Drama – Page 88 – What Was Pebble Mill?

‘Survival of the Fittest’ – photos Willoughby Gullachsen

Photos by Willoughby Gullachsen, no reproduction without permission. Survival of the Fittest was a Screen One drama, produced at Pebble Mill by Carol Parks, directed by Martyn Friend and written by Julian Mitchell, transmitted in 1990.

The drama starred Timothy West as Geoffrey Cowper, Jean Anderson as Molly Cowper, Nerys Hughes as Betty Trinder, Elizabeth Spriggs as Eileen Blackett, Timothy Davies as Chris Trinder and Joanna Brookes as June Trinder.

The BFI Database describes Survival of the Fittest as a:

‘Dark comedy that looks at what happens when a fiercely-independent 80-year-old widow becomes too frail to live alone. Molly Cowper is determined to stay in her own home, even though she has recently had a mild heart attack. Not wanting to be alone at night, she makes elaborate plans to ensure that neighbours will sleep in her house. Supervised by her long-suffering son Geoffrey an agreement is drawn up so that Chris Trinder and Eileen Blackett will stay there at agreed times. Her arrangements begin to fall apart however, when Chris dies of a heart attack and her dog is run over. Although Geoffrey tries to sort things out Molly still tries to enforce her wishes, riding roughshod over all of them with devastating consequences. http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/446261?view=synopsis

The second photo shows members of the crew including l to r: Sound Recordists Kirsten Jones, Roger Slater; Production Assistant, Jane Barton; and Production Manager, John Greening.Save

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‘Dread Poets Society’ – TX Card from Dave Bushell

Dread Poets Society

TX card for ‘Dread Poets Society’

This was a hosted production shot on location at Oxley Carriage Sidings, Wolverhampton. Two railway carriages were rewired by Derek McCulloch and his sparks so that I could reproduce my take on what it would feel like to be in a train during a thunderstorm. The weather was appalling, as I remember, and we had to deal with a number of equipment problems. Still it was interesting to do (and I like trains!).

Producers were George Faber and Estelle Daniel, director Andy Wilson and the cast were Benjamin Zephaniah, Timothy Spall, Alex Jennings, Dexter Fletcher, Alan Cumming and Emma Fielding. Transmission was in 1992.

Dave Bushell

‘The Brothers’

'The Brothers' Cast & Crew

The Brothers was a long running series about a family in the road haulage business.

There were 8 series in all, going out between 1970 and 1976, including 92 x 50 min episodes.

The final series was directed by Mary Ridge, and produced by Bill Sellars.

The drama starred Jean Anderson as Mary Hammond, Richard Easton as Brian Hammond, Robin Chadwick as David Hammond, Jennifer Wilson as Jennifer Kingsley, Derek Benfield as Bill Riley, Margaret Ashcroft as Gwen Riley, Patrick O’Connell as Edward Hammond, Colin Baker as Merroney, Carole Mowlan as Claire Miller, and Kate O’Mara as Jane Maxwell.

It was a hosted drama at BBC Pebble Mill. The final series was recorded at Pebble Mill, I’m not sure if any of the earlier ones were – please add a comment, if you can give more information.

Lynda Kettle was the production designer http://www.lynda-kettle.com and make up artist Maggie Thomas also worked on the series.

‘This is History Gran’

This is History Gran TX Card

This is History Gran was produced by Chris Parr at Pebble Mill, and went out in 1986 on BBC 1. It was written by Robert Holman, directed by Sarah Pia Anderson; John Kenway was the director of photography.

The drama tells the story of Lord Edward Langbaurgh who makes a shocking discovery while taking a stroll in the grounds of his country home, which affects the Chapman family of a nearby town. Christopher Chapman decides to investigate.http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/407698

The film stars Elizabeth Bradley, David Calder, Matyelok Gibbs, Peter Howell, Paul Jesson, Gina McKee, Mark Rylance and Martin Walker.

Thanks to Maggie Humphries from Film Unit for looking after this photograph and the TX Card.

This is History Gran

‘Airbase’ – photos by Willoughby Gullachsen

Photos by Willoughby Gullachsen, no reproduction without permission.

‘Airbase’ was produced at Pebble Mill in 1988 by Keith Williams and Roger Gregory. The script was written by Malcolm McKay and directed by David Attwood. It was recorded in Studio A, and involved bringing a fighter plane into the studio.

The drama starred Anton Lesser, Clive Mantle, Catherine Russell, David Lansbury and Ricco Ross. Catherine played Madeline Kohler, a young female American Air Force officer, who is posted to the all-male world of a U.S. airbase in Britain. The drama follows four days in her life.

The BBC 1 drama raised considerable controversy with its unflattering portrayal of life on a U.S. airbase, particularly concerning drug use. It even caused questions to be asked in Parliament by Lord Chalfont.

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