Press Gang

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This Steven Moffat series has been mentioned a good few times, but atonishingly, there has not been a thread until now on this remarkable show. The third series DVD arrived yesterday (bah, no Moffat commentaries this time) and I'm just in the mood to dwell upon 't. I saw it on possibly a few occasions Back in the Day, but was rather too young (7-11) in the main part, and never really heard about it - not until I got stuck into the Cornell-Day-Topping "Guinness Book of Classic British Television", which has an absolutely glowing, passionate piece on it.

How did it register with people at the time...? Did you have to be of a certain age, or indeed was it immediately the crossover hit with adults...?

Is Series 2 most people's idea of its peak? I wouldn't be disappointed if this was so - seems hard to top. The first run managed to establish the whole thing, and has a few stonking episodes, and most are passable. But it was startling how much it all seems to fall into place for the second series.

I think for me it registers quite so brilliantly as it is the best example I can think of British and American TV practices drawn upon, but most particularly in how painfully evocative the whole thing is of youth. The second series seems to have one emotional masterwork after another: "At Last a Dragon" (*how it feels to be in love*), "Something Terrible" (the Colin-girl's child abuse one), the one with the girl being buried alive and Spike *having to talk*, the one where Linda dumps Spike: real gravitas in the balancing of comedy and tragedy. And the last of the series with some wonderfully Aztec Camera/Haircut 100-style music from Lee Ross/Kenny...

Any views; any sort of discussion is welcome, on this show... is there even possibly someone who doesn't/didn't like it?

― Tom May (Tom May), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 00:29 (twenty years ago)

They never showed this in the States because we wouldn't settle for having 43 episodes. We wanted 50 and of course that 6 episode season crud was put into effect.

― Ian Riese-Moraine. To Hell with you and your gradual evolution! (Eastern Mantra), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 00:33 (twenty years ago)

Aside: His Doctor Who is on in five weeks.

― Autumn Almanac (Autumn Almanac), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 00:34 (twenty years ago)

i have it all on video, somewhere, so obviously enjoyed it at the time. haven't watched it in 10 years though. might have to invest in those dvds because i doubt the tapes still play 4 video recorders later...

― koogs (koogs), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 06:38 (twenty years ago)

press gang ruled. Dexter Fletcher's slacker chic was a total inspiration. A tv show that created internal confluict for me, between going out and doing something cool, and having to finish just one more episode.

― lukey (Lukey G), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 08:10 (twenty years ago)

I loved it, and totally fancied Dexter Fletcher.

― Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 09:27 (twenty years ago)

Dexter in Bugsy Malone
http://www.dex-files.co.uk/other/bugsysc16.jpg

― Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 09:28 (twenty years ago)

(Just so it's clear, I didn't fancy him in Bugsy Malone)

― Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 09:29 (twenty years ago)

I loved it, and totally fancied Julia Sawalha

― Dave B (daveb), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 09:38 (twenty years ago)

i probably quite enjoyed it as a ten-year old. but how is it 'remarkable'?

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 20 April 2005 09:42 (twenty years ago)

it was MOONLIGHTING FOR KIDS (surely we have done this before?), i had no idea they were dvding it.

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 09:42 (twenty years ago)

I was COMPLETELY into PG when it was on. I taped them all (eventually) and watched it obsessively. I must have been about 14-15 when it was first on. I was a bit of a sad kid! I've caught up with the DVDs recently and realised how formative it was. Shame Mr Moffat didn't get to do more commentaries. They did a few on the second series (and yes, Tom, it is the best) but Julia S can't remember anything unless she was snogging in the scene! He even posts on the mailing list...
http://www.yoyo.org/pipermail/pressgang/

oh i could go on and on!

― Lucy (pandas at war), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 10:35 (twenty years ago)

i think i was in college when this was on. a flatmate was in the PG fan club, or whatever it was.

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 10:37 (twenty years ago)

There were conventions and all sorts.

― Lucy (pandas at war), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 10:40 (twenty years ago)

Press Gang was excellent, particularly the "Something Terrible" episode. I might just pick up the DVDs.

― Ben Mott (Ben Mott), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 11:20 (twenty years ago)

:-(

I'd never even heard of it until The Spy made me watch an episode a few months ago, claiming that one of the characters was just like me, or that I had made up a story from what one of the characters did or something.

― Lapdog Shoesnog (kate), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 11:33 (twenty years ago)

I never watched it because it was a Children's ITV show and Children's ITV was rubbish (or so I'd decided when I was about 7).

― $V£N! (blueski), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 11:37 (twenty years ago)

Same here.

― caitlin (caitlin), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 11:38 (twenty years ago)

I thought it was C4

― Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 11:41 (twenty years ago)

It was.

― Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 11:43 (twenty years ago)

As soon as I posted that I did think 'hang on, wasn't it C4?' but it moved to ITV didn't it?

― $V£N! (blueski), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 11:43 (twenty years ago)

it was more of a 'not BBC, not watching' thing for me anyway regarding after-school/teatime viewing (except for the Chart Show when that started on C4).

― $V£N! (blueski), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 11:44 (twenty years ago)

it was on childrens itv... which was terrible (tommy boyd??). and then the first 2 series were repeated on channel 4 sunday teatimes once they realised what they had.

― Lucy (pandas at war), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 11:46 (twenty years ago)

50 great itv kids shows

1) chocky

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 11:59 (twenty years ago)

2) Knightmare

― caitlin (caitlin), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 11:59 (twenty years ago)

3) Children of the Stones

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 12:06 (twenty years ago)

4) Bad Influence

― $V£N! (blueski), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 12:07 (twenty years ago)

5) Art Attack

― $V£N! (blueski), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 12:08 (twenty years ago)

5) Follyfoot
6) Ace of Wands (think it was ITV)

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 12:08 (twenty years ago)

Knightmare really got worse as the budget got bigger.

― $V£N! (blueski), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 12:08 (twenty years ago)

7) Razzmatazz

― $V£N! (blueski), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 12:09 (twenty years ago)

8) The Pink Windmill Show

― $V£N! (blueski), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 12:09 (twenty years ago)

See? Now I'm just naming Children's ITV shows - I'm not sure these last two were actually that great.

― $V£N! (blueski), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 12:10 (twenty years ago)

razzmatazz was rubbish.

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 12:16 (twenty years ago)

10) THE TOMORROW PEOPLE (original version)

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 12:17 (twenty years ago)

11 T-Bag and the various contrived worlds.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 12:20 (twenty years ago)

12) Children of the Dog Star!

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 12:20 (twenty years ago)

more relevant to that thread on scary pop culture, but i just found the bbc cult site has some video clips of The Changes http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/classic/changes/

WHERE'S THE DVD YOU MOTHERS?

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 12:22 (twenty years ago)

13. Dangermouse

― Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 12:24 (twenty years ago)

14. Truckers/Diggers (as in the Pratchett adaptation)?

― $V£N! (blueski), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 12:30 (twenty years ago)

I was about to add the magnificent "Moondial" but then I realised it was on BBC1.

Press Gang is even better - and Linda Day even sexier - when dubbed into German.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 12:34 (twenty years ago)

Moondial was very definitely BBC1, but The Secret World Of Polly Flint was ITV.

― caitlin (caitlin), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 12:38 (twenty years ago)

15. Girls In Love

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 12:47 (twenty years ago)

PG = remarkable? Well, it seems so to me, anyway. A beautifully made (shot on film?) children's (teenage?) programme that deftly tackled serious issues and played around with genre and pastiche. The sheer emotional depth in it marks it out for me. And Julia Sawalha as this formidable, yet vulnerable 'career' type, and Dexter Fletcher blending James Cagney and Woody Allen, which probably does = slacker. A sensitive tough-cool guy. It is brilliant how Moffat gradually deepens the character, esp. throughout Series 2.

Just watched ep. 1 of Series 3, and while good, it doesn't quite feel the same. No school setting, anymore, and no Mr Sullivan (an unsung hero of the show, Nick Stringer)! It's a shame that more wasn't made of the changes in their lives once they've left school, and more mention wasn't made of it. The performances however, were much as good, and Moffat plots the episode rather amusingly. The tragedy and wistfulness doesn't quite seem to be there, although it was all more concerned with filling in the narrative I guess. That nice undercurrent of synth incidental music remains, however, from those darker S2 episodes.

And yes, "The Changes" is brilliant television; the first episode fits undeniably into Christopher Booker's prognosis about the belief in modernism and progress abruptly ending in the 1970s. As was "Moondial", exactly the sort of drama children's BBC stopped making around 1992-3. The last things I can remember of its ilk were "A Likely Lad", "Archer's Goon" (unutterably odd book, and great), and very vaguely those two Russell T. Davies series (which I didn't see, though viewing the BBC4 clips last week in "Russell T. Davies Unscripted", I found I *did* remember the chilling title sequence for "Century Falls").

― Tom May (Tom May), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 14:38 (twenty years ago)

PRESS GANG GANG DANCE?

― European Samuel Glickstein (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 14:40 (twenty years ago)

Favourite Episodes: the one where Colin pursued the divine (but poor at acting) Claire Forlani; the one with the fake hypnotist who made the marriage counsellor shout "Divorce the bitch!" everytime he heard tghe word "wife".

― Adam Faithless (Adam Faithless), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 14:51 (twenty years ago)

"Jossie's Giants", "Dangermouse", "Dramarama", "Sea View"... ITV was great.

― David Merryweather (DavidM), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 17:56 (twenty years ago)

Jossie's Giants and Sea View were both BBC.

― caitlin (caitlin), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 19:33 (twenty years ago)

Good episodes not mentioned so far:

1. The Crazy Stuff one. So many great lines. Colin as editor! "With free Spike and Linda dolls!". "A prat on wheels!". Linda promising to plug her favourite escort service on kids TV! Slapping and kissing! Genius.

2. The one where Kenny keeps getting the wrong number to the girl in Dublin. Touching!

3. I think, the one where Colin finds out the headmaster is having an affair with the woman he's spying on. "I must say, you look much nicer up close than through binoculars!". And, when Linda blows a party-blower-streamer that makes that annoying noise and the name for which I have forgotten: "Did I do it right?" "Yeah, great.". "Maybe we could do something about that noise."

Basically, the best kids TV show ever, really.

― edward o (edwardo), Thursday, 21 April 2005 05:38 (twenty years ago)

Dark Season and Century Falls looked a lot better in that Russell T doc than they actually were based on my memory of actually watching them at the time.

― $V£N! (blueski), Thursday, 21 April 2005 08:49 (twenty years ago)

Century Falls was great - and i watched it when i was a teacher (blimXoR). I've only seen one ep of Dark Season, however it did have great Servalan n@zi lesbian action in it

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Thursday, 21 April 2005 09:48 (twenty years ago)

yes, and THE BEOWULF

― $V£N! (blueski), Thursday, 21 April 2005 09:53 (twenty years ago)

BEHEMOTH

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Thursday, 21 April 2005 10:28 (twenty years ago)

Edward O.; yes, those first two are Season 2 episodes, IIRC.

How long before "Dark Season" and "Century Falls" are released now? I'd venture that they would sell a few copies presently.

― Tom May (Tom May), Thursday, 21 April 2005 22:43 (twenty years ago)

Actually, my memory suggested that the Crazy Stuff episode was later.
And voila, this link confirms:

http://pressgang.populli.net/main.html

Scripts! Yes!

It's season 4, "Bad News". #3 is "Head and Heart", the first episode of season 5.

"Yesterday's News" - I remember having a massive lump in my throat during that one. "JUST SAY YOU LOVE HIM, LYNDA YOU TIT!". My mother thinks that Spike and Lynda are the greatest TV couple of all time, slightly ahead of Buffy and Angel. She's right on this occasion, though.

― edward o (edwardo), Thursday, 21 April 2005 23:46 (twenty years ago)

Masterly bittersweet ending to Series 3, on these lines... Poignant departure for Spike, but Linda has a card to play - and indeed, splendidly bitter farce earlier when they are chained together, c.f. Zoe...! = A marvellously absurd episode; good contrast after the beautifully handled, certifiably-dark "The Last Word" - which indeed raised the bar for the season.

So very good again, but a tad short at only six episodes, compared to previous runs. Not quite the time to build subtler ongoing narratives. No complaints as to the general direction, though; Steven Moffat was clearly going for more of that "Something Terrible" or "The Rest of My Life" bleakness, and it largely works.

― Tom May (Tom May), Sunday, 24 April 2005 23:07 (twenty years ago)

two years pass...

Hey, the whole first series is available frew online on itv.com !!!

http://www.itv.com/BestofITV/kids/pressgang/default.html

― ailsa, Sunday, 19 August 2007 15:19 (eighteen years ago)

Look, so excited I can't even spell free!!!

― ailsa, Sunday, 19 August 2007 15:22 (eighteen years ago)

In order to view video you must be running Windows as your operating system. Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista are all supported.

Thanks for nothing ITV

― Ned Trifle II, Sunday, 19 August 2007 17:27 (eighteen years ago)

eighteen years pass...

starts on Freeview ch81 (rewind tv) tomorrow at 13:05 and 18:30, daily by the looks

― koogs, Sunday, 1 March 2026 21:05 (one month ago)

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