Teletronic

ISSUE
02
Mar 2014
Teletronic
THE ONLINE
MAGAZINE OF
TELEVISION
HEAVEN
This issue
Luther P.1
Welcome to the
Call the Midwife P.3
second issue of
Teletronic - The
Jack Rosenthal P.5
magazine of
T e l e vi s i o n H e a v e n
Mr. Selfridge P.7
Big Brother P.9
Teletronic is available to
Plus: Why Breaking Bad is better
than The Wire
read online or
download.
This second issue
continues to takes a look
at up-to-date modern
television and the
programmes we think
are destined to become
future classics, as well as
some established TV
shows.
Television Heaven is a
privately owned
website. All articles are
copyright Television
Heaven, Teletronic or
their individual authors.
No reproduction can be
made without
permission.
Click to Purchase
Luther’s Legacy Has Been Laid by Onome Okwuosa
2010 saw the world and its brother eagerly
pause on baited breath for Idris Elba to deliver
his portrayal of the dark, dramatic Detective
Chief Inspector John Luther. After his hugely
popular stint as Russell ‘Stringer’ Bell on The
Wire, Stone in the blockbuster 28 Weeks Later
and Beyoncé’s husband in the dark thriller
Obsessed; Elba was entertainment hot
property. When the gruff yet loveable crime
fighter finally burst onto our screens, if you
blinked you might find you’d missed it. BBC’s
love for petite programming saw the first
season indulge us with six episodes while
seasons two and three were a mere four
episodes long. Writer Neil Cross rose
comfortably to the challenge, offering a show
that will undoubtedly be remembered for all
the right reasons.
Cross spins wild and weird stories of gruesome
killers against a less than lush London
backdrop. Estates with graffiti tags, and
hallways no doubt authentically smelling of
pee; Luther’s London feels more like Gotham
City. It’s dank, shadowy and foreboding.
Desperately in need of a protector that’s
capable of taking control, no blushing or shying
away. Thankfully the city has Luther. Like
Batman he operates in the grey areas of the
law, ready and willing to tackle the capital’s
underbelly.
A sly smile comes before a shadow of shame
casts itself across his features. Was he alone in
thinking good riddance?
And that’s why he’s so loved. He’s grey, he
knows it and he’s ashamed to show it. Unless
of course we’re talking about his wardrobe or
his car. Luther should not be as content as he is
to ride around in that beaten up Volvo of his.
Or should he? Like Poirot’s tache or monocle,
the car is an extension of his persona. Reliable
and uncomplicated, you know it’ll get the job
done. Without any frills or fancies there’s no
fussing when an 80s Volvo takes a knock, it
handles it with nonchalance. Try to imagine
Luther in a Lexus or Mercedes S-class and you’ll
no doubt cringe. He’s made of sterner stuff, cut
from a much coarser cloth.
He’s a tweed meets office reception carpeting
kinda guy. That signature jacket seems to cover
a multitude of Luther’s sins. The fashion savvy
in the audience, muttered uh-uh throughout
the series; wishing there was something,
anything to cover the sin that was the jacket.
All shades of grey
Opening the first series with a serial killer All can be forgiven because of his ability to
plummeting to his death while in Luther’s crescendo an episode and series like a boss. His
custody you’d expect remorse right? Not this emotional complexity and pure genius going a
guy, when an interrogation goes that tragically long way, compensating for the purposeful,
(albeit painful) fifty layers of grey he chooses to
wrong, ethics apparently plummet with the
wear.
unrepentant murderer.
1
Teletronic - Mar 2014
C l a s si c S h o w re vi e w :
Car 54, Where Are You?
Warning:
This review
contains
“spoilers”
Another comedy gem from
Nat Hiken, the man who
bought us 'The Phil Silvers
Show' (aka 'Bilko'), arguably
the best US sitcom of all time.
Here Hiken switched the focus
from army officers to police
officers as they cruised the
streets of the 53rd precinct,
the Bronx, in their patrol car,
with similar hilarious results.
The lead characters were
played by Fred Gwynne as the
tall and sombre Francis
Muldoon, and his hopelessly
dim-witted partner, Gunther
Toody, was played by Joe E.
Ross who had previously been
seen as Bilko's regular foil,
Rupert Ritzik. Hiken even
retained some of the old
'Bilko' chemistry by employing
actress Beatrice Pons to
appear as Ross's wife, as she
had done back at Fort Baxter.
Fred Gwynne had been cast in
a single first season episode of
'Bilko'.
Other 'Bilko' regulars would
appear in guest roles in 'Car
54' and the sharp eyed viewer
could pick up on a number of
'Bilko' references. One first
season episode, 'The Paint Job'
starred Al Lewis and Billy
Sands who had starred in 'The
Phil Silvers Show' as Pvt. Dino
Paparelli. In this story the two
guest stars play a couple of
crooked garage hands who do
quick repaint jobs on stolen
vehicles. The garage is called
'Fender' - a part of a car, but
also conveniently the name of
a regular character form
'Bilko'.
As a producer, Nat Hiken had a
wonderful eye for new talent.
As well as discovering his lead
stars on Car 54, Where Are
You? he is also credited with
discovering and advancing the
TV careers of Alan Alda and
Dick Van Dyke. Hiken worked
with such major figures as Mel
Brooks and Woody Allen
throughout the 1950s and
early 1960s.
The final episode of the second season saw
another fantastical tale from Cross play out in
wonderfully dramatic Lutheran fashion. Russian
Roulette was played at its most captivating.
The slow motion L’oreal moments as he
emptied the petrol over his face, were perfectly
executed. For a brief spell, we forgot that he
was about to get his ass set on fire by a crackpot
criminal; relishing in the way he shook his lashes
like a Baywatch babe shakes her tresses.
Like all well written shows, Cross teases his
audience with just the right amount of tension
and then delivers just as the pressure peaks. It’s
a little disconcerting that with a series like this
and US show Dexter; for the writer to deliver,
someone has to die. Unlike the blood thirst of
Dexter, Luther’s victims aren’t hunted, their
deaths a mere by-product we’ve come to expect
and dare I say desire?
Butter has to melt
The success of the show isn’t just down to
Luther and his moral ambiguity. He’s got the
wonderful Michael Smiley, playing Benny silver,
the department’s techie who although doesn’t
get a lot of screen love, plays his poker-face part
perfectly. Dermot Crowley as the Detective
Superintendent who try as he may to keep the
headstrong Luther grounded, ends up letting
him get away with utter liberties. To love or
hate DCI Erin Gray? Played by Nikki AmukaBird, how can you love anyone that dares say a
word against the butter wouldn’t melt Luther?
At some point however, we have to accept that
the Lutheran way is questionable; yet to hate
Gray is to call into question the premise of the
entire show. How long can you meander with
‘the ends justifying the means’ notion? Shoving
the uncomfortable thought swiftly out of mind,
we welcome the charming Warren Brown who
plays his loyal junior partner Justin Ripley. Their
relationship is tried and tested and when it
comes to the crunch, Ripley has got his back.
Hack a senior officers computer and erase
records to stop a snooping Gray dead in her
track? Yes he will.
It was a shock to everyone when the third and
final series saw him killed off. Far from signifying
an end, it took the show out of its
uncomfortable corner. Finally the jacket comes
off and it’s a given that Luther as we once knew
him no longer exists. Sure he could simply go
and buy another one but what’s a symbol if it’s
so easily replaced? Killing Ripley laid the series
to rest, drawing the show towards it’s intended
destination- the silver screen.
Of course there are the naysayers who complain
the show tried too hard; that there was too
much story and not enough show. Perhaps the
punchy pace was Neil Cross’ intentional layup
for the movie to go deeper. The film is set to be
a prequel to the series. For those that wanted
the bone, the marrow and the flesh of Luther’s
life to marinade in the story for longer, they’ll
undoubtedly be satisfied. Luther’s an
established cult classic that’ll be dusted off and
pulled out whenever it’s time to reel off the list
of top British dramas or detective shows.
Ripper Street Wins Reprieve
Victorian crime drama Ripper Street is to return to
screens via Amazon's video on demand service.
The BBC cancelled the show in December due to
poor ratings, but Amazon has now commissioned a
third season for its Prime Instant Video service formerly known as Lovefilm Instant. The show will
premiere on Amazon and screen on the BBC a few
months later. Amazon has also acquired the UK
subscription streaming rights of the first two series
of the show. The BBC will continue to make a
contribution to production costs of the new season,
while other broadcast partners - including BBC
America and the Irish Film Board - will remain on
board as part of the new arrangement.
2
Teletronic - Mar 2014
C l a ss i c S h o w R e v i e w :
Criss Cross Quiz
P o p u la r q u iz s h o w b a s e d
o n t h e s im p l e g a m e of
n o u g h t s a n d c r o s s es . T h e
f o rm a t w a s d e v i s e d f o r
A m er i c a n t e l e v i s i o n w h er e
it w a s k n ow n a s T i c T a c
D o u g h . P l a ye d o n a g r i d of
n in e s q u a r es , e a ch of t w o
contestants had to answer
a q u e s ti o n c or r e ct l y t o p u t
a n o u g h t o r a c r os s i n a
s q u a r e. T h e y t h e n h a d t o
g et t h r e e n o u g h t s o r t h r e e
c r os s e s i n a r ow e it h e r
h o riz o n t a ll y, v e r tic a l l y o r
d ia g o n a ll y t o w i n t h e
g a m e.
Q u e s ti o n s w e re a s k e d f r om
a l m os t 1 0 0 d iff e r e n t
c a t eg o r i e s a s d i v e rs e a s
fi lm s , q u ot a ti on s ,
n ic k n a m e s , A f r ic a , t h e
1 9 2 0 ' s , c u r r e n c y o r p ot
l u c k , et c. E v e r y c o r r e ct
a n s w e r w ou l d w i n a
t e n n e r ( ex c e p t f o r t h e
m i d d l e s q u a r e - £ 2 0 ) a n d if
a game was drawn the
p riz e m o n e y w a s d ou b l e d
for the next game.
W i n n e rs s t a y e d o n s h o w
a fte r s h o w u n ti l t h e y w e r e
b ea t e n a n d s om e of t h e
b ett e r p l a y e r s w e r e a b l e
t o b u i ld u p a n i c e p ot of
m o n e y. H o w ev e r, a s t r ict
rule about how much a
c o n t e s t a n t c o u ld w i n w a s
i n t r o d u c ed a ft er o n e l u ck y
p la y e r w a lk ed a w a y w it h
£2,360. Produced by
G ra n a d a T e l e v i s i o n , C r is s
C r o s s Q u iz b eg a n in 1 9 5 7
a n d w a s p r e s en t e d b y
J e r em y H a w k . A c h i l d r e n ' s
v e rs i o n of t h e s h ow ca l l e d
J u n io r C r is s C r o s s Q u iz
w a s p r o d u c ed t h e s a m e
y ea r t h e a d u lt v e r s i o n
s t a rt e d .
Call The Midwife review by James Thomas
As period shows go there is a fine line between
where homage to the past becomes an idolized
parody, where the view of history or a special
period, that helped shaped the country’s identity,
becomes too saccharin and too maudlin for the
television screen. Fortunately, Call The Midwife is
an engaging and charming a treat.
Call The Midwife features a troupe a midwives on
bicycles, working in London, helping women with
the most intimate, beautiful, and at times
terrifying moments of their lives. With a light
sensibility and a desire to show the relevance of
the feminine experience in a world that is
changing, Call The Midwife is an exemplification of
excellent British television - pure drama that takes
endearing characters through the trials and
tribulations of being dedicated to a noble cause,
bracketed by the contradictions of real world
versus expectations and sometimes tragic subject
matter.
The drama takes place in London’s impoverished
Poplar District in the East End, a place where the
birth rate is high and the quality of life quite low.
The show starts with freshly qualified midwives
joining the nuns at Nonnatus House, an Anglican
religious order and nursing convent, where they
begin to work helping the underserved residents
of the area. Because of the lack of funds midwives
and nuns find themselves pulling triple work shifts,
tending to their duties delivering children, caring
for pregnant women, while at the same time
providing medical attention to those who need the
help.
The series is based on the memoirs of Jennifer
Worth a real life midwife who wrote about the
trials of those living in this particular area of East
London and the struggles for mothers in particular.
By all accounts her character in the memories is
accurately reflected in the persona of Nurse Jenny
Lee (Jessica Raine), a sparkling personality who is
taken aback when she finds herself in a convent
rather than a private hospital and hit with a
healthy dose of culture shock upon entering the
East End. Jenny is cultured and well-travelled,
having spent some time in Paris, where she had
much of her training in the field of nursing. Only
22, her matured voice functions as the narrator
and she present the role of the midwife with a
reverence akin to the nuns she served with. Of
course, even with such serious subject matter one
of the first people that Jenny encounters is the
whimsical nun Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt)
who sets the tone for charming levity that
dominates the series. One of the more enigmatic
and entertaining characters, a radical trailblazer
being amongst the first women to qualify as a
midwife in the country, Sister Monica Joan comes
from a well titled family that considered her going
on to become a nun to be scandalous. At the
beginning of the series the audience finds Sister
Monica Joan at 90 years of age and retired, but
still living in Nonnatus House, stealing cakes and
imparting cryptic wisdom.
It’s this sense of mirth and endearment that we
experience as Jenny learns to love the place where
she works and how the nurses and sisters attempt
so much with so little.
3
Teletronic - Mar 2014
Animal House —
Kicked Out of College
b y Mi k e S p a d o n i
In
1978,
N a ti o n a l
L a mp o o n ’ s A n i ma l H o u s e
became
the
surprise
m ov i e b l oc k b u s t e r of t h e
year.
The
c o mi c
a d v e n t u r e s of a r e b e l
c ol l e g e f r a t e r n i t y a n d i t s
rivalry with a more
u p s t a n d i n g or g a n i z a ti o n
s t a r r e d Sa t u r d a y N i g h t
L i ve c o - s t a r J o h n B e l u s h i
a n d a m os t l y u n k n ow n
c a s t . I t w a s ou t r a g e ou s ,
vulgar, tasteless and very
f u n n y . A n i ma l H o u s e ’ s
success
did
not
go
u n n oti c e d b y A m e r i c a ’ s
Big
Three
t e l e v i s i on
n e t w or k s , e a c h of w h o m
e m b a r k e d o n a c o u r s e f or
h on o u r s i n c ol l e g e s i t c o m
s u c c e s s . B u t i n t h e c ol d
winter months of 1979,
a ll t h r e e r e c e i v e d a
f a i li n g g r a d e f o r t a k i n g
t h e b a s i c s of a r a u n c h y
b u t h i l a r i ou s R - r a t e d fi l m
and
modifying
the
formula
f or
f a mi l y
audiences.
Of the three entries,
ABC’s
Delta
House
received
the
m os t
s c r u ti n y , f or t h e s i m p l e
reason that it was the
o ffi c i a l T V s p i n off of
Animal
House.
ABC
si g n e d
the
fi l m ’ s
producers,
Ma tt y
Si m m on s
and
Ivan
R e i t ma n , t o d e v e l o p t h e
T V v e r s i on , a n d s e v e r a l
of t h e m ov i e ’ s c a s t
members repeated their
r ol e s f or D e l t a H o u s e –
John
Vernon
(Dean
V e r n on
W or m e r ) ;
Stephen
Furst
(Kent
“ Fl o u n d e r ”
D or f m a n ) ;
Bruce
Mc G i ll
(Daniel
Si mp s o n “ D - D a y ” D a y )
and
James
Widdoes
( R o b e r t H oo v e r ) .
Si n c e
John
Belushi’s
p op u l a r c h a r a c t e r of J oh n
“ Bl u t o” B l u t a r s k y w a s n ot
a v a i l a b l e f or t h e s e r i e s
Nurse "Chummy" Browne (Miranda Hart) is
another character who grew up in a world much
different from the East End, but whose attitude
towards the conditions of the place and the
bittersweet nature of being a midwife in such an
impoverished area, is one of perpetual
positivity. Chummy is a definite fan favourite,
with her quiet demeanour and humble wit, as
well as her physical awkwardness all of which
belies her substantial talents as a midwife.
Counter-balancing the Introverted Chummy is
the vivacious and good hearted Nurse Beatrix
“Trixie” Franklin (Helen George), a dedicated
midwife whose abilities are matched by her
sociable nature and fashionable graces. At work
she wears fashionable nylons, vibrant lipstick,
and spends the day gossiping with the other
midwives, though her dedication to her duties is
absolute. Still, she some times rubs the other
midwives, especially the nuns, the wrong way
and it can make for some entertaining if
somewhat awkward moments.
The sisters of Nonnatus House are by no means
a boring bunch. The holy nun in charge is Sister
Julienne (Jenny Agutter), the sister-in-charge,
who is the second most experienced midwife on
the premises, and the woman who keeps the
whole place running for the betterment of
Poplar’s District, while at the same time being a
deeply religious and also exceedingly pious
woman. This mix allows her to be both dignified
when assisting her patients, while at the same
time approaching them with no sense of
judgment. Inside the house her role is primarily
one of the peace-maker and the person who
Obituary: Lisa Daniely
Lisa Daniely made her debut in the
1950 film Lilli Marlene in the title
role, which also featured Stanley
Baker in one of his earliest film
parts. She later appeared in several
films but was more prolific on
television,
with
her
best
settles internal drama caused by the clashing
personalities of each of the women. Sister
Evangilina (Pam Ferris) is one of the only nuns
in Nonnatus House who comes from the harsh
world of the East End and that upbringing has
given her a rapacious wonder for the world, and
a rich sense of humour that is as infectious as
her energy and the efficient way that she deals
with the mothers in her care, and the other
patients she has. Her intimate, blunt way of
speaking, impatience with foolish people, and
connection to the East End makes her able to
form a rich rapport with the people of the area
and they feel more than comfortable with her
assistance, and candid with their problems.
The charm of the show is as much how these
personalities complement each other as it is
about the sense of nostalgia, and the view of a
time when change was coming to a world that
needed and resisted the shifting dynamic.
Through Jenny’s journey we see challenges of
both women who serve and the women that
they serve, as certain sensitive social questions,
about love, sex, and the plight of the less
fortunate collide with the reserved and dignified
history of the sisters and nurses charitable
work. At times the idyllic nature of the show’s
tone can be a little off-putting to some, but
there is a heartfelt authenticity to the dialogue
and the plot devices that make it an engaging
enough show to warrant everyone watching.
remembered role perhaps being Sherlock Holmes. She passed away
Diane Brady, the sister of Peter on 24 January 2014 aged 84 years.
Brady, in the 1958 series version of
H.G. Wells' The Invisible Man.
Other appearances on various TV
programmes include The Saint,
Danger Man, Doctor Who, Strange
Report, The Protectors, Van Der
Valk and The Adventures of
4
Teletronic - Mar 2014
(From Previous Page)
(Belushi was still a Saturday Night Live cast member), the producers cast
Josh Mostel (son of
famed actor Zero Mostel)
as his brother Jim
“Blotto”
Blutarsky.
(There were references
to “Bluto”on the show,
some in letters to
“Blotto” from “Bluto.”)
All the action took place
at the fictional Faber
College in the early
1960's (the setting for
Animal House) with
Dean Wormer and the
rich Omega House members constantly trying to
get the Delta House boys
kicked off campus for
one fraction or another;
naturally, the frat brothers emerged victorious at
the end of every episode.
But missing were the
outrageous antics of the
film, including its more
explicit references to sex,
drugs, and drinking. And
that proved to be the
show’s downfall. After
launching Delta House
after the smash hit Mork
& Mindy on January
18th, 1979, ABC moved
the series to a Saturday
night slot. Despite OK but
not outstanding ratings,
Simmons and Reitman
continued to fight with
ABC censors over content–and what was acceptable for “family
hour” viewing between
8:00 and 9:00 PM. Both
sides eventually decided
enough was enough, and
Delta House ended its
run on April 28th, 1979.
Jack Rosenthal - Television’s Charles Dickens?
by Laurence Marcus
Jack Rosenthal, one of Britain's greatest TV
dramatists and the husband of actress
Maureen Lipman, who died on 29th May
2004 after a long battle with cancer left
behind a legacy of a vast catalogue of plays,
films and television series, that include some
of the finest dramas ever broadcast on
television. He was at the peak of his
profession for some 40 years. His credits
included Coronation Street, Spend Spend
Spend-the classic Play for Today about
football pools winner Viv Nicholson, Bar
Mitzvah Boy-about a Jewish boy coming of
age, Yentl-which he co-wrote with the film's
star Barbra Streisand, the comedy series The
Lovers, starring Richard Beckinsale, P'Tang
Yang Kipperbang, The Knowledge, London's
Burning and a television adaptation of
Kingsley Amis's Lucky Jim.
Jack Morris Rosenthal was born on 8th
September 1931 in Manchester. After
attending Colne Grammar School he read
English Language and Literature at the
University of Sheffield, graduating with a B.A.
in 1953. Following his National Service where
he learned to translate Russian, he worked in
the promotion department of the newly
formed Granada Television, before leaving to
work in advertising. He renewed his
connection with Granada in 1961 when he
was commissioned to write episode no. 30 for
the popular soap opera Coronation Street. Up
to 1969 Rosenthal contributed 129 episodes
to the series, and went on to produce the
series for a time. He said of his time on the
show: "I'll always be proud of much of the
work I did there. It's too easy to dismiss
Coronation Street. As a training ground for
writers and directors its importance can't be
overstated."
Also, in 1961 Rosenthal contributed scripts for
the comedy series Bootsie and Snudge
starring Bill Fraser and Alfie Bass and the
following year wrote episode six of the single
series sitcom The Bulldog Breed starring
Donald Churchill, Peter Butterworth and
future Coronation Street star Amanda Barrie
who was starring in her first television role. In
1963, his growing reputation as a writer for
television, and a widening interest in comedy
were put to good use with contributions to
the BBC satirical programme That Was The
Week That Was and following credits on
several other sitcoms he developed comedy
series’ The Dustbinmen (1969-70), The Lovers
(1970-71) and Sadie, It's Cold Outside (1975).
For The Dustbinmen he accompanied
dustmen on their rounds. This was typical of
Rosenthal who took a lot of care to research
backgrounds where settings were unfamiliar
to him. For The Knowledge (1979), about
London taxi-drivers who must achieve an
encyclopaedic knowledge of the city in order
to qualify for a licence, Rosenthal spent time
with cab-drivers (and was given an honorary
'taxi driver's licence' in his name), and spent
time with removal men to write The Chain
(1984), a feature film about seven very
different households moving house on the
same day, and Moving Story (1994), a
television film about a wife apparently
moving away from her husband both
physically and emotionally.
5
Teletronic - Mar 2014
Why Breaking Bad is Better
Than The Wire
By Sandy Knight
(Warning: Spoilers)
For a long time Breaking Bad
wasn’t considered worthy of
comparison with the big show’s:
Is the The Wire better than the
Sopranos? Will Mad Men be
better than both in the end? And
what about Boardwalk Empire – it
has Steve Buscemi after all? In
2010 Breaking Bad wasn’t even
part of the conversation. Too of
much a novelty, with its odd
premise and unglamorous setting.
Bryan Cranston’s casting confused
people with regard to the tone –
is it a crime caper or a serious
drama?
Netflix changed all that, and by
the time the finale aired it was so
popular and so adored that many
people felt the need to comment
wryly on their detachment from
the rest of the world’s obsession
with the show. Breaking Bad
broke the mould massively by
avoiding the degrading quality so
many shows suffer. They cut it
short enough that the finale
wrapped up ends that were
loosened in the very first episode.
There was no need for a new
crime scene a la Twin Peaks, or a
new setting every season like The
Wire.
I get the impression the show’s
comparative lack of narrative
complexity has something to do
with the widespread perceived
superiority of The Wire. The Wire
is about a lot of different people
in a lot of different situations. The
Sopranos is about one guy in a lot
of situations. Breaking Bad is
essentially only about one
situation and it’s mainly about
the portion of that situation
that takes place in Walt’s
head.
(continued next page…)
One of Rosenthal's best-known plays, Bar
Mitzvah Boy (1976), illustrated a recurring
theme in his work, experience of life from a
Jewish standpoint, and The Evacuees (1975)
dealt with his own personal experience during
wartime, when many children from cities
considered at risk from constant aerial
bombing were evacuated to safer areas - as
were the author and his brother - but where
their experience of life with foster-parents
was not always a happy one. Likewise, 'Bye,
'Bye, Baby' (1992) owes much to the author's
National Service in the Royal Navy in the mid1950s where he trained as an eavesdropper
on Russian naval radio transmissions, and in
which he was conscious of being the object of
not one but three different prejudices: as a
Northerner, as a product of a working-class
background, and as "about the only Jew in the
navy".
exploits of a Whitby skipper determined to
commemorate his heroes by voyaging to the
Arctic Circle with a makeshift crew and
without
an
official
certificate
of
seaworthiness.
Music sometimes featured in his work. Our
Gracie (1984) was a theatre play with music
about the celebrated Lancashire singer Gracie
Fields. In an unusual development for him,
Rosenthal rewrote Bar Mitzvah Boy as a
musical (1978), which despite appearing in
both London and New York was not a success,
and the problems engendered by this
production inspired him to create Smash!, in
the form of both a theatre play (1981) and a
screenplay (1984).
Rosenthal's work won many awards and
honours, amongst which have been: The
Lovers (Writers' Guild Best Series Comedy
Series Award, 1971), Another Sunday and
Sweet F.A. (TV Critics' Circle Best Play of the
Year
Award,
1971),
The
Evacuees
(International Emmy Best Play Award, British
Academy Best Play Award and other awards,
1975), Bar Mitzvah Boy (British Academy Best
Play Award and Broadcasting Press Guild Best
Play Award, 1976), and Spend, Spend, Spend
(British Academy Best Play Award and Royal
Television Society's Writer's Award, 1977).
Yentl was awarded the New York Critics'
Golden Globe (1984).
But Rosenthal was equally able to switch
perspective as is evident in the screenplay
Well, Thank You Thursday (1976), where
intense personal dramas are played out in the
lives of those who attend a Registry Office but
where the Registrar herself seems more
concerned with taking delivery of a new desk.
And the familiar world of television itself
would also become a subject for drama:
Ready When You Are, Mr McGill (1976)
recalled the pitfalls of making a television
film, while The Fools on the Hill (1986) took
place against the background of the early In 1994 he was created Commander of the
development of television at Alexandra British Empire. Academic honours included:
M.A., University of Salford (1994), and D.Litt.,
Palace.
University of Manchester (1995) and
Other themes are apparent in his work. The
University of Sheffield (1998). He was Maisie
pain of growing up, as in Bar Mitzvah Boy, is
Glass Professor Associate in Theatre,
also central to one of his best known
University of Sheffield, 1997-1998.
television films, Ptang, Yang, Kipperbang
(1982), in which an adolescent schoolboy Dramatist Alan Bleasdale was among those
dreams of kissing a girl in his class but feels who paid tribute to his abilities, saying: "He
unable to approach her. Many of Rosenthal's had a remarkable gift for characterisation and
dramas dealt with relationships between the dialogue. I've always been a huge fan. He had
sexes: from the early stirrings of sexual a remarkable career and I don't think he was
feelings explored in P'tang his focus moved to given the credit more fêted writers have been
the other extreme in Wide-Eyed and Legless given." The BBC director of drama, Alan
(1993), a portrayal of the effect on a long- Yentob, said: "As one of the great original
standing married relationship when one of writers for television he is up there with
Dennis Potter and Alan Bleasdale. His writing
the partners falls seriously ill.
was funny and humane and touched a chord
The trauma of applying for a university place
with millions of people."
and leaving home, the widening social
horizons which accompany the process and The Ripper Street article planned for this
the effect on candidates and their families are issue can now be found on Television Heaven
all explored in Eskimo Day (1996) and its
sequel Cold Enough For Snow (1997). And as
in Yentl, a sympathy with those seeking
heroically to overcome unreasonable
prejudice forms the plot of the feature film
Captain Jack (1999), based on the true
6
Teletronic - Mar 2014
(Continued from Previous Page)
The Wire is considered a
masterpiece in part for its realism.
Whether it’s realistic or not it
certain feels real, more than any
other show. It also sometimes
gets flak for being a mouthpiece
for David Simon’s politics. Nothing
wrong with that to me, but I think
central feature of The Wire is the
cause of both of these points and
it’s a philosophical one.
In The Wire every character is
somehow at the mercy of the
system – a system shown to be
expansive by the scope of the
show. Essentially good characters
are seen doing bad things and
fundamentally bad characters are
seen doing good things. This
makes it interesting. That’s all
well good, but the whole appeal
relies on the premise that people
are essentially and unchangeably
good or bad and are acted upon
by their situation – their
behaviour is a product of the two.
They are a product of a broken
system which they exercise
limited ability choose within.
In Breaking Bad character follows
behaviour and behaviour is
always a choice. Walt is a good
guy at the start, and then he
makes the decision to kill Krazy-8
in his basement. Walt is now
someone who has killed
someone. The character follows
the behaviour: the behaviour
comes from the complete free
will Walt exercises in every
moment of his life after diagnosis.
Mr Selfridge review by Suzanna Hayes
Hayes--Goldfinch
Based on the book Shopping, Seduction & Mr
Selfridge by Lindy Woodhead, Mr Selfridge, the
British period drama series set in London at the
beginning of the 1900s, tells the story of the
world famous department store, Selfridges & Co,
and the flamboyant American entrepreneur
behind it all.
have given up. When his investor pulls out,
leaving Selfridge without the capital required to
fund his new business, he remains optimistic and
even seems to be in denial about the situation.
His ever suffering Accounts Manager, Mr Crabb
(Ron Cook), seems to have little insight into the
actual financial position of the business, as
Selfridge continuously fobs him off. Luckily
In the opening episode, Harry Gordon Selfridge
Selfridge manages to make a few contacts, one of
(Jeremy Piven) visits a shop to make a purchase
which bankrolls him.
and is so disappointed with the rules and
regulations in place that it inspires him to open We get to see Selfridge with his family, seemingly
his own store. When buying a pair of gloves, the completely besotted with his wife, Rose (Frances
shop assistant shows him only exactly what he O'Connor) and
devastated when, in later
has asked for, but Selfridge argues that he episodes, he discovers her liaison with her
wanted to see a range of gloves as he wasn’t portrait painter. His banter with his children
entirely sure that what the assistant showed him seems very natural and he even brings his mother
was what he wanted. His view for his shop is to over from America to live with them.
have as much on show as possible so that
consumers can choose between different
variations of clothing. Hence, Selfridges was born
-a department store dedicated to browsing. The
store was considered innovative when it opened
amongst massive hype in 1909, changing the way
people shopped, particularly women.
The show also documents influential points in the
store’s history. Selfridges was one of the first UK
retail outlets to bring the perfume counter to the
front of the store. Considered “a woman’s secret”
some thought it was a risky move and that
perfume should be hidden at the back of the
store. Selfridges was also a leader in “off-thepeg” fashion. It was considered crazy that a
woman should be able to walk into a shop, try on
a ready-made dress and then leave with it on the
same day. Yet Selfridges made that happen.
Although the programme documents the opening
of Selfridges, the main focus is on Mr Selfridge
and the staff he has hired to work in his
department store. In the first episode, Selfridge
comes across as a very likable character. He's
enthusiastic and charming, excites most of the
people he meets and remains cheerful and
positive even in situations where others may
At first glance he seems like the perfect family
man. So it comes as quite shock when Selfridge
betrays Rose so early in the series, appearing to
show no remorse over the affair and, even when
challenged later in the series by her, showing no
sign of remorse or apology. However, Selfridge’s
addiction to women makes perfect sense seeing
as how his department store is dedicated to
making them happy. Indeed, the storylines
surrounding the women are far more interesting
than that of the main man.
(continued next page…)
7
Teletronic - Mar 2014
(Continued from previous page)
People were so heartbroken by
Walt’s journey because they
thought there would come a limit
– they thought there would be a
point were essentially who he is
would stop him from doing the
next, more awful thing. It made
people angry with Walt because
they are afraid that evil people
weren’t always evil. That they
themselves could, given a choice
here and there, become what
they would consider a bad
person.
In parallel, Jesse refuses to
exercise his free will. He’s lead on
a journey he hates by Walt, Jane,
Mike, Gus and finally by Hank.
Jesse is the most beloved
character on the show (except
maybe Marie I guess) and his
suffering is profound and
uncomfortable to watch.
While watching the finale I was
worried about Jesse’s future right
up until his last line of the show:
“Do it yourself”, Jesse takes
control, walks away, he makes the
choice even though he was
tempted by Walt. It’s finally his
call. And he leaves in the driver’s
seat.
The Wire maybe hard to watch
because it shows terrible things
happening, Wallace’s death was
gut-wrenchingly sad and the
downfall of Stringer Bell was
probably the best three-episode
arc in television history. But I
submit that The Wire essentially
comfortable to watch because it
shows people trying their best in
a world that makes their efforts
futile, we are all tempted to see
ourselves as products of the
events that happen to us, not the
events we impose on the world.
That level of freedom would
terrify us - and it makes
Breaking Bad the best TV
show ever made.
It becomes clear that Mrs Selfridge is used to her husband’s infidelities. Yet she only makes him
aware of her knowledge when he confronts her about her painter friend. Even then, though they
argue, she tells him she may forgive him in the morning. Selfridge's need for control is obvious
through his leadership of the shop and his family life. However, Rose Selfridge slipped, and although
few would blame her, Harry Selfridge certainly does. Most of the time, Rose seems mysterious and
aloof, which is part of Mr Selfridge’s control over her and part of the reason why he fell in love with
her. Mrs Selfridge is in complete contrast to Ellen Love (Zoë Tapper), the show girl who turns
Selfridge’s head in the early episodes. She is more like Selfridge. Confident, cocky and very unsubtle,
she makes the mistake of trying to control him as she is used to men doing what she asks of them.
When he decides he no longer wants anything to do with her, she completely loses control and
overdoses. At the same time, Selfridge loses control through drinking. Their personalities are very
similar.
But the most interesting character is Ms Agnes Towler (Aisling Loftus). Her story unravelled after
Selfridge employed her in his shop. The other members of staff disliked her due to her perceived
favouritism with Mr Selfridge and her popularity with some of the male staff. However she was facing
her own challenges at home which made her more than just another pretty face in Selfridge’s life.
The series is set in a time when women are starting to have a voice of their own. They are feeling
liberated, although still slightly restrained, as proven when Miss Ravillious (Anna Madeley) starts to
work at Selfridges wearing a skirt that rises above her ankles. Despite this, the women are certainly
becoming more forward with their desires towards men and are enjoying working and having more
freedom. Lady Mae Loxely (Katherine Kelly) is probably the best example of this, using her own
fortune and her husband’s title to choose younger lovers as she wishes. There have so far been two
series of Mr Selfridge each with ten episodes. It is a polished, lavish, very easy to watch period drama
which provides some interesting insight into how the British used to shop.
Obituary:
Stanley Rubin
Stanley Creamer Rubin won his place in the history of US television in 1949
by becoming the recipient of the Television Academy’s first ever Emmy for
writing and producing (in collaboration) an adaptation of Guy Maupassant’s
The Diamond Necklace for the NBC series Your Show Time. Rubin was born
on 8 October 1917 in New York City and began writing in 1940. Ten years
later he began producing both television and feature films. His television
producing credits included the series The Ghost & Mrs. Muir (for which he
received an Emmy nomination as the producer of the Best Comedy Series)
and Bracken's World-whilst his movies included River of No Return (1954)
starring Marilyn Monroe and the Clint Eastwood drama White Hunter
Black Heart (1990). Rubin, the subject of the documentary film Stanley
Rubin: A Work in Progress (2008), had been married to actress Kathleen
Hughes since 1954. He died on 2 March 2014 from natural causes at the age
of 96 at his Los Angeles home.
8
Teletronic - Mar 2014
Click to Purchase these DVD’s
from Amazon UK
Paparazzi Made People Public Property - The Big Brother Story
by Onome Okwuosa
It’s hard to forget the public shattering of
Britney Spears, the pictures taken by famed
paparazzi Francois Navarre of her head shaving
debacle. Through every portal, the world rubber
-necked to watch the car crash of her life unfold
in graphic detail. Navarre’s cavalier approach to
photo-journalism, grosses him a whopping
annual turnover of some $10 million!
Taking the obsession people have with the rich,
beautiful and famous; producers dangled the
carrot before the applicants noses and let the
game begin. You too can be part of this elite
group if you sign here, act up here and of course only if you want to, flash a boob or winky there
and there.
It’s not really fair then when people say the
contestants are famous for nothing for they are
tried and tested entertainers. Using nowt more
than their personalities, they inspired jaw
dropping moments. Brain-box Jade Goody
believing East Anglia was in a whole other
country, Brian Belo flopping his man-stick around
the pool for the nation to see and Nasty Nick
whisperispering his way to immunity from
eviction. Their tom foolery was TV fodder at its
When fame turns to shame we’re all too ready to
best and worst.
buy the magazines and read all about it in the
papers. Big Brother waltzed in and invited us to Had it not been for an intervention from the
shake up the game. Be part of a new reverse flow powers that be, Nick would’ve serenaded his way
to fame and glory it asked, sure why not, we through to the final. Shows like Big Brother with
replied.
the always on camera revealed how subjective
reality is. The lack of the situational structuring in
Like many other reality TV shows, Big Brother
favour of editing, led the viewer to believe they
smells a little bit like a quasisocial experiment. A
were watching relationships organically develop
wonderfully simple format that promised nail
between characters.
biting tension. Of course with cameras rigged to
every corner, the happy-to-pay public won’t be Sada Walkington from the first UK Big Brother,
disappointed as they get to scrutinise every slated the show for their editing and broadcasted
insidious and sordid going on.
version of the supposed truth. She found they
were a tad too effective with their footage
Big Brother baits and hooks
nipping and tucking. Their choice of what to air
George Orwell’s dark look at an ever watching was so warped, she felt it was destructive to her
audience in his film 1984 and Andrew Nicol’s The personality leaving her feeling betrayed and
Truman show ominously inspired the Dutch having to pick up the pieces when she returned
makers to create the hit programme. Thankfully, to the real world.
unlike the films, all contestants were willing to
participate. Happy to be watched over by a
critical public.
Unapologetic, Navarre says he will go as far as he
can “without breaking the laws” and why not?
The “global appetite for celebrity pictures…is
insatiable says Kevin Smith, former News Chief of
gossip rag Splash News. It’s papers such as these
that rather than put the proverbial fat kid gorging
on a diet of celeb gossip; puts a fully stocked
vending machine in their bedroom.
9
Teletronic - Mar 2014
Next Issue: April 2014
More Show Reviews
Plus Features
Disneyland: How Walt
Disney Married The
Enemy
You can follow Television
Heaven on Twitter
@tv_heaven
Television Heaven has it’s
own Facebook Page
If you wish to advertise in future
issues of Teletronic please contact
[email protected]
Contributors this issue:
Anome Okwuosa
James Thomas
Suzanna Hayes-Goldfinch
Sandy Knight
Mike Spadoni
Laurence Marcus
Keep them in or cuss them out?
Big Brother 1 winner Craig is now a popular DIY
presenter on daytime telly. Brian Dowling, Big
Brother 2 and ultimate Big Brother winner went
on to host the show, replacing long standing
presenter Davina McCall. Big Brother 4 winner
Cameron now writes and broadcasts for BBC in
Aberdeen.
No matter how much vigorous testing and
personality probing the contestants undergo,
there’s only so much you can test theoretically.
Sitting in the comfort of our homes, a safe
distance between us and the participants; it’s
little wonder we don’t Yoda off our cushions. We
were elevated to new heights as we were given Once you’ve charmed your way around the other
the final say in who got booted out of the Big contestants, and remained in the bubble-cage for
the entire series you’re clearly likeable enough to
Brother bubble.
be considered by the networks. Winners proved
The public’s insatiable appetite was placated they have a skin thick enough to suffer the cattlewith having the final vote for only so long. Each prodding of producers whilst on the show. Add to
series of the show shaped and formed characters that their willingness to shed personal privacy
that were prime for the new age of television. and you’ve got a presenter perfect for modern
Skins had to be thickened for the new era of day mass-marketing.
public interaction. Delving ever deeper, the
relationship between the players and the public The show hasn’t been so kind to its celebrity
counterparts mind. Many of those that head in,
now waxes and wanes over social networks.
despite their established star status crumble
Critiquing on Twitter and Facebook with friends, under the pressure. Vanessa Feltz, TV personality
family and strangers knocked walls down, and radio host, had her marbles shaken up by the
creating street long front rooms. Complements experience. Snapping and swearing at
and callous cussing showed those on the outside contestants, scrawling in chalk on tables. Safe to
had joined in with the blending of the public and say, she was a happy bunny when she was let
private persona. No longer hushed water-cooler back out into the wild landscape of normality.
conversation or coffee break banter, the digiverse
became the home for heated opinion exchange. When politicians head into confined spaces with
other large characters, you never know what’ll
Fame or shame Academy, it’s your happen. With George Galloway, it was bitching
with Jodie Marsh, damn near brawling with
choice
Barrymore and who can forget the hello kitty
The format of the show is proving to be an
moment with Rula Lenska? With those kind of
optimum training ground for future fame, DJ and
shenanigans how can you not feel better about
presenter being the top career choice for
yourself? Here’s to the next fishbowl full of
crowned contestants.
characters.
10