The Shape of Things to Come!

This screencap of David Tennant as DI Peter Carlisle, from episode three of Peter Bowker's dark six-part comedy thriller "Blackpool", brought a smile to my face when I saw it. Unfortunately, I didn't see this serial when broadcast, from 11 November last year, though I believe it's been available on DVD since the beginning of August, but the makers of this drama can't possibly have known about David's future casting as the tenth Doctor, as, like most programmes, "Blackpool" was probably "in the can" several months prior to transmission. And yet, unwittingly predicting his future, here is David crossing the road in front of the Blackpool "Doctor Who" Exhibition with the added bonus of a couple of Cybermen clearly visible behind him!

It seems like a good opportunity to mention a few updates regarding the production of the new series of "Doctor Who". As well as "The Christmas Invasion", six of the thirteen episode titles are now known of the series proper; the first four, although two of these are unconfirmed, and two more from later in the series. Episode one is NOT called "The Sunshine Camp" but seems to be going by the name of "New Earth", at present, and features the return of Zoe Wanamaker in some capacity although it isn't certain whether or not she is reprising the role of Cassandra, from the first season episode "The End of the World". Episode two, as stated in an earlier piece, is entitled "Tooth and Claw".

Contrary to rumours, Anthony Stewart Head is NOT playing The Master in the third episode, "School Reunion", but a headmaster called Mr. Finch, possibly in a similar vein to the late Michael Sheard's headmaster in "Remembrance of the Daleks". It is interesting to note that John Leeson WILL be reprising his role as the voice of K9 in this episode whereas none of the original series Dalek voice artistes were invited back for season one! The design of K9 is to remain much the same whereas the Cybermen, featuring in episodes five and six, are in for a refit. While some have said the Borg are how the Cybermen should have looked, I hope the production team resist copying "Star Trek"!

And the news just in is that episode four of the second series, written by Steven Moffat, and author of the first season's most interesting story, is tentatively titled "The Girl in the Fireplace". Rumours abound that Billie Piper's ex-husband, Chris Evans, has been approached to play Satan in the two-part story opening with eighth episode, "The Satan Pit"! Billie is said to be NOT averse to this piece of casting as they remain on good terms. To my mind, if true, his inclusion would smack more than a little of the stunt casting of which Eighties Producer John Nathan Turner stood accused!! Meanwhile, the return of the Daleks seems an unlikely possibility in twelfth episode "Army of Ghosts", the opening episode of the third two-parter that closes the season, given the cost of renegotiating terms of their use with Terry Nation's estate and that Russell T Davies is quoted as saying the Daleks have been taken as far as they can... ...for the time being...!!!

Return of the Psychomodo!

Steve Harley is back on the third of October with a new album of songs entitled "The Quality of Mercy". I say back but he's not really been away as you can listen to his half-hour radio show, "Sounds of the Seventies", every Tuesday night just after 10pm on BBC Radio2. I usually catch up with it on the BBC Radio Player, online, sometime during the week.

Recently, Steve did a special show featuring photographer Mick Rock over from the States to take the cover shot for Steve's new album. Their collaboration goes back to Steve's second album "The Psychomodo" which spawned the hit single "Mister Soft". It was interesting to learn that Mick did that cover the same week he did the one for "Queen II". His first cover was for Lou Reed's album "Transformer" from which the single "Walk on the Wild Side" was taken, which just about sums up the glam rock era of pop music in the early Seventies! This album was produced by David Bowie and his band's guitarist at the time, the excellent but underrated Mick Ronson. It seems only natural, therefore, that Mick Rock took the shot for Bowie's most famous album, "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars".

Instead of being credited as a solo record, Steve's new album is billed as by Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel. As far as I'm aware, Steve hasn't used the Cockney Rebel moniker since the Seventies. Until now, the live performances have been credited simply as The Steve Harley Band but he says the time is right to return to the Cockney Rebel ident. This then, presumably, is the third version of Cockney Rebel. The original lasted two albums, "The Human Menagerie" which gave us the haunting but commercially unsuccessful, at least in the UK, "Sebastian" and the aforementioned "Psychomodo". It was with the second incarnation of the band, renamed Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, that they hit the big time with the number one single "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)", perhaps better known now for its appearance during the football sequence in Brit flick "The Full Monty" but originally taken from their third album, "The Best Years of Our Lives".

I was lucky enough to see the second line-up of Cockney Rebel perform twice, both in Bristol at the Colston Hall. The first was to promote the third album and then again a year or so later on the "Timeless Flight" tour. Duncan Mackay was the keyboard player on both occasions. I saw him play live a third time a while later, at the same venue, and met him backstage afterwards, when he was part of the second version of 10cc, the very week they were at number one with the single "Dreadlock Holiday", from the album "Bloody Tourists". As well as playing on this single and "Make Me Smile", Duncan also played on Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights", so he's had a trio of number one singles and practically nobody has probably ever heard of him! Also a part of the Cockney Rebel line-up on these two tours was guitarist Jim Cregan who played the acoustic solo on "Make Me Smile". When Rebel eventually split, he joined Rod Stewart's band and more recently has been playing with Katie Melua.

So many connections! With the release of Steve's new album imminent, it seemed like a good time to mention a few of them!!!

Kate Bush is back!

It's certainly been a while but singer Kate Bush will release her first album in twelve years in November - a double album entitled "Aerial". This also marks the first time she has released a double album - so plenty of new material! The new collection of songs will follow a single, "King of the Mountain", released on 24 October, with both the single and album produced by Kate herself.

On a personal note, I was lucky enough to be present at her first ever gig, in Liverpool, opening her only tour to date, back in 1979. I must admit that when her first single, "Wuthering Heights" appeared I didn't like it but was won over on hearing the second, "The Man With The Child In His Eyes", which remains one of my favourite pop songs to this day. On viewing the sheet music, I subsequently realised what an interesting song "Wuthering Heights" is. Both singles can be found on her debut album "The Kick Inside". Her tour was to promote both this and her follow-up album "Lionheart".

The 47-year-old performer's last album, "The Red Shoes", reached number two in the UK album chart in 1993. Kate's last public appearance was in 2001, when she received Q magazine's "classic songwriter" award in London. I'm looking forward to hearing her new compositions.

Michael Sheard (1940-2005)

I was sad to learn of the death of popular character actor Michael Sheard from cancer at the age of only 65. He appeared on television in no less than six "Doctor Who" Stories as well as in a Big Finish audio "Doctor Who" story. To "Doctor Who" fans he will probably best be remembered for his performances as Laurence Scarman in the Tom Baker story "Pyramids of Mars" (pictured) from 1975 and as the doomed Headmaster in "Remembrance of the Daleks", a Sylvester McCoy story from 1988, which, in an odd coincidence for me, I rewatched just a few weeks ago.

As K9 returns to the programme, in episode three of next year's series, it is interesting to note that Michael appeared as Supervisor Lowe in the robot dog's opening story, from 1977, "The Invisible Enemy", a reworking of the Donald Pleasance/Raquel Welch movie "Fantastic Voyage". He also guested as Mergrave in fifth Doctor Peter Davison's opening yarn "Castrovalva" in 1982. Predating all of these are his appearances in the William Hartnell third season story "The Ark" in 1966, as Rhos, and as Dr. Summers in my favourite Jon Pertwee story "The Mind of Evil" in 1971.

As well as appearing in my favourite third Doctor tale, Michael Sheard also guest starred in my favourite "Space:1999" episode "Dragon's Domain" as Dr. Darwin King at the end of 1975. This simple but brilliantly evocative story pre-empts the Alien series of films in its depiction of an entity hellbent on survival at any horrific cost. Just over four years later, Michael popped up in another popular SF series playing Klegg in the second episode of the third season of "Blake's 7" entitled "Powerplay", first broadcast in January 1980.

Over the years he was seen in many of the shows which now have a cult following such as "Adam Adamant Lives!", the original 1970 version of "Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)", the "Department S" spin-off "Jason King", the Roger Moore/Tony Curtis vehicle "The Persuaders!", the non-SF live action Gerry Anderson series "The Protectors", "The Sweeney", "The New Avengers", "The Professionals" and "Minder". He made many appearances in "Dixon of Dock Green", "Softly Softly", "On the Buses" and the first season of "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet".

As in "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet", he was often cast as a German and often as that most notorious of all Germans Adolf Hitler perhaps most memorably opposite Peter O'Toole in the television adaptation of Geoffrey Household's "Rogue Male" in 1976. He even played Hitler in a two-part episode of "The Tomorrow People", ITV's answer to "Doctor Who" at the time! Arguably, the most prestigious production he appeared in was Stephen Poliakoff's "Caught on a Train" as Preston, in 1980, alongside Peggy Ashcroft and Michael Kitchen. A remarkable acting career.

To return briefly to Michael Sheard's appearances in "Doctor Who". I mentioned at the start of this piece that he guested in a Big Finish audio. In the eighth Doctor story "The Stones of Venice" he played Count Orsino opposite Paul McGann and this can be heard in exactly a month from now, starting Saturday 01 October, on BBC7 following the conclusion of the Cybermen adventure beginning this weekend.

Much Ado About Billie!

There's plenty to look forward to in the forthcoming autumn season on BBC television. Having seen the trailer twice, I have to say it all looks very colourful. There are four modern interpretations of Shakespeare plays, presumably in the same vein as the adaptations of "The Canterbury Tales" a few years ago. They boast a host of well-known faces. Bill Paterson from "Sea of Souls" and Sharon Small, best known as sidekick Havers in "The Inspector Lynley Mysteries", both appear in "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

In "The Taming of the Shrew" there are performances from "Ballykissangel" and "Brassed Off" actor Stephen Tompkinson as well as "Hustle" actress Jaime Murray. As "Spooks" returns to BBC1 for a welcome fourth season, but with none of the original leads, on September 12, former "Spooks" actress Keeley Hawes, now perhaps better known for "Tipping the Velvet", pops up in a version of "Macbeth" set in the enclosed and heated world of a top restaurant kitchen!

But, being a "Doctor Who" fan, the one I am most looking forward to is "Much Ado About Nothing" which features Billie Piper as a TV weathergirl! I have been speculating on which one she will base her performance? Though not a betting man, my money is on Channel Five's Lara Lewington. I have often been heard anticipating her appearance at the end of the lunchtime news bulletin!! To use the words with which she opens each forecast, all I can really say about that is... "Hello there"!!!

Caricature

Another picture which brought a smile to the faces of my family! I'm sure I don't need to say WHO is pictured!! Suffice it to say that I found this marvellous parody on one of my frequent surfing expeditions and it's just too good a drawing to keep to myself!!!