Archives for September 2010

Amber bids 'au revoir' to Lee

At last Amber woke up and smelled the coffee - or rather the unpleasant whiff of rat. Yes, Lee was finally kicked to the kerb after months of subtle manipulation, quiet bullying and outright violence. As Amber said to him:'I do love you - but it's broken me'. It seems that the feisty, independent girl of old may return.

Meanwhile, what should Amber do to recover and heal? Now she has acute heartache to add to her list of traumas: her brother's death, parental betrayal, and the criminal legacy the name 'Murdoch' carries with it. Reckon she should go for bust in the shop - vintage clothing's a thriving market. And a few nights out with Robbie and Hayley would perk her up no end!

Jack may not be able to resist flirting with anything in a skirt - a condition identified cannily by Iona as Warren Beatty syndrome - but he really does care for Hayley. And Hayley let Gordon know that she's got strong feelings for Jack. But we suspect that Gordon's afraid of losing his best pal, Jack, too.

How else can Gordon handle the Jack/Hayley situation? We reckon he should try stepping back and leave the twosome to get on with things - and deal with the consequences later.

Bob in distress

Paddy Adams was a bad one and that's no mistake, but sleeping with your sister's husband is not a good idea. We did actually feel a wee bit sorry for Theresa up until this point - but how should the family progress, as the skeletons tumble forth?

It's a sunny autumn day here in Dumbarton and we're excited, though a little alarmed, to see evidence of full-scale planning for Christmas episodes going on. Yes, Christmas in Shieldinch is on its way. The costume and art teams are being kept on their toes.

Plus there's an unusual prop waiting in the wings on the exterior set; an ambulance will be involved in this afternoon's filming.

Photo of Ryan Fletcher in 'Beautiful Burnout' courtesy of Gavin Evans/NTS

Stuffed with great choreography, set on an innovative raised stage and featuring a pounding soundtrack by Underworld, the play tells the story of young Cameron Burns and how his interest in boxing changes his life forever. Ryan Fletcher, who played River City's Vader, continues his stage success in the role of Cameron. Lorraine McIntosh, aka Deek's mum Alice Henderson, plays Cameron's mum and she has a mixed attitude towards her son's passion. Lorriaine discussed her role when the play premiered at the Edinburgh Festival in August.

Photo of Ewan Stewart in 'Beautiful Burnout' courtesy of Johan Persson/NTS

You can catch the National Theatre of Scotland's production of Beautiful Burnout playing various venues in Scotland and England, before it heads to New York in 2011.

Like real life, weddings in TV dramas are hectic affairs for all involved in their production. The entire cast has to be suited, booted, primped and preened. Hair, make-up and wardrobe departments work frantically to bring the vision to life.

Clare Pettifer, the busy costume designer on the show, filled us in on the background to Ruth's stunning wedding dress.

Originally Clare bought a dress in a High Street store sale earlier in the year. Then she subsequently spotted a vintage 1950s oyster lace dress in Glasgow. In the storyline Ruth's grandmother, Rose, was the first person to wear this dress, which Ruth and Jo had loved as children. It fitted Morag Calder perfectly, with a few modifications. Maggie Scobbie, who worked on Helen Mirren's costumes in The Queen adjusted the dress to fit.

As we blogged about previously, the costume team always have a camera to hand, to keep a record of what the cast have been wearing and when. These are placed onto continuity sheets, which you can see a sample from below.

Photo of continuity sheet from the wedding day