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Sooty Series 2 strictly isn't produced by Skerratt Media! But I did write some of it, (just so you know who to blame.) All opinions in this blog are my own etc. etc., (as are the bad jokes.)
I'm a worrier. I even worry about worrying. Seriously, it's ridiculous. Before I go anywhere or do anything, I take a long, hard look in the mirror and say, "Oh God - what if I worry?!"
Imagine how I felt when, in February this year, Richard Cadell confidently suggested we spent three days together, alone in a room, doing nothing but write Sooty.
I nearly had a heart attack.
For one thing, I'm an introvert. Alone Time throughout the day is essential to my continued existence. For another, my base level of humour is dry sarcasm, (and cheap puns.) For a third thing, every time I look at Mr C I'm still a Sooty fan boy. "Aaaaaargh it's him - from Sooty!!!" is what my head screams, whereas, in person, I'm all, "Yes, hello, yes..." looking fairly deadpan, (and just a little bit camp.)
Oh - I also put myself down. My favourite phrase is, "I used to be self-deprecating, but I wasn't very good at it."
Anyway... when Rich picked me up in his car, (and I struggled for oxygen), we went to a rather nice café and he bought me lunch, (a BLT - he knows how to keep his staff happy.) And I thought I'd better come clean with him. "I'm not sure I can do this," I admitted. "Three days, coming up with storylines and jokes..." He was very cool about it. "Oh don't worry," he replied. "I'm not sure I can do it either!"
This was actually quite comforting, but blimey, no - that man can really think on his feet. As we wrote over those three days, he would pace the room, rarely sitting down, gesturing and gesticulating, talking us out of corners. And I would try to keep up as I bashed his thoughts on to my ever-reliable laptop, (she's called Lois. I also name stuff.) But I mustn't be too hard on myself; I came up with ideas too. And then Rich would come up with belters, but then start to lose confidence in them, and I would plead with him to reconsider as if my life depended on it, ("Noooooooooo!" I would cry, like Darth Vader in Revenge of the Sith.) Given that I haven't seen any of the episodes yet, I've no idea if said belters made the cut. One of them is a dance routine in an episode called Some Holiday, so pray to whatever God you believe in.We also watched loads of old Sooty episodes together. (Work Me: "Yes, some good ideas, yes." Fan Me: "Hehe, it's Richard Cadell, hehe...!") We spooled through some 1970s Matthew Corbett episodes, (the entire Black Hand story, as well as some sketches), and some Harry Corbett episodes from the 1960s, (BBC copyrighted material that will likely never see the light of day again - sigh...)
At the end of each day, Mr C would treat me to food. "You okay with Chinese, Mr Skerratt?" (Work Me: "Yes, Chinese, yes..." Fan Me: "Hehe, it's Richard Cadell, hehe...!")
Oh gosh, I'm such a suck-up. I sure know how to wean another BLT out of someone. (Note simultaneous use of dry sarcasm and self-deprecation.)
So are there any other anecdotes I can share with you, faithful blog reader? Not really - we did what you're supposed to do at these confabs: write! And I can take no credit for what's in this series beyond a few words on a page, which is how it should be, because I am at heart a Sooty fan, and I just want to enjoy the series when it airs, not analyse it or criticise it, or point at an idea and go, "that were mine, that were." I'm convinced you will love it too, and that's not meant arrogantly, or gushingly, and - shock! - it's not self-deprecating either!
Please get yourselves out of bed every Saturday and Sunday morning at 7.25am until early December and tune into ITV.
Promise...?
