Hello Mum! Hello Dad!
Today I made my writing debut in The Daily Telegraph, thanks to a commission that came through yesterday afternoon at 2pm from a man I used to do a bit of work for at British Airways' in-flight magazine High Life (which just goes to show how the media works: one chunk leads to another chunk, as long as you deliver clean copy, on time, to length and with a cheery smile, which I have always been at pains to do). It was quite a buzz: I had two hours to write a 1,200 word "think piece" on DCI Gene Hunt and how he will cope with the early 80s in the forthcoming Life On Mars sequel Ashes To Ashes, which I can't wait to see. There are a couple of on-set pics on Philip Glenister's own website. Anyway, it's good to write something so fast and see it on the newsstands the next morning.
Labels: journalism
posted by Andrew Collins @ 1:03 PM
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12 Comments:
Nice piece of writing AC, I liked it a lot. I can't wait to see Ashes as well.
I hope they still include some time paradox stuff relating to old/future cases.
How innocent and uncomplicated those days might look now, but of course they seemed pretty desperate at the time (unemployment; cold war; Afghanistan; Jimmy Young with the daily Thatcher political broadcast; the Steel strike; Labour meltdown; Culture club).
Steve Bell and Private Eye kept me going through those times, although I doubt either would be on Gene's reading list.
They were interesting times. I (for my sins and I apologise to all your lefty readers) left the Met Police in the late 70's and remember the time very well. Actually I left for a number of reasons, one of which was pay, but the Police got a large rise (26%?) just after I left which I seem to recall was driven by Thatcher. This means that by the time of the 80's the plods were much better paid and more inclined towards the right as it was the Right that was prepared to pay them properly. And boy did they pay Thatcher back when she needed them during the dark times of the Miners strike!
This was also on the back of punk rock and I think the Police were bemused by these odd creatures now showing a total dis-respect for society, so by the time of Ashes To Ashes were pleased to see poofy hairstyles instead. Actually now I think about it, at he time that Gene comes south, half the Met were going up North to earn shedloads securing the pits, Gene will be pissed he missed out on all that dosh!
Enjoyed the article Andrew, like your books it kind of brought the past back to life!
AnonoNick
Andrew, I have spoken to you previously about my ambition to become a journalist. Today I recieved an email from my local newspaper accepting my request to join their writing team as the local correspondent for my area. It seems I have taken the first step on the ladder! Congratulations on The Daily Telegraph piece, by the way!
In Life on Mars we had "political correctness" transplanted into the 1970s. In Ashes to Ashes, it seems, we have the 1970s transplanted into a time when "political correctness" was becoming the norm. Becoming, but by no means established, and so the fresh take on the clash of cultures is interesting.
Yes, I think the inverted commas are necessary. In 1981, if "political correctness" was a term at all, it was one invented by a sarcastic right-wing, opposed to the supposed nannying of Ken Livingstone, Millie Tant, et al.
For a related discussion, see this article by Stewart Lee.
Ooh, there's you and me both getting commissioned by Mr Clements. Tch, media - it's so incestuous...
Nice to see the Telegraph "tagging" the wrong book at the end of that piece.
Was Joey Deacon 60? My memory of him is as a young boy. You are right though, "Derrr Joey" can sometimes flash into my mind even now in a dimwit moment (actually a 'senior moment' at my age..)
The Joey Deacon phenomenon is a classic misunderstanding of childhood psychology backfiring horribly. What was intended as a humanistic and educational presentation of what it was like to live with severe cerebral palsy became an iconic playground jibe.
Children are often described as "innocents", but this term is far more complicated than it is assumed. Children's "innocence" frequently manifests itself in abject and unselfconscious cruelty, which to our older, more guarded, guiltier selves can appear grotesque.
1200 words in 2 hours! That's some speed. I couldn't type that fast, let alone think as well :) Was that sort of pace the norm earlier in your career?
Congratulations, Aidan.
You're right, the Joey Deacon episode did backfire on Blue Peter. I think they featured him because it was International Year of the Disabled. Looking back, it was an amazing story, how he'd dictated a book to another chap who was in the same care home and who understood him when none of the other carers could. But kids are kids and have little innate compassion unless it's drummed into them. (I was a guilty as anyone for making "that face" when another kid was being called a "spaz".) These days they slap people and film it on their phones, or so I've read in the newspapers, so it must be true.
Bill, it wasn't the "wrong" book tagged at the end - I think they wanted to present me as some sort of "expert" on the 80s. I know.
James, when I'm focussed, I can write fast. This was a fun job to do and I was literally between other jobs yesterday afternoon, having just delivered a draft of a script, so could concentrate on it without distraction.
A.C,
Did you see Billy Bragg at the Southbank last night?
Was a great night - was shattered after staying up for the boxing but it was well worth it
Anon: yes, I did. I'm going to write an entry about it tomorrow.
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