Takin 'over the asylum
| Television series | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Takin 'over the asylum |
| Country of production | United Kingdom |
| original language | English or Glaswegian |
| year | 1994 |
| Production company |
BBC Scotland |
| length | approx. 50 min / episode; total of 297 minutes |
| Episodes | 6th |
| genre | tragicomedy |
| Director | David Blair |
| idea | Donna Franceschild |
| script | Donna Franceschild |
| production | Chris Parr |
| music | Junior Campbell |
| cut | Ian Farr |
| First broadcast | September 27, 1994 - November 1, 1994 on BBC Two |
| occupation | |
Takin 'Over the Asylum ( pronunciation for example: [ teːk h n ] [ oː (v) əɾ ] [ ðiː ] [ əˈsaɪləm ] ; dt. " Takeover of power in the institution ") is a six-part mini - series from BBC Scotland , which has received four BAFTA Awards from 1994.
The tragicomedy is about an unsuccessful insulating glass salesman and amateur DJ ( Ken Stott ) who finds himself as a radio host for the in- house station of a closed psychiatric hospital in Glasgow (the fictional St Jude's Asylum ). There the alcoholic meets people with very different ailments and idiosyncrasies, above all the manic Campbell ( David Tennant ), who actively and enthusiastically assists him in setting up the station. The miniseries received numerous awards and consistently positive reviews. She helped the leading actors David Tennant and Ken Stott, who have since become internationally known, to break through in front of the camera in the United Kingdom. At that time, Stott had already made a name for himself as a stage actor and ensemble member of the Royal Shakespeare Company . Tennant had just recently completed his studies at RSAMD , and for him the six-part series became a stepping stone to the London theater and also to the RSC.
background
main characters
- Edward "Eddie" McKenna ( Ken Stott ) - 38-year-old frustrated double-view glass salesman for Twinview Windows, alcoholic, aspiring disc jockey at St. Jude's Mental Hospital
- Campbell Bain ( David Tennant ) - 19-year-old BAS patient (diagnosis F31.1 ), enthusiastic McKenna's helper in setting up and maintaining hospital radio , chooses DJ as the latest career choice, which his father does not like
- Francine Boyle (Katy Murphy) - Long-term MDD patient with self-harming behavior (diagnoses F32.2 / F32.3 / X84 ) to whom McKenna is strongly attracted
- Fergus MacKinnon ( Angus Macfadyen ) - electrical engineer with schizophrenia (diagnoses F20.0 / F20.4 ), who out of boredom regularly finds new ways to break out of the clinic, but always returns after a short time
- Rosalie (Ruth McCabe) - middle-aged housewife OCD (diagnosis F42.2 ), performs a one-woman war against all germs on earth since the death of her young son from leukemia
production
The six-part series was written by Donna Franceschild. The American author came to London around 1980 and moved to Scotland with her boyfriend at the time in 1983, where she found a new home as writer-in-residence (cf. Stadtschreiberin ). Since then she has written almost all of her works in Scottish dialect (with the exception of the Northern Irish BBC miniseries Eureka Street , which is a similar dialect). Directed by David Blair, production for BBC Scotland was in the hands of Chris Parr.
The setting is the fictional St Jude's Asylum clinic ( St. Jude is the patron saint of desperate and hopeless cases), which was filmed in the former psychiatric facility Gartloch Hospital . The filming was the last use of the premises before the hospital was finally closed in 1996. Since the building was no longer in use, the owners of the BBC gave the BBC free space for the filming. So it was possible to make major modifications (there were restrictions due to the category A monument protection ) and the timing of the shooting was so flexible that the many scenes could be filmed in the correct order, which is otherwise completely unthinkable in film productions and a privilege of Theatrical play is. Several exterior shots were shot in downtown Glasgow, including several scenes in which Eddie makes house calls as an insulating glass representative. In Glasgow's largest shopping street, the pedestrian zone on Argyle Street , Campbell, Fergus and Ruth try in episode 3 to get the attention of the press and local residents for their new radio station (filmed on location).
music
Each episode is named after a well-known pop song, which also plays a role within the storyline of the respective episode and is broadcast at least once on the hospital radio.
- Hey Jude ( The Beatles )
- Fly Like an Eagle ( Steve Miller )
- You Always Hurt the One You Love (Pop-Standard by Allan Roberts and Doris Fisher )
- Fool on the Hill (The Beatles)
- Rainy Night in Georgia ( Brook Benton )
- Let it Be (The Beatles)
As usual for title songs, they are also played for the credits. An exception is episode 3, in which the Beatles hit I Want to Hold Your Hand is played at the end. In episode 5, Rainy Night is only played at the beginning in Georgia , followed by Try a Little Tenderness by Harry M. Woods .
Overall, there are many musical references in the series, especially to the Beatles. In addition to the title of the first, fourth and final sixth episode, the soundtrack contains many other Beatles hits, and the name of the clinic can also be found in the Beatles title Hey Jude . The sound editing of the mini-series differs significantly from most other film and television programs, as there is a constant fade between film music / soundtrack (background) and original sound music (integrated into the story). I.e. For example, a song used for the soundtrack is first recorded as film music, then played on the hospital radio - with correspondingly reduced sound quality due to creaking boxes - and then seamlessly switches back to the traditional soundtrack in the background, while the action continues in the foreground. Due to a copyright issue regarding the music used in Australia and Canada, Junior Campbell (who already wrote the score for the miniseries) was commissioned to record cover versions of most of the hits used in the soundtrack. These replaced the original tracks in all international TV broadcasts (except UK) as well as in the DVD version. The only exception is Rainy Night in Georgia , for which the BBC world shopped use rights and which is therefore to be heard in all versions in the original.
Casting
The casting team had almost given up on the search for a suitable actor for the lead role of Eddie McKenna and wanted to expand the search to England. The possible occupation of the role France sign indicated by an Englishman as "a real shame" and made the team on the little-known (since it is mostly in the theater working) Kenneth Stott attentive, they recently on stage in the play Through the Leaves had seen . Producer Chris Parr had worked with Stott before and immediately agreed. The director and casting director had already seen him in various productions and quickly agreed to offer him the role. Katy Murphy and some of the supporting actors were already known to the cast and the other decision-makers and were offered the role without a further application process. Casting the young main character Campbell turned out to be difficult; the most experienced actors possible were initially sought in vain for the complex portrayal of the manic-depressive key role. Director David Blair, who was already known for giving promising but still inexperienced actors a chance, had cast a small role in his drama series Strathblair with a still completely unknown young actor: David Tennant, whose university degree from RSAMD at the time was only a few months ago, made a lasting impression on Blair despite his brief appearance. The director finally convinced the caster to invite the 21-year-old to audition in Glasgow. At that time there was no budget to let the writer Franceschild travel to Scotland for the audition in addition to the director, producer and casting director, so Blair arranged a video recording of the audition for her (absolutely unusual at the time). This archive material was first released in 2008 as bonus material on the DVD version of the miniseries. Tennant had to prepare two scenes from episode 2 for the interview, and he was presented with a previously unknown scene from episode 3 that he had to perform spontaneously. Contrary to what is usual today, applicants were not expected to play the scenes by heart and in full staging. The enthusiastic young actor did this without being asked, and all four people in charge were immediately convinced of his performance. Tennant's decisions during the audition were adopted by the director for later shooting with only minor modifications. In the audio commentary on the second episode, Blair is described by Tennant as a “lifesaver”: On the one hand, Strathblair (and subsequent roles) freed him from the debts he had taken on during his studies shortly after graduating. On the other hand, the main role in Takin 'Over the Asylum opened the doors to all of his later roles. In the same year he received his first theater roles in England, followed by his first appearance with the Royal National Theater in 1995, and in 1996 he received his first permanent engagement with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has never had difficulties looking for work in theater or film / television since then , He was repeatedly given the explicit reason for his performance in Takin 'Over the Asylum for major roles . He also described the cooperation with Stott as a great enrichment, the experienced actor gave him a lot of crucial information about the theater and film industry as well as the art of acting himself during the shooting and during the breaks. Both Ken Stott and Angus Macfadyen went to Hollywood for several years and various film and television projects shortly after the successful broadcast of Takin 'Over the Asylum . Macfadyen settled there and has since worked mainly in the United States, Stott returns regularly for theater and film roles back to the UK and was for his performances with just two BAFTAs and the Laurence Olivier Award excellent.
Broadcast and publication
The miniseries - in six parts of around 50 minutes each - was shown for the first time between September 27 and November 1, 1994 on BBC Two (public broadcaster, see ZDF ). The miniseries also aired in other English-speaking countries, including Canada and Australia.
As of August 2008, a rerun of the miniseries was broadcast on BBC Four . This was done in double sequences on three consecutive Saturday evenings. The BBC responded to the explosive increase in demand for leading actor Tennant after his big international breakthrough with Doctor Who .
On June 9, 2008, the BBC published the complete miniseries on two DVDs through its distribution 2 | entertain. These are only available as RC-2 DVDs and can therefore be played across Europe as well as in South Africa, Greenland and the Middle East.
It is true that no making-of or other material was filmed behind the scenes in the 1990s , as has since become common in television productions. For the DVD release, author Donna Franceshild and the main actors David Tennant (Campbell) and Katy Murphy (Francine) met again in the recording studio in March 2008 and retrospectively recorded an audio commentary on the second and fifth episode. Director David Blair was also contacted, but could not arrange the date for a joint recording with his current shooting obligations. Tennant starts the audio commentary in the tradition of his current main employer Russell T Davies ( Doctor Who , Casanova ) with the words "Hello, faithful viewer!" ( Hello, faithful viewers! ) And a round of introductions and also speaks later in repeating the audience directly (For example, to briefly explain technical vocabulary from the film industry used in the conversation). In addition to the original series, the DVDs also contain previously unpublished video recordings of the audition of David Tennant, who had to prepare two different scenes during the application process and spontaneously perform another one as bonus material . The first scene shows Campbell when his father visits the clinic for the first time, his father informs him that he will probably be released soon, but that he will then have to move to Perth . Campbell is extremely enthusiastic about the first part, but with bitter disappointment the following. The second scene shows Campbell, overjoyed with his first professional headphones, who is confronted with his father's sobering questions about his professional and life prospects the next time he visits. The threat of having his son forcibly detained in the event of a lack of obedience triggers horror, fear and grief in the boy. The third scene to be improvised is also taken from the second episode. In order to prevent an early discharge from the clinic and the move to Perth, Campbell locks himself here in the transmission room of the hospital radio and mimes a manic attack: He jumps faster and faster through the songs and ideas for moderation for his radio show and finally seems about to leave the window jump before the hospital staff can break open the door and intervene.
action
| No. ( total ) |
No. ( St. ) |
Original title | First broadcast in UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Hey Jew | September 27, 1994 |
| The frustrated sales representative (for Twinview Windows Glasgow insulating glass), Eddie, is literally fleeing his indecisive customers, the Wyatts, to move at home (a small high-rise apartment he shares with his Lithuanian grandmother) and just in time to start broadcasting his second job at the local Hospital radio station to appear. There, his boss is put under pressure by two young competitors to part with Eddie. Out of a guilty conscience, he found him a new job as station manager (station manager) of the clinic radio station in St Judes Hospital, a closed psychiatric facility outside of Glasgow. Eddie's old ocher Austin Allegro is a noticeable splash of color in the clinic parking lot and the rainy city streets. In the clinic ( English also: asylum ) he first met the terrifying nurse Stuart, then he was met by Campbell Bain, who showed him the completely shabby recording studio of the long-abandoned clinic station. His next acquaintance is ward nurse Isabel, who, to Eddie's surprise, reveals Campbell as a patient and sends him to the nurses' ward. Then she gets Eddie the studio key and leads him through the clinic. On their way they meet the patients Rosalie, who is busy cleaning the clinic doors, and "Nana", who is apparently confused and wandering through the corridors shouting and singing. She keeps repeating the word "Kamolindeya". Nana, who doesn't speak or understand a word of English, at least shares Eddie's preferences for hard alcohol and music and keeps him company in the studio. He lets her hear Hey Jude over headphones before watching in horror as the nursing staff chased the patient Francine through the corridors of the clinic and then sedated her . The next day Eddie is summoned to his office by his arrogant, extremely weird and workaholic boss Griffin. The Wyatts have made a public complaint, which of course Mr. Griffin is not happy about. In the evening, Eddie speaks for the first time on St Jude's Hospital Radio, where he introduces himself as " Ready Eddie McKenna" and announces the broadcast times (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.). The patients (with the exception of Nana and Campbell) absolutely disagree with this, because the times overlap, as Campbell Eddie explains, with the popular television program ( Emmerdale , then EastEnders and then The Bill ), which is entirely for the patients of St Judes has special priority. While collecting the flyers, he meets the bitterly weeping Francine and Campbell, who has recently tried to teach himself to play the guitar and persuades Eddie to stay. Together they observe how another patient, Fergus, breaks out of the clinic over the outer wall, which apparently occurs more often out of boredom and does not worry anyone. Campbell wants to help Eddie set up the radio station and thinks about possible theme songs and ways to expand the audience. Eddie notices that Nana is wearing a Miraculous Medal around her neck. This form of devotion to Mary most likely marks her as a devout and presumably Eastern European Catholic and speaks against the theory of psychiatrists that she speaks in tongues . Campbell and Eddie plan a custom music show to better integrate the patients, but the studio record selection is limited to pre-1975 music, so most requests have to be declined. Nana shows Eddie old photos, but her life story remains unfathomable. By the following day, Rosalie and Campbell had cleaned and tidied the studio, all records were sorted and cataloged. On the way home Eddie meets Francine in the stairwell, who looks healthy until she suddenly puts out her cigarette on her own forearm because she “couldn't find an ashtray”. Eddie buys her song request, the Beatles hit Help, as quickly as possible at the record store . . The tech-savvy Fergus not only paralyzed the television (which convinced patients to listen to the radio), but also repairs the broken mixer in no time at all. Eddie familiarizes himself with the record collection and discovers the compilation The Around the World series, volume 16. Music from the Baltics , whereupon the title Kamolindeja ( Eng . The Yarn Dance ) catches his eye. He rushes home and asks his grandmother what it means. She cannot translate the word, but classifies it as Latvian . Eddie and Isabel immediately organize a translator and can communicate with Nana for the first time. She was released the next day, which unfortunately meant that Eddie discovered the old woman homeless in the Glasgower Gutter that night. Eddie only does his main job to pay his bills. When he visits the Wyatts again with the contracts they have prepared, they have already decided on a competing company. | |||
| 2 | 2 | Fly Like an Eagle | 4th October 1994 |
| Eddie leaves a cult-like motivational seminar held by his main employer, Twinview, early to go to St Judes. When asked, he lies that he has to go to a customer appointment. In the clinic parking lot, he meets a stray pregnant cat who apparently has a thing for his car. In addition to Eddie, Campbell, Fergus (who works on the individual parts for a better mixer) and Rosalie (who continues to keep everything clean and tidy) are now in the recording studio. They are visited by the clinic's administrative secretary, who is less than enthusiastic about the idea of running the radio station with the help of the patients (and having the electrical appliances repaired by Fergus). From the window, Francine watches the stray cat, whom she names McTavish. Francine thinks she is an overweight tomcat - when Eddie tells her that it is a pregnant cat, Francine reacts unexpectedly panic and dismissive, which Eddie cannot classify. | |||
| 3 | 3 | You Always Hurt the One You Love | October 11, 1994 |
| Eddie's request for financial support from the radio station is rejected by the clinic administration. Campbell, Francine, Rosalie and Fergus use his help to organize a large fundraising drive for the open house at St Jude's Hospital as part of Mental Health Week . They can even arrange a high-profile appearance for Spike Milligan and thus get the long-awaited attention of the national press: they make it onto the front page in the Daily Record , Evening Times and Herald. You collect ₤ 1,143.67 ( GBP ) and can use it to replace the ailing studio equipment. In the festive mood, Rosalie overcomes her obsessions for the first time and shakes Campbell's hand without protective gloves. Francine decides to try her hand at disc jockey as well. | |||
| 4th | 4th | Fool on the Hill | October 18, 1994 |
| Rosalie worries about her imminent release because her husband doesn't want her home while she refuses to take her medication. The waiting lists for social housing are too long, so that it may have to be temporarily housed in a shared apartment in extremely unsanitary conditions. Fergus is three weeks away from being released. Before that, one of the psychiatrists asks him to take part in a long-term study on the connection between schizophrenia and giftedness / above-average intelligence. After Evelyn makes it clear to him that she does not trust the technical abilities of a patient, whether or not she has a degree in electrical engineering, he is even more skeptical about his future career. Eddie offers to pose as a high-ranking former employer in order to fill Ferguse's three-year gap on the résumé and to be able to give him the letter of recommendation he needs for the applications. But he pretends to be the "Glasgow Area Manager of Twinview Windows", which could cost him his job. Eddie's grandmother decides to spend her old age in her native Lithuania (where she fled before 1945) and needs Eddie £ 3,000 for travel and furnishings. Griffin found out about Eddie's second job through MacAteer and the newspaper articles and is anything but enthusiastic. He gives his salesman an ultimatum. Campbell takes Eddie's advice and writes to various local radio stations looking for jobs. In fact, both are invited for an interview by Radio Scotland . The over-enthusiastic Campbell and the frustrated Eddie have very different expectations of their career opportunities and perceive the atmosphere and outcome of the interview very differently. Campbell doesn't let himself get down and finally manages to get a trial date for a possible DJ job at Radio Scotland through a few little lies (“It's no 'lyin'. Sometimes ye just have a look somebody in the eye and tell the truth that should be instead'a the truth that is "). Eddie decides to practice this wisdom and lies to his boss about the ultimatum. Griffin is pleased with the apparent decision to quit the radio job. Francine spends her day off with Eddie in town. Fergus gets the longed-for job as a systems analyst thanks to Eddie's letter of recommendation, but the request for a medical diagnosis from his family doctor thwarted his plans. Instead, the psychiatrist takes him on as a long-term patient. She explains to him that his schizophrenia will not decrease or go away anytime soon. Fergus, destroyed on the ground, repairs the radio station's mixer before he kills himself by jumping from the hospital tower. Francine accepts for the first time that McTavish is female and pregnant. | |||
| 5 | 5 | Rainy Night in Georgia | October 25, 1994 |
| After the funeral, the mood is at a low point, Campbell gets drunk for the first time and lets his anger run free in the cemetery. Francine and Eddie get closer, she asks Eddie to stop drinking. Eddie is about to empty his whiskey bottle in the sink, but can't bring himself to rest. His grandmother begins to put her emigration plans into practice. She gives him an ultimatum to find a wife by next Wednesday and bring her to the farewell party at the Lithuanian Club of Scotland. He asks Francine, who agrees immediately. At the party they pretend to be engaged, they spend a fantastic evening together. John MacAteer, Eddie's scheming competitor at Twinview Windows, is resorting to increasingly drastic means to outdo Eddie and make Griffin love him. McTavish, a pregnant stray cat with whom Francine has developed a relationship for weeks, flees from two arson youth shortly after the birth of her cubs. Eddie can scare them away and put out the fire in time, but Francine suffers a nervous breakdown and in a flashback her fear of "Uncle Frank" emerges again - an acquaintance of the family who repeatedly raped her when she was nine. Her father did not believe her when she became pregnant with her son Jamie at the age of 15, he called her a whore. She gave her son away to protect him. BBC Radio Scotland were very pleased with the test run and are offering Eddie a vacation replacement position for various permanent radio hosts, but there is disagreement on the BBC Board of Directors over Campbell due to his illness. Eddie makes it very clear that he thinks Campbell is the more talented DJ and will not take the longed-for position without him. Shortly afterwards, both of them receive the invitation to take over a representation together, the performance is a complete success. The first kiss takes place between Francine and Eddie. Stuart discovers the kittens that Francine has taken in and hides and calls the Animal Welfare Association. When the S. SPCA -Beamte collect the animals, they will suffer a renewed collapse. Eddie has to watch everything helplessly and reaches for the bottle again in the evening. | |||
| 6th | 6th | Let it be | November 1, 1994 |
| Eddie is in a downward spiral. He has to watch how Francine withdraws more and more, Griffin and MacAteer are making his working life hell and he is not sure whether another job will follow after the vacation cover for BBC Radio Scotland. Evelyn informs him that the recording studio will be converted into another treatment room in the following week due to lack of space and money. When she learns that the kittens have died after three days at the shelter, Francine tries again to take her own life. For the time being she remains under observation in the hospital, the attending doctor urgently advises Eddie not to get involved with her any more for his own protection. Rosalie can finally move from her filthy transition room in the bed and breakfast to her new home, the so-called Hillcrest property. The dormitory provided by the health authority is viewed very critically by the neighborhood, and residents are not served in local shops. But Rosalie is so enthusiastic about the furnishings in the house that the headwind cannot curb her optimism. Rosalie and Campbell decide to save the hospital radio at all costs. Eddie hit rock bottom when he received a dinner invitation from Paula on behalf of Radio Scotland. She tells him that there is a steady, permanent job, but this is planned as a solo show and will go to Campbell. Eddie overcomes his disappointment and promises to convince Campbell to accept the great offer. Grandma is on her way to Lithuania and has some encouraging words to say goodbye to Eddie. Strengthened, Eddie makes his way to the clinic, visits Francine and supports Campbell and Rosalie in their desperate boycott of the planned eviction until the police intervene. Two reporters present ensure that the failed rescue operation appears in the newspaper the next day, which Griffin (through MacAteer) gets wind of and Eddie immediately fires. Eddie's worries have vanished, in his relief and spontaneous joy about the termination, he kisses the perplexed MacAteer in thanks and goodbye and meets with Francine in the park, the two find each other again emotionally. She tells him why the survival of the kittens was so important to her. Eddie really admits to himself and her for the first time about his drinking problem. | |||
occupation
The actors involved are listed here, named in the credits of one or more episodes of the miniseries.
| actor | role | Role info | consequences |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Stott | Eddie McKenna | Insulating glass rep and aspiring amateur DJ; falls in love with Francine | 6: 1-6 |
| David Tennant | Campbell Bain | Clinic: patient; Diagnosis BAP ; talented radio host | 6: 1-6 |
| Katy Murphy | Francine Boyle | Clinic: patient; Diagnosis MDD ; falls in love with Eddie | 6: 1-6 |
| Ruth McCabe | Rosalie | Clinic: patient; Diagnosis of OCD ; lost her child to leukemia and her marriage to her illness | 6: 1-6 |
| Angus MacFadyen | Fergus MacKinnon | Clinic: patient; Diagnosis of schizophrenia ; highly intelligent electrical engineer | 4: 1–4 † |
| actor | role | Role info | consequences |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth Spriggs | Grandma | Eddie's grandmother, fled in World War II from Lithuania to the UK | 6: 1-6 |
| Angela Bruce | Isabel | Clinic staff: ward nurse | 6: 1-6 |
| Kenneth Bryans | Stuart | Clinic: nurse, self-appointed safety officer | 6: 1-6 |
| Matthew Costello | Alastair | Clinic: patient | 6: 1-6 |
| Derek Anders | Billy | Clinic: patient | 6: 1-6 |
| Gavin Mitchell | Hector | Clinic: patient | 6: 1-6 |
| Molly Innes | Margaret | Clinic: patient | 6: 1-6 |
| Nell Brennan | Sheila | Clinic: patient | 6: 1-6 |
| Sandra Voe | Evelyn | Clinic: administrative assistant | 4: 2-4.6 |
| Roy Hanlon | Gordon Griffin | Twinview window trade: Eddie's boss | 6: 1-6 |
| Neil McKinven | John MacAteer | Twinview window trade: Eddie's colleague and scheming competitor | 5: 2-6 |
| Ronnie McCann | Lavery | Twinview window trade: Eddie's colleague | 4: 2-5 |
| Paul Blair | Webster | Twinview window trade: Eddie's colleague | 4: 2-5 |
| Caroline Paterson | Jane | Twinview window trade: Eddie's colleague | 5: 1-3.5.6 |
| Arabella Weir | Paula Kinghorn | BBC Radio Scotland: Senior Producer for the entertainment division | 3: 4-6 |
| Hilary Neville | Receptionist | BBC Radio Scotland | 2: 4.5 |
| Fiona Kane | Nurse | Clinic: nurse | 2: 1.6 |
| Jake D'Arcy | Electrician | Clinic: electrician, should install mixer | 2: 5.6 |
| Mary Macleod | Nana | Clinic: patient through a misunderstanding (spoke Latvian , not “ in tongues ”), becomes homeless after discharge | 1: 1 |
| Inta ozols | translator | Clinic: Consultant, can communicate with Nana for the first time and clear up the misunderstanding about her condition | 1: 1 |
| Ron Donachie | Petrie | 1: 1 | |
| Ashley Jensen | Kathleen | 1: 1 | |
| Gary Grochla | technician | 1: 1 | |
| June Watson | Mrs. Wyatt | Twinview window trade: Eddie's difficult first customer as an agent | 1: 1 |
| Michael Sheard | Mr. Wyatt | 1: 1 | |
| Liz Smith | Harriet | Twinview window trade: pushy elderly lady, later Eddie's best customer | 1: 2 |
| James Grant | Campbell's father | Basically a loving but life marked father who does not understand the illness and dreams of his child | 1: 2 |
| Lou Hirsch | US consultant | American specialist advisor | 1: 2 |
| Gayanne Potter | Catriona | 1: 2 | |
| Patricia Ross | Woman with baby | Twinview window trade: customer | 1: 2 |
| Sedhar Chozam | Foreign woman | Twinview window trade: customer | 1: 2 |
| James MacDonald | pensioner | Twinview window trade: customer; Voice dubbed by director David Blair | 1: 2 |
| Jon Morrison | Jim | 2: 3.6 | |
| David Robb | Dr Cairns | Clinic: psychiatrist | 1: 3 |
| Vivienne Dixon | Lady Sarah Chalmers | Clinic: patron of the foundation | 1: 3 |
| Bill Barclay | Nurse | Clinic: nurse | 1: 3 |
| Robert Ellison | photographer | 1: 3 | |
| Colin McCredie | photographer | 1: 3 | |
| Ian Cairns | Police Constable | Patrolman on the Glasgow shopping street on Argyle Street | 1: 3 |
| Spike Milligan | Spike Milligan | Guest appearance as himself | 1: 3 |
| Kika Markham | Dr Hollis | Clinic: Psychiatrist (research study) | 1: 4 |
| Alison Park | secretary | Clinic: Dr Hollis' office | 1: 4 |
| Margery Withers | Mrs. Prackhauskas | Grandma's friend from the Lithuanian Club | 1: 5 |
| Ian Sexon | Council Official | Twinview window trade: municipal council official and potential customer | 1: 5 |
| Mark McConnachie | guys | Clinic: juvenile arsonists | 1: 5 |
| John Roberts | 1: 5 | ||
| Sam Graham | doctor | Clinic: Francine's attending physician | 1: 6 |
| Anne-Marie Timoney | customer | Twinview window trade: potential customer, single mother at subsistence level, after all Eddie repairs her window for free instead of selling her new one | 1: 6 |
| Martin McCardie | Carpenter | Clinic: A craftsman is called in to measure the recording studio for the renovation | 1: 6 |
| Noreen Leighton | Hillcrest neighbor | Rosalie's new neighbor, very unhappy with the opening of the Hillcrest in the neighborhood | 1: 6 |
| Bruce McKenzie | Evelyn's colleague | Clinic: Eddie chases the gentleman out of a job interview to complain to Evelyn about the workmen | 1: 6 |
reception
Reviews
"Superb, brilliantly filmed without being intrusive, writing that makes you chuckle and gulp in the same sentence, and tour de force performances."
"Everything about this series is perfect - rich in character, it treads a delicate path between tragedy and comedy."
"Funny, sad, thoughtful, well-written, beautifully played [...]"
Awards
| year | Award | category | output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | BAFTA Scotland | Best miniseries | Won |
| Best Screenwriter | Won | ||
| BAFTA TV | Best miniseries | Won | |
| Best cut | Won | ||
| RTS Award | Best Screenwriter | Won | |
| Mental Health in the Media Award | Won | ||
Stage adaptation
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Twenty years after the successful miniseries first broadcast, Franceschild adapted her own work for the stage. The idea arose when Franceschild, Tennant and Murphy got together again in 2008 to record the audio commentary for the DVD version and discovered how much had changed in the world of western civilization in the past 15 years - and how much had (unfortunately) not . The Citizens Theater in Glasgow also contributed to the production costs of the production , whose Artistic Director ( Intendant ) Mark Thomson also took over the direction. The world premiere took place there on February 14, 2013, shortly afterwards the production was transferred to the Royal Lyceum Theater in Edinburgh , where the play opened on March 13, 2013. On the day of the premiere in Glasgow, Franceshild published her drama in book form.
Franceschild said about the timeliness of their adaptation:
"Since Takin 'Over the Asylum was broadcast in 1994, much has changed. This theatrical version is set in a world of cell phones, the Internet, and zillions of digital TV channels. Two things, however, have not changed: The soul music of the 60s is still the best pop music of all time (that's a fact, not an opinion!) - and people with mental illnesses are still stigmatized, Discriminated in the workplace, insulted as 'disabled junkies', ignored, avoided, even physically abused. "
Theater reviews
Several reviewers, including The Guardian and STV , presented to relate the story to the US feature film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest ago (STV: "not-to-be-missed [...] A Scottish One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest "). Guardian reviewer Mark Fisher also wrote about the drama: "Donna Franceschild's bittersweet comedy, based on her own 1994 TV series, stands as a metaphor for authoritarian oppression [...] Touchingly, it illustrates the fragility of the human psyche [...] Behind Franceschild's brash, confrontational jokes is a plea for understanding of the damage done by circumstance. [The production has been] blessed with a strong ensemble cast. ”In his theater review for The Telegraph, Mark Brown added:“ What is certain is that - in refashioning her screenplay as a contemporary, two-hour stage play - Franceschild has, while maintaining the comedy and humanity of the TV series, added a fascinating new dimension to her drama. [...] Director Mark Thomson receives fine performances right across a diverse cast. "
What's On Stage particularly praised: “[G] reat writing, good music, a collection of fabulous characters facing unenviable challenges and a well structured story.” The Scotsman wrote: “[T] his magnificent ten-strong ensemble create a fine, irresistible piece of popular theater, with a great, beating heart, wonderful tunes, and terrific jokes. ”The Herald described the story as“ moving, funny and heart-breakingly pertinent ”. List agreed: "[F] unny, moving, relevant [...] a fantastic piece of old-school theater." The Stage noted that it was "grand entertainment that downplays the more serious side of mental illness." TV Bomb praised the way in which the show "blurs the line between mentally ill [...] and 'sane' [...] to show that despite the labels given to us, ultimately we are all people." The Sunday Herald wrote , “[F] ans of the TV series will recognize the play's careful balance between poignant pathos and pointed comedy.” The Public Reviews judged “[T] his tightly written and sharply crafted play is funny, heart-breaking and genuinely inspiring in equal measure. " The Times put it," There's nothing preachy or sentimental about Franceschild's script. The high entertainment value comes from its raft of visual gags […] and glibly funny lines. "
Trivia
- The idea for Eddie's rickety car (also recorded in the script as "my vintage Allegro") is based on David Blair's old orange Austin Allegro . Blair eventually sold his car to the BBC, so the vehicle used in the series is identical to the script.
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Spike Milligan KBE (1918–2002) made a brief guest appearance as himself in Part 3 You Always Hurt the One You Love . In the episode, Campbell activated a long chain of personal relationships and eventually managed to get the celebrity Irishman for the hospital radio fundraiser win. The comedian, writer, musician and world war - Veteran ( Lance Bombardier of the British Army ) was in the 1950s, especially for the Goon Show known what his permanent nationwide notoriety secured and as a pioneer and main inspiration for future comedian groups such as Monty Python applies. In 1999 he was voted "funniest person in the last 1000 years" in a BBC poll. Like the main character Campbell, Milligan suffered from his bipolar affictive disorder throughout his life . The fictional newspaper headlines in the Takin'-Over-the-Asylum episode also refer to his career highlight with the Goon Show :
- “JUST A PAIR OF LOONIE GOONS! - Spike Milligan with Campbell Bain of St. Judes Hospital "
- "EX-GOON SPIKE IS POOLS WINNER - Comedian joins in the fun to boost Hospital Radio Fund-raiser"
- After graduating from the Mountview Academy of Theater Arts in London, Kenneth Stott (Eddie) began his career with an engagement with the renowned Royal Shakespeare Company . A few years later, however, his income as a theater actor was at times so low that he had to work as a representative for multi-pane insulating glass in order to earn a living. This personal background found its way into his character in Takin 'Over the Asylum .
- In order to get along better with the equipment of a recording studio, David Tennant (Campbell) was invited by BBC Radio in the run-up to the shooting. For a day he was able to familiarize himself with the radio technology with professional support, but then found that the ultra-modern equipment of the largest British radio station had little in common with the small and heavily outdated second-hand mixer that was ultimately chosen for the series.
literature
- Donna Franceschild: Takin 'Over the Asylum , Bloomsbury Methuen Drama, February 14, 2013, ISBN 978-1-47250-746-4
- Donna Franceschild: Breakin 'open the asylum - newspaper article by the series creator about her work and dealing with mental illness 15 years later in the Guardian on June 4, 2008
Web links
- Takin 'Over the Asylum in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Takin 'Over the Asylum on TV.com
- Takin 'Over the Asylum: Filming Location Gartloch Hospital , Glasgow ("St Judes")
- Takin 'Over the Asylum in the BFI database
- 4:13 minute video excerpt from the BBC DVD , released by The Guardian on June 4, 2008, archived from the original on September 16, 2015.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f Audio commentary on the second and fifth episode (recorded subsequently in 2008 by Donna Franceschild, David Tennant and Katy Manning for the DVD version) and info text at the beginning of the bonus material (video recording of Tennant's casting )
- ↑ Schedule: Takin 'Over the Asylum on the Citizens Theater website. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ↑ Thom Dibdin: Edinburgh Lyceum to stage new play by David Haig . In: The Stage . April 20, 2012.
- ↑ Mark Fisher: Takin 'Over the Asylum - review - Citizens, Glasgow In: The Guardian, February 19, 2013. Retrieved March 25, 2018.