Open AccessDoing it Live! Planning and Preparing for a Live Drama Episode
Author(s) -
Joanna MacDonnell
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
view
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2213-0969
DOI - 10.18146/2213-0969.2013.jethc042
Subject(s) - drama , documentation , visual arts , history , media studies , art , sociology , computer science , programming language
Over the last decade there has been a move towards live episodes ofpopular television dramas and soap operas in the UK being used to celebrateprogramme and channel anniversaries. This paper, written by a member of theproduction team is focused on the ‘behind the scenes’ preparation andsubsequent broadcast of the live episode of British police drama The Bill onSeptember 22nd 2005. This live episode became a landmark broadcast as it wasthe first time that dramatic stunt sequences had been performed live. Thisarticle will be supported with examples from the original planningdocumentation and rehearsal photographs and will examine the productionculture in the planning and preparation of the episode. It will also revealsome of the trickery used to execute the stunts, will discuss thedifficulties experienced during the live episode and how problems wereovercome.