Casualty episdoe 26
The DVD copy of my Casualty episode that was transmitted last Saturday has just landed on the doormat. How I wish I鈥檇 had it earlier. This process must get easier, by the time you鈥檝e penned your millionth episode of a Continuing Drama series I鈥檒l bet you don鈥檛 even bother to tune in..
The trepidation comes in part from not knowing 鈥榳hat they鈥檝e done with your story鈥. They being 鈥渃asting鈥, 鈥渄irector鈥 and to a lesser extent 鈥渃ostume鈥, 鈥減rops鈥 and 鈥渓ocation鈥. All highly skilled Creatives no doubt, but this is MY episode we鈥檙e talking about and darn it, they鈥檇 have better got it right.
Being exposed to my episode on the TV is a very disquieting experience. It鈥檚 a familiar scene, dialogue - I鈥檝e gone over and over it many drafts in many re-writes and yet somehow it鈥檚 spookily different seeing it through someone else鈥檚 (the director鈥檚) eyes.
Collaboration.
What you hope for is your vision to be elevated to the sublime, for the many creative hands to raise the humble story to a BAFTA winning visual feast. The only thing my script can offer is potential, somebody else has to realise that potential for me.
My sister in Liverpool had tuned to last weeks Casualty in order to get some backstory (not being a regular viewer) so impressed was she with Mark Catley鈥檚 diary episode, she was thinking of making Casualty a regular slot.. no pressure then.
So - feeling helpless, I sat down to watch Casualty at 8.50 last Saturday, with my 10 yr old and her friend who had come for a sleepover, my teen hovering about the kitchen, my partner was away. I was the only adult and I had to give a semblance of a woman in control, not a gibbering wreck hiding behind a cushion.
The first viewing left me breathless. I was aware I didn鈥檛 clock watch, my 10 yr old was captivated, the characters were all kids - she had been bored by the diary episode last week. My teen who thinks anything that isn鈥檛 Skins or the Mighty Boosh isn鈥檛 worth a look in, said it was OK. Obviously not edgy/gritty enough for her.
The second viewing - with my partner, a few days later was a much more pleasant affair. I could sit back and enjoy the story, and enjoy him enjoying the story .. wait for it .. yes .. he chuckled! Ah good鈥
My first draft had stipulated that Fifi the dog was a huge Alsatian, in contrast to Molly the little 10 yr old. I鈥檇 got a note back - 鈥淐ouldn鈥檛 do Alsatian for scheduling reasons, would I consider a Pomeranian?鈥 Curious, I Googled Pomeranian 鈥 oh dear Lord, well at least it鈥檚 not a clipped Poodle.
A few drafts later, 鈥淐an鈥檛 get you a Pomeranian, we鈥檙e going with a Poodle.鈥
Now in retrospect, I should have named the poodle Fang or Butch or somesuch, but Fifi she remained - and she was marvellous.
The overarching slog in this episode when writing it was fine-tuning the Harry Harper strand. I was asked to 鈥榖ig up鈥 Harry鈥檚 involvement in the diary shenanigans a fair bit more that was stipulated in the story document. The Harry Harper story involving the kids was my B story. Poor Joanne giving birth on the pub floor with only Toby for assistance, was my A story. Still, this ended up feeling like Harry鈥檚 episode. I had in fact proposed calling the episode 鈥淗arry Harper, Beastmaster鈥 but it was not to be.
I was very impressed with the birthing scenes, delighted they鈥檇 used a real baby! Didn鈥檛 wheel out the prosthetic one this time!
My partner said he鈥檇 enjoyed the postmodern filmic reference - I was confused. It was a werewolf story yes, plenty of them about - what did he mean. It was the fact that the landlady answered the phone to the paramedics and said 鈥楬ello, Slaughtered Lamb.鈥
I looked at him blankly.
Well, apparently that was the name of the pub in 鈥淎n American Werewolf In London.鈥
Cor Blimey! Isn鈥檛 it amazing what useless info your brain will retain - I hadn鈥檛 seen that film for about 10 years.
I鈥檒l have to wait until May to go through this birthing process again when my Holby is aired. Thankfully, the Holby notes dried up - I鈥檝e gone to Shooting Script and unless something cataclysmic happens ..
Comments