Press Gang. Ahhhh, the good old days when children's television wasn't presented by patronising 20-somethings who shouted at you as though you were deaf, when they let the credits roll without talking all over them thus ruining the atmosphere, and most importantly, when children's TV wasn't full of mind-numbing American 's*it-coms' like Sabrina and badly-drawn, badly-voiced cartoons.
Rant over.
I was 10 years old when I became a fan of the show. (I'm now 23) Lynda Day was my hero, and her troubled relationship with Spike - even at such a young age - caused me some anguish. I bought the books (and still have 3 of them, at least one is a first edition though sadly not in perfect condition!)and I used put-downs from the show on kids who bullied me at school - and they worked! It was very empowering.
Series 3 was the one that really cemented my passion for Press Gang: 'The Last Word' parts 1 and 2 where the news team are held hostage by an unknown gunman, is a masterpiece. I watched The Last Word part 2 - the only one I'd recorded at the time - so often I knew the script off by heart and wrote it up in my diary! This was possibly the start of my passion for television writing.
Out of all the programmes I have seen, and I've seen plenty, Press Gang has had the biggest impact on my own work. I now have a degree in scriptwriting for Film and TV and I give Press Gang credit for having the biggest influence. It was much more than simply a well-written kids drama: it was ahead of its time, treated the viewers with intelligence, never dumbed down and never shied away from the brutal realities of life while never being patronising or preaching. The scripts were as sharp and witty as the characters were wonderful, the stories funny, moving and sometimes achingly sad. There are so many fans who want to see this again, but unfortunately it isn't avaliable to buy anywhere.
(If anyone can copy episodes for me PLEASE get in touch! I will pay for postage and packing and you will be my friend for life!!!)
Press Gang: Superb, superb, superb. Can't say anymore then that.
Rant over.
I was 10 years old when I became a fan of the show. (I'm now 23) Lynda Day was my hero, and her troubled relationship with Spike - even at such a young age - caused me some anguish. I bought the books (and still have 3 of them, at least one is a first edition though sadly not in perfect condition!)and I used put-downs from the show on kids who bullied me at school - and they worked! It was very empowering.
Series 3 was the one that really cemented my passion for Press Gang: 'The Last Word' parts 1 and 2 where the news team are held hostage by an unknown gunman, is a masterpiece. I watched The Last Word part 2 - the only one I'd recorded at the time - so often I knew the script off by heart and wrote it up in my diary! This was possibly the start of my passion for television writing.
Out of all the programmes I have seen, and I've seen plenty, Press Gang has had the biggest impact on my own work. I now have a degree in scriptwriting for Film and TV and I give Press Gang credit for having the biggest influence. It was much more than simply a well-written kids drama: it was ahead of its time, treated the viewers with intelligence, never dumbed down and never shied away from the brutal realities of life while never being patronising or preaching. The scripts were as sharp and witty as the characters were wonderful, the stories funny, moving and sometimes achingly sad. There are so many fans who want to see this again, but unfortunately it isn't avaliable to buy anywhere.
(If anyone can copy episodes for me PLEASE get in touch! I will pay for postage and packing and you will be my friend for life!!!)
Press Gang: Superb, superb, superb. Can't say anymore then that.