Ian Collins – Page 10 – What Was Pebble Mill?

The Great Escape

The Great Escape was a BBC1 Daytime show, presented by Nick Knowles. It was transmitted in May and June 1997. The series was an interactive holiday show, which never escaped from its Pebble Mill studio!

Thanks to Ian Collins for making this titles grab available.

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

Joolz Richards: ‘I remember it very well. Tony Steyger was the Exec and I was his PA. It was Nick Knowles’ first BBC gig and it also featured a very young James Martin and Simon Calder as regular expert contributors. Chris Fox was one of the studio directors, Pam Creed was a producer for a while. We shot two shows a day in four day blocks over the bank holiday if I remember rightly. It was a bonkers show to work on and my very first experience of production!’

Linda Flavell: ‘I was PC on so e of it, particularly remember the show about Australian meats…kangaroo went down well..’

Gill Thompson: ‘Yes I remember this show, I organised the studio audience for it.’

The Clothes Show titles grab

This titles grab is from The Clothes Show, the BBC1 fashion magazine show, transmitted between 1986-2000. Roger Casstles was the executive producer, and the show was his idea. The series grew from fashion items on Pebble Mill at One, and a regional fashion show called College Rags.

Thanks to Ian Collins for making the still available.

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

Becky Land: ‘I loved to see the grabs and stills from the show that adorned the ‘bottom corridor’ grace the scenes from the early days of Doctors. They would be walking through a hospital corridor discussing serious cases and Jeff and Caryn grinning back!!! And we all came a cropper when we nipped out for a quick cuppa only to be banned from going back into our newsroom/office due to filming… oops!’

Andy Walters: ‘I know the theme tune was an edit of In The Night by the Pet Shop Boys. I also got told off for walking into shot on Doctors.’

The final edit at Pebble Mill

The final edit at BBC Pebble Mill from pebblemill on Vimeo.

This video was recorded by Colin Fearnley on November 23rd 2004, which was the last evening of editing at BBC Pebble Mill. The editors had a get together to mark the occasion. Colin recorded the editors reminiscing about the programmes which had been edited in the VT area, including dramas, like The Brothers, and factual programmes like The Clothes Show. The video finishes with Mike Bloore inviting Tony Rayner and Steve Critchlow to jointly carry out the final edit: attaching the credits on an episode of Dalziel and Pascoe, which Chris Rowlands was editing.

Tony Rayner & Steve Critchlow carry out the final edit

‘They Who Dare’

This titles grab is from the extreme sports series, They Who Dare, transmitted on BBC2, in the early evening in 1995-6. The producer was Tony Rayner.

The BBC Genome archive project contains the following Radio Times billing for the first episode:

‘A series of extreme sports – activities as diverse as free falling from the world’s highest waterfall to diving without air or equipment to a world record in the depths of the Red Sea. The first programme features world canoeing champion Shaun Baker jumping his kayak 45 feet into a swirling pool just three feet deep as he pits himself against the torrential Sorba Rapids in the Alps.’ http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/aad16a5e59dd44068971248710ea993b

Thanks to Ian Collins for sharing this titles grab.

The following comment was added on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Sarah Dunning: ‘I think I designed the logo? Gosh forgot all about that one!’

Marvi

Marvi was a five part drama transmitted on BBC2 in December 1994 – January 1995. The series was set in modern day Pakistan, and tells the story of a young girl from a poor rural community, who struggles to fulfill her father’s dream, and challenges the feudal system to preserve her honour. In Urdu, with English subtitles.

The producer/director was Sultana Siddiqui

Thanks to Ian Collins for making this titles grab available.