NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Press Gang

Press Gang was a British children's television comedy-drama, which ran for forty-three episodes in five series from 1989 to 1993. It was produced by Richmond Film & Television for Central, and screened on the ITV network in its regular weekday afternoon children's strand, Children's ITV.^[1] Image File history File links Press Gang title screen. ... Steven Moffat appearing on Doctor Who Confidential Steven Moffat (born 1961 in Paisley, Scotland, UK) is a British comedy/drama writer who has contributed to television series since the late 1980s. ... Julia Sawalha (born 9 September 1968) is an English actress. ... Dexter Fletcher on the set of GamesMaster, of which he hosted only one series. ... Lee Ross, as he appeared on the opening credits of Press Gang Lee Ross (born 1972) is an English actor known for roles in The Catherine Tate Show and as Owen Turner in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Paul Reynolds (born February 1971 in Chingford,Essex UK) is an English actor, who attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School, made his start as a child actor in a variety of small parts, but perhaps most recognised in his role as Colin Matthews in Press Gang. ... Lucy as Julie Craig in Press Gang Lucy Benjamin (born 25 June 1970) is an English actress. ... Gabrielle Anwar (born February 4, 1970) is an English actress, known for her roles in the 1990s films The Three Musketeers and Body Snatchers. ... Mmoloki Chrystie in the opening titles of Press Gang Mmoloki Chrystie is an English actor, probably best recognised for playing the soccer-crazed, not-too-bright Frazer Frazz Davis in the BAFTA award winning Central Television / Childrens ITV comedy-drama Press Gang. ... Joanna Dukes is an English actress, perhaps best known as Toni Tiddler Tildesley in Press Gang, the pint-sized junior high school girl that delivered many mature witty punchlines for comedic value. ... Charlie Creed-Miles (born 24 March 1972 in Nottingham, England) is an English actor. ... This is a list of the episodes in the British television childrens/teen show Press Gang, written by Steven Moffat, which ran from 16 January 1989 to 21 May 1993. ... The single-camera setup (aka, single-camera mode of production) is a method of shooting films and television programs. ... It has been suggested that Channel 3 (UK) be merged into this article or section. ... January 16 is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (142nd in leap years). ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... This is a list of television-related events in 1989. ... This is a list of television-related events in 1993. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... It has been suggested that Channel 3 (UK) be merged into this article or section. ... CITV Logo CITV (short for Childrens ITV or Childrens Independent Television) is the brand name used for the majority of childrens television output on the British Channel 3 television stations, including ITV1, breakfast broadcaster GMTV and the ITV plc-owned CITV Channel as well as non ITV...

Aimed at older children and teenagers, the programme was based around the activities of a children's newspaper, the Junior Gazette, produced by pupils from the local comprehensive school. In later series it would be depicted as a commercial venture. The show interspersed comedic elements with the dramatic. As well as addressing interpersonal relationships (particularly in the Lynda-Spike story arc), the show tackled issues such as solvent abuse, child abuse and firearms control.^[2] A Comprehensive school is a type of school providing secondary level education in England or Wales. ... Interpersonal relationships are social associations, connections, or affiliations between two or more people. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Volatile substance abuse or solvent abuse (called huffing) is the practice of inhaling volatile substances for their psychoactive effects. ... Child abuse is the physical or psychological maltreatment of a child, often synonymous with the term child maltreatment or the term child abuse and neglect. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Written by ex-teacher Steven Moffat, over half of the episodes were directed by Bob Spiers, a noted British comedy director who had previously worked on classics such as Fawlty Towers. Critical reception was very positive, particularly for the quality of its writing, and has attracted a cult following with a wide age range.^[1] Steven Moffat appearing on Doctor Who Confidential Steven Moffat (born 1961 in Paisley, Scotland, UK) is a British comedy/drama writer who has contributed to television series since the late 1980s. ... Bob Spiers is a British television director, who is best known for his work on various sitcoms and other comedy programmes. ... British Comedy, in film, radio and television, is known for its consistently quirky characters, plots and settings, and has produced some of the most famous and memorable comic actors and characters in the last fifty years. ... Fawlty Towers was a British sitcom made by the BBC and first broadcast on BBC2 in 1975. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Storyline

Famous journalist Matt Kerr (Clive Wood) arrives from Fleet Street to edit the local newspaper. He sets up a junior version of the paper, The Junior Gazette, to be produced by pupils from the local comprehensive school before and after school hours.^[3] This is a list of the episodes in the British television childrens/teen show Press Gang, written by Steven Moffat, which ran from 16 January 1989 to 21 May 1993. ... Clive Wood is a British actor. ... Fleet Street in 2005 Fleet Street is a famous street in London, England, named after the River Fleet. ... A Comprehensive school is a type of school providing secondary level education in England or Wales. ...

Some of the team are "star pupils". However, some members have reputations of delinquency. One such pupil, Spike Thompson (Dexter Fletcher) is forced to work on the paper rather than being expelled from school. He is immediately attracted to editor Lynda Day (Julia Sawalha), but they bicker, throwing one-liners at each other. Their relationship develops and they have an on-off relationship.^[4] They regularly discuss their feelings, especially in the concluding episodes of each series. In the final episode for the third series, "Holding On", Spike unwittingly expresses his strong feelings to Lynda whilst being taped. Jealous of his American girlfriend, Zoe, Lynda puts the cassette on her personal stereo, ruining their relationship. The on-screen chemistry between the two leads was reflected off-screen as they became an item for several years.^[5]^[6] Image File history File links Press_Gang_-_dialogue_between_Lynda_and_Spike. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ... Dexter Fletcher on the set of GamesMaster, of which he hosted only one series. ... Julia Sawalha (born 9 September 1968) is an English actress. ... A one-liner is a joke that takes to its heart the principle that brevity is the soul of wit. ... The personal stereo is the term given to a portable audio player using an audiocassette player. ...

Although the Lynda and Spike story arc runs throughout the series, most episodes feature self-contained stories and sub-plots. Amongst lighter stories, such as one about Colin accidentally attending a funeral dressed as a pink rabbit, the show tackled many serious issues. The first series approached solvent abuse in "How To Make A Killing", and the NSPCC assisted in the production of the "Something Terrible" episodes about child abuse. The team were held hostage by a gun enthusiast in series three's "The Last Word", while the final episode approaches drug abuse.^[7] The issue led episodes served to develop the main characters, so that "Something Terrible" is more "about Colin's redemption [from selfish capitalist], rather than Cindy's abuse."^[8] This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Volatile substance abuse or solvent abuse (called huffing) is the practice of inhaling volatile substances for their psychoactive effects. ... The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) is a UK charity working in child protection and the prevention of cruelty to children. ... Something Terrible is a two-episode story of the British television series Press Gang. ... Child abuse is the physical or psychological maltreatment of a child, often synonymous with the term child maltreatment or the term child abuse and neglect. ... Drug abuse has a wide range of definitions related to taking a psychoactive drug or performance enhancing drug for a non-therapeutic or non-medical effect. ...

According to the British Film Institute, "Press Gang managed to be perhaps the funniest children's series ever made and at the same time the most painfully raw and emotionally honest. The tone could change effortlessly and sensitively from farce to tragedy in the space of an episode."^[9] The British Film Institute (BFI) is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to encourage the development of the arts of film, television and the moving image throughout the United Kingdom, to promote their use as a record of contemporary life and manners, to promote education about film, television and...

The show had a strong awareness of continuity. Some stories, incidents and minor characters are referred to throughout the series. Actors who played short-term characters in the first two series were invited back to reprise their roles in future episodes. David Jefford (Alex Crockett) was resurrected from 1989's "Monday - Tuesday" to appear in the final episode "There Are Crocodiles", while the same actress (Aisling Flitton) who played a wrong number in "Love & The Junior Gazette" was invited to reprise her character for the third season episode "Chance is a Fine Thing." "Attention to detail" such as this is, according to Paul Cornell, "one of the numerous ways that the series respects the intelligence of its viewers."^[10] Paul Cornell appearing on Doctor Who Confidential Paul Cornell (born July 18, 1967) is a British writer best known for his work in television drama as well as Doctor Who fiction. ...

After the team leaves school, the paper gains financial independence and runs commercially. Assistant editor Kenny (Lee Ross), leaves at the end of series three to be replaced by Julie (Lucy Benjamin), who was the head of the graphics team in season one. Lee Ross, as he appeared on the opening credits of Press Gang Lee Ross (born 1972) is an English actor known for roles in The Catherine Tate Show and as Owen Turner in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. ... Lucy as Julie Craig in Press Gang Lucy Benjamin (born 25 June 1970) is an English actress. ...

Production

Inception

Bill Moffat, a headmaster from Glasgow, had an idea for a children's television programme called The Norbridge Files.^[11] Producer Sandra Hastie liked the idea and showed it to Bill Ward, of Richmond Films and Television. When she requested a script, Moffat suggested that his 25-year old son, Steven, an English teacher, should write it. Hastie said that it was "the best ever first script" that she had read.^[12] Glaswegian redirects here. ...

All 43 episodes were written by Steven Moffat. During production of series two, he was having an unhappy personal life after the break-up of his first marriage. His wife's new lover was represented in the episode "The Big Finish?" by the character Brian Magboy (Simon Schatzberger), a name inspired by Brian: Maggie's boy. Moffat brought in the character so that all sorts of unfortunate things would happen to him, such as having a typewriter dropped on his foot.^[13] This period in Moffat's life would also be reflected in his sitcom Joking Apart.^[14] Personal life (or everyday life or human existence) is an individual humans personal, private career (including, but not the same as, their employment career), and is a common notion in modern existence -- although more so in more prosperous parts of the world, such as Western Europe and North America... Simon Schatzberger is a British television actor. ... Mechanical desktop typewriters, such as this Underwood Five, were long time standards of government agencies, newsrooms, and sales offices. ... Joking Apart was a bittersweet comedy written by Steven Moffat and broadcast on BBC Two. ...

Central had confidence in the project, so rather than the show being shot at their studios in Nottingham as planned, they granted Richmond a £2 million budget. This enabled it to be shot on 16mm film, rather than the regular, less expensive videotape, and on location, making it very expensive compared to most children's television.^[15] These high production costs almost lead to its cancellation at the end of the second series, by which time Central executive Lewis Rudd was unable to commission programmes by himself.^[13] Nottingham is a city (and county town of Nottinghamshire) in the East Midlands of England. ... (Redirected from 16mm film) 16mm film was initially created in the 1920s as an inexpensive amateur alternative to the conventional 35 mm film format. ... Bottom view of VHS videotape cassette with magnetic tape exposed Videotape is a means of recording television pictures and accompanying sound onto magnetic tape as opposed to movie film. ...

Directors

Over half of the episodes were directed by Bob Spiers, a noted British comedy director who had previously worked on Fawlty Towers amongst many other programmes. He would work again with Moffat on his sitcom Joking Apart and Murder Most Horrid, and with Sawalha on Absolutely Fabulous. According to Moffat, Spiers was the "principle director" taking an interest in the other episodes and setting the visual style of the show. Spiers particularly used tracking shots, sometimes requiring more dialogue to be written to accommodate the length of the shot. The other directors would come in and "do a Spiers".^[5] All of the directors were encouraged to attend the others' shoots so that the visual style would be consistent.^[16] Bob Spiers is a British television director, who is best known for his work on various sitcoms and other comedy programmes. ... Fawlty Towers was a British sitcom made by the BBC and first broadcast on BBC2 in 1975. ... Joking Apart was a bittersweet comedy written by Steven Moffat and broadcast on BBC Two. ... Murder Most Horrid was a British television comedy starring comedian Dawn French. ... Absolutely Fabulous was a British sitcom written by and starring Jennifer Saunders, and co-starring Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha. ... In motion picture terminology, a tracking shot is the same as a dolly shot or a trucking shot--the camera is mounted on a wheeled platform that is pushed on rails while the picture is being taken. ...

The first two episodes were directed by Colin Nutley. However, he was unhappy with the final edit and requested that his name be removed from the credits.^[3]^[17] Lorne Magory directed many episodes, notably the two-part stories "How To Make A Killing" and "The Last Word." One of the founders of Richmond Films and Television, Bill Ward, directed three episodes,^[18]^[7] and Bren Simson directed some of series two.^[4] The show's cinematographer James Devis took the directorial reigns for "Windfall", the penultimate episode.^[19] Colin Nutley (born 1944 in Gosport, England) is an English director successful in the Swedish film industry. ... A Cameraman-Reporter during a MINUSTAH mission in 2007 (Photo: Patrick-AndrÃ© Perron A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera (the art and science of which is known as cinematography). ...

Location

Whilst the show's geographic location, or the dates of events, were never specifically mentioned, shooting was mostly done in Uxbridge, a suburb of London.^[8] The first series was filmed entirely on location, but with the demolition of the building used as the original newspaper office, interior shots were filmed in Pinewood Studios for the second series, and the exterior of the building wasn't seen beyond that series. Subsequent series were filmed at Lee International Studios at Shepperton (series three and four) and Twickenham Studios (series five).^[17] Uxbridge is a place in the London Borough of Hillingdon in west London. ... The entrance to Pinewood Studios Pinewood Studios is a major British film studio situated approximately 20 miles west of London among the pine trees on what was the estate of Heatherden Hall, near the village of Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire. ... Shepperton Studios, located in Shepperton, Middlesex, England is a film studio with a long history of film making. ... Map of Shepperton (from OpenStreetMap) Shepperton is a small town in Surrey in the borough of Spelthorne, in England. ... Twickenham Film Studios located in London, England, is used by many television and film companies. ...

Characters

Main characters

Lynda Day (Julia Sawalha) is the editor of the Junior Gazette. She is strong and opinionated, and is feared by many of her team. Moffat has said that the character was partly based on the show's "ball-breaking" producer, Sandra Hastie.^[5]^[20] Although she appears very tough, she occasionally exposes her feelings. She quits the paper at the end of "Monday-Tuesday", and in "Day Dreams" laments "Why do I get everything in my whole stupid life wrong?" Intimidated by socialising, she hiccups at the idea. She is so nervous at a cocktail party, in "At Last a Dragon", that she attempts to leave on several occasions. Julia Sawalha (born 9 September 1968) is an English actress. ... A hiccup or hiccough (normally pronounced HICK-up (IPA: ) regardless of spelling) is an involuntary spasm of the diaphragm; typically this repeats several times a minute. ... Cocktail party can mean: Primarily, a party where cocktails are served and women may choose to wear a cocktail dress. ...

The mixture of Lynda's sensitive side and her self-sufficient attitude is illustrated in the series' final episode "There Are Crocodiles." Reprimanding the ghost of Gary (Mark Sayers), who died after taking a drug overdose, she says: Autonomy is the condition of something that does not depend on anything else. ...

Having the protagonist repent in hell is, according to Moffat, "always a novel way to end a teen-romance series."^[5] Whether or not Lynda dies is ambiguous.

James "Spike" Thomson (Dexter Fletcher) is an American delinquent, forced to work on the paper rather than being excluded from school. He is immediately attracted to Lynda, and he establishes himself as an important member of the reporting team having been responsible for getting their first lead story. He usually has a range of one-liners, though is often criticised, particularly by Lynda, for excessive joking. However, Spike often consciously uses humour to lighten the tone, such as in "Monday-Tuesday" when he tries to cheer up Lynda after she feels responsible for David's suicide. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Dexter Fletcher on the set of GamesMaster, of which he hosted only one series. ...

The character was originally written as English, until producer Hastie felt that an American character would enhance the chance of overseas sales. This meant that English-born Fletcher had to act in an American accent for all five years. Moffat says that he isn't "sure [that] lumbering Dexter with that accent was a smart move."^[8] His accent, however, was so convincing that many are surprised to learn that Fletcher is English.^[22] Note: This page or section contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ...

Kenny Phillips (Lee Ross) is one of Lynda's (few) long-term friends and is her assistant editor in the first three seasons. Kenny is much calmer than Lynda, though is still dominated by her. Despite this, he is one of the few people able to stand up to Lynda, in his own quiet way. Although he identifies himself as "sweet", he is unlucky in love: Jenny (Sadie Frost), the girlfriend he meets in "How to Make a Killing", dumps him because he is too understanding.^[23] His secret passion for writing music is revealed at the end of series two, which was influenced by Ross' interests.^[13] Colin organizes and markets a concert for him, and series two ends with Kenny performing "You Don't Feel For Me" (written by Ross himself). Lee Ross, as he appeared on the opening credits of Press Gang Lee Ross (born 1972) is an English actor known for roles in The Catherine Tate Show and as Owen Turner in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. ... Sadie Frost Sadie Frost (born Sadie Liza Vaughan on June 19, 1965), is an English fashion designer and former actress. ...

Lee Ross was only able to commit to the first six episodes of the 12-episode series three and four filming block because he was expecting a film role.^[16] Thus, by series four, Kenny has left for Australia.

Colin Mathews (Paul Reynolds) is the Thatcherite in charge of the paper's finances and advertising. He usually has some money-making scheme or other going on, and can very much be summed up as a young Arthur Daley. He often wears loud shirts, and his various schemes have included marketing defective half-ping-pong balls (as 'pings'), exam revision kits and soda that leaves facial stains. Paul Reynolds (born February 1971 in Chingford,Essex UK) is an English actor, who attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School, made his start as a child actor in a variety of small parts, but perhaps most recognised in his role as Colin Matthews in Press Gang. ... The Right Honourable Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925) is a British politician and the first woman Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, a position she held from 1979 to 1990. ... Arthur Daley was a character in the UK TV series Minder and the name has become synomynous in Britain with a wheeler dealer. ... Regional competition level table tennis, showing table, net, and player getting ready to return the ball with a winning backhand topspin stroke. ... A soft drink is a drink that contains no alcohol. ...

Julie Craig (Lucy Benjamin) is the head of the graphics team in season one. Moffat was impressed with Benjamin's performance, and expanded her character for the second series.^[17] However she had committed herself to roles in the LWT sitcom Close to Home and Jupiter Moon, so the character was replaced by Sam.^[15] The character returns in the opening episode of series four as researcher on the Saturday morning show Crazy Stuff. She arranges for Lynda and Spike to be reunited on live television, but the subsequent complaints about the violence (face slapping) results in Julie's firing. Lucy as Julie Craig in Press Gang Lucy Benjamin (born 25 June 1970) is an English actress. ... London Weekend Television logo, 1978-1996 London Weekend Television Limited (LWT) is the ITV contractor for London, Friday 5:15pm to Monday, 5:59am. ... Jupiter Moon is a science fiction television series first broadcast by BSB from 26 March 1990 until December the same year. ... Live television refers to television broadcasts of events or performances on a delay of between zero and fifteen seconds, rather than from video recordings or film. ...

After giving Lynda some home truths, Julie replaces Kenny as the assistant editor for the final two series. She is a flirt, and, according to Lynda, was the "official pin-up at the last prison riot."^[21] A prison riot is a riot that occurs in a prison, usually when those incarcerated rebel openly against prison guards. ...

Sarah Jackson (Kelda Holmes) is the paper's lead writer. Although she is intelligent she gets stressed, such as during her interview for editorship of the Junior Gazette. Her final episode, "Friendly Fire", shows the development of her friendship with Lynda, and how the latter saw her as a challenge when she first arrived to Norbridge High. Together they had established the underground school magazine: Damn Magazine. Her first attempt to leave the newspaper to attend a writing course at the local college is thwarted by Lynda,^[24] but she eventually leaves in series five to attend university (mirroring the reason for Holmes' departure).^[7] This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Frazer "Frazz" Davis (Mmoloki Chrystie) is one of Spike's co-delinquents forced into working on the paper. Since he is not very bright, his main task is writing the horoscopes. Lynda had asked him to do an Astrology section, but he said he would rather do horoscopes instead! Mmoloki Chrystie in the opening titles of Press Gang Mmoloki Chrystie is an English actor, probably best recognised for playing the soccer-crazed, not-too-bright Frazer Frazz Davis in the BAFTA award winning Central Television / Childrens ITV comedy-drama Press Gang. ... A horoscope calculated for January 1, 2000 at 12:01:00 A.M. Eastern Standard Time in New York City, New York, USA (Longitude: 074W0023 - Latitude: 40N4251). In astrology, a horoscope is a chart or diagram representing the positions of the Sun, Moon, and planets, the astrological aspects...

Other recurring characters

Samantha (Sam) Black (Gabrielle Anwar) replaced Julie as the head of the graphics team. Sam is very fashion conscious and a flirt, and is surprised when an actor rejects her advances (in the second series episode Love And The Junior Gazette) in favour of Sarah.^[23]. She is rather vain and self-centered. Because of Lucy Benjamin's unavailability, many of the scripts were simply adapted to change Julie to Sam, and thus Sam was basically the character of Julie under a different name, especially in her earlier episodes.^[17] Anwar had auditioned for the role of Lynda. (Many actors who unsuccessfully auditioned for main characters were invited back later for guest roles.)^[15] Gabrielle Anwar (born February 4, 1970) is an English actress, known for her roles in the 1990s films The Three Musketeers and Body Snatchers. ...

Toni "Tiddler" Tildesley (Joanna Dukes) is the junior member of the team, responsible for the junior section, Junior Junior Gazette. Always there with a clever quip, she is sometimes upset when the more interesting junior stories are given to the main writers, such as Sarah. However, she is strong willed and crafty when she needs to be, often coming up with sneaky ways to get her more involved with the paper and it's running. She gets on particularly well with Spike, and has a rather obvious crush on him. Joanna Dukes is an English actress, perhaps best known as Toni Tiddler Tildesley in Press Gang, the pint-sized junior high school girl that delivered many mature witty punchlines for comedic value. ...

Billy Homer (Andy Crowe) is a tetraplegic who is very competent with computer networks, sometimes hacking in to the school's database (which he had set up in a way that he could hack in to it). His storylines are some of the first representations of the Internet in British television. Billy first appears as a "mystery writer" contributor to the Junior Gazette, in the first series episode Interface, until Lynda tracks down who he really is, and persuades (or orders!) him to join the paper properly. Billy is always joking about his disability, it is his way of dealing with it (much like Spike jokes about things to hide his true feelings). Moffat felt that he was unable to sustain the character, and he appears only sporadically after the first series.^[15] Quadriplegia is a symptom in which a human experiences partial or complete paralysis from the neck down. ... A hack in progress in Lobby 7 at MIT. Hack is a term in the slang of the technology culture which has come into existence over the past few decades. ...

Danny McColl (Charlie Creed-Miles) is the paper's photographer. He was fairly prominent in the first few episodes, before he was moved into the background. Creed-Miles became disenchanted with the minor role and left after the first series.^[15] Charlie Creed-Miles (born 24 March 1972 in Nottingham, England) is an English actor. ...

There are a range of background characters who rarely have speaking parts, but appear throughout the series to give some consistency to the newsroom setting. Sophie Newton appears as Kate Roberts in twelve episodes between series two and four, although her name is not always specified.^[17] Michelle Gayle was also a non-speaking recurring member of the news team. Rosie Marcel and Claire Hearnden appear throughout the second series as Sophie and Laura, Colin's mischievous young helpers. Michelle Gayle (born 2 February 1971, London) is a British actress and singer. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

The main adults are firm but fair deputy headmaster Bill Sullivan (Nick Stringer), maverick editor Matt Kerr (Clive Wood) and experienced Gazette reporter Chrissie Stewart (Angela Bruce). Nick Stringer (born 10 August 1948 in Torquay, Devon) is an English actor. ... Clive Wood is a British actor. ... Angela Bruce is a British actress, noted for her television work. ...

Music and title sequences

The theme music was composed by Peter Davis, John Mealing and John G. Perry.^[17] The opening titles show the main characters striking a pose, with the name of the respective actor in a typewriter style typeface. Moffat says that if the credits look "cheesy" now, they also did back in 1989.^[5] They were re-recorded for series three, in the same style, to address the actors' ages and alterations to the set. Image File history File links Linda_Day. ... Image File history File links Linda_Day. ... The theme music of a radio or television program is a piece that is written specifically for that show and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits. ... Mechanical desktop typewriters, such as this Underwood Five, were long time standards of government agencies, newsrooms, and sales offices. ...

Many of the closing titles in the first two series were accompanied by dialogue from two characters. Episodes that ended on a particularly sombre tone, such as "Monday-Tuesday" and "Yesterday's News", used only appropriately sombre music to accompany the end credits. After an emphatic climax, "At Last a Dragon" used an enhanced version of the main theme with more extravagant use of electric guitar. Moffat felt that the voiceovers worked well in the first season, but that they were not as good in the second. He was also "extremely angry" that Drop the Dead Donkey had adopted the style. They were dropped after the second series.^[16] The cast were also "grumpy" with having to turn up to a recording studio to record them.^[25] Left: Rosa Hurricane, a heavy metal-style solid body guitar. ... Video Cover, with main cast Drop the Dead Donkey was a situation comedy that ran on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom from 1990 to 1998. ...

Reaction

Critical reception

Critical reaction was good, being particularly praised for the high quality and sophistication of the writing.^[20]^[26] The first episode was highly rated by The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian and the Times Educational Supplement.^[15] In his emphatic review, Paul Cornell writes that: This article concerns the British newspaper. ... The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... The Times Educational Supplement (TES) is a weekly UK publication covering the world of primary, secondary and further education, as well as teaching job vacancies. ...

Time Out said that "this is quality entertainment: the kids are sharp, the scripts are clever and the jokes are good."^[28] Others have also commented upon how "the show is renowned... for doing something kid television at the time didn't do (and, arguably, still doesn't): it refused to treat its audience like children."^[29] Time-out can mean: sport time-out, a break in play that may be called by a side to formulate strategy or respond to an players injury. ...

According to Moffat, "Press Gang had gone over very, very well in the industry and I was being touted and romanced all the time." Press Gang's complicated plots would become a hallmark of Moffat's work, such as Joking Apart and Coupling.^[30] Coupling is a British television sitcom written by Steven Moffat that aired on BBC2 from May 2000 to 2004. ...

Awards

The series received a Royal Television Society award and a BAFTA in 1991 for "Best Children's Programme (Entertainment/Drama)".^[9] It was also nominated for two Writers' Guild of Great Britain awards, one Prix Jeunesse^[31] and the 1992 BAFTA for "Best Children's Programme (Fiction)". Julia Sawalha won the Royal Television Society Television Award for "Best Actor - Female" in 1993.^[32] The Royal Television Society is a British-based society for the discussion, analysis and preservation of television in all its forms, past, present and future. ... The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organization that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, childrens film and television, and interactive media. ... The Writers Guild of Great Britain, established in 1959, is a trade union for professional writers, affiliated with the Trades Union Congress (TUC). ...

Repeat showings

The show gained an adult audience when repeated at Sunday tea-time on Channel 4.^[27] This crossover is reflected in the BBC's review for one of the DVDs when they say that "Press Gang is one of the best series ever made for kids. Or adults."^[33] It has been suggested that Channel Four Television Corporation be merged into this article or section. ...

Nickelodeon showed nearly all of the episodes in a weekday slot in 1997. The final three episodes of the third series, however, were not repeated on the children's channel because of their content: "The Last Word" double episode with the gun siege, and "Holding On" with the repetition of the phrase "divorce the bitch". On the first transmission of the latter on 11 June 1991, continuity announcer Tommy Boyd warned viewers that it contained stronger than usual language. Nickelodeon UK (usually called Nickelodeon or Nick) is a satellite/cable TV station for children. ... Look up bitch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Timothy Leslie Boyd (born December 14, 1952), better known as Tommy Boyd, is a radio presenter and former childrens television presenter who now lives in Chichester, West Sussex. ...

Fan following

Press Gang has attracted a cult following. A fanzine, Breakfast at Czars, was produced in the 1990s. Edited by Stephen O'Brien, it contained a range of interviews with the cast and crew (notably with producer Hastie), theatre reviews and fanfiction. The first edition was included as a PDF file on the series two DVD, while the next three were on the series five disc. A fanzine (see also: zine) is a nonprofessional publication produced by fans of a particular subject for the pleasure of others who share their interest. ... Fan fiction (also spelled fanfiction and commonly abbreviated to fanfic) is fiction written by people who enjoy a film, novel, television show or other media work, using the characters and situations developed in it and developing new plots in which to use these characters. ...

Two conventions were held in the mid 1990s in Liverpool. The events, in aid of the NSPCC, were each titled "Both Sides of the Paper" and were attended by Steven Moffat, Sandra Hastie, Dexter Fletcher, Paul Reynolds, Kelda Holmes and Nick Stringer. There were screenings of extended rough cuts of "A Quarter to Midnight" and "There Are Crocodiles", along with auctions of wardrobe and props.^[17] A fan convention, or con, is an event in which the fans of a particular TV show, comic book, or actor, or an entire style of entertainment such as science fiction or anime, gather together to meet famous personalities (and each other) face-to-face. ... Liverpool skyline. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Nick Stringer (born 10 August 1948 in Torquay, Devon) is an English actor. ...

The Press Gang Programme Guide, edited by Jim Sangster, was published by Leomac Publishing in 1995.^[34] Sangster, O'Brien and Adrian Petford^[17] collaborated with Network DVD on the extra features for the DVD releases.

An e-mail discussion list has been operational since February 1997.^[35] A mailing list is a collection of names and addresses used by an individual or an organization to send material to multiple recipients. ...

Big Finish Productions, which produces audio plays based on sci-fi properties, particularly Doctor Who, was named after the title of the final episode of the second season. Its founder, Gary Russell, had previous companies named after Press Gang episodes: Page One Productions, Photo Finish Productions, Rock Solid Productions and At Last, A Dragon! Productions.^[36] Moffat himself is an ardent Doctor Who fan and has written many short stories and four episodes of the revival.^[37] Russell now works for BBC Wales as a script editor on the series and its sister show Torchwood. Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces audio plays released straight to compact disc, based on British cult science fiction properties. ... Radio drama is a form of audio storytelling broadcast on radio. ... Doctor Who is a long-running British science fiction television programme (and 1996 television movie) produced by the BBC about the adventures of a mysterious time-traveller known as the Doctor, who explores time and space with his companions, solving problems and righting wrongs. ... Gary Russell appearing on Doctor Who Confidential Gary Russell (born 18 September 1963 in Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, UK) is a freelance writer and former child actor. ... BBC Wales (Welsh: ) is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. ... Script Editor is a program included with Mac OS that allows AppleScripts to be written, debugged, and ran. ... For the eponymous fictional institute, see Torchwood Institute. ...

Proposed television movie

Several times, a television movie called "Deadline" was planned, set a few years after the series and aimed at a more adult audience. At one stage in 1992, series 4 was intended to be the last, and the movie was proposed as a follow up. However, making of the film fell through when a fifth series was commissioned instead. The idea of the follow up film was several times reconsidered during the 1990s, but every time fell through for various reasons.^[38]

Merchandise

There have been several products released, specifically four novelisations, a video and the complete collection on DVD.

Novelisations

Four novelisations were written by Bill Moffat and published by Hippo Books/Scholastic in 1989 and 1990 based on the first two seasons. First Edition was based on the first three episodes, with PRESS GANG 2 - Public Exposure covering "Interface" and "How to Make a Killing." The third book, Checkmate, covered "Breakfast at Czar's", "Picking Up the Pieces" and "Going Back to Jasper Street", and reveals that Julie left the graphics department to go to art college. The fourth and final book, The Date, is a novelisation of "Money, Love and Birdseed", "Love and the Junior Gazette" and "At Last a Dragon".^[38] Each book featured an eight-page photographic insert.^[15] A novelization (or novelisation in British English) is a fictional book that is written based on some other media story form rather than as an original work. ...

VHS release

Only one volume was released on VHS in 1990 by Central Video, featuring the first four episodes: "Page One", "Photo Finish", "One Easy Lesson" and "Deadline".^[38]

DVD release

The complete series of Press Gang is available on DVD (Region 2, UK) from Network DVD. The series has also been released in Australia (Region 4). The second series DVD features an audio commentary by Julia Sawalha and Steven Moffat, in which the actress claims to remember very little about the show.^[8] Shooting scripts and extracts from Jim Sangster's programme guides are included in PDF format from series two onwards.^[39] A major selling point of DVD video is that its storage capacity allows for a wide variety of extra features in addition to the feature film itself. ... A shooting script is a version of a script from which a movie is actually shot; it includes scene numbers, camera angles and certain directors notes -- and it is generally fiercely marked up by the script supervisor and other production workers, while the writers draft is simply the skeleton... Portable Document Format (PDF), sometimes mistaken for Printable Document Format, is an open file format created by Adobe Systems in 1993 and is now being prepared for submission as an ISO standard. ...

Contents

Storyline

Production

Inception

Directors

Location

Characters

Main characters

Other recurring characters

Music and title sequences

Reaction

Critical reception

Awards

Repeat showings

Fan following

Proposed television movie

Merchandise

Novelisations

VHS release

DVD release

See also

References

External links

Contents

Storyline GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Production

Inception

Directors

Location

Characters

Main characters

Other recurring characters

Music and title sequences

Reaction

Critical reception

Awards

Repeat showings

Fan following

Proposed television movie

Merchandise

Novelisations

VHS release

DVD release

See also

References

External links

Storyline