I don’t… Read More »Stephen Moffatt In Moviescope!

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10 on TV Drama: ITV’s New Drama

UPDATE: Friend of the blog Marc Pye wrote tonight’s episode I’ve just this minute found out, so watch it my friends!!!!!!! English Dave makes the very good point that ITV *might* just be the new BBC: the likes of Echo Beach etc marks a new era for the channel under the leadership of “Micky Grade” as ED likes to call him and I for one am well up for it. Man. Whilst many writers and would-be writers might say they “wouldn’t lower themselves” to write for the likes of Echo Beach, Moving Wallpaper, The Royal Today et al, the fact… Read More »10 on TV Drama: ITV’s New Drama

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10 On TV Drama: Soap, Flourescent TV

I love Soap Opera – oops, sorry: I mean “continuing drama”, foolish of me. Soap Opera is naturally a poor title, since it implies this kind of drama is melodramatic and somewhat, well, soapy which connotes the notion (to me at least) that whilst it might *seem* ordinary on the outside, if ingested it causes an unpleasant taste in the mouth and potential stomach upsets. Okay, that is not working at all. Let’s try again. I like Soap Opera because of this: That’s right, the scraps. Or fights, fisticuffs, rucks, rowdiness or whatever else you’d care to call them. A… Read More »10 On TV Drama: Soap, Flourescent TV

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10 On TV Drama: Sacrificing Fact For Drama

SPOILERS PRESENT History presents us Scribes with many stories that we can exploit, but it also presents us with a dilemma: just how true should a true story be? I’ve already discussed this notion from a philosophical standpoint here on the blog, but when it comes to historical drama on the telly, we’ve been shown, countless times, that it’s story and not fact we should stick to. Period drama is big business as far as TV Drama goes and post-90s in particular prodcos and institutions like The Beeb have been striking out beyond the “safe”, tried-and-tested adaptations of authors like… Read More »10 On TV Drama: Sacrificing Fact For Drama

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10 On TV Drama #4: Cops N’ Docs, Pt 2 – Dashing Docs and Naughty Nurses

SPOILERS PRESENT AS ALWAYS Carrying on with our “Cops N’ Docs” theme, I am going to investigate a long-running medical drama that I have watched from the start: Holby City. What makes it work, what brings the audiences back, week on, week out? Let’s take a look… HOLBY CITY (1999 – PRESENT) LOGLINE: The everyday lives, professional and personal, of the doctors, nurses and patients who find themselves, for various reasons, in the wards of the frenetic cardiac unit of Holby City General Hospital. Casualty began back in the eighties and whilst I have also watched this from the start,… Read More »10 On TV Drama #4: Cops N’ Docs, Pt 2 – Dashing Docs and Naughty Nurses

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10 on TV Drama #2: CSI: MIAMI and CSI:NY

WARNING: SPOILERSIn any franchise, there’s bound to be some dilution: if the subsequent Alien films lacked the shock value of that very first chestburst because we’d seen it before, then it’s kind of inevitable that CSI: Miami and CSI: NY are thought of as “nowhere near as good” as Crime Scene Investigation. I saw Anthony Zuicker on telly and he said he was literally whisked into an Exec’s office after a successful run of Crime Scene Investigation and told, “Come up with a city.” He said, “Erm…. Miami.” Whammo, said faceless Exec puts the wheels in motion: we’re gonna do… Read More »10 on TV Drama #2: CSI: MIAMI and CSI:NY

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