Sooty and Sweep: Filming

Nb. Skerratt Media isn’t making the new series of Sooty and Sweep! But Skerratt Media Captain Alex, (myself), is on board as co-writer.


Monday 27 June 2011 - Matthew Corbett
What a fantastic start to my time with the Sooty gang! Matthew Corbett arrived at Brean very early, and as a fan as I was, erm, mildly interested in meeting him...! Hum. And that I did! Heart pounding, I sat with him during his makeup, desperately fighting to contain my geekish enthusiasm, the obvious "What was your favourite episode??" and "What did you think of Sooty's Amazing Adventures??" being substituted for the more dignified "So how was your journey?" (!) although Mr Corbett did talk quite openly about his father Harry at one point, which was nice to hear. I understand also that, having watched some of the new series' edits the night before, Matthew told Richard Cadell how proud Harry would have been... What a compliment. 

Waited 24 years for this. So how was your journey!

          Then Matthew was whisked down to the park for his scenes! It's worth noting that, when me and Wink Taylor wrote this episode, we had to keep a lot of the dialogue quite 'loose,' as it wasn't certain which celebrity would be featuring. Because of this, said dialogue had been subsequently rewritten for the shoot by Richard and Matthew, and, honestly, it's first class, perfect for Matthew's appearance, and Mr Corbett was clearly having a great time "monkeying around" with the gang once more...!
           Unfortunately, he had to leave us almost immediately after his shots were in the can, but not before giving some time to meet the fans. He was a true pro and a gent and never seemed to grow impatient at the ever-increasing queue. On the contrary in fact - Mr Corbett seemed all too happy to oblige in the signing of autographs, and I for one was eternally grateful, having finally fulfilled a lifetime ambition to shake his talented paws.
           The afternoon was tricky owing to the weather, but Richard and the crew powered on with almost sublime determination, unfazed by the battering wind and rolling thunderclouds! They shot one of my all-time favourite Sooty routines, which I first saw on 'The Adventures of Sooty' VHS way back in 1989. And I am proud to say that Richard Cadell totally nailed it, with Honours.

But who's behind the Glass...?

           This was followed by a stint on the crazy golf course, where I fulfilled another ambition and actually appeared in the show itself as a golfer, a welcome break for me and Wink, our faces a little achy from the pitiful laughing at our own jokes, (we're so easily pleased.) Richard's chosen a fantastic setting for this sequence as well; it's a golf course-cum-safari park crawling with fake orangutans, rhinos and zebras, with a camouflage jungle Jeep to boot! It's going to look ace on screen.
           The day ended with a big stretch and a huge sigh of relief, wrapping around 7.30. They're long days, and I'm ashamed to say I was exhausted from just watching them all! But this crew's energy is relentless.




Tuesday 28 June 2011 - Vacuum Cleaners are Funny! 
Richard was kind enough to show me some of the Sooty rough cuts on Tuesday. I say "rough", although there's really nothing rough about them; what he and his team have achieved is astonishing. One episode was almost cinematic and wouldn't look out of place in Sooty: The Movie, so high was the standard, (thanks to some exquisite scenery and CGI.) Then there was another episode involving a vacuum cleaner that had me in stitches, (mostly my own jokes again, haha!), although it has to be said these jokes would be nothing without the performances. Another lovely thing about this episode was that it remained virtually unchanged from my final draft as emailed to Richard back in March, with even some of my quirkier writing moments making the cut, (I'd asked for a skull and cross-bones button to feature on the hoover, not for a moment thinking they'd include it - but they did!) 
           Filming wise, we were once again up at 6am with the birdies, just in time to film the arrival of a pink stretch Limo and a very special guest artist...

This was a crate moment...

           Next we went down to the beach to finish an episode started the previous week. You wouldn't have thought it was the end of June; overcast, windy and freezing cold, with me standing there in a t-shirt and waistcoat desperately trying to look Hard. In the end I succomed to Dan's, (one of the runners), kind offer of a jacket, and softened as I listened with interest to Brenda Longman's theory that we're currently living through the second Ice Age, evened out by the muggier forces of global warming - intriguing!
           I do love Brenda y'know. Never did I think there'd come a time when we'd be gazing out to sea together sharing our favourite Mo from t'market stories, (you can imagine what this was doing to the Geek Inside Me.) She remembered all the episodes I threw at her - the one with the white elephants, the Rosa Clebbs incident, the Say No to Holes campaign... truly an honour to be the sharing the sand with such a talented thesp. 
           Filming went very well despite the ferocious wind, and once again Richard and the team delivered their scenes with, erm, gusto...! There were some more cracking moments, including Sooty and Sweep on a bouncy castle which, (I don't think), has ever been done before, so I can't wait to see how that turns out.
           Sadly I had to leave at this point, back to Leeds, back to My Other Life as a jobbing filmmaker and bread baker, now a little sorer for the deadly sunburn I'd acquired from the rainy, overcast, FREEZING COLD beach! Made better by global warming! C'est la vie - loved every minute of it. Sincere thanks to Richard for his efforts and kindness, and to Wink and Wendy for their excellent hospitality, (they looked after me during my stay, and very grateful I am too.)
           Look out for the new series on CITV very soon!! :) 

Reflecting on Life on Earth Retold auditions

I had a fantastic time on Monday, seriously. Yes it was knackering, and yes I nearly choked to death in the West Yorkshire Playhouse canteen thanks to a suspicious piece of Feuille de Chene, but that's called Suffering for Your Art...!

"Yes I'd like to have a go at Spike please..."

I just wish it hadn't been so formal. Obviously these things are, to a certain extent, as it's essentially a 'job interview,' but there's a part of me that was, and still is, tempted to hold auditions in the pub, over a tumbler of Advocaat. Without lettuce. That said - I'd probably end up with Mr Blobby playing Spike and Crystal Tips playing Sadie, and then where would we be.

What can I say? Apart from disliking the formality, it was a day of Firsts. And my first First is an uncomfortable First. Two actors both went for the same role, (I understand this is often the case at auditions.) They were both exceptional, and in different ways. A complete dilemma, and an agonising final decision, which I am delighted with, and gutted about, gutted because it meant turning the other person away. This I did not enjoy.

My second First was meeting some new people, (for the first time), one of whom spoke fluent Blake's 7, and another who'd heard of Big Finish, proof, if any were needed, that there is indeed a God. I never thought I could laugh so hard, and so - grr - formally. But it was all good. Butter! Jiggy baby!

I must thank Kenneth Barker and Mike Thackray who were kind enough to help on the day, providing excellent company and moral support. Also a huge thank you to the attending thesps, especially those who came from afar!

So now - I've made my decisions, the actors have confirmed, I'm no longer chocking on lettuce, and we enter the scary, uncertain period of pre-production, where Anything Can Happen. Stay tuned.