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Talent (1978 Play)
''Talent'' is a play written by Victoria Wood, first performed in 1978. It centres on two friends, one of whom is about to enter a talent contest in a run down nightclub. Commissioned for the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, it received much acclaim and transferred to a London run in 1979. That same year a television adaptation was broadcast. It was the first time Victoria Wood and Julie Walters appeared together on TV. A mixture of dialogue and music, one of its tunes inspired The Smiths song ''Rusholme Ruffians''. The script was published by Methuen in 1988, along with another play by Wood, '' Good Fun''. Origins After receiving much acclaim for her writing and performance in a 1978 revue at The Bush Theatre titled '' In at the Death'', Wood was commissioned by then theatre director David Leland to write a play for Sheffield's Crucible Theatre. The initial commission was for Wood to co-write, with fellow revue writer Ron Hutchinson, a play about strippers. According to Wood: "The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jim Broadbent
James Broadbent (born 24 May 1949) is an English actor. He won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his supporting role as John Bayley in the feature film ''Iris'' (2001), as well as winning a BAFTA TV Award and a Golden Globe for his leading role as Lord Longford in the television film ''Longford'' (2006). Broadbent received four BAFTA Film Award nominations and won for his performance in ''Moulin Rouge!'' (2001). He was also nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. A graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 1972, Broadbent first came to prominence in the 1980s, chiefly appearing in television comedy including playing Roy Slater in the BBC sitcom ''Only Fools and Horses''. He appeared in the Terry Gilliam films ''Time Bandits'' (1981) and ''Brazil'' (1985) before a breakthrough role in Mike Leigh's independent comedy drama '' Life Is Sweet'' (1990). His notable film roles since include ''The Borrowers'' (1997), ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Not The Nine O'Clock News
''Not the Nine O'Clock News'' is a British television sketch comedy show which was broadcast on BBC2 from 1979 to 1982. Originally shown as a comedy alternative to the '' Nine O'Clock News'' on BBC1, it features satirical sketches on then-current news stories and popular culture, as well as parody songs, comedy sketches, re-edited videos, and spoof television formats. The programme features Rowan Atkinson, Pamela Stephenson, Mel Smith, and Griff Rhys Jones, as well as Chris Langham in the first series. Format The format was a deliberate departure from the stream-of-consciousness meta-comedy pioneered by ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'', returning to a more conventional sketch format. Sketches were mostly self-contained, lasting from a few seconds to a few minutes, and often had a degree of naturalism in performance. The series launched the careers of several high-profile actors and writers, and also led to other comedic series including ''Blackadder'' and ''Alas Smith and Jones'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alan Plater
Alan Frederick Plater (15 April 1935 – 25 June 2010) was an English playwright and screenwriter, who worked extensively in British television from the 1960s to the 2000s. Career Plater was born in Jarrow, County Durham, although his family moved to Hull in 1938. He attended Kingston High School. Jarrow was much publicised as a severely economically depressed area before the Second World War (Plater joked that his family left Jarrow just after the Great Depression to catch Hull just before the Blitz). He trained as an architect at King's College, Newcastle (later the Newcastle University School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape), but only practised in the profession briefly, at a junior level. He later stated that it was shortly after he was forced to fend off a herd of pigs from eating his tape measure while he was surveying a field that he left to pursue writing full-time. Plater stayed in the north of England for many years after he became prominent as a writ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Le Mesurier
John Le Mesurier (, born John Elton Le Mesurier Halliley; 5 April 191215 November 1983) was an English actor. He is perhaps best remembered for his comedic role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson in the BBC television situation comedy ''Dad's Army'' (1968–1977). A self-confessed "jobbing actor", Le Mesurier appeared in more than 120 films across a range of genres, normally in smaller supporting parts. Le Mesurier became interested in the stage as a young adult and enrolled at the Fay Compton Studio of Dramatic Art in 1933. From there he took a position in repertory theatre and made his stage debut in September 1934 at the Palladium Theatre in Edinburgh in the J. B. Priestley play ''Dangerous Corner''. He later accepted an offer to work with Alec Guinness in a John Gielgud production of ''Hamlet''. He first appeared on television in 1938 as Seigneur de Miolans in the BBC broadcast of ''The Marvellous History of St Bernard''. During the Second World War Le Mesuri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sue And Sunny
Sue and Sunny were a British vocal duo and session singers operating in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Although sisters, their stage names were Sue Glover and Sunny Leslie. For three years (1969-1972) they were members of British pop group The Brotherhood of Man. Career Born Yvonne Weetman ('Sue') and Heather Weetman ('Sunny') in Madras, India, they made their recording debut together in 1963 under the name The Myrtelles, with their cover version of Lesley Gore's "Just Let Me Cry" on the independent Oriole record label. The single was not commercially successful. The girls then released two singles under the name of Sue and Sunshine before settling on the name Sue and Sunny. Whilst recording with songwriter and producer Kenny Lynch the girls changed their name to The Stockingtops at his request, but decided it was not for them and reverted to Sue and Sunny. In 1965, they sang backing vocals on Alex Harvey's single, "Agent OO Soul" / "Go Away Baby" (Fontana – TF 610), produced ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nat Jackley
Nat Jackley (born Nathaniel Tristram Jackley Hirsch; 16 July 1909 – 17 September 1988) was an English comic actor who starred in revue, variety, film and pantomime from the 1920s to the mid-1980s. His trademark rubber-neck dance, skeletal frame and peculiar speech impediment made him a formidable and funny comedian and pantomime dame. His later years were spent as a character actor in film and television, and appearing in pantomime. Jackley appeared in three Royal Variety shows, topping the bill in summer shows throughout Britain's seaside resorts and in London. Early life A native of Sunderland, he was born into a theatrical family. His father George Jackley (1885–1950) was a comic actor who was the leading comedian for the Melville Brothers at the Lyceum Theatre during the interwar years. George himself was the son of Nathan Jackley who, with his own troupe, The Jackley Wonders, performed in circuses throughout Europe and the United States. Nat's brother David was an a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ITV (TV Network)
ITV is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network. It was launched in 1955 as Independent Television to provide competition to BBC Television (established in 1936). ITV is the oldest commercial network in the UK. Since the passing of the Broadcasting Act 1990, it has been legally known as Channel 3 to distinguish it from the other analogue channels at the time, BBC1, BBC2 and Channel 4. ITV was for four decades a network of separate companies which provided regional television services and also shared programmes between each other to be shown on the entire network. Each franchise was originally owned by a different company. After several mergers, the fifteen regional franchises are now held by two companies: ITV plc, which runs the ITV1 channel, and STV Group, which runs the STV channel. The ITV network is a separate entity from ITV plc, the company that resulted from the merger of Granada plc and Carlton Communications in 2004. ITV plc holds the Channel 3 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Granada Television
ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was its weekend counterpart. Granada's parent company Granada plc later bought several other regional ITV stations and, in 2004, merged with Carlton Communications to form ITV plc. Granada Television was particularly noted by critics for the distinctive northern and "social realism" character of many of its network programmes, as well as the high quality of its drama and documentaries. In its prime as an independent franchisee, prior to its parent company merging with Carlton Communications to form ITV plc, it was the largest Independent Television producer in the UK, accounting for 25% of the total broadcasting output of the ITV network. Granada Television was founded by Sidney Bernstein at Granada Studios on Quay Street in Manchester and is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Peter Eckersley (TV Producer)
Peter Eckersley (7 April 1936 – 27 August 1981) was a British television producer. His television career began on Granada's Scene at 6.30 programme where he worked with his friend Michael Parkinson. He went on to become Head of Drama at Granada Television in the 1960s and '70s. In the 1960s, he was also a writer and producer on '' Coronation Street''. He wrote 62 episodes between April 1962 and November 1969. There he met and married one of its stars, Anne Reid, who played Valerie Barlow. He also produced the sitcom ''Nearest and Dearest'' with Hylda Baker and Jimmy Jewel. During the late 1970s he spotted and developed a young comedian Victoria Wood, who went on to become one of the UK's most successful comedy stars. He produced the TV version of her play '' Talent'' and its sequel '' Nearly A Happy Ending'' as well as the play '' Happy Since I Met You'' (also by Wood). He also produced the pilot of ''Wood and Walters'', but died before the series was made. Wood cited him a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ITV Network
ITV is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network. It was launched in 1955 as Independent Television to provide competition to BBC Television (established in 1936). ITV is the oldest commercial network in the UK. Since the passing of the Broadcasting Act 1990, it has been legally known as Channel 3 to distinguish it from the other analogue channels at the time, BBC1, BBC2 and Channel 4. ITV was for four decades a network of separate companies which provided regional television services and also shared programmes between each other to be shown on the entire network. Each franchise was originally owned by a different company. After several mergers, the fifteen regional franchises are now held by two companies: ITV plc, which runs the ITV1 channel, and STV Group, which runs the STV channel. The ITV network is a separate entity from ITV plc, the company that resulted from the merger of Granada plc and Carlton Communications in 2004. ITV plc holds the Channel 3 b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kevin Lloyd
Kevin Reardon Lloyd (28 March 1949 – 2 May 1998) was a British television actor, who came to prominence in the role of DC Alfred "Tosh" Lines in Thames Television's police drama series ''The Bill''. Early life Lloyd was born in Derby in the county of Derbyshire on 28 March 1949. His father was Welsh. Ellis Aled Lloyd, was a police officer who was killed in the line of duty in 1970. Lloyd's grandfather and uncle were also police officers. He suffered from Perthes disease as a child. After leaving grammar school, he initially trained as a solicitor, before deciding that he wanted to be a professional actor. He studied acting at the East 15 Acting School in Loughton, Essex. Career Prior to appearing in ''The Bill'' Lloyd had already played the high-profile role of nightclub owner Don Watkins in the soap opera ''Coronation Street''. He also appeared in a number of other television shows, including the first series of ''Starting Out'', ''Boon'', ''Minder'', '' Dear John'', ''F ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
