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Post by Arthur Pringle on Feb 25, 2017 20:03:08 GMT
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Lord Emsworth
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Mar 1, 2019 16:00:46 GMT
So much to enjoy in Stoppo Driver...
The car chase at the beginning
Cooney's wedding - and Haskins getting p***ed
The decor at the airport hotel
The high stakes gambling game - and the various minted players
The fact the villains never make any attempt to hide their faces when intimidating Cooney and his missus
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Cartman
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Post by Cartman on Mar 1, 2019 19:18:34 GMT
Who taught you to drive, Evel Knievel?!
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Post by Steve Austin on Mar 1, 2019 19:51:17 GMT
So much to enjoy in Stoppo Driver...
The car chase at the beginning
Cooney's wedding - and Haskins getting p***ed
The decor at the airport hotel
The high stakes gambling game - and the various minted players
The fact the villains never make any attempt to hide their faces when intimidating Cooney and his missus
I love the decor across the series. The acting, scripts, cinematography, music, grittiness of location (70's London), fashions, long hot summers and much more make The Sweeney. It is much bigger than the some of its parts.
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Lord Emsworth
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Mar 2, 2019 11:11:15 GMT
Yeah, spot on Steve
In my list above, I forgot to mention that Stoppo also includes...
More generally I also love seeing all the corrugated iron in the background. I vividly remember wandering around London as a kid and the stuff was everywhere, normally sealing in some old bit of wasteground that I always assumed marked a spot where a WW2 bomb had levelled a few buildings and nothing had happened since.
Whatever happened to corrugated iron?
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Lord Emsworth
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Mar 2, 2019 11:14:17 GMT
Two things that bother me about Stoppo... - Why did the gang even need a getaway driver for the hotel job? They weren't being chased and that outcome was always unlikely
- Why didn't Cooney just go straight to Regan after the job and make a full confession? Surely being blackmailed like that would excuse him taking part?
Still, invariably there's something in the plots that is a tad implausible - that's half the fun
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Post by D.C. Burtonshaw on Mar 2, 2019 16:37:47 GMT
I actually did my own re-write of the Stoppo Driver on the TV lounge old forum, with an alternative storyline regarding what could have happened if Cooney had gone straight to Regan after his ordeal and after the robbery at the airport Casino. A few years ago now and lost on the old forum, I wish I'd saved it on another document, but hey ho.
If something like that had of happened (not necessarily meaning my story as I can't remember the wording now) I still think a great action packed story could have come out if it. Cooney could have gone undercover later on the blag where the Prices meet their end, and could have involved Cooney simply stopping the Jag, and jumping out uninjured, the second the squad jump out of their cars when they stop without having to kill Barney and Morry. There could have either been a stand off or a punch up/arrest scene. Later in the episode there could have been a scene where they calmly knock on old man Prince's door to arrest him and the daughter but with some snappy dialogue from Regan.
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Post by Arthur Pringle on Mar 2, 2019 21:51:50 GMT
The thing is The Sweeney often has a story revolve around a guest actor, in this case Billy Murray, who has some character trait or defect that brings them into conflict with Regan. The Princes didn't need an ace getaway driver but the story of a flash squad driver who comes to a bad end demands it.
Hugh Futcher, a semi regular in the Carry Ons, plays another camp hotel porter in an episode of 'Thirty Minutes Worth'.
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Lord Emsworth
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Post by Lord Emsworth on Mar 3, 2019 14:37:30 GMT
Thanks Arthur - another informative post
Hugh Futcher, a semi regular in the Carry Ons, plays another camp hotel porter in an episode of 'Thirty Minutes Worth'.
Hugh tended to get typecast then? According to Wikipedia he is still alive and will be 82 this year.... Hugh Futcher (born 29 October 1937 in Portsmouth, Hampshire) is an English actor in theatre, television and film. He was a member of the stock company of the Carry On films, with notable parts in Carry On Spying, Carry On at Your Convenience, and Carry On Behind. Other films include Roman Polanski's Repulsion (as Colin's pubmate Reggie) and the Herman's Hermits musical Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter.
In television, Futcher had a recurring role in the adventure series Orlando as "Hedgehog." He has also appeared on The Saint, Z-Cars, The Sweeney, Minder, and Casualty. In 1972 he appeared in the Doctor Who serial "The Sea Devils". Fifteen years later he was considered for the role of the Seventh Doctor, but accepted other work that precluded taking the part.
He appeared with Brian Murphy and Maureen Lipman in the 1985 television drama On Your Way, Riley.
In 2011 he appeared in episode 5 of series 5 of MI High as George.
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Sparky
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Post by Sparky on Mar 3, 2019 16:22:24 GMT
Two things that bother me about Stoppo... - Why did the gang even need a getaway driver for the hotel job? They weren't being chased and that outcome was always unlikely
- Why didn't Cooney just go straight to Regan after the job and make a full confession? Surely being blackmailed like that would excuse him taking part?
Still, invariably there's something in the plots that is a tad implausible - that's half the fun I think that's what they call "Artistic Licence".
Peter Brayham (Stunt Director/Arranger) wrote the original episode of "Stoppo Driver" in long hand, then he got a secretary to type it up to pass on to Ted Childs. It was then passed on to Allan Pryor to polish up and tweak.
Brayham was a little p*ssed off with the final result, as a bit had been changed from his original idea.
Some medieval Union Rule also stated that he couldn't get a credit as both Writer and Stunt Director. Hence why the episode is soley credited to Allan Pryor.
Allan Pryor was/is a talented writer; though I feel that the episode should have been passed to someone like Trevor Preston, or even Tony Hoare (if he wasn't locked up in Wormwood Scrubs that is!), as both writers always had an harder edge to their writing - perhaps because they "knew" the London Underworld pretty well....
I would love to read DC Burtonshaw's re-write! There are plenty of "Sweeney" stories that could still be written.
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