Brian Parker (1929-2020)

Brian Parker (on his 90th birthday)

Brian Parker, who died on 8 December 2020, had a long and eclectic career in television, initially as an actor and then as director of a wide variety of television drama, including popular series such as the BBC’s Softly Softly (from 1966-71) and The Troubleshooters (1966-68), YorkshireTelevision’s Hadleigh (1969-71), Granada Television’s Crown Court (1973-77) and Thames Television’s The Bill (1988-2001). Alongside these assignments he directed single plays for series such as The Wednesday Play and Play for Today, including Auto Stop (BBC 1965) with David Hemmings, Julia Jones’ A Designing Woman (BBC 1965), Peter Terson’s Shakespeare – or Bust (BBC 1973), Alan Plater’s Land of Green Ginger (BBC 1973) and James Duthie’s Donal and Sally (BBC 1978), for which Parker won the award for Best Direction at the 1979 Prague International Television Festival. Donal and Sally was about the relationship between two young people with learning difficulties, a subject Parker had previously explored in Steven (BBC 1974), a play he devised and directed for a short series produced by Tony Garnett.

In the 1960s-70s Parker had a particularly productive working relationship with David Rose, appearing as an actor in episodes of Scotland Yard (BBC 1960) and Z Cars (BBC 1964), both produced by Rose, then as director on 18 episodes of Softly Softly, for which Rose produced the first two series, and on four episodes of Alan Plater’s The First Lady (BBC 1968) which Rose also produced. In the 1970s Parker was reunited with Rose when the latter became Head of BBC English Regions Drama in Birmingham, directing four Plays for Today produced by Rose: Shakespeare – or Bust, Land of Green Ginger, David Halliwell’s Steps Back (1973) and Barry Collins’ The Lonely Man’s Lover (1974), plus four half-hour plays: Jack Rosenthal’s Thirty Minute Theatre play, And For My Next Trick (BBC 1972) and three Second City Firsts.

I first met Brian Parker at a Kaleidoscope event in 2014 where David Rose was introducing Medico (BBC 1959), a recently discovered drama-documentary which Rose directed. Parker described Rose as his ‘mentor’, underlining the important influence Rose had on his career. After the event he emailed me:

I really enjoyed the event last weekend and made amazing discoveries! My acting and directing mentor is still brilliantly defying Parkinson, one of my early shows is in the Library of Congress (after it was transmitted the writer took me to lunch, we ordered, and he said “what went wrong?”) and people are actually looking at stuff made long before home-recording was possible. [1]

Sadly, the next occasion we met was at the memorial service for David Rose in 2017.

In July 2020 I contacted Brian Parker to see what he remembered about Steps Back, the David Halliwell Play for Today about which I was writing a piece as part of the 50^th anniversary celebrations of Play for Today. Parker replied immediately, providing much useful information about the production of the play and it sparked an exchange of emails about his television work which continued until shortly before his death. Given how little information there is about his career (at the time of writing I have seen no obituaries) I have edited our correspondence as a tribute. I am only sorry that we did not have time to explore more of his work for I am sure he would have been as informative and witty in his recollections as he is here in this brief correspondence.

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10/07/2020

Dear Brian,

I hope you are well and have managed to avoid the coronavirus. I recently obtained a copy of Steps Back which I hadn’t seen before and thought it was excellent. Another brilliant production from David Rose’s department in Birmingham … I’m going to write a short piece on it for the Play for Today section of our Forgotten TV Drama blog and I wondered how much you remember about its production. It was quite innovative with the many flashbacks and extensive use of voiceovers. How closely did you work with David Halliwell on it? I’d be interested to know what you remember about it and if you’d like me to send you a copy …

Very best wishes,

Lez Cooke

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11/07/2020

Dear Lez

Great to hear from you! Have been Locked Away in Scotland since mid March, and shamed to admit to having a lovely time at my partners cottage in the Trossachs.

Pleased to know you are able to carry on with your work. It took a little while to locate Steps Back, but Halliwell is there in the memory bank! I was never sure the piece actually worked, so it’s good to hear you liked it. It would certainly help if I could see it again, and typically don’t have a copy.

Wi fi does work here thank goodness.

The amazing David Rose showed up in Brighouse after shooting one evening and expected the Tour. I could talk and I could drive, only not at the same time,

Best Wishes.      Brian 

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11/07/2020

Hi Brian,

Thanks for replying so quickly. I guess there are worse places to be locked-down than a cottage in the Trossachs … I’ll attempt to send you Steps Back by digital transfer. It’s a fairly short Play for Today, only 47 mins, so won’t take you too long to watch. I’m sure the shooting and editing of it was another matter … I should warn you the quality isn’t great – I imagine the colour has faded (or maybe that was intentional?)

Best wishes,

Lez

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13/07/2020

Dear Lez

Thanks so much for the chance to see Steps Back again! I was in the Bar at Pebble Mill when Barry Hanson came in and said “What does Bahn Wham mean.” I said “Going Home”.  He said “You just got a job”. That was the original title. I don’t know who changed it or why.

The shape of the piece is entirely D. Halliwell. The flashbacks and alternative versions of scenes are exactly as scripted, we changed nothing. I remember him explaining that all the characters in a scene would have a different apprehension of what was happening, and he wished to reveal this to the audience. My own feeling is that better writers (Sally Wainwright) manage much more profound communication without resorting to endless and repetitive voice overs describing rather simplistic thoughts and feelings. I never heard whether David H. liked the result so assume he didn’t.

I guess the near monochrome look is purely the result of poor storage and ageing. Normal scenes were in normal colour (once) but I did have the daft idea that when it was His imagination at work we’d put a pink vignette around the frame, and for Hers, a blue. Blue or Red crayon on the front glass did the trick and traces still remain.

Steps Back (1973)

The “recurring image” of children running upstairs involved a cameraman and heavy camera running up too. And consequent risk of injury to both. We realised that we needed 13 copies of the shot to cover the voice over, so sent the negative off to get an inter-positive in order to be able to make the 13 negatives. It became obvious during the following stages that the drop in quality was shocking on 16mm. It was the cameraman who asked me if I could get the kids back. We asked and they too were prepared to do the run another 13 times. And each time you see them trotting upstairs, they are doing it again.

I was lucky enough to work with that crew a few times more and really liked the Yorkshire small part players. I’m not sure if the above is helpful, so if there’s anything specific you need, please be in touch.

Best. Wishes.        Brian 

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14/07/2020

Dear Brian,

That’s great – thank you so much for taking the time to reply. Joyce [Hawkins – ex-BBC Birmingham Costume Designer] also told me that the original title was Bahn Wam (she spelt it differently) and that it was ‘Printed on the Film Diary 28th March 1972’. That was over a year before it was transmitted so must have been an early stage of the production …

I thought the different viewpoints of Gerry and Nita were well conveyed, but I agree it’s very unusual to have quite so much voiceover – must be nearly 90% of the dialogue. Because of the poor quality of the print I didn’t realise that the vignette effect was colour-coded! I was going to ask you how that was achieved and never thought it was as simple as crayon on the front glass! I was going to describe it as an iris effect, but vignette is probably better. The information about having to do separate takes every time the children run upstairs is also useful.

I was struck by the thematic similarity between Steps Back and Land of Green Ginger – the central characters both returning to their home towns and having mixed feelings about going back. Alan Plater of course handled it rather differently. I haven’t seen Halliwell’s earlier Play for Today, Triple Exposure, which was tx in November 1972, just 6 months before Steps Back, directed by Alan Cooke – do you remember it?

I know you directed a few things at Pebble Mill – I also have an mp4 of ‘Waifs and Strays’ if you’re interested in seeing it again.

Thanks again for your help.

Best wishes,

Lez

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16/07/2020

Dear Brian,

I’ve written my piece on Steps Back and I’ve included some quotes from your email – I just wanted to check that’s okay with you before I publish it on our website. I’ll attach a copy.

By the way, I’ve just looked you up on IMDb – have they got your dob right? I can’t believe you’re 91!

Best wishes,

Lez

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17/07/2020

Dear Lez 

No problem with your quotes! Yes I’m 91. Was keeping the family as an Actor and making amateur movies with mates until 35. So never went to any film school. Where folks learn the expensive way to do things.

I wish l had seen Alan Cooke’s Halliwell film. He has a very impressive list of work and probably knew exactly how to do it.

Was glad you mentioned Alan Plater whom I was always delighted to work with. I feel his people are more real than Halliwells and a lot more complex. And he was so much fun to be with. For The Land of Green Ginger he had me go up to Hull where he told me to junk the existing script. We had a great day whilst he described the scenes he was about to write in the places where they would happen! All I needed to find were two domestic interiors. And a Trawler and a bit of sea. He made his task more complicated (but furnished my music track) by getting his friends, the Watersons, the top folk group at the time, to sing numbers relevant to events on screen. Which of course, makes editing and pacing more tricky.

I have an abiding memory of Arthur, the grip, hauling a heavy B R trolley plus camera and crew along Kings X platform trying to keep up with Gwen Taylor inside the train. He had an easier time in Hull. For tracking shots, we borrowed an invalid chair from the local hospital.

If it’s not a problem, would love to see Waifs and Strays.

Best Wishes.       Brian

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20/07/2020

Dear Brian,

I’ve sent you Waifs and Strays – it’s quite a nice little piece and it’s the only one of your Second City Firsts to survive, although the first three mins of The Visitor survives on a SCF promo reel, let me know if you’d like me to send you that.

I was looking at your acting credits – there’s a lot of long lost drama there! I was interested to see you were in an adaptation of Arnold Bennett’s The Great Adventure in 1958 – I did a conference paper on Bennett’s TV adaptations once and that’s one of many productions that are lost or went unrecorded. You seem to have been a police constable quite a few times and I see you worked with David Rose as early as 1960 on Scotland Yard. There are quite a few actors who turned to directing, or writing, or producing in the 1960s: Philip Saville, David Andrews, Tony Garnett, Henry Livings are four who spring to mind.

Thank you for your reminiscences about Land of Green Ginger, which is one of the best PFTs, and I love the Watersons song which opens the drama. You may be interested in this interview with Alan Plater about the play (it’s quite long!):  http://www.britishtelevisiondrama.org.uk/?p=921

Best wishes,

Lez

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23/07/2020

Dear Brian,

My piece on Steps Back has now been posted on our website. Here’s the link: 

Play for Today: Steps Back

I had to use timecoded screen grabs from the faded copy I have. Apparently the BBC do have a copy on 16mm which is awaiting digitisation. If it’s any better quality than the one I have I might be able to change the stills at some stage.

Many thanks for your help.

Best wishes,

Lez

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23/07/2020

Dear Lez

Thanks so much for Waifs and Strays. It took me a while to recognise it as one of mine. Loved the baby, gosh weren’t we lucky to get him! I’m cross with myself for not yelling and screaming at the lighting chap, but seem to recall we had so little recording time and tiny kids can often cause huge delays. Studio lighting men (never women) seemed not to have noticed that it’s brighter outside than in. And the back cloths are poor and badly sited and I Should have Sorted it All Out. Result, it’s not clear whether we’re in a caravan or a shed.

I was much happier on film.

Ken Kitson went on to earn his pension in Last of the Summer Wine.

There is so much information in your enclosures. Glad that Shakespeare Or Bust still exists, it was so enjoyable to make since water can make nonsense of rigid plans. And actors and crew were really up for it.

Thanks for reminding me of lovely Noel Dyson who was in my very first “trainee” production, which got James McTaggart’s attention and a Wednesday Play.

Kind. Regards.         Brian 

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25/07/2020

Dear Brian,

Yes the baby was great in Waifs and Strays and you’re right it wasn’t clear where it was set. I got the impression it was a chalet at a holiday camp – don’t know why.

I expect the Wednesday Play was Moving On (24/3/65), your first production as a director I think. Unfortunately it hasn’t survived. In fact the only one of your five Wednesday Plays to survive is Auto Stop (21/4/65) with David Hemmings.

All the best,

Lez

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28/07/2020

Dear Lez

I never said thanks for the Alan Plater interview. Yes it is long! Strange, because he was always straight to the point with me. I was a bit puzzled when he talks about a camera script, since we never actually discussed shots, or camera positions. I’m going to pay myself and the crew the compliment that the film we sweated out must be rather like the vision Alan had when writing it.

Moving On was not my first, by the way.  When I was on a BBC 6 month course, I was given an episode of “Thorndyke” by a producer called John Robins. His TV experience was in Motor Racing and made up for ignorance of drama by shouting a lot. The story-adaptor told me his job was impossible as the tale needed more than the permitted number of studio sets. I said I’d design a composite set to cover five of them, and do the five scenes as a montage. We had to record the whole 50 minute programme in one chunk at that time, so by using doubles and pre-recorded dialogue, we kept the story moving. And maybe made the only “live“ example of montage in electronic studio history.

Robins nearly scuppered me by insisting on using a 4 camera O B unit as we could do two days filming in one. I met the crew and asked which was the vision-mixer. You are, he said. I’d never been in an OB van or sat at a mixing desk. I gained a huge respect for the folk who can actually do that job! 

I went to greet John le Mesurier on the first day of rehearsal, this was long before Dads Army. He was my villain. He held up the script and said “What a load of rubbish.”  But Mr le Mesurier, I said, I sent you the script! “Oh, I never read scripts, I leave that to my Agent.” And he went on in this depressive mode to the end of my first production. Thorndyke was a baptism of fire, but it was a start. And it didn’t prevent J McTaggart offering me Moving On.

I’m amazed that it’s possible to find records of my acting career. It began with a series of seasons in undistinguished weekly reps who didn’t seem to mind that I’d had no training whatsoever. Once married, my wife set about having children and only acted once more. At the Kings Theatre Southsea, the producer ran away so Equity had to get them home. Soon, I had six mouths to feed and doing any casual job going, plus dozens of commercials, including one directed by Lindsay Anderson whom I thought was a complete prat. This was confirmed when it was so bad it was never shown and the performers lost hundreds of pounds in residuals.

Gradually the parts improved. I played the lead in a picture which took me to Singapore and the Maldives. It was directed by Seth Holt but We didn’t get the benefit of his genius as it was only a glorified advert for the RAF. Seth was only there for the money and the Chinese Food.

Afraid I can’t remember the Arnold Bennett adaptation you mention. Could look it up but all my records are in the attic at the London house. Do hope it’s the BBC show when I played Margaret Lockwood’s son. Loved Her! At that time recording techniques were so poor, big productions were done live on Sunday night and we went back and did it all again, live on Thursday.

Too garrulous again!      Regards.        Brian  

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31/07/2020

Dear Brian,

Glad you managed to get through all of the Alan Plater interview – and that’s an edited version! I thought what he said about not doing a camera script for Land of Green Ginger but instead talking it through with you tallied with what you’d said to me in a previous email. He was very complimentary about what you did and I think you can be well pleased with the result.

Many thanks for the information about Thorndyke, another lost series – only the pilot survives, directed by Richmond Harding who I notice directed you in your last acting role on Z Cars. I was intrigued that you were given the Thorndyke episode to direct while you were doing the Directors Course at the BBC. I’ve spoken to other people who did the BBC course in the early 1960s: Peter Duguid, John McGrath, Troy Kennedy Martin, Ian Kennedy Martin – were any of them doing it when you did? It’s a shame your episode wasn’t telerecorded – I would have liked to see what you achieved with live studio montage. I think it probably wasn’t the first. Anthony Pelissier did something similar with Torrents of Spring in 1959; Troy also with one of his Storyboard plays in 1961, directed by James MacTaggart.

Yes Margaret Lockwood was in The Great Adventure, the Arnold Bennett play – her character was called Janet Cannot, you were John Shawn and Beatrice Varley played Mrs Albert Shawn, who might perhaps have been your mother.

What do you remember about the Londoners play you directed in 1965 – A Little Touch of Henry? We showed the only surviving episode – John Betjeman’s Pity About the Abbey – as part of a season of Forgotten TV Drama at BFI Southbank in 2015.

Best wishes,

Lez

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05/08/2020

Dear Lez

Hope all’s well with you! Two of the folk you mention, Ian Curteis and Mary Ridge were with me on the BBC course. Ian and I were the only “outsiders” so far as I know. Mary and everyone else were BBC employees who were working their way up through the ranks. It was a generalised affair, with people from documentaries, religion, news, and two men whose names I can’t remember from Drama Dept. About 20 in all.

I got in because an amateur film I’d made got shown at NFT as one of the 10 Best. They needed directors as BBC 2 was opening up. You’ve probably heard the pattern, one month of lectures, properties of lenses, how does the TV screen work etc. The second month was more useful. You could visit location or studio filming, watch rehearsals and recordings and even be present at live transmissions without the nerve knackering agony of running the thing or being in it.  

Next two months were for preparing your Production Exercise. Ian and I wrote our own. I think the BBC staffers got tame writers to do it. I really wish there had been a communal viewing. Mary and the other two lads had of course formed relationships with the producers they’d worked for and had offers of shows to direct. The final couple of months of the trainee contract were supposed to allow you to get producers to look at your 20 minute masterpiece and sell yourself. Turns out that John Robins had been instructed to use a trainee and I guess I was the only one “free”. Literally, as they saved the price of a Free Lance director.

I may have misled you in that Thorndyke was recorded. It’s just that the number of times you were allowed to stop was severely limited. This was pre-Ampex, but I was told joining the bits of a telerecording had to be done by a qualified Film editor who cost money. I’m sure M. Pellisier and the great J McTaggart used montage as an artistic tool. I was only trying to do 5 scenes in the floor space of one and help out my writer.

Nearly did a play with Troy Kennedy Martin. He was mighty cross that MPs could possibly vote in fresh restrictions on abortion. He had a producer’s backing and we went to Westminster for the debate. The vote thankfully went our way … only we looked at each other knowing we didn’t have a play!! 

I’m afraid I can remember my Londoners in great detail, all of it bad. I ended my first year as a director being told I would be unlikely to work in Plays Department again. If it would be of use I could describe the process from a historical standpoint, but it’s not the BBC at its shiny best.

All. Good. Wishes.             Brian 

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18/10/2020

Dear Brian,

I hope you’re well. Did you see the Play for Today documentary on BBC4 last week? It included a clip from Shakespeare or Bust, in case you didn’t see it, and in case you don’t know Shakespeare is being released on DVD as part of a Play for Today collection at the end of this month: Pre-Order: Play For Today Volume One (4-Disc Blu-ray Box Set) (bfi.org.uk)

Best wishes,

Lez

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20/10/2020

Dear Lez

I’m fine, thanks. Still lurking by Loch Ard, trying not to feel guilty for enjoying the isolation.

Yes, no TV here but got to see the P f T documentary on my little I-Pad. Thanks for letting me know! Shakespeare was among my favourites and a joy to make. I only got the job because Michael Simpson (The Fishing Party) was made boss of Birmingham Rep. David Rose, as Head of English Regions drama was automatically on the board of Stratford Theatre. He told me the box office there was doing poor business so he and Terson dreamed up the pilgrimage to see Shakespeare to help out. Dunno if that particular ploy actually worked.  

Shakespeare or Bust (1973)

I do have a blue-ray player and a largish screen back in London, so will get the DVD and look forward to seeing what looks like a great selection! Were you involved in that by the way?

Thanks for the information and Best Wishes

Brian 

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23/10/2020

Dear Brian,

Glad to hear you’re enjoying the isolation! To keep you occupied I’ve just acquired a digital file of The Lonely Man’s Lover and I wondered if you’d like me to send it to you to watch on your iPad. I haven’t seen it myself for over ten years so I’m looking forward to watching it again.

I wasn’t involved in the PFT documentary but thought John Wyver did a fairly good job … Joyce [Hawkins] told me it was her daughter having her hands chopped off in the scene from Penda’s Fen.

Best wishes,

Lez

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24/10/2020

Dear Lez

Nice to know Joyce is still with us! Was always a bit scared of her (Don’t tell her!). She had this steady unimpressed look of the permanent member of staff for one of the gypsy tribe of freelances with dubious morals who were only passing through. The work she produced and the assistants she employed were always top class.

It would be fascinating to see Lonely Man again! So many reasons.

Nearly killed my leading lady in shot 7 take 1. Intentionally ropey looking bike had very ropey brakes. Brave ex-ballet dancer got back on after big crash.

My second encounter with BBC Solicitor. After transmission of film about poet and local girl I’m being sued by Ted Hughes. Seems Lumb Bank, the perfect location, is where the Poet Laureate had lived with Silvia Plath. Squatters were in residence when we found it and I doubt if they knew its history. I believe posh strings were pulled and I didn’t have to keep my appointment in the High Court.

The path to the house was too narrow for vehicles and it was lovely to see how the actors and everyone in the crew with a spare hand picked up a piece of gear and trudged down the hill.

At a local pub where we ate rather well one night, I was much entertained by a group called The Oldham Tinkers and later got them to record music for the film. Odd, because I’m more of a Monteverdi man myself and wonder if we should have employed a composer.

And it was great to shoot a sequence totally off the cuff, the cows really are being let out for the first time after a winter inside. I was warned they were mad for fresh grass so don’t get in their way!!  

Hope all’s well with you.    Best Wishes 

Brian 

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25/10/2020

Dear Brian,

Great tales – I think you should be writing your memoirs! Lonely Man is on its way to you.

Best wishes,

Lez

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25/10/2020

Dear Lez

Thanks for sending Lonely Man. I guess I put the I-pad on charge around the time it was coming through. So only have the first ten minutes. Sorry. Hope you’re not too busy to try again – I found it quite fascinating.

By the way, “Wick as a Scoprel” = “Agile as a Squirrel”. Bet you knew that.

Regards.    Brian 

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27/10/2020

Dear Lez

False alarm. Just seen Lonely M., thanks so much! It seems there’s a problem with my iPad but partner, Anne sorted it. Transferred download to her computer and it played all the way through instead of stopping ten minutes in. I’m thrilled to have seen it again, which is not the same thing as thinking it actually works as entertainment.

The Lonely Man’s Lover (1974)

It was Barry Collins’ first script. His wife, a teacher I believe, let him give up work for a year to write it. I tried to talk him out of the voice-overs which seemed to me archaic … but new writers need to actually see how their ideas work out in practice. And, was pleased to see, if you turn the sound down, it really looks like a movie!

Thanks again.      Brian 

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27/10/2020

Dear Brian,

Glad you got the file okay – I’m having a few days in the Cotswolds and was worried that I wouldn’t be able to send it again till I get back. I enjoyed watching it again and had forgotten how much voiceover there was, but actually I thought it worked quite well – strange that both films we’ve been discussing (Lonely Man and Steps Back) have had lots of VO. I also thought the Oldham Tinkers music worked well – an equivalent to the Watersons in Green Ginger. There’s a lyrical quality to both films and given that they’re by different writers perhaps that’s down to you as much as them.

I didn’t realise this was Barry Collins first script – was he an actor before he turned to writing? He doesn’t seem to have written a lot, six or seven scripts I think in the 1970s-80s.

My list of ten favourite Play for Todays was published this week on our website – in case you’re interested:  https://forgottentelevisiondrama.wordpress.com/2020/10/26/my-ten-plays-for-today-lez-cooke

Best wishes,

Lez

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28/10/2020

Dear Lez

I’m fairly certain Barry Collins told me he was a local journalist. I did read, shortly after LML went out, that he had written a very powerful drama about some Russian atrocity which got great press, but think that was a stage play. As usual, I was shockingly bad at keeping in touch with people, and I appear to have watched very little telly. Too busy trying to avoid hitting things in our boat! 

Dear Mike Williams whose camerawork had so much to do with the quality of stuff that came out of Pebble Mill, lived in the Cotswolds. I was happy to be invited and see it in blossom time.

And I’m quietly chuffed to find Green Ginger in your list. Thanks 

Enjoy your holiday!         Brian 

Brian Parker (23 May 1929 – 8 December 2020)

(Photographs of Brian Parker courtesy of Anne McNally)

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[1] Email from Brian Parker, 8 April 2014. I believe Parker was referring to Auto-Stop (BBC, 21 April 1965), a Wednesday Play written by Alan Seymour which was among the material discovered in the Library of Congress in 2010.