Forum for former BBC staff

Forum for former BBC staff
http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl >> News and Comment >> Z Victor One http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1040597227 Message started by Forum Admin on Dec 22^nd, 2002, 10:48pm

Title: Z Victor One
Post by Forum Admin on Dec 22^nd, 2002, 10:48pm

David Brunt, a TV researcher, is looking for help. He writes:

I am currently researching a book on the TV series "Z-Cars" and "Softly,
Softly" for release next year and am in the process of contacting various
people (cast and crew) who worked on the series to see if they would like to
make any contribution to the title.

As the behind the scenes people rarely get a chance to recount their input
into well-known series - and are often far more interesting than actors
recalling when they forgot their lines during recording - I was wondering if
the members of the site would like to share their memories. With ZC running
sixteen years and SS over ten, there must be many unrecounted stories about
the shows. Indeed, it needn't be purely technical - anything would be of
interest, memories of
actors, directors, general thoughts as a viewer, whatever comes to mind.

Thanking you in advance for any assistance you can give,

Regards for the festive season

David Brunt

Either click on Reply, below, or email
administrator@ex-bbc.net

Title: Re: Z Victor One
Post by Tim_Healy on Feb 2^nd, 2003, 6:15pm

Hi David

I was a cameraman on Z-Cars at Television Centre from 1963 on and off until1971. Fun times but my one claim to fame was that I wrote a script and it was transmitted.

The series was going through a purple patch at the time and at the end of one day I thought that if I couldn't do better than that I wasn't trying. I wrote the script and gave it to Peter Hammond the script editor- he helped me drag it into a reasonable dramatic structure and it was recorded on Wed. & Thur. 3/4 June 1970 (by that time it was two half hour episodes per week.)

I've still got the rehearsal scripts but can't find the TX copy (probably lost in a house move)

If you don't know already there's the technicians' website www.tech-ops.co.uk . Thats the cameraman lighters and sound people and there's a load of stuff there about the series.

All the best--Tim Healy -Michael Healey (on the script)