Sooty Series 2 is here!

COPYRIGHT CADELLS LTD. 'Like' The Sooty Show on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/sootyshowofficial  

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...?

Ten Years of Chaos

I've now been filming stuff for 10 years. When I first started, I was about three stone lighter, wonderfully naïve, completely lacking in cynicism, and I had Leonardo Di Caprio's hair, (stolen from Titanic.)

In 2003, I was beavering away on my first film, Rachael Cruise and the Tibetan Book, when the Media Studies coursework reared its ugly head. It required us to plan and submit a video piece as part of our GCSE qualification, which suited me fine, as my project was well into post-production! So I just sat back, relaxed, and submitted it.

Little did I realise that I would be telling its continuing story ten years later. Because in 2007, myself and Richard Cooper, (later joined by Richard's brother Adam and our friend Mike), formed a student group called Wolfwood Media, and this became the production company for the Rachael Cruise spin-off series, Life on Earth, featuring the further adventures of her chum Spike and his sentient laptop!

In 2009, we upgraded to crisp HD and put the second spin-off into production. Entitled Ken, it was a five-part sitcom about Rachael's former flatmate Kenneth Woolly as he settled into his new life in Ben Rhydding, West Yorkshire.



Spike Ombre in Rachael Cruise and the
Tibetan Book.

The most recent projects, such as Life on Earth Retold and Theo the Mouse, fell under the umbrella of my own independent production company, Skerratt Media, although I continue to work with Richard, Mike and Adam, and - amazingly - the sixth Doctor Who Colin Baker, plus Basil Brush's voice no less! Incredible.

Just so you're updated on the complete catalogue, (because the paps are always asking), here's a rundown of everything we've done. Nearly ten hours of stuff!



Spike Ombre and Ezra Lord in Life on Earth.

2003: Rachael Cruise and the Tibetan Book (1 x 40' film)
Cults. Atom bombs. Gunfights. Our first introduction to Spike Ombre and Kenneth Woolly.

2004: Rachael Cruise: The Claw Mark Operation (3 x 20' radio episodes)
The Terra Obscura plans to release a deadly gas into the Earth's atmosphere, and Spike Ombre must stop them! Also, Rachael Cruise storms off.

2006: Inner Eye pilot (1 x 20' episode)


Rachael Cruise in Life on Earth.

A cop, a crook and a medium team up to fight ghosts!

2007: Life on Earth (Fiends Reunited, Lavalier Rising, Harbinger: 3 x 15' episodes)
Spike Ombre attempts to stop the possessed Ezra Lord from raising a long-lost civilisation!

2007: Life on Earth (Trust in Russian, A Moment in Time: 2 x 15' episodes)
King Arthur's lost dagger - Carnwennan - turns up in Lincoln, along with two bumbling agents who want it back.


Theo the Mouse and Wendy in Theo the Mouse.

2007: Life on Earth (One Moor with Feeling, Regression, The Hidden Land: 3 x 15' episodes)
Rachael Cruise returns!

2008: Life on Earth (Ezra Lord of the Ring, Anya: 2 x 15' episodes)
Ezra Lord's step-daughter shows up. Spike kills her. Ezra's not happy.

2008: Inner Eye (The Worlds Collide, Lest we Forget, Irrational Fears, Darkness has Fallen, A Dirge for Mankind: 5 x 10' episodes)
A cop, a crook and a medium team up to fight ghosts - again! Plus Adam Cooper as a baddie.


Colin Baker records Menston Green.

2009: Ombre's Origins: The Lost Nightingale (1 x 30' radio episode)
Spike and Ezra's university days.

2009: Ken (The STI who Loved Me, Grocery Negligence, Credit Crunch, Come Dine with Glen, The Bag that Broke: 5 x 10' episodes)
Kenneth Woolly and his housemate Glen Wonnacott annoy each other in Ben Rhydding.

2011: The Oldest Life on Earth (1 x 30' episode)
Skerratt Media's first DVD release! Spike and Ezra are reunited, but they're still not keen on each other. Until Ezra saves Spike's life.

2012: By Phylecia: Our Process
A promotional video for my friend's letterpress boutique.

2012: Life on Earth Retold (Paralysis, Genesis: 2 x 30' episodes)
The pendant of Brisingamen makes things difficult for Spike's new flatmate, Sadie Brown.

2012: Theo the Mouse (How it all Began, Science Friction, Bedtime: 3 x 10' episodes)
My first puppet-filming experience!

2013: Menston Green (1 x 50' radio episode)
Visionary Sound and Artificer Audio leap on board to help me produce this quirky comedy starring the sixth Doctor Who.

2013: Tweedy the Clown (1 x 10' episode)
A sample video to show the BBC just how amazing Tweedy the Clown is.

And there's more to come.

Me and a team of writers are currently penning a new web series, and the first Skerratt Media book is moving closer to publication (albeit slowly.) Expect more Theo later this year as well.

"Onwards!"

Theo Video at Blackpool Pier

 

Theo the Mouse - on Blackpool's Central Pier!

 

When Wink Taylor and Wendy Abrahams asked me if I wanted to do a promotional video to screen on Blackpool's Central Pier, I immediately said yes. Provided I could include a black rectangular box at the bottom of the screen, hiding key bits of text. They took some persuading, but I eventually won them round. Rectangular boxes create a sense of enigma. Is Theo the Mouse appearing every 'Sunday' or every 'Sundy'? Great stuff. Plus it's black, and they're in Blackpool. There are so many levels.

 

Also there might have been a fault with the council's video screen.

 

But, joking aside, I should point out that the Theo the Mouse show is on at Blackpool's Central Pier every Sunday / Sundy at 2PM. It stars Theo himself alongside his human chum Wendy, with additional assistance from Wink Taylor. It's fun for all the family, provided you can crack our code and make it on the right day.

 

Should the worst happen, console yourself with this appetite-whetting video of Theo's latest DVD or, better still, nab yourself a copy from my website!

 

 

Will the next Spike Ombre be a woman...?

 

 

NO.

 

 

Doctor Who: 90 Episodes Recovered, or Clever Viral Marketing?

"Of all the ills there are, Rumour is the swiftest. She thrives on movement and gathers strength as she goes. From small and timorous beginnings she soon lifts herself up into the air, her feet still on the ground and her head hidden in the clouds." Virgil, The Aeneid

No hardcore Doctor Who fan could fail to have been gripped by the events of the last week. On Thursday, (June 13), news site Bleeding Cool revealed:

From 'The Savages' Episode 3. Copyright BBC.

"...the rumour is that we may be getting a whole host of Doctor Who episodes [for the 50th anniversary.] Not new ones, but episodes not seen anywhere since they were first broadcast. We all know that through a series of cock ups, incompetence and lack of forethought, swathes of episodes of Doctor Who from the sixties were wiped by the BBC. Some episodes were found again, some were sold to other countries, some kept in people’s loft space, but over a hundred episodes of the show were missing, along with episodes, entire series even, of many other BBC shows. What I’ve been hearing... is that the BBC have secured a large number of presumed-wiped episodes of early Doctor Who. And there are lots. Lots and lots."

Followed by:

"UPDATE: Shortly after posting, I received further confirmation of the details listed above from another, better connected source."

To add weight to this, Doctor Who enthusiast and missing episode hunter Ian Levine took to Twitter and revealed:

"...the rumour I heard from an impeccable source was eight thousand film cans containing ninety missing episodes [had been found.]"

From 'The Smugglers' Episode 2. Copyright BBC.

These whispers were met with a certain amount of cynicism by some, although I wouldn't say I pitched my tent in that camp; Levine's track record on such matters is pretty good. (In fact, he accurately predicted the announcement of Matt Smith's departure a good twenty-four hours before the news broke, the details having been leaked to him by another well-connected source.)

But as uncertainty mounted, with even Bleeding Cool beginning to suspect the whole thing may have been an elaborate scam, somebody (and we still don't know who) uncovered evidence that, in 2011, a 3 tonne shipment of old films had been sent from Lagos to a chap called Philip Morris, the executive director of a company called Television International Enterprises Archives Ltd. (Phil Morris has, apparently, spoken publicly about his interest in missing Who material several times in the past.)

After this revelation, the Internet basically melted. So great was the impact made by this fresh evidence that some fans tried to find ways to fake delivery notices on the website in question, in order to "prove" that it could be done. It was inevitable that an official statement would soon have to be made...

And it was, by Philip Fleming, the Head of Communications, Brands, Content and Digital at BBC Worldwide. It said:

"There are always rumours and speculation about Doctor Who missing episodes being discovered, however we cannot confirm any new finds."

But this vague, non-committal statement only fuelled the fan inferno, and it wasn't long until the man himself, Mr Philip Morris, showed his hand, in possibly the most amusing 'official statement' I have ever come across, (copied as it was written...)

From 'The Web of Fear' Episode 4. Copyright BBC.

"T.I.E.A DOES NOT HOLD ANY MISSING EPISODES OF THE LONG RUNNING DR WHO SERIES. THE ORIGINAL VIDEO TAPES WERE WIPED SUBSEQUENT FILM COPIES WERE EITHER RETURNED TO THE BBC AND SENT TO LANDFILL ODD FRAGMENTS HAVE SURFACED TWO EPISODES ON 16MM FILM BUT THATS IT. THE PROGRAMMES IN QUESTION LIKE MANY OTHERS WERE DESTROYED AS THEY HAD NO FURTHER COMMERCIAL VALUE .THEY ARE NOT MISSING BUT DESTROYED THE END.I am sorry if this upsets some people but these are the facts.I have also become aware of the tracking of some of our clients shipments these are local cultural materials sent to us for migration to a modern format as the playback equipment in the country of origin no longer exists and as such is the best road to preserve international cultural heritage .I will be making no more statements on this subject.Philip MORRIS Executive director T.i.e.a"

This seemed to be an end. Hopes dashed, dreams destroyed, the precious frames of The Space Pirates Episode 4 scattered to the solar winds...

But for some, it was nothing more than a blip. This was Bleeding Cool's reaction, (with emphasis added by me):

From 'The Faceless Ones' Episode 5. Copyright BBC.

"Bleeding Cool has reported in the last week on rumours circulating at the highest levels that such a cache has been located and is being prepared for release during the 50th anniversary year of Doctor Who.

...Repeatedly, [we have] stated that we don’t know the veracity of these rumours, only that they are very well sourced and virulent amongst the higher echelon of the BBC and Doctor Who production circles, who continue to insist that such a release will occur this year."

Doctor Who fansite Outpost Skaro seemed to share the view, reiterating on their website that their sources continued to confirm that some Doctor Who material had been uncovered, but that they were unsure as to its quantity or nature.

Now - this is the really fun bit! The summing up! Which I shall conduct in List Form...


Why the claims could be true:

1) Ian Levine believes there is some truth in them. Ian has a good track record and a number of sources with whom he is in contact.

2) Sources in "the higher echelon of the BBC" (apparently) continue to insist there is some truth in the story.

2) The BBC has not issued a denial. Saying "we cannot confirm any new finds" is not the same as "nothing has been returned."

3) The BBC has an excellent track record at trying to keep new discoveries secret for as long as possible. When the last two episodes turned up in 2011, it took them six months to make the news public.

From 'The Highlanders' Episode 4. Copyright BBC.

4) If the BBC was to confirm it had uncovered a cache of programmes, it could harm sales of its upcoming lost episode animations, such as The Tenth Planet Episode 4 in the Regenerations box set, (which would likely have been commissioned before the discovery was made.)

5) Philip Morris: "They are not missing but destroyed the end." If this statement were true, we would currently have no Hartnell or Troughton stories in our DVD collections.

6) Philip Morris may have nothing to do with these rumours at all. A find could have been made elsewhere.

7) In October 2012, Anneke Wills (Polly in many of the lost episodes), alluded to the fact that The Power of the Daleks had been returned to the BBC when speaking at a convention, (although the source of this information is unconfirmed.)


And why these claims could be false:

1) Philip Morris has denied the rumours.

2) The whole thing could be a viral marketing scam deliberately started by the BBC to generate free publicity in the programme's 50th anniversary year.


Although, to be honest, that last statement sounds more unlikely than any of the rumours themselves(!) Personally, I think if there is any truth to these stories, we won't find out until much nearer the anniversary date in November. And it can't come soon enough for me!

Happy speculating :)

Other People Say Stuff About Menston Green

Yes - for once you won't have to listen to me blather on! Menston Green - the SF radio comedy I wrote and produced starring former Doctor Who Colin Baker - is slowly taking over the net thanks to our first ever review, along with a 'making of' feature from sound aficionado Tim. (For the next phase of web domination, I will of course launch a Menston Green fragrance. Endorsed by Su Pollard.)

But as I was saying - Mr. Nick Blackshaw gave us a very favourable write-up on the website of renowned SF magazine Starburst, known to many 'Whovians' as the home of the infamous Sawardgate, (see what happens when you put that into Google...!) Indeed - a very kind 8/10, as Blackshaw writes:

"This is a delightful treat for radio comedy fans, sci-fi fanatics and those with a fascination for television. What it benefits from in its writing is very witty observations. Alex Skerratt... creates a world that feels very real to the listener; IBC1 is used to lampoon (with the help of noted mimic Wink Taylor) the familiar major TV channel to such an extent that you may find it hard to distinguish which one is the real channel. It offers laugh out loud moments, as well as affectionate nods for every avid TV fan to listen out for."
(See the full review here.)

At the same time, another sympathiser to the Cause, Mr. Timothy McHugh, (Menston Green's sound supervisor), also put pen to blog, giving readers a unique insight into the fascinating behind-the-scenes process, which often involved tea, bourbon biscuits and... Tequila? As Tim puts it:

The sound team, from left to right: Matt Peel, Tim McHugh
and Ashely Goodall. (Photo by Oliver Chapman.)

"Working with a dedicated audio production without a video was a much needed change, and gave us a tremendous amount of freedom in the design process. Usually we are designing sounds to complement the reality of a video sequence or game, but with this project, we could take full control over the illusion, sculpting the reality through sound alone. Sitting down with Alex we came up with some comical sounds that enhanced his fantastically written script and made us all laugh out loud."
(See Tim's full story here, at the Visionary Sound website.)

I can vouch for that; we laughed a lot, (inbetween the tears of despair...!) Never before have I had such fun selecting the explosions that would bring the Menston Greenoperative to its knees, (although my psychiatrist has since advised that I return to Play-Doh...)

So thank you Nick and Tim for your kind words and feedback. I'm a great believer that "no publicity is bad publicity," and your comments and criticisms are essential for me to continue doing what I do. And hopefully, with each project that I unleash, I'll improve! Thanks both.     

Another Sooty DVD Hits the Shelves

Carnage broke out in Leeds last night as keen Sooty fans stormed the Headrow, desperate to pitch their overnight tents as close as possible to HMV's doors in the hopes of becoming the first to lay their hands on this high-profile DVD release. This morning, staff were overwhelmed and stockists struggled to meet demand as the latest Sooty compilation - 'The Children's Party' - sold a record 19 million copies in just three hours...

Storming up the charts...? The new Sooty
DVD - out now!

My advice to you is simple: order your copy NOW, before society breaks down and looters take to the streets.

Published by the stalwarts of Sooty series one, Abbey Home Media, 'The Children's Party' is available for a dizzyingly reasonable £7.25, (roughly the price of a chocolate bar), and, if you don't fancy braving the HMV flashmobs, you can order your copy from Amazon, from the comfort of your own home, safe from the jet of Dave Cam's water cannon.

But, faithful reader - you might be in two minds as to whether to purchase the DVD that everyone's talking about. Is it any good? Is it funny? Is it safe...? Let me tell you about the episodes involved, and set your troubled minds at rest...

The Children's Party
The eponymous episode. I must admit, I recently confessed to Richard Cadell, (Sooty's right-hand man), that, out of all the episodes we wrote, this one was actually my least favourite. But that's a bit like saying, 'I won some money on a scratch card - it was my least favourite victory.' It's still Sooty, even if it's not Oscar-winning Sooty. My criticisms? They're scanty, in fairness. I'm a sucker for a tight story, with jokes that make you groan, and people slipping on banana skins, going "yeaaaaaargh..." And this episode was certainly more about the visuals and the routines. But hey, they're good, and the whole thing is very colourful and pretty. Watch it for the drink-pouring routine.

Beach Patrol
I could be wrong, but I think this was the last script we wrote for the series, (or, at least, the last one I worked on, before returning to Co-operatraz...) I can remember it well - the final day of writing at Office Cadell, the light starting to fade, the work pile mounting... But, you know, by 9 o'clock at night, you're so high on caffeine and sugar, if someone told you to bungee jump off a cliff, with no rope into a pit of snakes and glass, you're far more likely to go "yeah, man - sweet!" to the accompaniment of a Heath Ledger cackle. So we knuckled down and formed two factions - Wink Taylor and Richard C began bashing out 'The Farm', whilst I set to work on this sandy number. And it contains one of my favourite bits of dialogue EVER, in anything from history, (Darth Vader, you've got nothing...) "Who's running this beach?!" Frank Bruno exclaims, in his role as a disgruntled sand sculptor, going big on the camp. The thing is, I don't remember writing it! It's far too funny to have been me. Not that it matters. I'm just so glad those words exist...

Pizza to Go
A Wink Taylor special, with a side order of Cole, (Brendan Cole, that is, giving an inspired performance as the Italian designer Valentino du Prado.) I love so much about this episode, especially Richard's crazed expression as he cranks the Pizza machine to maximum, going almost wild-eyed as the smoke builds up around him. Of course, this is followed by the inevitable explosion of ingredients, covering Mr C in tomato sauce and cheese. "Looks like dinner's on Richard...!" says Soo. (Cue groan...!)

The Wendy House
I didn't have much to do with this episode, which is a shame in a way; my DIY disasters are many in number. (Just ask my sister about the bookshelf I built... with ears!) But there are some funny painting routines, with lots of 'old skool' goofery from Sooty and Sweep. And keep your eyes peeled for a couple of surprising cameos, which will delight and amuse many a Sooty fan of old...

Who's a Clever Bird
Guest starring Norman Barrett, and his team of performing budgies! Seriously - they're incredible. Now I've never met Mr Barrett - and I've heard only good things - but there's a wonderful 'deleted scene' where Norman's character, having just arrived on stage, takes off his gloves and hands them to Sooty, who promptly tosses them over his shoulder. Norman, clearly incensed, then turns and gives the bear the most wonderful scowl a la Harry Callahan, as the audience erupts in a spontaneous explosion of laughter! And it was cut! Bah. Although I can sort of see why - are the pre-schoolers quite ready for San Francisco's most fearless law enforcer...? Probably not. That said, there's a scene later on where Mr Barrett, enraged at the misbehaviour of his birds, decides he's going to "sort them out" with his fearsome cannon on wheels, ready to blow the little blighters off their perch...! In short, if your ideal Sooty episode is somewhere between Doctor Dolittle and Magnum Force, then this is the one for you!

So there you are folks! I hope I've persuaded you to brave the high street, (or the internet!) It's a great DVD to get if you have kids. In fact it's a great DVD to get even if you don't!

What are you waiting for?