Â鶹Éç Scotland Autumn 2007
Radio programmes
Clydebuilt Luxury
Â鶹Éç Radio Scotland
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As a nine-year-old girl in Motherwell, Elaine C Smith watched the launch of the QE2 on TV. She still remembers the excitement and awe of the event – but says she would never in her wildest dreams have imagined that one day she'd set foot on the ship herself. Forty years on, Elaine gets her chance.
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As the presenter of two-part programme, Clydebuilt Luxury, Elaine looks at the creation of the last great Clydebuilt liner. Meeting original shipyard workers and others involved in the launch she discovers what it took to design and build a ship on this scale, and how this took place in the face of political and social turbulence on Clydeside.
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SV/JG2
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Desperate Fishwives
Â鶹Éç Radio Scotland
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The Desperate Fishwives all met at Aberdeen University and, in 1996, formed a theatre company.
Described by one enthusiast as a "punk Scotland The What?", the group brings a slickly-delivered
take on the North East's characteristically sly, dry humour. This works for the younger generation,
while striking a chord of couthiness with older members of their audience.
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The group recently recorded four half-hour shows for Radio Scotland in front of a wildly enthusiastic
audience at Aberdeen Arts Centre. The shows were developed with Â鶹Éç Radio Scotland Comedy
department and feature songs and sketches drawn from across the group's entire back catalogue,
as well as some specially-written new material.
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The Desperate Fishwives are Moray Barber (actor), Andrew Brebner (writer), Greg Gordon (actor
and writer), Susan Gordon (actor), John Hardie (actor and writer), Elaine Johnston (actor) Craig
Pike (actor) and Steve Rance (actor).
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WM
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The Glens Of Wardour Street
Â鶹Éç Radio Scotland
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In the early Sixties, Scottish entertainers like the Alexander Brothers and Calum Kennedy were rocketing up the British hit parade with songs like A
Lassie From The Isles, Lovely Stornoway and That's Why I'll Never Leave Scotland.
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But, as The Glens Of Wardour Street reveals, all these sentimental Scottish
chart-toppers were being written by a cheery cockney dynamo who had never
visited Scotland in his life. Bob Halfin worked out of the Wardour Street
offices of publisher Campbell Connolly churning out an endless stream of
Scottish songs.
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"All rubbish", he would say, "but the Jocks seem to like it. When the phone rings I just answer 'the Glens of Wardour Street'."
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Presented by Brian Wilson, former MP and Halfin enthusiast, the programme
includes interviews with the Alexander Brothers, Fiona Kennedy and
internationally renowned rock photographer Ross Halfin.
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SV/JG2
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The Heart Of Midlothian
Â鶹Éç Radio 4
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Set against a backdrop of political revolt in 18th century Edinburgh, Walter Scott's novel The Heart Of Midlothian is regarded by many as his finest achievement. A potent mix of courtroom drama, religion, violence and illicit affairs, the story is a stirring tale of two sisters – Effie Deans, who is sentenced to death for the murder of her child, and Jeanie Deans, who pleads with Queen Caroline to save Effie's life.
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This two-part dramatisation for Â鶹Éç Radio 4 offers strong roles for the principled heroines
at its centre. In a strong Scottish cast Gerda Stevenson takes the lead role of Jeanie Deans
and Tom Fleming plays her father, Davie Deans. The cast also includes Irene Allan, Robin
Laing, John Buick, Simon Tait, Laurie Ventry, Simon Donaldson, Ann Louise Ross, Pauline
Knowles, Joanna Tope, Ralph Riach, Joseph Arkley and Rose McBain.
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Radio 4 Publicity
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In The Footsteps
Â鶹Éç Radio Scotland
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Radio Scotland's new biography series invites prominent Scots to explore the life of a famous predecessor.
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In 1981, Eric Liddell's story reached a worldwide audience in Chariots Of Fire, but he had already inspired Allan Wells' 1980 bid for sporting glory. Soprano Lisa Milne analyses the vocal technique of worldwide singing sensation Mary Garden with her own singing teacher present.
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Philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter goes in search of the legacy of Andrew Carnegie. Accused of interfering with nature, Professor Ian Wilmut – forever associated with Dolly the Sheep – probes the legacy of Sir James Young Simpson, pioneer of anaesthesia. And Jeremy Isaacs, the first Chief Executive of Channel 4, will examine the contested legacy of the Â鶹Éç's founder Lord Reith.
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SV/JG4
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Mr Moonlight
Â鶹Éç Radio Scotland
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Mr Moonlight is a drama serial about a day in the life of a man who is profoundly affected by the death of John Lennon.
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Alan Lowry is 36-years-old, married, with a seven-year-old son. He also has two lovers. It's the 9th of December, 1980 – the day news reaches Alan that John Lennon has been shot. Alan loves Lennon's music (or most of it, at least; the recently-released Double Fantasy album he can't be doing with). Alan even claims to have come shockingly face-to-face with the former Beatle nearly 20 years ago.
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So a bit of sadness for a murdered man and the lost dreams of youth is understandable. But Alan's reaction is extraordinary – in the course of just 15 hours his already absurdly complicated life spirals utterly out of control. Mr Moonlight is the story of Alan's wild and whirlwind day, told over five
episodes, narrated by the three women in his life: Mary, his much put-upon librarian wife; Sarah, the hippy-dippy-ish shop keeping wife of his best friend Johnny; and Anna, a sultry jazz singer and the wife of a local gangster.
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Radio 4 Publicity
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My Name Is John
Â鶹Éç Radio Scotland
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Everyone in Glasgow thinks they know who Bible John is. But what if you were the
one who really knew? My Name is John tells the story of Donald Simpson and his
relationship with a disturbed, Bible-quoting neighbour whom he believes is the elusive
killer.
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After witnessing a series of incredible events, Donald approaches the police but finds
them very reluctant to re-open the case. As other forces begin to conspire against
him, one young detective starts to believe Donald could be right. Is the mystery of
Bible John about to be solved once and for all?
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My Name is John is a dramatic adaptation of Donald Simpson's book – Power In The
Blood. A Tempest Production for Radio Scotland.
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SV/JG2
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Proms In The Park 2007
Â鶹Éç One, Â鶹Éç Two, Â鶹Éç Four and Â鶹Éç One Scotland
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Showcasing a myriad of musical styles, Scotland's Â鶹Éç Proms In The Park, sponsored by NS&I, takes place on Saturday 8 September at Glasgow Green, featuring performances from acclaimed cellist Julian Lloyd Webber, Samoan bass-baritone Jonathan Lemalu, Skye ceilidh band the Peatbog Faeries, Carnyx soloist John Kenny and the National Youth Choir of Scotland, conducted by Christopher Bell.
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Sally Magnusson and Jamie MacDougall host the free event which, once again, sees acclaimed conductor Robert Ziegler commanding the entertainment alongside the Â鶹Éç Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
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For the first time, music lovers in the Highlands will be able to experience the magic of the Â鶹Éç's Proms In The Park with a unique big screen celebration in the glorious surroundings of Cawdor Castle, Nairn.
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Televised highlights of all five Proms In The Park will be shown as part of Â鶹Éç One, Â鶹Éç Two and Â鶹Éç Four's live coverage of the Last Night Of The
Proms and the Scottish event will also be shown on Â鶹Éç Two Scotland later in the year.
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JW4
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Scots Gothic: A Portrait Of Edgar Allan Poe In Ayrshire
Â鶹Éç Radio Scotland
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As a child, when Edgar Poe lost both his parents, he was taken in by the family of a Virginia tobacco merchant, John Allan.
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In 1815, when Edgar was a boy of six, the Allan's came home to Irvine for an extended visit, and sent Edgar to the local school which was located over the wall from the kirk and its ancient burial ground. One of the tasks Edgar was set, was to copy epitaphs from gravestones.
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In the company of local historians, Billy Kay explores the Ayrshire of "ghaists an houlets", "witches and warlocks" and asks whether Poe's macabre imagination took fire in this cauldron of Scots Gothic. He speaks to Californian Poe enthusiast, Bob Brill who is writing a book about Poe in Ayrshire and fascinated by connections to the families of two other great Ayrshire writers, John Galt and Robert Burns. An Odyssey Production for Radio Scotland.
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SV/JG2
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Six Nations Rugby
Â鶹Éç One Scotland and Â鶹Éç Radio Scotland
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Â鶹Éç Scotland will once again bring all the excitement of the RBS Six Nations Championship to Scottish viewers and listeners in the spring of 2008.
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Scotland's home matches at Murrayfield are against France (February 3) and England (March 8) with the away fixtures in Wales (February 9), Ireland (February 23) and Italy (March 15).
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There will be full live coverage and expert analysis of every Scotland game plus highlights and comment from all the other international matches.
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JG2
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Sparkle
Â鶹Éç Radio 4
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In this comedy by Colin Hough, middle-aged TV presenter Evelyn Sparkle is afraid of losing her job – and her husband – to a glamorous young co-presenter; but Eveyln's outlook changes when a handsome Frenchman enters her life.
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Fifty-something Evelyn Sparkle spends her days working at a TV home shopping channel – alongside vacuous young co-presenter Tina Shine – flogging tat to a gullible public. Up in the gallery, Evelyn's husband, Geoff, directs the show. He's not only tired of his job; he's tired of Evie and has moved into a bachelor pad. He must be having an affair.
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In an effort to hang on to her husband – and her job – Evelyn herself contemplates plastic surgery. But before then Evie has a hormonally-induced breakdown, live on air. In the course of her recovery she encounters Michel, a mysterious young Frenchman, who encourages Evie to reevaluate her life, learn to love herself and stop being a victim of other people's casual cruelty.
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Radio 4 Publicity
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The Stanley Baxter Stories
Â鶹Éç Radio Scotland
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Stanley Baxter, one of Scotland's leading actors and comedians, draws on 70 years in showbusiness to tell a selection of delightful, seasonal comic tales.
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He uses material which inspired Alex Mitchell's Parliamo Glasgow sketches and also his hilarious Glasgow Weekly News. "Wee stories from the Glasgow Police courts." The late Alex Mitchell was a long time script writer for Stanley Baxter; adapting some of the finest of the material he wrote for the legendary Parliamo Glasgow sketches, where an English professor introduces listeners to a crash course in the art of speaking Glaswegian.
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Stanley will perform this newly-edited material for Radio Scotland over 50 years after it was first heard and celebrate the work of a Scottish genius of comedy writing. In the first of the stories, the Professor investigates the mysteries of a Glasgow Hogmanay.
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SV/JG2
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