Photo by Albert Sheard, no reproduction without permission
A camera break in Studio A, during the recording of the 1981 adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. It was a twelve part series, hosted at Pebble Mill. It was transmitted on Sundays, early evening.
The producer was Barry Letts, the director Julian Amyes, production designer was Michael Edwards, the script editor Terrance Dicks, and the make-up designer Gwen Arthy.
Thanks to Albert Sheard for sharing the photograph.
Photo from Kevin Lakin, no reproduction without permission.
‘Before’ and ‘after’ shot, of how a stone cottage was turned into a wooden one, for the 12 part BBC drama series: Great Expectations. The Charles Dickens adaptation was transmitted in 1981. I think this series was a London production, hosted at Pebble Mill.
The BFI database lists Michael Edwards as the production designer, and the film cameraman as John Kenway. The director was Julian Amyes; the producer, Barry Letts; script editor, Terrance Dicks; the adaptation by, Andrew James Hall; music by Paul Reade. http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/223977.
Thanks to Kevin Lakin for sharing the photos.
Why was “6.55 Special” made in Radio Studio 1?
When the lunchtime programme Pebble Mill at One was first broadcast it was “serviced” by the galleries and cameras of the two proper TV studios at Pebble Mill. Studio A on a Tues and Friday, while the studio was being reset between dramas etc (“All Creatures”, “Basil Brush”, “Great Expectations” etc) and Studio B on a Mon, Wed and Thurs, because its cameras could be re-rigged back from the Foyer in time for the evenings “Midlands Today”.
PM@1 was only on the air Sept to mid May, so for the whole summer the production staff were potentially under-utilised. So in 1982? (not sure when) 6.55 Special was sold to BBC2, a weekday early evening live entertainment and chat show, 6.55-7.30 (I think).
But it couldn’t use the existing studios which were incredibly busy in the evenings.
And that is why Radio Studio 1 (the one used for classical recitals etc) was turned into a TV studio, with an audience rostra and a permanent set with a sofa chat area (seen in the photo for the 6.55 Special post) and a stage as performance area. The sound was mixed in the radio sound control room, where the mobile lighting control desk was also rigged. The “lightweight” OB scanner CM2 was parked outside just off the fire track and used as production and vision control, with VT as well played from the scanner, but also connected up to Pebble Mill’s VT area.
Eventually when the Standby TV Network Continuity Suite needed refurbishing, the area was re-modelled as a full TV gallery – Gallery C (not sure the date but early 80’s).From then on Pebble Mill @ One or any of it’s spin offs came from that discreet gallery, but before then the studio equipment at Pebble Mill was some of the most utilised kit in the whole of the BBC!
6.55 Special moved into the courtyard after the famous movable roof was installed. And that is why for the first series, at least, 6.55 Special came from a radio studio.
Mark Kershaw
Mark Kershaw directing Pebble Mill at One
Studio Skills
There were wonderful ‘studio skills’. I remember being at Gosta Green in 1962 and seeing a chap turn a polystyrene column into a satisfactory tree in under 30 seconds, with a soldering iron, and an aerosol. And how disappointed the public were by the Henry VII costume exhibition. There was a wide strip of Copydex glue down the front of one dress, with pearls every twelve inches or so. The costume lady knew the pearls would show up, but not the adhesive… Wide aperture lenses, so the background was the background! Michael Edwards wonderful set for ‘Great Expectations’ sticks in my memory.