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Post by Brown Granada on Jul 6, 2016 20:00:05 GMT
Forgive me if this has been covered here already. Any love for this fantastic show? I watched it avidly when it was shown in 91-93, and who didn't want a sapphire cossie? Great supporting cast with Sammy Johnson, Berwick Kaler and Denise Welch, which was her television debut. I have a poor dvd copy of it which I watch now and then but I wish they would release it properly so I could enjoy it better.
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Del Boy
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Post by Del Boy on Jul 6, 2016 20:20:30 GMT
Spot on Brownie. Spender was a good BBC series and a must watch for me at the time. I haven't seen it since 1993 so it would be great to see this released.
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Post by Gene Hunt on Jul 6, 2016 20:50:04 GMT
Spender was quite a good series. I loved, and still do love the Newcastle locations. Familiar names with Berwick Kaler (who was seeing to Dennis' Mrs in AWP1) and Denise Welch, who appeared a few times on TV prior to Spender - in Biker Grove, Barriers and more memorably, as the woman who was in Oz's flat when he and Moxie returned from Thornley Manor in AWP2 Yes. Spender. A great series worthy of a proper DVD release surely. Good call BG Gene.
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Post by Steve Austin on Jul 6, 2016 22:29:55 GMT
Another fan here BG. I loved this series too. Sammy Johnson was also in AWP and did the voice for Sid The Sexist, "Tits Oot!" Another of those series that never seems to get a repeat showing.
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Vienna
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Post by Vienna on Jul 6, 2016 23:11:23 GMT
I remember the series at the time and used to enjoy it. Hopefully there will be an official DVD release in the near future, although it's been a long wait for another series "Target" from 1977-78 which was possibly going to be released around a decade ago.
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Post by Dirty Epic on Jul 7, 2016 8:52:16 GMT
Great post BG. I’m a big, big fan of Spender and I enjoyed it since it was first shown in 1991. As the media mentioned at the time Spender was quite a different/radical departure for Jimmy Nail from the ‘Oz’ image he had up to that point to a more serious acting role. Jimmy himself even looked/acted very different both on/off screen back then too – although under the surface perhaps things were not much different? Considering there wasn’t many urban police drama serials being made at that time Spender sort of also filled a gap back then too and Spenders sidekick Stick (Sammy Johnson) was a great character too a good counterbalance to Spender as well RIP Sammy! Other supporting cast members like Berwick Kaler, Peter Guinness, Denise Welch, Tony McAnaney etc. were equally good in Spender too along with guest cast members like Tom Bell, Julie Graham, Rodney Bewes, Geoffrey Hughes and Rod Culbertson. Even Jimmy’s former AWP cast-mates Chris Fairbank, Tim Spall and Val McLane got in on the act too and perhaps with the exception of Val McLane with very different roles to what they had in AWP. Yes Spender like The Paradise Club does deserve a proper DVD release and whatever the problem (music licensing, cast objection, money, ownership rights etc.)… it sure could/should be sorted out. Crocodile Shoes came out on DVD two years ago. It’s alright but it’s no way near as good as Spender so sure this can get a DVD release too… who knows maybe the problem(s) lie with ‘Mr Nail’ here? Stupidly I scrapped the tapes I had Series 1, 3 and the special I had thinking a DVD would happen. I’ve seen a few of these episodes on Youtube etc. in recent years. Yes in some respects it feels a bit dated now – 25 or so years has passed, and some of the stories are better than others but if it say came on a channel like Drama or miracle of miracles the DVD comes out I’d watch it in an instant and would on the whole enjoy it too – much more so than the BBC re-makes of AWP which I can definitely take or leave. If I had the DVD too I’d like to check out some of the scenes/locations in the North East in Spender too as I remember Newcastle/Gateshead/Sunderland/Teeside and further afield get featured and maybe there's some classic nods to thinks like Get Carter are in there too like with Crocodile Shoes which featured Newcastle Crematorium for example. Also that Sapphire Cosworth an icon a lovely motor nearly 30 years on too. Yes like Target it’s one of those series which does deserve a proper release… whether we get one is another story.
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Post by Brown Granada on Jul 7, 2016 9:16:27 GMT
Excellent write up DE.
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Post by Arthur Pringle on Jul 7, 2016 12:46:05 GMT
Sammy Johnson was also in AWP and did the voice for Sid The Sexist, "Tits Oot!" In Spender series 2 there's an ep ( 'Fee' ) featuring an unlikely romance between Stick & Brenda from AWP who, all too briefly, does get them out fer the lads. Thanks to the Julia Tobin imdb message board for the info
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Post by Gene Hunt on Jul 7, 2016 15:19:27 GMT
Sammy Johnson was also in AWP and did the voice for Sid The Sexist, "Tits Oot!" In Spender series 2 there's an ep ( 'Fee' ) featuring an unlikely romance between Stick & Brenda from AWP who, all too briefly, does get them out fer the lads. Thanks to the Julia Tobin imdb message board for the info I'd like to offer my thanks for whoever produces a screengrab of said outage
Gene.
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Post by Arthur Pringle on Jul 7, 2016 19:05:45 GMT
In bed with that Martin gadgee.
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